Hodag Sports Club Challenge draws shooters from 6 states

The Hodag Sports Club Challenge was a two-day sporting clay event held last month at the shot gun range of the Hodag Sports Club. It was only the first year of the Challenge, but it drew 88 shooters. Organizers of the event said that, being the first year, they were hoping for 40-50 people, so they were excited to see so many people turn out from six different states.

Shooters call sporting clays “golf with guns,” said Sara Umland of the Hodag Sports Club. Shooters walk through a 15-station course, stopping at each station to shoot a certain amount of targets. 

There was also a five-stand event in the challenge. With five stand, she said, there are five shooters who shoot at pairs of targets. Shooters competed in several different categories over the two days of the event. Umland said it was great to see so many shooters enjoying the range, and to see the event have such a large draw. Organizers are already looking forward to next year’s event and have started the planning process already.

Results for this tournament can be found on the Score Chaser website app.scorechaser.com by clicking on completed tournaments under the tournaments tab. In the search box, site visitors can simply enter “Hodag Challenge” to see the results.

On Aug. 16, the Hodag Sports Club has a Flurry Shoot coming up. In approximately two minutes, 100 targets, with five shooters taking aim. The idea is to shoot as many targets out of the sky as possible in that time.

“Even if you don’t shoot it, it is a lot of fun to just watch,” Umland said. 

The week before the Flurry Shoot, the old clubhouse will be coming down to make room for not only a new clubhouse, but a 1,600-foot banquet center. The hope is to have those improvements done by the time of the Hodag Sports Club Banquet in February, but the facility will also be open to the public for rentals for weddings, parties, meetings and other gatherings. The facility will be able to hold up to 300 people, Umland said.

Umland said the club is always accepting new members. Members can utilize both the shotgun range out on Highway C east of Rhinelander and also the rifle, archery and pistol range which is located off of Highway 8 just west of Rhinelander on Sports Club Road. A family membership is just $75 per year with a lifetime membership being $600. Guests who come to the range with an active member can purchase a day pass, which is only $10. It is a great way to experience the range before deciding to become a member.

The Hodag Sports Club is a strong supporter of the Rhinelander High School Trap Team, and encourages young shooters to get involved in shooting sports. High school and younger aged students may use both the rifle and shotgun range without purchasing a membership as long as they are accompanied and supervised by a parent or legal guardian that has an active membership. 

Also, once again, the public will be able to utilize the Hodag Sports Club’s rifle range during the gun-deer sight in period the week before the gun-deer hunting season. The cost is $10 and hours for sighting in deer rifles will be available on the Hodag Sports Club Facebook page as the time gets closer.

Those looking to get more information about the Hodag Sports Club, to check in on their expansion project, or who are looking to become a member, can find all of that information on their Facebook page or their website at hodagsportsclub.com.

Beckie Gaskill may be reached via email at [email protected].