Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Renovated Shooting Range Opens at Optima WMA

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation sent this bulletin at 12/03/2025 04:40 PM CST

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A look from above at the renovated Optima WMA shooting range. (Photo by Darrin Hill/ODWC)

Renovated Shooting Range Opens at Optima WMA

Hunters, firearms owners and people who enjoy the shooting sports now have yet another place to practice with their firearms.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is pleased to announce the reopening of the renovated shooting range at Optima Wildlife Management Area, east of Guymon in Oklahoma’s Panhandle.

“We are super excited to reopen another renovated range,” said Amanda Thomas, ODWC Shooting Range Coordinator during the project. A ribbon cutting was held Oct. 23 at the 35-year-old range that now offers modern 100-yard rifle and 50-yard handgun ranges surrounded by berms, ADA-accessible parking and walkways, and covered shooting stations.

The Optima project is the latest completion in a campaign that ODWC began in 2015 to enhance public shooting opportunities across the state. Through a combination of new range construction and extensive renovations and expansions on WMAs, ODWC is ensuring hunters and recreational and competitive shooters have safe, accessible places to enhance their skills.

Completed shooting range projects since 2017 include Lexington, Cherokee, Pushmataha, Beaver River, Okmulgee, James Collins, Packsaddle, Kaw, Atoka and Optima.

Other shooting range projects are underway at Copan, Canton and Lexington WMAs. Use of these ranges is prohibited during all phases of construction. Work at each range is expected to take several more months, with anticipated reopening in spring 2026.

With federal funding assistance through the Wildlife Restoration Program and its Public Target Range subaccount, ODWC has completed 10 shooting range projects since 2017, with 15 additional sites to be newly built or upgraded through 2029 and beyond.

The National Rifle Association’s Public Range Fund donated $25,000 for matching federal grant funding on the Optima project. Leveraging the donation with matching federal funds yielded about $100,000 in actual funding.

For all ODWC shooting ranges, the only requirement to use the facility is the possession of a valid State of Oklahoma hunting license or combo hunting/fishing license, unless exempt.

For ODWC shooting range locations and updates on range construction and renovation projects, go to wildlifedepartment.com/hunting/wma/shooting-ranges.

Gathered to cut the ribbon to reopen the renovated Optima WMA shooting range are, from left, retired Game Warden Max Crocker, ODWC Director Wade Free, Game Warden Lydia Gearhart, Chief of Wildlife Bill Dinkines, Shooting Range Coordinator Amanda Thomas, Wildlife Biologist Hayden Savage, Assistant Chief of Wildlife Scott Parry, USACE Assistant Lake Manager William Denton, Chief of Communication and Education Micah Holmes, Northwest Region Wildlife Supervisor Weston Storer, and Education Section Supervisor Lance Meek. (Photo by Kara Gardner/ODWC)

A view of the 35-year-old Optima WMA shooting range as it appeared before renovation began. (Photo by Amanda Thomas/ODWC)

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