Concealed carry class wraps up for year

This Saturday, On Target Northwoods Defense held its last concealed carry class for the season at the Hayward Rod and Gun Club.

The class was led by owner Jenny Hole. Jenny is a Certified Firearms Instructor with over 15 years of law enforcement experience. She’s worked for the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Department for nine years and is now a probation and parole agent. 

After training to be a firearms instructor, Hole began by teaching friends and family but decided to start teaching public classes last year, as well as doing private lessons. And on Saturday, the eight people who attended the class learned the basics. 

“We’re just basically going over the laws for concealed carry. I do Wisconsin and Minnesota, which can give you up to 36 states you’re then able to conceal carry,” said Jenny Hole.

Saturday was the last concealed carry class for this year. Hole says she is working on a schedule for next year and next year, is adding a new feature to her program: an enclosed trailer with a smokeless range. 

“So people will be able to use SIRT guns, which is kind of like a laser , and it feels just like a real gun. But, we’ll have scenarios for law enforcement, it could be hostages or an active shooter. For everyday citizens it’s going to have little competition shooting, shoot-don’t shoot scenarios. So people will be able to come in and do that along with doing the concealed carry classes with me,” says Hole.

Concealed carry is legal for residents over 21 in Wisconsin with a Concealed Weapons License (CWL), but firearms training and a background check is required for that license.

In 2024, the Department of Justice approved just over 67,000 licenses for concealed carry. They also denied nearly 2,100 (2,095) applications, and revoked, suspended, or cancelled nearly 2,000 (1,987).