Welcome to Challenge the Outdoors, Inc.
NOVEMBER 2022 NEWSLETTER
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – Carl Gierke This year has gone by way too fast, but it’s been fun to get CTO events back on track and offer just about everything we did before Covid. The CTO board, event coordinators and volunteers did another fantastic job of planning, organizing and hosting a wide variety of activities and I thank them all for their willingness to donate their time, energy and personal resources to make Challenge the Outdoors a great organization that has put a lot of smiles on a lot of faces.
As we’ve mentioned before, another exciting chapter is unfolding for CTO with the creation and development of the Peter’s Pond property near Angelica. We get many questions about its status and we’ve tried to communicate the game plan to you, but Steve Nooyen, the project’s sponsor has offered to update us on the status and the future of the project in the following article. Again, we thank Steve for his generosity and his willingness to support CTO! Thanks to the hard work of the many folks within our organization the future looks very exciting for CTO.
PETER’S POND UPDATE - Steve Nooyen We’ve come a long way since Kristi and I offered to build a new home for CTO at Peter’s Pond in Angelica. I thought it would be a good time to provide an update as I’m sure everyone is eager to begin using the property!
In 2020 I met with the CTO board and proposed the idea for Peter’s Pond. There were to be three major planned elements of the project. The first was to transfer the 13 acre property to CTO. The transfer required an appraisal and the value came in at $135,000. That did not include the value of pond aerators and other equipment.
The second element was the design and build of the clubhouse. This took a lot of time and a lot of work but the building is now mostly complete. The cost of the building was more than double what we anticipated due to rising construction costs. However, the building carries no debt and is completely paid for. Signage, gates, furniture, and finish landscaping are still to come, and Kristi and I will be covering those costs as well. The final building cost will be over $500,000.
The third element includes improvements to the overall infrastructure at Peter’s Pond. These include items like improving the entrance road to the building and providing wheelchair access to Peter’s Pond. I recently hired an engineering firm to help navigate the process which will include work with the DNR to maintain the wetlands on the property. We also hope to get some help from the Town of Angelica to improve Cherry Rd. These improvements will likely be expensive and a bit complicated. I do not have estimates as of yet.
Per our proposal in 2020, Kristi and I planned to spread out the project over several years. The unexpected escalation in construction costs through the pandemic did not help us! Nonetheless, we are on pace with the third element of the project underway.
Kristi and I have been extraordinarily blessed in our Home Instead business, and feel a sense of stewardship in honoring God in all that we do. We are in our 6th season of serving disabled hunters at our Wheelchair Whitetails property in northern WI. We have hunters from many U.S. states and Canada coming to camp this year. What a ministry that has been, and many CTO members have had a chance to experience our hunts. We are as excited to use the new CTO clubhouse and Peter’s Pond to serve others. It won’t be long!!
HEAR YE, HEAR YE! – Barb Kaun Planning for the April 1, 2023 Annual Sporting Clay Fundraiser will begin in December when we acquire higher priced main ticket prizes such as fishing and hunting trips, guns, club memberships, or sporting equipment. Now is the time to think about where you can best volunteer. Volunteer to set-up on Friday, March 31st, or on April 1st to register shooters, serve food to shooters and volunteers, sell bucket raffle tickets, help to record raffle prize winners during the drawing, be a safety monitor on the shooting line, drive a UTV to transport people, or spend some time cleaning up after the event. Every member can, at their leisure, sell main raffle tickets prior to the event or obtain prizes for the raffles. There’s something for every member to do. Contact Barb Kaun at (920)720-9689 to be a part of the excitement of the 2023 Sporting Clay Fundraiser.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
2022 SPORTING CLAY SHOOTS AT J&H - Roger Urmanski We are having one more shoot scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 8th from 9:00-11:00 am. For Tuesday shoots, contact for info and sign up: Roger Urmanski 920-468-8872
SLED HOCKEY CLINIC Options for Independent Living is offering a free Sled Hockey Clinic for anyone of any age, with or without a disability, on November 12th (4pm) and February 5th, 2023 (11am) at the Cornerstone Community Center, 1640 Fernando Drive in Ashwaubenon. No experience is necessary and it’s a great opportunity to learn about the sport. The event will be led by Brad Roethlisberger, WAHA Disabled Hockey Director. Contact Calvin Richtig at 920-393-1037 or calvinr@optionsil.org with questions. RSVP is appreciated, but not required.
GREEN BAY GAMBLERS HOCKEY GAME – Steve Harvey On Friday, December 9th at 7 PM within the beautiful confines of the Resch Center, CTO will once again sponsor an action packed evening of hockey. We will meet in the lobby from 6pm to 6:35pm to receive your tickets and a $10.00 food voucher card. You are responsible for paying for parking, transportation and a mentor if needed. Contact Steve Harvey 920-494-3143 or Sharon LeFevre 920-615-2356 to sign up by November 27th.
2023 FUNDRAISERS – As you probably know, CTO hosts or is involved with several fundraisers throughout the year. Raising money through these events, rather than relying strictly on memberships, enables us to keep our membership affordable and helps supplement the cost of many of our events. We’d like you to know about these events as you may want to volunteer, donate items, or solicit donations for the event(s). Events for the upcoming year include:
Friday, January 6th – MWR Foundation Banquet, Grand Meridian (Appleton) – contact Carl Gierke
Saturday, February 25th – Whitetails Unlimited Banquet, Romy’s Nitingale (Black Creek) – contact Randy Swille
Saturday, April 1st – CTO Sporting Clays Shoot Fundraiser, J&H Game Farm (Navarino) – contact Barb Kaun
RECAP OF RECENT EVENTS
YOUTH AND LADIES DAY AT J&H – Carl Gierke September 10th marked J&H game farm’s annual Youth and Ladies Day, which encourages youngsters and women to get out and enjoy the many hunting, fishing and recreational opportunities that Wisconsin has to offer. CTO once again purchased trout to be caught by the folks attending and supervised the trout tank. We had many wonderful volunteers that helped kids and ladies bait hooks and unhook, clean and ice fish. There are always a lot of smiles on the faces of the fisher “men” and the helpers alike, as watching a screaming kid or lady pull out a flopping trout can’t help but make you grin. Consider helping out in the future if you haven’t before – it’s a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone at J&H for organizing and hosting the event and to the many CTO volunteers who did a great job!
OCC END OF SUMMER PARTY - Chris Savka On September 17th, the Outagamie Conservation Club co-hosted our End of Summer Party as they provided volunteers and activities for 36 of our members in attendance. Members went trap shooting, fishing and pistol shooting. Thank you to all the CTO and OCC volunteers that helped at the event.
FALL PHEASANT HUNT- Carl Gierke On Sunday, October 23rd a combination of helpful volunteers and CTO hunters eager to bag a pheasant or two met at J&H game farm near Navarino for our fall pheasant hunt. Hunters headed out in groups of two accompanied by dog handlers and UTV drivers. Each hunter had a chance to shoot at least two birds and take two cleaned pheasants home. After hunting, we enjoyed a great meal prepared by the fine folks at J&H and got to share a few stories about the day’s hits and misses. Some highlights of the day included the excellent work of dogs owned by Roger Hanson, Liz Paape and Joe Weslowski. Many thanks to them, John Krumrey and Matt Ernst for helping and bringing their UTVs and to the many CTO volunteers as well. Also, thanks to Diane, Steve, JoAnn and everyone at J&H for the great food and making sure everything ran smoothly. Next year’s hunts are planned for March 5th and October 22nd.
SCOPING THE GREAT OUTDOORS - Bob Schuh October 1-9 was Wisconsin’s white-tailed deer hunt for persons with disabilities. Hunters that hold a Class A, B, or C permit were eligible to hunt, providing they were signed up in advance, to hunt on predetermined properties that signed up to allow this hunt. Some 40 hunters met at the Lesser Town Hall, just southeast of Bonduel, on opening day for a huge brunch and a safety meeting. The cooks did their job very well and treated us to bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, hot beef, hot turkey, beans, and much more. Let’s not forget to mention the cakes, pies, cookies, apples, bananas and more. It was tough to not nod off in our blind after a meal like that. Those same fantastic cooks sent all of us to the woods with a bag lunch consisting of sandwiches, cookie, chips, and fruit just in case we got hungry. As a group, we harvested 10 deer total and 5 were bucks with the largest buck being an 8 pointer. Two wall hangers were missed and many hunters passed on deer during the season hoping for that elusive buck. Many hunters were happy just spending time in nature and enjoying the great weather. I spent lots of time in the blind with Bill Mecha, however, we did not see a deer to shoot at all week. Well, that made it easy to clean our rifles so we will be ready for our next hunt in November. Check out www.ctoforme.org to see all the opportunities CTO provides for its members.
DISABLED DEER HUNT October 1-9 - David Paul We were greeted once again with an outstanding brunch and packed lunches on Saturday and Sunday by our food committee headed up by Chris and James Savka.
Thirty-four hunters hit the woods on Saturday afternoon. Joe Palmer, Keith Pamperin, Jeff Pagels, Steve Blount and Gary Thyes harvested does and Steve Harvey, Randy Swille, James Janelle, Jason Roberts and Randy Graham bagged a buck. Many hunters passed up shots hoping for a trophy this year, but as many hunters stated, “It isn’t about bagging a deer, it is about getting outdoors and enjoying nature, and if I bag a deer that is a bonus.” I would like to thank the following helpers in the field this year. Randy King, Leo Mayville, Bob Mayville, Tim Kerry, Carl Gierke, Tony Gehr, Don Uphill, Cody Owen, Brian Wendt, Joe Palmer, Greg Sauer and Alex Wegner. I would like to extend a very special Thank You to Bill and Mary Lou Mayville for always being available for making this event be the best it can be. This hunt would not be possible without the generous donations of the use of their land by the area landowners. CTO would like to Thank You for the opportunity to utilize your property. The Deer Hunting Committee will be looking at possibly making some changes for next year’s hunt so be looking for those in future newsletters. Any suggestions from hunters or other members are always welcome, so please drop me a line. I would like to let all of our hunters know that the Wisconsin DNR sets the calendar for our hunt and it always starts the first full weekend in October.
SPRING TURKEY HUNT- Tom Narmore This coming May, Challenge the Outdoors is teaming up with Shadows on the Wolf for a spring turkey hunt for our disabled members. We are able to take approximately ten hunters and the hunt will be from May 19th through May 21st. Lodging for the hunt will be provided at the Christus Memorial Camp located just outside of Clintonville. Food will also be provided throughout the hunt; however, we will be doing a potluck dinner on Saturday afternoon. The main course will be provided by Challenge the Outdoors (further food details to come). Since we are limited on the number of participants, we will be giving preference to those who have never turkey hunted and to those who have never harvested a turkey. Deadline to send in for your turkey tag is December 10th, 2022, but if you forget to apply by that deadline, you can also purchase a tag over the counter sometime near the end of March 2023. When applying for or purchasing your turkey tag, please make sure you obtain one tag for zone 3, period E (5th period.) No matter how many tags you obtain, you will only be able to harvest one bearded turkey. The sign-up for the spring 2023 turkey hunt will begin January 15th and go until March 1st, 2023 (no exceptions). Your cooperation is needed for planning with our mentors and landowners. Please note that sign-up for 2023 is a little earlier than normal and that, per CTO rules, if you sign up and don't show up without contacting me with a reasonable excuse, you may not be able to attend this event the following year. Also, if you think you might need help with any personal care issues, please bring your own assistant. There will be plenty of room and food for your assistant to stay with you for the whole event. To sign up, please contact Tom Narmore (920)410-4436 or narmore1988@yahoo.com.
SHAWANO LAKE PONTOON SUMMER OF 2022- David Paul There were no boat issues this year and once the boat was put into the lake in May it didn’t come out until September 28th. The boat was used five times in May, three times in June, 12 times in July, once in August and none in September. Except for the price of gas rising over the summer, our expenses were minimal as no new equipment was added. I will plan to pick up the boat in early May of
2023 and get it seaworthy before launching in early May. Send any questions my way.
NON-EVENT INFORMATION
NEW MEMBERS - Please welcome the following new members to CTO: Michael Flynn, Robert Pennifill, James Janelle, Karen Konshak, and William Bishop.
PERMITS FOR DISABLED HUNTERS Qualified disabled persons may obtain a permit to hunt from a stationary vehicle.
Visually handicapped persons may be able to obtain a permit to use a laser sighting device while hunting with a firearm, bow or crossbow. An authorized health care provider must complete and sign the Hunting or Trolling Disability Permit Authorizations Application form 9400-604 [PDF]. To obtain a form, visit dnr.wi.gov and search using the key words “disabled hunter permit” or contact the DNR Call Center at 888-936- 7463 for further information. Allow six weeks for the permit application to be processed.
DISABLED VETERAN RECREATION CARD Resident disabled veterans who are receiving disability compensation benefits due to a disability rating of at least 50% or greater for a service-related disability, or who are individually unemployable are eligible to receive the annual Disabled Veteran Recreation Card. Privileges include fishing, small game, state park admission and trail pass.
CTO CLOTHING AVAILABLE- Fred Kaun A variety of Challenge the Outdoors clothing is available for you to show your support for the organization. Some of the more popular t-shirt colors and sizes have been sold out, but we still have a good selection of sizes and colors immediately available, and many baseball and stocking hats (check out our web site for pictures ctoforme.org/donation). Three vendors are being looked at to resupply our stock. We are asking our members that might be looking for items not normally stocked to send your request to Fred Kaun so current pricing and availability can be determined. Some options would be short or long sleeve men’s or women’s t-shirts, sweat shirts (hooded or not), denim or sport jackets. Please let me know the type of clothing you might like, including size and color. The tentative order will be placed early in 2023. Phone 920-720-9689 , Email fkaun@me.com
NEWSLETTER - David Paul The Challenge the Outdoors Newsletter is published every two months at the beginning of January, March, May, July, September and November. Questions, please contact David Paul at dcp7576@gmail.com.
CTO ONGOING PROGRAMS - CTO has several programs designed to supplement the cost of outdoor activities and encourage disabled members to get out and have some fun. To be eligible for these programs, you must be a member for at least one year (except awards). See the website for further additional information and application forms.
Otherwise, please contact the chairperson if you have questions. These include:
1) Shooting Policy – Designed to encourage participation in shooting sports, allows up to $50.00 per year toward membership in sporting/gun club(s). Original receipts must be submitted for reimbursement. Contact – Jim Adamovich
2) Adaptive Equipment – Supplements the cost of disability-related equipment necessary for a disabled member to take part in a hunting or fishing activity. Original receipts must be submitted for reimbursement, which is half the cost of the item up to a maximum of $100 annually. Contact – Pat Nieuwenhuis.
3) Field Grants – Supplements the cost of guided or otherwise expensive hunting or fishing trips up to a maximum of $200 per year, with a maximum of three in a lifetime. Applications should be submitted two months before the event and receipts for reimbursement are required. Contact – Pat Nieuwenhuis