The Lovell Rod and Gun Club is in the process of making a number of improvements at the Lovell Trap Range northeast of town, but the changes have not come without some rough spots along the way.
Members of the Rod and Gun Club board of directors, meeting last Wednesday night at the Lovell Annex, said they have received criticism from some members of the public and wanted a chance to explain the process they are going through and why some changes are necessary.
Club secretary Suzanne Wilson said people have expressed concern about a sign placed on the property that states that a person must be a member of the Rod and Gun Club in order to use the facility.
Club member Bill Miller explained that the land on which the facility rests is Bureau of Land Management land that has been leased to Big Horn County, and the county has entered into an agreement with the Rod and Gun Club to run the trap range. That means keeping the range up and running, cleaning up trash, maintaining the facility, paying utilities and paying for insurance.
“It’s about stewardship of the property,” member Bruce Jolley said.
Insurance is a big issue, Miller said. Members are covered by the Rod and Gun Club’s insurance, but non-members would not be, and if a person was to get hurt on the premises, he could sue the club or officers of the club. Miller said a hold-harmless clause in the BLM lease requires the club to purchase insurance.
The club also intends to fence the property in the future, not necessarily to keep non-members out but to keep bikers and four-wheelers off the property.
Miller said some people are under the misconception that because the facility is on BLM land, it must be a public facility that is free and wide open to the public. That’s not the case, he said.
“It really is not a public facility,” Miller said. “That’s clear in the lease agreement with the BLM and with the county.”
Miller said the BLM is in favor of the changes being implemented.
“They’re very much in favor of what we’re doing,” he said. “They’re glad to see the club up and running. We have their total support, and that’s a good thing.”
“Our membership dues are very reasonable compared to other clubs.”
Annual memberships are currently $20 for an individual and $30 for a family.
The BLM lease agreement with Big Horn County allows “regular and usual fees prevailing in the area” to be charged for using the facility and stipulates that an “adequate number of trash receptacles” be placed on the lease area and also gives the lessee the right to control access to the facility.
“Should trash accumulate and littering become a problem, the lessee will have the option of establishing hours of operation and enforcing them through access control,” the lease states.
Miller said people are welcome to check out the BLM lease number W-94170. He said he has a copy at Miller Fabrication.
Further, he said, the Big Horn County formal agreement with the Rod and Gun club states that the club will maintain control over the management and future development of the facility through its officers and board of directors and will “exercise ownership over the physical facility.” The club also agrees to maintain the facilities in a clean, orderly fashion.
The agreement with the county states that the shooting facility should be open to the public “to the extent practical and possible” but adds that fees charged for targets and facility maintenance will be at the discretion of the club.
“Future securities measures and the scheduling of use will be at the discretion of the LR&GC,” the agreement states.
Eventually, there will be a gate with an electronic keypad at the entrance to the property requiring a member to type in a membership number or password in order to gain entrance, board members said, but they said they would also be willing to have open days where the public could use the facility all day for a minimal fee – enough to staff the range for the day.
Wilson said the club is happy to let Boy Scouts use the range for free.
“Just call us,” she said, adding that the club would love to help train Scouts or other youth in gun safety and has trained instructors available to assist. Miller said the club plans to offer gun safety classes at the trap range clubhouse.
“We have a great clubhouse that can be used by members for activities,” club treasurer Linda Miller added.
Bill Miller noted that as insurance costs increase, the club dues may have to increase, as well. He noted that Basin, Powell, Cody and Worland all have closed, private facilities.

The Rod and Gun Club has made many improvements at the trap range in recent months, starting with a much-needed cleanup.
“It was a filthy mess,” Miller said, noting that people would take an old TV or barrels to the range, shoot them up and then leave them.
“Guess who gets to clean that up?” he added. “If we don’t take care of that thing, our kids will lose what little (shooting) tradition we have here.”
The Town of Lovell donated three dumpsters to be used at the trap range, and they’ve been placed at three high-use areas. There is still some more cleanup that needs to be done, Miller said, but with the dumpsters it is easier for range users to keep the facility picked up. The town also bladed the road into the facility.
“The pistol range was a total mess,” Miller said. “With the dumpster it’s fairly nice. That’s the way it should be.”
“If we don’t become good stewards, the BLM will shut it down,” Jolley noted, and added club president Levi Miller, “It wasn’t taken care of for so long. Somebody’s got to keep it clean. We need to educate the public.”
Board members noted that one club member goes out to the range almost every day to pick up trash.
The Rod and Gun Club is seeking a grant to purchase voice-activated trap machines, and the Tucson, Ariz., Trap and Skeet Club is donating two skeet machines that would be placed where House No. 4 is now.
Bill Miller said there are plans for a semi-automatic range next to the pistol range. And the small rifle range will change to a rim fire range for smaller-caliber rifles like .22s so kids will have a place to shoot.
An archery range will be located next to the clubhouse.

Everyone at Wednesday’s meeting agreed that they would love to expand the membership of the Rod and Gun Club, noting that the club meets every third Wednesday at 7 p.m., usually at the Lovell Annex.
“We encourage anybody even remotely interested to show up,” Bill Miller said. “We don’t care if they are members or not.”
Members also noted that the Rod and Gun Club is for all shooting sports, from long rifle shooting to archery.
“We would love to improve the pistol range and the long rifle range, but we need input about what they want,” Levi Miller said.
Plans are to place a port-a-potty at the rifle range and extend the road to the full 1,000-yard distance of the range next spring, Bill Miller said, adding that the Town of Lovell bladed and graveled the road along the rifle targets.
“It was a trail,” he said.
“We’d like to put in better targets – steel targets, and we’d like to put in new shooting rests and benches. But we need input from rifle shooters.”
Also in the works are new steel roofs for the clubhouse and the storage shed, Miller said.
“We’re looking for people to donate more picnic tables to make it (the clubhouse) more homey,” he added.
Miller said the club is working with the BLM to expand the lease boundary to the top of the natural topography on the surrounding hills. That would keep dirt bike riders and four-wheelers from entering the property from the north or west, which could be dangerous.