Shooting Sports Programs

Protecting recreational shooting and hunting opportunities has long been part of the League’s mission. By partnering with government agencies, the shooting sports industry, and other conservation organizations, the League helps to maintain access and promote responsible use of shooting ranges on public lands.

Izaak Walton League chapters own and operate more than 100 shooting ranges across the country, including archery, rifle and pistol, skeet, sporting clays, and trap ranges. These facilities are also used for firearms safety training, hunter education courses, and youth shooting programs. Many of our chapter’s programs are endorsed by the National Rifle Association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, and the Amateur Trapshooting Association. Contact your local chapter for class availability and schedules. To find a chapter near you, click on the tab at the top of this page.

Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC)
The YHEC competition, created by the National Rifle Association, tests junior hunter's skills with events like wildlife identification, game tracking, and target shooting. For more information, visit the YHEC Web site.

Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP)
The Scholastic Clay Target Program provides school-age participants in grades 12 and under with the opportunity to showcase their competitive shooting skills and earn state and national recognition. Participants can compete in trapshooting, skeet shooting, and sporting clays. The program is designed to instill in participants safe firearms handling, commitment, responsibility, leadership and teamwork. For more information, visit the SCTP Web site

NRA Basic Firearms Training Courses
One of NRA's goals is to provide basic firearms training on the proper and safe use of firearms. Many IWLA chapters feature NRA basic training courses taught by certified NRA instructors. Contact your local chapter for a list of available courses and schedule by clicking on the "Find a Chapter" tab at the top of this page. NRA basic courses may not be available at all IWLA chapters.

Women's Programs
Many chapters sponsor events that are intended to grow the number of women participants in outdoor recreational activities. Women in the Outdoors, a program started by the National Wild Turkey Federation, and Becoming an Outdoors-Woman are two programs available at League chapters that teach a variety of outdoor skills. Workshops include topics like fly fishing, photography, survival skills, map and compass skills, hunting, firearms, and many others. For information on hosting a women's event at your chapter, contact Earl Hower, Izaak Walton League Director of Chapter Relations, at (301) 548-0150 ext. 216, or e-mail earlh@iwla.org.

Junior USA Shooting Team Shooting Patch Programs
Junior USA Shooting Team patch programs; provide great opportunities for youth to get started in the safe fun of target shooting. Beginners earn an official riflery or shotgunning patch from the Junior USA Shooting team while learning safety and shooting basics. Participants and leaders can download riflery targets, shotgunning score sheets and register on-line to get riflery or shotgunning patches by visiting the Junior USA Shooting Team Web site.