JAN, 2012
C h a l l e n g e T h e O u t d o o r s , I n c .
A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO SERVING THE RECREATIONAL NEEDS AND DESIRES OF THE PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED SPORTSPERSON
Reflections of the President—Steve Lang
As the holiday season comes again this year, I again would like to thank everyone for all the help that they provide this organization. This extends to everyone from the local business, or organizations who donate to our fundraiser or other events, or to our volunteers at events. Also, let’s not forget to thank our members that serve on one or more of our organization’s 53 different committees. These committees are the backbone that makes your organization run smoothly and provides at a minimum of 34 activities a year for the membership to enjoy. That doesn’t include the pontoon boat that can be used all summer, shooting team opportunities, the awards program, field grants to go on hunting or fishing trips of a lifetime, or even the adaptive equipment reimbursements.
As we move forward into the next year, everyone on the CTO Board of Director’s is looking to continue to make this organization the absolute best it can be. This can only continue to happen with the help of our member’s participation. So whether it’s by email, phone, Facebook, Chatroom, or in person, please let us know your opinions on everything. As the saying goes, “If you don’t know what the people want, how can you give them that?”
Let’s always remember…. I may have the title of President after my name, but it’s a combination of committee members, volunteers, businesses and our CTO participants, that really make this organization go forward!!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!!!!!!!!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
CTO Holiday Party
When: 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 28, 2012
Where: Sabre Lanes, 1330 Midway Road, Menasha, WI
The party starts at 11:00 with a potluck lunch being served at 12:00 p.m. and bowling will start about 1p.m. Please bring one of your favorite foods. CTO will be providing the main course, paper products (plates, etc.), beverages, and door prizes.
Bring your bowling ball or use one of Sabre Lanes. Several bowling alleys will be reserved. There will be plenty of adaptive bowling equipment on hand as well. CTO will be picking up the cost of bowling.
For those who aren't interested in bowling there will be a cribbage tournament with prizes.
In this season of celebration and giving and receiving we ask for a donation of a canned good or other non-perishable food item. The donated items will be given to a local food pantry. Thank you!
If you have any questions, please contact Peter Lathrop at: (920) 982-4288 or e-mail plcaravan@yahoo.com.
3-D ARCHERY SHOOT APRIL 21, 2012
Challenge The Outdoors is planning a Indoor 3-D archery shoot for Saturday April 21. The location will be R&B Archery (920-213-4016) located at: W5251 Pleasant Rd. Black Creek, WI. R&B is located about 6 miles north of Appleton just east of Cty Hwy A on Pleasant Rd. All CTO members and their family and friends are invited to attend. CTO will be picking up the cost of the shoot for our members. We will be running the shoot from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and providing a lunch about 1 p.m.
R&B Archery will have foam Bale targets, 3-D targets, and moving targets placed from 10 yards to 44 yards. We plan to have a rotating turkey target for those planning to use their crossbows for turkey hunting and a ping pong target for those that need a challenge.
The range at R&B Archery has excellent accessibility and a great opportunity for anyone to try their hand at archery. We will have adaptive equipment on hand including: crossbows, arrows, adaptive shooting chairs and rests. If you have a any ideas or adaptive equipment please bring them.
Volunteers will be needed to help others on the range. Please respond by April 14th, Anyone responding after April 14th will eat leftovers if we have any! Contact Cliff Pheifer at (715) 256 1401 or e-mail at: deb57ncliff55@gmail.com
Shadows on the Wolf provides another fishing pier to access the Wolf River
Shadows on the Wolf, a longtime do great non-profit organization has put up yet another accessible fishing pier on the Wolf River. This one is at Buchman’s Landing on Outagamie County Highway “M” about one mile south of the junction of highways “M” and “S”. In general, the pier is about 7 miles east/southeast from the community of New London. If you try it, please share your success on the CTO Facebook Page.
CTO Elevated Blind Comes Through For Disabled Hunter
Several years ago, Shadows on the Wolf donated a mechanical elevating deer blind that operates on battery/solar power. The camouflaged unit can go upwards of twenty feet off the ground and can seat two persons. The blind has windows that can be open or closed on all four sides offering clear shots or protection from the wind and precip. The blind is on a trailer that can be hauled behind a vehicle to hunting locations.
This past gun season, CTO wheelchair using member Jeff Pagels, was able to take a mature doe at the long distance of 180 yards using the elevated blind. Using a .243 rifle, remarkably he missed the first shot at over 200 yards, but the confused herd of deer ran toward him rather than away. His second shot at the biggest doe was true and the deer dropped in its tracks like a rock.
Once again, Challenge the Outdoors and specifically Jeff thanks Shadows on the Wolf for their welcome gift of the elevated hunting stand. If you are a disabled member and wish to use the stand at a location of your choice, contact Jeff Pagels. jcpagels@att.net or 920-366-5731
2011 Spring Turkey Hunt
Challenge the Outdoors is planning to have a spring turkey hunt. It is tentatively planned for the 5th (E) week, May 9-15. This date has not been officially worked out, and the deadline to purchase turkey permits has passed. So anyone planning to hunt will have to purchase Spring Turkey Leftover Permit Available the end of March. If you have already purchased turkey permit for the 5th week we are almost 100% sure that it will be the 5th week. We will have more information in next news letter.
Volunteers and hunters please email or mail Cliff Pheifer with the following information at Deb57ncliff55@gmail.com or mail to 11043 East Lane Waupaca, WI 54981. If you mail your application or do not receive an email reply you must call me at 715 256 1401 to confirm that I have received your application.
2011 Spring Turkey Hunt
Name
Address
Phone
Limitations (examples uses wheelchair, distance you can walk)
Challenge The Outdoors Shooting Opportunities
Sporting Clays:
If you are a disabled sportsperson and would like to try your hand at shooting Sporting Clays do we have a deal for you! Every second Tuesday of the month at 11:00 am shooters meet up at J&H Game Farm in Navarino, WI. What you will need to bring is a shotgun, Ear and Eye protection. CTO will provide am- munition and the cost of shooting one round of sporting clays. Due to the extra cost of some shells we are currently only providing 12 and 20 Gauge shells. If you shoot a different Gauge you will be asked to pro- vide your own ammunition. Note: When we shoot Sporting Clays at J&H. most of us come early (around 11:00 am) and enjoy a casual lunch at our own expense from the great J&H menu. We start gathering our equipment and loading up around 12:45 to 1:00 pm for a great afternoon of shooting. It takes each group of shooters about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to finish the course. In the summer months be sure to bring water and skeeter spray!!
Trap or Skeet Organized League Shooting Teams.
If you think you might be interested in becoming a member of a shooting team or starting your own team and would like to apply for CTO funding for yourself or your team. Please contact or e-mail Keith Pamperin at (920) 494-3990 or kjpamperin@aol.com
Awards Program Adds a New Category
The CTO Annual Awards program has added a new category to the many now offered. The new category, titled “Second Chance” will be awarded at random to one of the entries that did not win another award. For example, if you entered your buck deer with a smaller rack or you enter a 2-inch perch and they do not win the “biggest” category, your name goes into the drawing for the “Second Chance” award. After all the awards are given out at the banquet, a drawing will be held to determine at random who wins the “Second Chance” award which will consist of a package of fishing and hunting prizes including lures, an ice fishing tip up, ammo storage belt and more.
So, remember, even small fish can win an award because a disabled member can win only one category.
That means now, that even a two inch perch has more than one chance to win something. There are months left in this year’s contest including the upcoming ice fishing season, the regular spring season and the annual Shawano Lake Fisheree. Take the little bit of extra time to enter your fish or animal with Jeff Pagels at jcpagels@att.net ; include a photo of your entry.
14th ANNUAL SPORTING CLAY BENEFIT
April 14, 2012 J&H Game Farm, Navarino
Members—the time is fast approaching for all of you to help contribute to the success of CTO as our only fundraiser of the year is our Sporting Clay Benefit on April 14, 2012. We need raffle and door prizes which we get through donations from the area (business, organization, etc), volunteers to help with set up on the day before, volunteers to help the day of the event and to help the day after. We have request forms available for your use in soliciting donations-call Jean at 920-525-2113 or email at chapjean1@yahoo.com
To volunteer or with questions also call Jean. The raffle tickets should be ready for selling in February and each member will receive 10 in the mail and more will be available for you to sell. Let’s make this the best year ever!!
Field Grants Program Guidelines Challenge the Outdoors, Inc
At the September, 2007 BOD meeting revisions were discussed and approved for the CTO Field Grant Program. The program is designed to aid physically challenged members of Challenge the Outdoors, Inc to experience once-in-a-lifetime outdoor recreational events that they can not otherwise afford to attend. To be eligible to apply and receive funding under the Field Grant Program, an individual must be a disabled member of Challenge the Outdoors, Inc for at least one calendar year.
These grants (a maximum of $200.00) are not available to non-disabled members of CTO.
A Field Grant will not be awarded to an individual for participation in another organization’s event if CTO already conducts a similar event. The Field Grant Committee and Board of Directors can consider an exception under special circumstances. Persons that have received funds under the CTO Field Grant Pro- gram are not be eligible for another Field Grant to participate in the same type of event in the future. For example: A disabled member of Challenge the Outdoors is awarded a Field Grant to hunt Pronghorn in Wyoming. This member may not apply for another Field Grant to hunt pronghorn in the future.
Please contact Assoc Director Larry Laehn at 920-540-9927 or at lalwisc@gmail.com with questions.
Cost Sharing Program for Adaptive Equipment
We know adaptive equipment can be a bit pricey so our hope, by creating this cost sharing program in December of 2004, was to help our physically challenged members offset that cost and encourage them to purchase their own equipment. Thus creating more independence for them. So far CTO has helped several members purchase adaptive hunting equipment including crossbows and hand cranks, and an adapted gun- stock. We are still waiting for the 1st adaptive fishing equipment request. For those unfamiliar with our cost sharing program here’s how it works. CTO will help our physically challenged members purchase adaptive hunting or fishing equipment by picking up to ½, but not to exceed $100.00, for the cost of the piece(s) of equipment 1 time per year. For example say Jane purchases a crank for her crossbow and it cost $150.00. CTO would reimburse Jane $75.00. To receive reimbursement for a piece of adaptive equipment you have purchased or to see if a piece of equipment you’re considering purchasing qualifies contact Jean or Harland Chapman. (920) 525-1123. *Note, keep your receipt and get a duplicate copy of the original because we will need a copy for our records. And if you return the item please reimburse CTO. If you are looking for sources of adaptive equipment there are hundreds to choose from so shop around and check our website out for links to sellers and suppliers and as always please show patronage to the many businesses that have been so good to us over the years by giving them your and our business.
REMINDER!!
Please check for a date on the mailing label of this newsletter. This date indicates when your dues are to be paid. Just complete the form on the last page and return with your payment.
Also—if you have a change of address and/or phone number please let us know. This will assure that you receive your newsletter on time.
Highlights of Board of Directors Meetings
. October
· Dave Samsa caught a 40 inch musky during the Musky Fishing Event. Congratulations Dave!
· 4 Geese, 2 ducks, and 9 pigeons were harvested during the Goose Hunt.
· 8 deer were harvested on opening weekend of the Special Deer Hunt.
· Moving the Shoot Until You Drop Event from a Saturday to a Tuesday worked well because they had a great turnout.
November
· The Board of Directors gave approval to Larry Laehn to start the Challenge The Outdoors South Central Wisconsin Inc. Chapter. We wish Larry and his volunteers well!
· The Board of Directors adopted a Shooting Team Involvement Policy.
LTL ACORN OUTDOORS archery shop, has offered a discount on crossbow to Challenge The Outdoors members.
Check out their website www.ltlacorn.com , if you would like to purchase a crossbow call Scott Gudowicz at 920-604-0911 for more information.
2011 Winter Pheasant Hunt
Steve Kettenhoven, Director
It was Sunday, December 5th, and for the past three days the weathermen were calling for rain, maybe a little snow, and possibly both. It certainly wasn’t a promising forecast for the annual CTO Winter Pheasant Hunt at J&H Game Farm in Navarino. It didn’t stop the hunters, their companions, or the many volunteers from coming out though. And it’s a good thing it didn’t change anyone’s mind because the weather turned out to be great and everyone got plenty of shooting. We had 17 hunters participate in the event and everyone took home a couple of birds.
After the hunt, Joanne and Diane from J&H put together a delicious lunch with barbecue and hot pork sandwiches, soup, coleslaw, snacks and desserts. And after lunch, Cindy Mateer provided us with some wonderful Christmas music on her harp. It was a very good hunt and everyone was still able to make it home in time for the Packer game. What more could you ask for?
This was my first year as organizer of this event and I’d like to thank everyone that was involved, with a special thanks to everyone at J&H. Jim and Joanne, Steve and Diane, and Matt Horne. Also…thanks to Chuck Berrigan and John Krumrey for providing transportation with their SVU’s, and to Tony Gehr for pairing up the hunters and making sure everything ran smoothly. You all made my job very easy.
PLEASE COME!!
Our Challenge the Outdoors, Inc Board of Directors meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. We welcome your presence and input.
Jan 17, 2012 Muehl Public Library Seymour, 7:00 p.m.
Feb 21, 2012 Muehl Public Library Seymour, 7:00 p.m.
If you wish to attend one of our meetings call (920) 525-1123 for a possible change in location.
CAN CTO E-MAIL YOUR NEWSLETTER??
We realize that not all of our members have a computer and some of those that have one do not have internet access.
HOWEVER— if you do can you please allow us to save postage and send your newsletter by email?? It’s simple– just e-mail Jean at chapjean1@yahoo.com and you will be added to the list. Thank you for you help.