Shooting is on hold at the Moorhead Rod and Gun Club while the group tries to negotiate a deal to avoid court action by American Crystal Sugar to shut down the range.

American Crystal wants the gun club to move its range because workers have narrowly missed being shot and some equipment has been damaged by bullets, said Jeff Schweitzer, a spokesman for the Moorhead sugar beet cooperative.

“This is really about the safety of our employees,” he said.

American Crystal sent a letter last week asking the club to move its range, Schweitzer said.

Jeff Froiland, the club’s board secretary, said the company threatened to seek an injunction to shut down the range if it is not moved.

Schweitzer said American Crystal would consider legal action if it can’t persuade the gun club to move, but it has not decided that for sure.

“I think what we would do is look at all our options, including legal recourse,” he said.

Land owned by American Crystal, which is home to its Moorhead plant at 2500 11th St. N., surrounds the range on all sides but the north.

The close calls and equipment damage have been reported near some lagoons east of the range that are used to treat byproducts of beet processing, Schweitzer said.

Joel Money, club president, said the club’s board has known that American Crystal has been concerned about the range for about seven years.

“This time they came to us and pretty well mandated, well, you’re done,” he said.

Gun club officials say they are open to a move, though it will be difficult to leave the location the club has had for almost 90 years.

The club hopes to get some money to help pay for relocation. Schweitzer said that may be possible. The parties are expected to negotiate a deal soon.

Members can shoot shotguns, rifles and handguns on the property. Nonmembers can shoot there during other weekly events.

Many of the club’s 300 members like being close to Fargo and Moorhead, Money said.

“A lot of our members have remained members due to sheer convenience,” Money said.

There could be benefits to moving the range, Froiland said.

“What’s happening is really not all bad,” he said. “Hopefully, we aren’t disappointing too many members.”

Club officials would like to have a larger range. The one near the processing plant is five acres. Froiland said 10 acres or more would be ideal.

“The hardest thing we’re fighting right now is to pick up a piece of land we can use,” Froiland said.

The club has scouted some locations and would like to try to stay within a half-hour drive of the cities, he said.

Clay County Planner Tim Magnusson said county zoning law allows a shooting range in flood zones without a conditional use permit or on agricultural land with one.

About four-fifths of the county is zoned as agricultural land.

For now, club members have nowhere to shoot. The closest other ranges are near Casselton and Horace in North Dakota.

Money said he had not heard of members shooting at those ranges yet, but some likely will with deer season coming up.

“Usually, this is our biggest time of the year,” he said.

View All News