NEWSLETTER • May, 2009
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday, May 2nd - 100 NSCA Registered Shoot
Wednesday, May 6th – 15 week Summer League starts
Saturday, May 23rd – 100 NSCA Registered Shoot
Monday, June 1st – Deadline for Early Membership Renewal
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2009 Miller - Lite Open
Sporting Clays Championship
June 5th -8th |
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Please join us for our 25th Season!
Receive 5 extra birds on memberships renewed before June 1st !
Another hunting season has come and gone, and everyone seems to have found a way to get their birds used up. Good weather in the later part of the season really helped reduce the big surplus of birds. The Club even bought a couple thousand birds at the end as cool weather made it possible to continue hunting well into April. All in all, it was a roller-coaster season. A tough stretch of snow and cold in the middle made it very hard to hunt for about 6 weeks.
Over 3,500 birds were released in April, which is almost 2,000 more than normal. The fact that the Club extended the deadline for birds under contract was also a factor in that number being higher and many members took advantage of the numerous specials the Club offered along the way.
Membership rates and fees for the coming season will remain the same as last year, with the Club offering 5 additional birds to any membership renewed by June 1st.
This being the Club’s 25th season and times being what they are, the Club is hopeful members will appreciate the added value in this year’s memberships. Feed and fuel prices have moderated considerably from where they were a year ago, and not everyone is buying into all the bad news in the media these days. Dick Cheney hasn’t shot anybody lately either.
Please keep in mind, early renewals are extremely important to the Club in funding the raising of birds, planting of fields and so much more. As always, everyone’s business is greatly appreciated.
Sporting clays, dog training, fishing and other summer activities and events are under way. Time to remind members they must first check in at the Check-In Box located next to the front door of the Clubhouse prior to commencing activities and to avoid conflicts with other scheduled activities, shot fall zones (sporting clays) and so on. Spraying (fields) activities people need to be aware of are posted there as well.
Fishing and dog training don’t always go together, so please be considerate of others when necessary. Signing up for activities on the Club grounds does not exclude others from doing the same, so try to work with your fellow members.
Over 100 shooters participated in the Club’s first registered shoot of the season. League activity is set to start the first week of May and runs for 15 weeks, so get your team together and sign up for a great summer of fun!
In the summer league, teams are made up of 4 to 7 shooters, who can get in their score(s) any day the range is open. A completely new 50 bird course is set and thrown each week. The range is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to dusk, and Saturdays from 10 to last squad out by 3 PM. The cost per 50 bird round is $18. League shooters also pay a $2 weekly league fee which goes towards the league party at the end of the season. Open and league shooters are welcome on the range at any time. Targets are a bit tougher on registered shoot dates, so it might be a little harder to get 50 straight on those days. A score of 50 is a rare occurrence on any day. That’s one of the great things about sporting clays, everyone misses! There is a wealth of information on sporting clays available at The Wisconsin Sporting Clays Association website, HYPERLINK "http://www.wi-sportingclays.org" www.wi-sportingclays.org.
The Miller Lite Sporting Clays Championship is coming up on June 5-7th. Many of the best shooters from around the country come to this shoot and it’s always a lot of fun. Last year’s tournament was the weekend of the record-setting rain and flooding, yet somehow Steve Knoll and his crew were able to pull the traps out from under water and finish the tournament. On the bright side, there’s no where to go but up from last year!
Of the 32 kids who took part in this year’s Learn to Hunt Turkey Program, 14 managed to bag a bird. As always, a few birds were missed, and everyone had a great hunt over Easter weekend.
Jeff Engle, of Engle’s Outdoor Experience (Outdoor Channel) was the guest instructor this year and Jeff gave an excellent talk for the kids. The New Berlin and Waukesha Chapters of The National Wild Turkey Federation donated calls and helped with other program expenses. Local DNR wildlife managers and game wardens also helped out. The biggest bird weighed in at 28 pounds. The first bearded hen ever (at Wern) was registered as well.
The winners of the Chukar Challenge are Todd Achter, Steve Schwartz, Mike Court, Mike Kuehn, Darrell Wright, Richard Bong, Carl Knauer, Jim Allard, Steve Jensen, Kurt Davidsen, Ryan Kasten, Rodney Raetke and Rick Pfau. Please call the Club if you haven’t picked up your prize. Thanks!
The proposed changes by DNR Superintendent Paul Sandgren to the lease at McMiller Sports Center has set off a firestorm of anger from area sportsmen, conservation groups and clubs from around the state as they voice their opinions on what amounts to new and precedent setting policy from the DNR.
While the DNR has backed off on total closure of the sporting clays range, they continue to insist on the use of non-toxic ammo (steel shot only) which, in effect, would produce the same outcome. This would also open the door for all sorts of new regulations that would affect how, where and what we hunt- especially on land open to the public, and regardless of the increased cost, lack of availability (sizes and gauges too) and potential danger to the users.
Without sporting clays to help support the range during times of the year when rifle and pistol activity is slow, days and hours of operation would likely need to be reduced. One step away from that is closure of all the ranges.
Up until now, operation of McMiller by Wern Valley has been a win-win situation for the DNR and the shooters. “Quiet” weekends in winter to accommodate the interests of skiers and closure of the sporting clays range on Saturdays in summer to accommodate neighbors concerns about noise are concessions that shooters have had to live with; they are a detriment to shooting in general. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have already been spent to accommodate these groups and it is time these ridiculous provisions in the contract for the continued lease of the facility be removed!
Jim Fendry (Wisconsin Pro Gun Movement) has been working very hard and in conjuction with other groups like the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation (George Meyer), Safari Club, and many others. Jim is the authority on McMiller, and is doing us all an important service in representing us as sportsmen. His banquet is coming up and his support, especially in these times- is going to be needed as never before. If you can not attend the banquet (see enclosed flyer), the Club would like to suggest you make a donation to WPGM as soon as possible!
At the very least, Jim would like you to call (or leave a message) and log your complaint with:
DNR District Supervisor – Gloria McCutcheon; 414-263-8510
DNR Superintendent Paul Sandgren in Eagle; 262-594-6404
DNR Secretary Matt Frank; 608-266-2121
SEE YOU ON THE RANGE!!!
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