BEREA, Ky. — Madison County residents looking for an outdoor activity built around focus, timing, and skill can find weekly public skeet shooting hours at the Miller Welch-Central Kentucky Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Berea.
🗓 Public hours: Thursdays, 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
📍 Location: Miller Welch-Central Kentucky WMA, 638 Dreyfus Road
✅ Upcoming June Thursdays:June 4, 11, 18, and 25
🧱 How Skeet Shooting Works
The club’s listing through Berea Tourism notes that skeet shooting involves using shotguns to break clay targets launched from two fixed houses, commonly called the high house and low house. Participants move sequentially through a series of eight stations and engage targets from different angles. The club is open at 2:00 p.m. every Thursday year-round, as well as the last two Sundays of each month from April through September from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
🧾 Registration and Attendance Expectations
The event is entirely open to the public, but participating in active shooting is distinct from simply visiting or watching. Shooters should expect to register with the club on-site and pay nominal per-round fees charged to cover clay targets and club operations. New visitors should bring cash for these field fees unless they have confirmed an alternative payment method with club management in advance.
For people who have never watched or tried skeet shooting, the weekly public hours provide an accessible path to see how the sport works in a highly controlled club setting. Organizer information for Rick Hendrix is actively maintained on the Berea Tourism event page.
🗺️ Navigating State Range Permits and WMA Boundaries
The skeet club operates within the borders of the Miller Welch-Central Kentucky WMA, a Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources property encompassing 1,847 acres that is also utilized for hiking, birding, field trials, bird dog training, fishing, and limited seasonal hunting.
Visitors must remain strictly aware of Kentucky’s updated shooting range permit requirements. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife requires a valid annual or one-day shooting range permit to utilize firearms or archery equipment on any department-managed, leased, or affiliated shooting range lines.
Annual License Holders: The permit is completely free for individuals ages 16 and older who hold an active annual Kentucky hunting or fishing license, but it must still be explicitly claimed and checked off within the state’s online licensing portal.
Non-License Holders: For those without an active annual hunting or fishing license, the permit fee is $26.43 for an annual permit or $5.29 for a one-day pass.
Youth Policy: Youth ages 15 and under are exempt from the permit fee but must be under the direct supervision of an adult at all times.
🏟️ Distinguishing Between On-Site Facilities
Because the expansive public property includes more than one type of shooting layout, visitors must ensure they are using the correct facility and adhering to the exact regulatory rules posted for that specific field.
That distinction matters to local sportsmen: the WMA’s state-managed single-projectile tube rifle range maintains its own distinct operational schedule and safety rules, including complete restrictions against handguns and shotshells. Those state guidelines are entirely separate from the club-managed trap and skeet fields.
New visitors should arrive prepared to follow all posted safety guidelines, wear mandatory eye and ear protection, and immediately obey any instructions from club volunteers or range staff. Anyone planning a first visit should check the current event listing or contact the club before making the trip, especially if severe weather or a special event could affect public hours.
📅 Berea Tourism Event Calendar:https://visitberea.com/events/
🧭 Kentucky Fish and Wildlife WMA Map:https://app.fw.ky.gov/public_lands_search/detail.aspx?Kdfwr_id=15
📌 Upcoming Events in Berea & Beyond
🎨 Community, Arts & Civic
- 🎶 Richmond Centre Summer Concerts Opening Night (2139 Lantern Ridge Dr.), Friday, May 29, 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- 🪑 Tools and Stools Workshop (116 Spring Circle Dr.), Saturday, May 30 to Sunday, May 31, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- 🐾 Drive-Thru Pet Vaccine Clinic (1151 Goggins Lane), Saturday, May 30, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- 🍽️ Madison County Schools Summer Feeding Kickoff (GME/BMCMS Parking Lot), Monday, June 1, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- 🏛️ Madison County Fiscal Court Special Session (135 W. Irvine St.), Monday, June 1, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- ⚽ Next Level Soccer Camp (Berea College Alumni Field), Monday, June 1 to Friday, June 5
- 🪵 Woodcarver Wednesday (Berea Welcome Center), Wednesday, June 3, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- 🎯 Madison County Skeet Club Public Hours (638 Dreyfus Rd.), Thursday, June 4, 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- 🛍️ 15th Annual US 25 Yard Sale (Regional Route), Friday, June 5 to Saturday, June 6
- 🐞 Junebug Festival (Old Town Artisan Village), Friday, June 5 at 6:00 p.m.
- 🎣 Free Kids Fishing Derby (Lake Reba Park), Saturday, June 6, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
🎭 Theater & Performance at The Spotlight Playhouse
🎟 Tickets and info:https://www.thespotlightplayhouse.com/
- 🌟 Annie KIDS (Spotlight Acting School), May 29 to June 7
- 🗽 Creative Arts Camp (“New York, New York”), June 8 to 12
- ⚔️ Macbeth (The Bluegrass Players), June 19 to 28
- 🎬 Film Acting Camp (Rising 6th to Age 18), June 29 to July 3
About the Author
Dr. Chad Hembree is the Executive Director of Spotlight Acting School, The Spotlight Playhouse, and Spotlight Performing Arts. Affectionately known to the community as “Mr. Chad,” he is a playwright, director, and performer with a professional background spanning music, theater, and technology. As a contributor and editor for BereaOnline.com, he focuses on highlighting community news, local events, and the evolving intersection of technology and the arts in Madison County.