The crack of a shotgun echoes through the woods near Parkville. That sound is new to the Parma Woods Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center after more than 20 years of restrictions.
Tucked away off Interstate 435, just five miles west of downtown Parkville, Parma Woods finally launched a long-awaited shotgun program in April 2024. The Introduction to Sporting Clays program is a new program that simulates hunting scenarios in a natural wooded environment.
The program has grown steadily in its first two seasons but still has room for more. Designed as an educational and skill-development opportunity, the course allows participants to shoot at moving clay targets launched in the woods — a challenging and dynamic alternative to traditional trap or skeet shooting.
“We’ve always had a challenge with doing shotgun stuff here,” said Nathan Woodland, outdoor education center manager for the Missouri Department of Conservation. “The layout of the grounds; really, we don’t have the room to do it.”
Parma Woods sits on narrow, uneven land that doesn’t allow for a traditional trap or skeet range, which typically requires approximately 300 yards of flat terrain. Despite a steady interest in shotgun programming, the range simply couldn’t accommodate it until a creative partnership provided a solution.
Woodland credited a collaboration with the Platte County Board of Commissioners several years ago as the breakthrough. Together, they helped create a walkthrough-style clays course, allowing for shotgun use in a safe and structured format tailored to the site’s natural topography.
Rather than fixed targets in open space, the Parma Woods course takes shooters on a short hike into the forest, where they rotate through three shooting stations. At each stop, shooters face a different challenge: clay discs launched to mimic birds in flight, rabbits darting across the ground, or other types of wildlife.
“A lot of people have only shot at a hand-thrown clay target that’s right in front,” Woodland said. “They’ve never had the opportunity to shoot the actual game of sporting clays before, but it’s fun.”
The free, three-hour program begins in the classroom with an overview of the sport. From there, participants gear up and hike into the woods to begin their shooting.
The course is open to participants ages 11 and up, ideally those with some previous shotgun experience. Most sessions accommodate about 10 shooters, but the program can hold up to 18. Groups of 10 or more can also book private sessions.
Though still relatively new, Woodland said participation has steadily increased. There are two more opportunities this season with morning and afternoon sessions on Aug. 16 and Aug. 30 before the program wraps for the year.
Outside of the new shotgun program, Parma Woods continues to serve as a year-round educational resource. The range features 24 shooting lanes for rifles and pistols, available for public use at a cost of $5 per hour, cash only. It also hosts as many as 90 additional classes and events each year, covering topics such as hunting, fishing, trapping, archery and conservation awareness.
Parma Woods also partners with local schools, including Northland Career Center and the Park Hill School District, to provide outdoor education opportunities for students.
The Introduction to Sporting Clays program is part of the Missouri Department of Conservation’s broader effort to make outdoor sports more accessible and educational.
For more information or to register for programs, visit mdc.mo.gov.