Illinois DNR’s Wingshooting Program – There’s a Clinic for You!

by Dan Stephens | November 1, 2023 | Recreation

Two people stand to the left in the foreground. One person holds a shotgun up to her shoulder and aims at the bright blue sky. The second person stands behind the individual aiming the shotgun. In the background is a grassland.

Photos by the author.

Wingshooting, shooting at flying targets with a shotgun, is more than just a recreational activity; it is a valuable skillset to develop hand-eye coordination, an understanding of firearms, and beginning to develop fundamental skills (e.g., stance, swinging) all while having an enjoyable experience outdoors. As a new shooter, it may seem a daunting task to be able to hit fast-moving flying targets, but with practice and proper training, it is easily attainable. Perhaps, you’ve scoured the web for tips and techniques but just need some hands-on training. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has a program just for you: IDNR’s wingshooting program. As a volunteer wingshooting instructor myself, I can attest the volunteer instructors are highly motivated, trained, and want nothing more than you to succeed at being safe and breaking targets.

The wingshooting program, first established in 1999, is a partnership between IDNR and many other organizations to offer wingshooting clinics across Illinois. Whether you are a brand-new shooter with no experience, or consider yourself an experienced shooter, there is a wingshooting clinic tailored to your skill level. These clinics are run by highly trained IDNR/ National Sporting Clays Association certified wingshooting instructors. Three categories of wingshooting clinics are currently available:

Introductory wingshooting clinics
Youth/womens wingshooting clinics
Hunters wingshooting clinics

A group of young boys stand in line behind the first boy who holds up a shotgun to his shoulder and aims at the bright blue sky. An adult stands behind him and supervises. In the background is a grassland with a horizon line of trees.

Introductory and Youth/Women’s Clinics

Introductory wingshooting clinics are designed to teach youth and adult men and women at the beginner or novice level, basic firearm and hunter safety, wingshooting fundamentals and practical wingshooting. Youth/womens clinics are similar in nature but designed for just youth and women participants. While participating in these clinics, you will be taught proper firearm safety, parts of a firearm, eye dominance, proper stance and hold, and how to properly shoot a shotgun at a moving target. These clinics begin with a brief 1-hour classroom portion focusing on the basics and firearm safety before transitioning to a hands-on portion with your individual instructor. To ensure safety and allow shooters to get the most out of the clinic, shooters will be broken into small groups (four or five people) to work with an individual instructor. This allows for ample shooting time and the ability for the instructor to work one-on-one with each shooter. At both types of clinics, shooters will transition through four target presentations: incoming, outgoing, left-to-right crosser and right-to-left crossers. Having a shotgun or ammunition is not a prerequisite to attending these clinics as both will be available for you to use at the clinic. If you do have a shotgun, many clinics will allow you to bring that along to use. You will leave these clinics with a better understanding of firearms, and the ability to hit moving targets with a shotgun.

Hunter Wingshooting Clinics

In a large garage, a group of people sit and listen to a speaker who holds up a shotgun in demonstration.

If you are a more advanced shooter and want to refine your skillet, the hunters clinics are designed just for that. These clinics closely mirror what many would term “sporting clays.” These clinics offer a variety of different presentations that mimic real hunting scenarios. Participants will encounter presentations that mimic the flight characteristics of pheasants, quail, rabbits, doves, ducks and other game species. Sound wingshooting practice techniques are also taught at hunters clinics. As someone who personally has attended a hunters wingshooting clinic thinking I was a competent shooter while reliably hitting 18 to 20 targets out of 25, I can attest, I am now a much more competent shooter and routinely score 22 to 24/25 by implementing what I learned at this clinic. After all, it’s hard to watch yourself shoot and reflect on every little aspect of your stance, swing and hold. Having a highly trained instructor to watch over and provide instantaneous feedback is amazingly effective.

Whether you are a brand-new shooter or looking to refine your skillset with a shotgun, look for an IDNR wingshooting clinic near you.

You will have a great time and increase your competency with a shotgun, I promise!

Dan Stephens is a Hunter Recruitment Specialist with the Illinois Natural History Survey. The Illinois Learn to Hunt program is a statewide program designed to teach adults (18+) why, where and how to hunt a variety of species in Illinois. Visit Illinois Learn to Hunt for more information or to sign-up for an event near you