TELLER COUNTY — After another wildfire at the Turkey Track Shooting Range in Colorado’s fire-prone high country last week, leadership in nearby Teller County is hinting at possible restrictions this summer ahead of a planned major overhaul of target shooting in Pike National Forest.
The April 12 Turkey Track wildfire burned 128 acres and, though the investigation is still ongoing, has been determined as human-caused. It began during a dangerous Red Flag Warning Day.
The fire prompted many on social media to ask why target shooting was even permitted during a high-wind event.
According to a report by the USFS, the Turkey Track area historically has about five to 10 fires a year due to the target shooting that takes place there.
“It's kind of the wild west right now out there, right on the border of two counties,” said Teller County Commissioner Dan Williams.
Williams, like others, assumed the most recent fire was started by target shooting. Though a large sign at the entrance has cautions like “Exploding Targets are Prohibited,” Williams said target shooters often still use incendiary ammo like “Dragon’s Breath” and exploding targets like Tannerite.
The Turkey Track Shooting Area, off Highway 67 about 13 miles northwest of Woodland Park, is on US Forest Service land. But in the most recent fire, crews from Teller and Douglas Counties, along with the Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control, helped the federal agency get the fire under control.
Williams said the entire area becomes a “Front Range playground” for people on the weekends and in the summer. He welcomes the visitors, but said they are often unaware of the local restrictions in effect.
“They don't know it's a Red Flag Day because ‘By God, they drove all the way from Denver, and here we are. It's kind of windy, but let's shoot anyway,’” said the commissioner. “So it's a real problem, and we may have to, and I say we, along with the Forest Service, may get more draconian this summer with the cuts.”
Williams was referring to the federal cuts enacted by President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, which impacted agencies like the Forest Service. Up to 3,400 Forest Service employees were fired nationwide in February, prompting lawmakers like Colorado’s US Senator Michael Bennet (D) to call for their reinstatement ahead of the summer fire season.
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With that reduction in Forest Service personnel, leaders like Williams fear there aren’t enough resources to tackle the dangers posed by an uncontrolled shooting range like Turkey Track.
“We have a shooting range that's three miles from here. It's called the Teller County Shooting Society. It's never had a fire. Why? Because if you want to shoot there, there's a flag that goes up, there's an officer in charge,” Williams said. “It's relatively controlled and still fun. [Turkey Track] is an uncontrolled range, and you see what's happening.”
Though Williams can’t enact Teller County policies on the federal shooting range, he pointed to the upcoming overhaul of Pike National Forest target shooting that’s years in the making as hope on the horizon.
The Integrated Management of Target Shooting on the Pike National Forest project began in 2021 with a final decision made in January 2025. The project prohibits target shooting on 73% of Pike National Forest and identified six locations, including Turkey Track, for developed shooting ranges.
Plan underway to better manage target shooting in the Pike National Forest
The six ranges are expected to be more controlled with features like targets, lanes, and noise abatement features.
However, the project web page said the developed shooting ranges were supposed to be implemented by March of this year, though the page noted it was an estimated timeline.
It’s currently unclear when the Turkey Track Shooting Area overhaul will be in place.
Email Senior Reporter Brett Forrest at brett.forrest@koaa.com. Follow @brettforrestTVon X and Brett Forrest News on Facebook.
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