NEWSLETTER • August/September, 2008

Coming Events

Sat. August 16th — 100 Bird Registered Shoot
Wed. September 3rd — Start of 5-Week Fall Sporting Clays League
Sat. September 6th — Wis. Waterfowl Assn. Waterfowl Flurry
Sat. September 20th — 200 Bird "Fall 400" Registered Shoot
Sat. September 27th — National Hunting and Fishing Day Event

SPORTING CLAYS & 5-STAND RANGE HOURS

Wednesdays and Thursdays — Noon to dusk
Saturdays — 10 am to last Squad out by 3 pm.
Long Bird Competition — Wed. & Thurs. evenings
4 Man Cart Rentals Available

In the Field

The flooding and damage caused by all the rain that fell this spring is pretty much long gone. In fact, area crops were looking a bit stressed from a stretch of dry weather that hopefully has ended thanks to stormy weather and a good inch of rain this week. It’s AUGUST already!

The Club has replanted about 20 acres of sorghum in various locations that was lost due to the flooding that occurred earlier, mainly in the Kennel, Pugh, West Marsh and Schuett hunt areas. Soil compaction was also a problem on heavy (clay) soils that become so "crusty" from so much rain that the seedlings couldn’t push their way up through the hard soil. That’s how it can go sometimes. Staying on top of the situation requires keeping a close eye on field conditions, the weather and being ready for the unexpected. Cover and food plot conditions are looking good, and the herbicides used to control Giant Ragweed appear to be working as advertised as well!

Hunter access and other trail mowing activities are set to begin soon. Mowing (trails) on Conservation Reserve Program acres has been a big issue for hunting preserves in recent years. Fortunately, mowing is being allowed with limitations (more paperwork, more planning, more government supervision) but in the end, hunters won’t see much of a change in the field.

Road grading and graveling has been a bit more of an issue than in the past. There was so much water that for a while both the Club and adjoining town roads were getting washed out faster than they could be fixed. Hillside Road is still under repair. The Club would like to remind everyone to please stay on designated parking (gravel) areas when on the Club grounds. No off-roading!

Finally, can we please have your email address! We would like to improve our service to you by sending newsletters and other valuable info via the internet. Send it to joni@wernvalley.com THANKS!

Sportsman Channel’s National Hunting and Fishing Day

On Saturday, September 27th the Sportsman Channel will host a National Hunting and Fishing Day event here at Wern Valley from 10 am to 3 pm. The event is free and is a great opportunity to introduce a kid to the outdoors. There are a variety of activities and groups involved with the event, and many activities are "hands on".

Sponsorship opportunities are available as are booths for outdoor groups and vendors. Wern Valley is fortunate to have been chosen by the Sportsman Channel for this celebration of all things hunting and fishing, and would like to encourage your business or place of work to get involved! Contact the Sportsman Channel at www.thesportsmanchannel.com for additional information.

A Great Show at The Great Cancer Shootout

For the fifth year in a row, the Great Cancer Shootout was a tremendous success with a record 762 entries at this year’s event. There are so many people to thank for their continued support. Shooters, sponsors, donors, volunteers, friends, neighbors and the community have contributed in so many ways that it is impossible to thank them all. The Bartolotta Family donated another stunning fireworks show, with some new and never seen before displays that were a real treat for all who attended.

There were some great items in this years live auction, which was attended by more than 600 people. The bidding was lively with some items going over face value. By dusk there was a huge crowd on hand, and the weather was perfect. Close to $140,000 has been raised for cancer research over the past 4 years, with this year’s event expected to be on par with prior years. The final number takes time to reach. It’s been a tough year for some of the fundraising groups, so everyone can be pleased to have broken last year’s attendance record and for the great turn out.

Load Up!

Fall will soon be here! It’s time to start getting the dog (and you) in shape, dust off the hunting gear and get out to the range. Things are starting to pick up out at McMiller Sports Center as hunters prepare for big game hunts out west. There’s a few more dogs running here at Wern Valley lately, and once the summer sporting clays league ends in just a few weeks, some of those shooters will be replaced by new faces set on tuning up their shotguns before hunting begins. Doves and bears are the first targets.

Registered sporting clays shoots are a fairly common occurrence at Wern Valley. There are two such shoots left this summer. At the same time, The WWA Waterfowl Flurry is really geared towards hunters with "3 targets at once" and semi-auto’s as the gun of choice. That’s coming up on Saturday, September 6th.

Along the way, take time to include a kid in your plans. The DNR is planning to hold a Learn to Hunt Waterfowl Program here at Wern Valley this fall and is looking for mentors who would like to help out. Call DNR Wildlife Manager Brian Glenzynski at 262-574-2100 for details. The Club will be registering deer again this year (no CWD testing) and anyone interested in getting into hunter ed should get signed up for one of the fall classes listed on the DNR website. The class at Wern Valley starts September 15th and there is still room. Contact Mike Walters at 262.968.9668 to sign up.

Late summer is a busy time for everyone. It is also the time of year when there is a lot of renewed interest in memberships. If you have not renewed your membership for the coming season, please consider doing it soon. The Club is feeding a lot of growing birds right now and there seems to be a lot of interest in hunting closer to home these days! Speaking of birds, training birds are now available. Hens are $9 each, Chukar $7.50 and you must call a day ahead if possible so staff can have your birds ready for you when you arrive.

Sporting Clays Fall League

If short and sweet is what you seek, then the Fall Sporting Clays League is for you. Scores can be shot any Wednesday, Thursday, or Saturday starting September 3rd. Teams are comprised of 4 to 7 shooters, with 25 birds of sporting clays and 25 birds of 5-Stand per shooter each week. There is no team sponsor fee. Cost is $18 plus a $2 weekly fee that goes towards a nice little party at the end of the league.

Shooters Score at State

This years State Sporting Clays Championship was held at Hunters Park, near Brillion. It has grown to become the biggest state shoot in the nation in recent years, and is always well attended by shooters from Wern Valley. Attendance was down this year, but they put on a good show with good weather throughout the 5 day event.

For the third straight year, Blake Behselich was the high scoring resident shooter (178 x 200). The world renowned (non-resident) Wendell Cherry had the high score at 184 x 200. There were a number of Wern Valley shooters who did exceptionally well including Zak Whiteley, who won the State Junior Championship and his Class (B) with a 163 x 200. Joe Martello and Ken Lamp also finish in the top of that class as well.

In the State Championship 5-Stand competition Dave Moore won Class A and Ken Lamp got the third place trophy in Class B. Johnny "Rotten" Ryan of Bad Boy Buggy fame got the third place trophy in Class C. In the 100 Bird Preliminary Dave Moore, who shot well all weekend- won Class A with Mike Fryatt fourth in Class B. Mike Tank and Steve Yoder did pretty well in the prelim’s too. The complete printout for the results of this year’s state shoot can be found at www.wi-sportingclays.org and runs an almost unbelievable 394 pages for all 11 events!

Special Thanks!

Last winter’s record snowfall and the record rains this spring have posed a lot of new challenges for the Club. A tremendous amount of time, energy and resources has gone into the repair of damaged pens, the birds and other projects around the Club and grounds. Much of this work was done by retired (or should it be semi-retired) members who worked very hard and to whom the Club owes a great deal of thanks. They are: John Hanold, Russ Columbo, Paul Toertz, Norm Link, Steve Vandervest, Karl West, Errol Schluter, John Woreck, Ralph Perlewitz, Glen Everts, Andy Krizan, Ed Rulo, Steve Yoder, Pete Radnek, Dennis Slack, Mike Opay, Tom Sacharski, Bob Foote, and Ellis Jordan. Thanks again!