As our lives continue to get back to “near” normal, we have been able to kickstart some of the activities that we have been accustomed to holding and participating in, prior to the pandemic. We hope to continue to add events, especially at the new Range, as 2023 progresses.
This year started off with our 17th Annual Predator Roundup at Hoppy’s Bar in February. A total of 140 hunters, including 5 gals and 15 youth, participated and ended up harvesting 24 Coyote, 5 Bobcat and 5 Fox. Next winters “Coyote Population Study” is scheduled for full moon weekend, Feb. 2-5.
In May, the USFS reopened Camp Nesbit for the summer season and the schools were able to resume the 6” Grader’s Camp Nesbit “Outdoor Experience” Program. Because the class sizes have become smaller in the schools, they decided to also allow the 7th and 8th Graders to come out and participate because the Camp had been closed during 2020 and 2021 and these kids had missed out. We provided archery, 22 rifle, shotgun and black powder instruction for almost 100 youth (!) from the Ontonagon and Ewen-Trout Creek School Districts. It was a very special time for the students and the adult instructors. Everybody was so ecstatic to be back at Camp! And the kids were some of the best ever!!
Then also in May, before the schools let out, we again paid for the school bus transportation and provided a “Range Day” firearms safety session and 1:1 range time at our new Himanka Hill Road Range, for .22 rifle and archery shooting (and lunch!) for all of the 5th Graders from Watersmeet, Ontonagon, and Ewen-Trout Creek.
During the Summer, we got back into the swing of things with the Summer Youth Shooting Program at the new Range Facility. After a two year hiatus, this would now become our 21st year. Held over a 5 week period, we had as many as 14 youngsters each Saturday, ages 8-14 attend. And variably, every week, different area youth or youth visiting relatives, made up the contingent. Each youngster receives firearms safety training by certified instructors before participating in archery and .22 rifle shooting.
During September we have scheduled a Fall Fishing Day for area school youth at a local pond. We held our first one before the pandemic in 2019 and it was well received so we are going to try it again!!
Open Shotgun Shooting continues at the new Range every Wednesday evening at 7pm. Everyone is welcome to come out and enjoy. The cost is five bucks per round to help offset the cost of the clays, etc.
New Range Facility: The new Range is open for dues paid Membership use, no guests. If the gate is closed, but not locked, you are welcome to open the gate and use the facility. A note about your membership dues. Please know that membership dues run from October to October, no matter what time in this past year you may have joined. Please make sure that your dues are paid for the coming year by using the enclosed form. Thank you!
We are really happy to announce that we have received support from the Ontonagon County Chapter of
WTU for the construction of our Range Pavilion. They supported a grant application to their National Organization for the project and we received $2500 from them. Improvements planned for this coming vear include an Archery Pavilion and an angle parking lot on the South side of the Himanka Hill Road.
For events, we hope to get back to holding Ladies Handgun Classes and have discussed some type of “Camp Challenge” in the Fall whereby teams of 3 would participate in archery, rifle and shotgun and the team winner would hold bragging rights for a year with some type of special trophy! Stay tuned
Canoe/Kayak Landing Projects: As you are aware, our Ewen-South Branch Canoe/Kayak Landing Project is now complete and we are looking to provide a number of access points both upriver and downriver so that families would be able to take day trips of reasonable length (rather than having to go all the way to Victoria Dam on the downriver portion). We have identified a possible location downriver at a point of the former Twin Pines Camp. It would require the assistance and approval of the USFS and would involve about a half mile of trail construction to make it happen. A funding source has been identified and the Club hopes to work closely with the Forest Service over the next year to see if we can’t make this a reality. So many more people and families would be able to use the South Branch for recreation if this access could be accomplished.