Kristi Noem got her shooting range, but she didn’t get her name on it. The $20.1-million Pete Lien and Sons Shooting Sports Complex opened on Halloween. Noem spent $13.5 million in tax dollars intended for economic development on this bang-bang playground, and we still have to pay $20 a pop to get in:
The complex is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. May through August, and from 8:30 a.m. to sunset September through April.
The facility’s 50-, 100- and 300-yard shooting bays and archery range are free to use on a first-come, first-served basis. Memberships are required for the long-range bay, shotgun area, sporting clays course and north range. An individual membership is $100, a family membership is $150 and a day pass is $20 [Joshua Haiar, “South Dakota Opens Its $20 Million State-Owned Shooting Range,” South Dakota Searchlight, 2025.11.07].
Game Fish and Parks apparently felt the need to name the little spur off Elk Vale Road that leads into its new attraction. So they named that gravel for a historic South Dakotan who served in Congress and as Governor. THe shooting range address is 14514 Bill Janklow Road, Piedmont, SD 57769.
Will they sell the new MAGA schwag?
Can’t imagine this will be a huge money maker for SD.
Any abandoned gravell pits where untrainable pups are disposed of? Perhaps instructors to demonstrate how to dispose of untrainable pups?
ORT scotus refused to hear Kim Davis plea to stop gay marriage from hurting traditional marriages because it is yucky to her.
I’m sure it will be well manicured.
Cricket road sounds better.
I wonder if the Bill Janklow Road has a speed limit or any stop signs?
Lake Hiddenwood State Park near Selby is a gem. Over a dozen years ago, the dam burst from a heavy rain and is a lake no longer. It was a CCC project from the 1930’s and managed to survive so damn long.
The state park system did not have the money to fix the dam, nor would Noem send the National Guard to rebuild. But she made sure that damn gun complex got built. No money for upkeep in the low population areas for state parks. Some of the recreation sites have been closed along Oahe Lake from Mobridge to Pierre. But they had to have that dam gun complex that fewer people will use than go to our state parks.
I’ll never get over the waste for what 5% of our population?
This will be a really swell place for people to gather and have fun and will make much money in economic development for the state. A great investment. Tens of thousands of people, many from out-of-state who are not whiners, will travel to the region to take part in activities at the new Noem Gun Range and spend much money into the pockets of South Dakotans. There were tens of tens of local people who would use the geographically hindered Hiddenwood area who spend no money beyond the 12-pack of beverages they would buy anyway. Tens of tens is outweighed by tens of thousands in any playbook. No comparison.
Not sure if any one else finds the “pun” humor in the name of the road.
In 2016 South Dakota’s Republican senior US Senator called an end to lead contamination in the watersheds that support all life in the United States, “silly.”
But like on so much public ground in the West the Black Hills National Forest and US Bureau of Land Management properties face habitat degradation fraught with lead contamination from unregulated shooting plus off-highway vehicles, grazing, mining and logging. The Victoria Lake area on Beretta Road above Rapid City is a lead Superfund site in the making after decades of unrestricted shooting.
In 2022 on BLM ground south of Lead some 700 pounds of lead were recovered from the Yellow Creek Shooting Range and in cooperation with the City of Deadwood berms were reconstructed then a vault toilet, two new shooting benches, two 50-yard pistol ranges, 100 and 200 yard rifle ranges, new target stands and shooting structures to help with noise reduction were erected. The Fall River Gun Club operates a range on state land about fifty miles south of Rapid City.
The fact that a private company didn’t build this gun range on their own tells me it won’t be a money maker. Any long area with a good hill or tractor tires works just fine for a gun range.
Real Republicans would have opposed this idea because it takes away money from local private attractions.
“Hey kids, let’s take a vacay and road trip it to shoot at South Dakota’s new gun range!.” Ain’t gonna happen.
Grudz, the G in GF&P does not stand for Guns, it stands for Game, like gaming or hunting. That Gun Shooting Complex has nothing to do with hunting, fishing or parks. The money taken from the GF&P budget to build and manage this monstrosity has already cost jobs and closures of rec areas around the state.
There are over 66 facilities around the whole state that service everyone in S.D. not just a select few.
Like sx123 wrote, it should have been built by a private company. the money benefits those close to the facility in the hills, not everyone in the state.
Were you aware Bosnia had its own shooting range and Bosnians were the targets of wealthy gunners from around the globe?
https://crooksandliars.com/2025/11/did-rich-people-pay-shoot-humans-during
Sounds possible and most probably likely