[MGF]

Anyone know what's up with Rend Lake? Tried calling the shooting complex yesterday and the number was disconnected. Tried both the resort and the general store/cafe numbers, and they didn't have a different number for the shooting complex or any further info.

So, went to Sparta. A fellow there told me a shoot a couple weeks back originally scheduled for Rend had been moved to Sparta.

Is Rend Lake shooting complex closed? I know they weren't getting much traffic, but what a bummer if true. They did a lot of work to put it back in shape, and its clays course was very nice. I'd only been there a few times, but was treated like visiting royalty. Very gracious folks. Hate to lose a place to shoot.

Anyone hear what's up?

 

[instinctive shooter]

Sometime within the last month the decision to close Rend Lake was made. The person who has been running it for the last several years had become partner in a shot reclamation business and always seemed to be gone. People who had gone there to shoot were so disgusted with the conditions/lack of help/costs that business had fallen off badly. There was still a core group who shot there regularly -primarily because of convenience but also because they had supported the place since its inception-who did not want to see it close. However, the management called a meeting and gave them just a few days to come up with a plan to raise $$$ for this year's operation, and they could not do it. The annual membership they had been paying for years had gotten very high (at least for this part of the state), and by themselves they could not carry the burden of the expenses. Of course, one did not have to be a member to shoot there, and many were not. All of this was told to me by someone who attended the meeting. The guy running the show has since departed for one of the southern states where he has a reclamation job going and may stop back in the Spring.
If anyone would want to take over management of this once fine facility please contact the Rend Lake Conservancy District and make them a pitch. All of us who live in the southern half of the state miss shooting there.

 

[naildriver]

To bad Rend was a great place to shoot, I hope someone takes it over but this time I hope it's someone that can make a go of it.

 

[instinctive shooter]

Well, I stand corrected. Over the weekend I was told that it will stay open as there is a year remaining on the lease. There is no guarantee that there will be adequate staffing or whether the traps will work, etc, but it will not close. Speculation has it that since there is a lot of State money tied up in the facility (i.e.- grants) that it can't close. I'll be surprised if that is the case given the poor state of our economy. Again, all of this is second hand information, but the person relaying this said he is very hesitant to cough up $200 for an annual membership.He can recoup that amount in savings over fees charged to the general public but isn't confident that it will stay open. I'm surprised to know that they are even allowed to do this since it isn't privately owned. He also claims that in order for a nonmember to shoot they must be accompanied by a member and that they can only do this three times before being required to join.

 

[naildriver]

Rend lake shooting complex is owned by Rend lake conservancy district, I don't know 100% for sure what the current status of the shooting complex is but I do know you have never been required to be a member to shoot there. I have been shooting there since the mid 90's and at that time Dennis Snead ran the complex, when sparta was built Dennis went over there to work and the board leased the Rend lake complex to a private individual that has run the complex since, I don't know if it was lack of funds or lack of intrest but it did not work out. That guy is now travelling the country doing lead reclamation. I was told that the board is looking for someone to lease it and open it back up, I don't know if that's true or just a rumor. I hope it will reopen it's a great place to shoot. [ they did have a membership option if you bought a membership you got a discount but it was never required]

 

[MGF]

I heard the trap and skeet field are open on the weekends. Don't know about the SCs or the 5-stand.

Hope the $200 club thing blows over. Have no problem joining a club, but I'd kind of like to see it have established hours before plunking down two 100s.

I also have heard the "looking for a new lessee rumor." Have no idea as to its validity.

It's a decent piece of property; you'd think someone could do something with it.

 

[Tal/IL]

the ATA website shows registered trap shoots scheduled on the following dates:

Apr 9th - 10th, 2011

May 14th - 15th, 2011

Jun 25th, 2011

Jul 9th - 10th, 2011

Sept 9th - 11th, 2011

Oct 29th - 30th, 2011

 

[MGF]

That's good. I'll try to get up there some Sunday outside the registered shoot days to see what's shaking.

TAL/IL .. I've lived in Peoria and Bloomington-Normal. Where do you shoot at?

 

[Tal/IL]

I have access to a trap about 5 minutes from the house for practice and shoot registered targets most often at either X-line (Kankakee), Downers Grove (Morris), Warrensburg or Decatur. The last couple of years, mostly Warrensburg for no particular reason. And, I try to get down to Brittany when they have multi-day shoots (planning on going for the April 2, 3 shoot). But, I get most of my registered targets at the U.S. Open, Illinois State Shoot and The Grand.

 

[MGF]

That's cool. Not a registered guy myself.
Never made it by X-line, though mean to someday. I've busted quite a few at Morris and Peoria; enjoyed both.

 

[687shooter]

Would anyone know who to call to discuss running rend lake i may be interested depending on alot of details.

 

[MGF]

I'd check with IDNR. I think they own the property.

Was out Sunday. Was kind of pitiful. Clays weren't open, at skeet "we're having problems on one of the machines."

So you had your choice: As long as it was trap. They had voice pullers out on two fields. Although that did seem to meet the limited demand.

Sad. I heard this place was once hopping. Still is a nice building and pretty land.

 

[stlouisguy]

Rend Lake is a great place; sorry to hear it's struggling.

 

[naildriver]

I was told yesterday that Rend is open again. Does anyone know if this is true ?

 

[MGF]

I'll try to get up there one of these days. I kind of put it off 'cause the phone's gotten me differing responses, and I don't feel like loading the car and making the drive ( 45 to to an hour) w/o having some reasonable expectation of shooting.

Still, sometimes you've got use the shoe leather and show up to get the straight skinny.

I'm mainly interested in a little casual skeet ... and they hadn't put any time or money into their machines. Seems the Rend Lake Conservancy District is all about the golf and the lake use and isn't paying much attention to the shooting facility. Which, if true, is a shame. It's nice land.

 

[sentry71]

http://www.illinoistrapshooters.org/

Story on the front of the website (May 2012 Report) says Rend Lake is back in action.

 

[MGF]

Thanks, sentry71. That's good news.

 

[naildriver]

Thanks for the response and info sentry71, last time I got up that way was the end of Feb. and it was still closed but Im glad to see they are open again.

 

[barrelslime]

So whats the current story at Rend?

 

[Tal/IL]

Rend Lake is very well run and going strong, as far as I know. I shot there in July. It's about a 3-1/2 hour drive for me, but I try to make it once or twice a year when they have a multi-day shoot.

You can find info here: http://www.rendlakesc.com/index.html