by John Dowd
The Whittecar Rifle and Pistol Range, on Blodgett View Drive just west of Hamilton, is in trouble. According to club members that manage and operate the range, they are seeking funding to improve the range, particularly the 300-yard range and its covered shooting house.
One of the main ways they are hoping to afford this is through the Pittman-Robinson Act, a federal grant available to state wildlife agencies. This grant would apply to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP). According to Jim McCormack, Whittecar Rifle and Pistol Club president, ranges qualify for the grant if organizations like FWP are “in control of the range,” as seen by the federal government. McCormick is not exactly sure what that means, but fortunately, FWP owns their range.
The land the range is on is already owned by FWP. It is leased to Ravalli County, which then subleases it to the club. McCormack said the range needs a “major improvement that’s gonna cost around 350 to 400 thousand dollars, and we’re just not gonna be able to afford that, as a club.”
McCormack explained that the shelter for the 300-yard range faces into the wind and “it really takes a beating.” So far, they have been doing small repairs over time, but according to McCormack, these are patches on a much bigger problem.
Club members say they would need a new shelter that may require around 12 benches, and that is not a cheap thing. The shelter is old and battered and the ground is even sinking in areas.
This project would require a lot of dirt work, as not only do they need to fill the ground around where the shelter currently stands, but they would need to square up the range itself. It is not straight, which is not conducive to matches, though they do hold some. McCormack said the dirt work alone is going to cost around $250,000. Additionally, while the project is going on, they will need to cease operations on their most popular range, losing that income for the duration of the build.
However, the problem may not see a fix soon. McCormack said this has been going on for at least two or three years, and “there’s nothing on the horizon yet, that I can see.” He mentioned a similar situation with the Deep Creek Range, in Missoula, but he is unsure of how that project went. He just knows that they were able to receive some federal assistance.
“We don’t know what’s gonna change or how it’s gonna change,” said McCormack. “We’re just keeping our fingers crossed that we’re gonna get a new shelter before the one we got falls down.”
The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act passed in 1937, and took a portion of existing tax funding from firearm and ammunition sales and funneled it into a grant that was available to state agencies working on “wildlife restoration projects.” Early in the program’s life, the funding language directed money to conservation projects targeting mostly popular hunting species. However, the program was expanded in 2011 and again in 2019, creating a looser operational definition as far as what projects qualify. The program now works to fund things like program administration, enhancing hunter education opportunities and more variety in the kinds of conservation projects that can be funded.
Club members say there will be a public comment opportunity available to the public. Dave Hedditch, club vice president, said people should watch out for that opportunity and provide feedback. Hedditch has been in charge of the project for the last three years. According to him, with the range growing in popularity, they really need to impress the importance of this project on the government. Hedditch said the range saw over 2,200 shooters in October alone, and then another 1,000 in November. “For a little range, this gets a lot of use,” said Hedditch.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Whittecar Rifle and Pistol Range can call (406) 363-7078. The range is open Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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