Challenge The Outdoors, Inc

WELCOME TO CHALLENGE THE OUTDOORS, INC.

MAY 2021 NEWSLETTER

www.ctoforme.org

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – Carl Gierke After a tough year or so, it’s exciting to announce that CTO is tentatively planning to hold many of its events this year. Notice that I said tentatively planning, because things could still change, but many people have been vaccinated, people are accustomed to many of the safety precautions and Covid numbers are declining. In short, things are looking up and we feel we can hold events safely, but we’ll need your help in pulling this off. Until further notice, we’ll be asking participants to practice many of the safety protocols we’ve all become used to – wearing masks, social distancing, hand washing, etc. until health professionals say the coast is clear. That’s where you come in. If people cooperate and we feel we can safely hold events that are planned for the near future, we’ll continue holding them. If not, we may have to consider cancellations again. Please take a look at the event calendar in this newsletter and see which events are being offered and which ones you’d like to attend. As always, contact the event coordinator to sign up, so we can prepare and make plans. Many events have limited space, so it’s important that you contact the coordinator to find out if there’s room for you and so, if you do miss out, you’ll be put on a waiting list for the next time that event is held. One event that was postponed rather than cancelled this year is our annual Sporting Clays Shoot Fundraiser. The fundraiser, which has always been held in early April, is now scheduled for Saturday, July 31st at J&H game farm near Navarino. We’re again asking our members to collect items that can be used for raffle prizes, sell raffle tickets, hang up posters and volunteer the day of the event. The fundraiser is a lot of fun, but it’s a lot of work as well, and any way you can contribute helps. Any major prizes that could be printed on the tickets would need to be lined up by May 15th, so if you are able to donate or acquire a major prize by then, please contact a CTO board member. After a year of quarantines, social distancing and cancellations and with warmer weather in our future, I know it’s going to be a lot of fun to get out again and enjoy Wisconsin’s outdoors and see each other again. Until we do, remember that this pandemic isn’t over, so please do what you can to keep yourself, your family and friends safe until it is. Hopefully we’ll see you soon!

CTO ANNUAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION- Randy Swille It is election time again for members who would like to serve on the Board of Directors. There are five board member positions that have terms that are coming to completion. The five board members have all agreed to run for another three-year term to gladly serve our organization. These members are Deb Phiefer, Dave Paul, Barb Kaun, Keith Hartjes, and Randy Swille. If you would like to serve on the Board of Directors, feel free to let the Election Committee know of your interest and share a short bio as well. The committee is made up of the following members: Randy Swille, Sharon LeFevre, and Steve Harvey.

GRANTS, GRANTS, GRANTS- Randy Swille I am reaching out to you in hopes that you are aware of a source we could apply to for a grant. Maybe it’s the business you work at or retired from. Maybe it is a foundation that you are aware of, or perhaps an individual that would be willing to offer us a donation. I would be more than willing to work with you or fill out the application. Feel free to call me and together we may be able to help out Challenge the Outdoors. Thank you for your consideration. Randy Swille CTO VP 920-373-8081

FISHING OPPORTUNITIES – Carl Gierke If you’re looking for places to fish this year, consider that Shadows on the Wolf has constructed several handicapped-accessible fishing piers in Outagamie County and one in Shawano County. These include Mac’s Landing (north of Hortonville on Cty Hwy M), Barker Park (south of Shiocton on Old Hwy 54), Koepke Park (north of Shiocton on Koepke Rd), Village of Shiocton Municipal Building (in Shiocton), Bamboo Bend Park (west of Shiocton on Hwy 54), Co. Hwy S Boat Landing (west of Stephensville), and Sturgeon Park (City of Shawano). You can also check them out and get directions on SOTW’s website www.shadowsonthewolf.org. Also, for those of you in the Appleton area, there is a beautiful, accessible fishing dock on the Fox River at the end of Riverheath Way in Telulah Park. If you have other accessible fishing spots you’d like to share with members, please let us know (even though I know it’s tough to get fishermen to share hotspots).

CTO SPORTING CLAY SHOOT, FORMLY TUESDAY SHOOT- Randy Swille Come join us for an Old and New event. We are calling it the CTO Sporting Clay Shoot. It was previously called the Tuesday Shoot that Jim Adamovich was chairman of for many years. Our new event will be held on Sundays , which we hope will provide for more opportunities for our members who could not make it on Tuesdays. The blended event; CTO Sporting Clay Shoot will be scheduled in May, June, and July. Each person will be able to shoot two boxes of shells / one round of sporting clays, all paid for by CTO just like before. If any of you have any extra boxes of shotgun shells that you could donate, we sure could use them. Please contact Randy Swille. The event will start at 9:00 am and last till 11:00am. Then we will all join together as a group and have a nice lunch at J & H, again all paid for by CTO. This should be a very fun time of shooting and sharing a friendly meal with some of our members. Space is limited for each event and we will try to have each event made up of different members and probably some of the same, giving as many members as possible a chance to shoot. Thank you and hope to see you at this new event. Randy Swille Chairman 920-373-8081. Steve Harvey Co-Chair. 920-494-3143

LAKE MICHIGAN SALMON FISHING – Keith Hartjes The event will take place Tuesday, June 1, 2021 weather permitting. We will meet at 3AM Tuesday morning, departure is at 3:30AM sharp and we’ll return about 9AM. Lake Michigan trout stamp is required. Contact Keith Hartjes 920-540-3416. There are only a few openings.

SHAWANO LAKE FISHING – Carl Gierke Saturday, June 5th is CTO’s annual fishing outing on Shawano Lake. The event is held at the park/boat landing in Cecil and no fishing license is needed as this is the DNR’s free fishing weekend. Boats and bait are provided, but it’s best to bring your own fishing equipment (CTO does have some equipment available). You will need to reserve a spot by calling Carl Gierke at 920-986-3272 so we know how many people to expect. We’ll start at 8:00 AM and usually fish until about 11:00 AM when lunch will be served. After lunch, you can go out and fish again if you would like. Hope to see you there!

18TH ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP AND AWARDS BANQUET- Sharon LeFevre CTO’s annual banquet is tentatively planned to be held Sunday, July 18th, 3PM at Stadium View located at 1963 Holmgren Way, Green Bay Wisconsin. At this event we recognize donors, thank volunteers, present awards and have our yearly elections for the Board of Directors. This is a wonderful time to thank the individuals who donate time and resources to our organization, meet new members and reconnect with old! Please submit any applications for awards to Sharon LeFevre at bookmom53@gmail.com. If you have any questions, you may call or text Sharon at 920- 615-2356. Further information on the banquet will follow!

WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS BASEBALL GAME – Carl Gierke On Saturday, August 14h we will get together at Fox Cities Stadium, 2400 N. Casaloma Dr. in Appleton for our annual Timber Rattlers game. We’ll meet in the parking lot near the southwest corner of the stadium at 4:45 when tickets will be distributed. Gates open at 5:00 and dinner will be served from 5 to 6:30 and the game will start at 6:35. Admission includes your game ticket and an all-you-can-eat dinner (brats and burgers), along with two beverages. This event is open to all members and tickets and dinner are courtesy of CTO, however the $5 parking fee is your responsibility. Guests are welcome, but will be responsible for buying their own tickets. After the game, kids can run the bases and there will also be fireworks. There is limited space, so please reserve your tickets ASAP by contacting Carl Gierke by phone (920- 986-3272) or e-mail (cgierke1@outlook.com).

CHASING RAINBOWS – Randy Swille On Saturday Aug 28th, Chasing Rainbows will be held at Wilderness Springs Trout Farm, which can be reached by going west of New London on HWY 54 and then turn right on Madden Rd. No fishing license is required and there is no size limit on trout, with a two fish limit. Fishing will start at 9:30 AM. Please bring your fishing poles, secret lures. Cane poles, bait, cleaning, packaging on ice will be provided. To sign up for this event contact Randy Swille at 920-373-8081 or email randyswille@yahoo.com

ARCHERY DEER HUNT- Keith Hartjes This event will be held September 17– 19, 2021. Those members that haven’t previously attended will be given priority. Overnight accommodations will be at Christus Church Camp N11605 Boy Scout Ln. Clintonville WI 54929. Main meal will be provided by myself and CTO. Blinds will be placed and mentors will be provided for tracking. Transportation will be provided to your hunting blind. One deer per person and archery license is required. It’s recommended that you provide your own weapon for this event. CTO has two crossbows available, but if you need to borrow one, please obtain it well before the hunt so you can practice with it. Contact Keith Hartjes 920-540-3416 after August 1st, 2021.

CTO END OF SUMMER OUTING AT OUTAGAMIE CONSERVATION CLUB, SEPT.25 The event is scheduled for Saturday, September 25th and will start at 10 AM until 3:30PM. We will have trap shooting with CTO picking up the cost of a round or two for those taking part. If you do not have a shotgun, OCC has a few that will be available to borrow. You are welcome to bring your own shells, or you can purchase 12 or 20 gauge shells there. CTO will pick up the cost of one box of shells purchased at OCC for use at the outing, and/or we may have our own shells to give out. We hope some of our members who have wanted to try trap shooting take advantage of this great opportunity, as there will be plenty of time and instruction if needed. Please contact Chris Savka if you are available to help. The pistol range will also be available. You are responsible for bringing your own pistol and ammunition. Targets will be supplied, but you may bring your own if you wish. There will be fishing at the stocked pond that will be catch and release only, unless the fish is deep hooked and won’t survive. Bring your favorite rod and tackle. We will provide live bait and you may bring your own as well. We hope to have a fly-fisher or two to demonstrate fly fishing for anyone interested in learning a new skill. The pond is stocked with trout, pan fish and largemouth bass. The terrain is very flat around the pond and the entire OCC grounds, so getting around will be fairly easy, but you may want to bring a power scooter as the activities are spread out. There is a clubhouse at OCC, so this is a rain or shine event, and there is an open bar to purchase beverages. CTO will be providing water and the food. OCC is a great place to enjoy many different activities and it gives our members a chance to learn a new skill or two. Please contact Barb Kaun at 920-720-9689 if you are planning on attending. You can see what OCC has to offer throughout the year by checking out their website: http://www.wiocc.com

OCONTO FISHING OPPORTUNITY- David Paul I have been approached by a friend who is willing to take 2 members at a time on a walleye fishing trip. There are 2 prerequisites, you must have a fishing license and you must be able to physically get in and out of his fishing boat with none or little assistance. You may not bring your fishing equipment for this. His boat is not a pontoon. You would need to arrive at the village of Oconto at 3AM on your scheduled date. Typically these trips are on weekends and are completely free of charge. He and his son have caught over 100 walleye this spring. This opportunity is not considered a CTO event. Please call David Paul if this is of interest to you. 920-740-2775

AHOY MATE- David Paul We are looking for members who would like to Captain our pontoon boat this summer on Shawano Lake. We are in need of experienced captains who would be willing to take out some of our members for a day on the water this summer. If this is something that would be of interest to you or you have more questions please contact David Paul and we will get you on the schedule. His phone is 920-740-2775.

CTO PONTOON BOAT – David Paul Challenge the Outdoors is again keeping its pontoon boat on Shawano Lake at the park docks in Cecil (southeast corner of the lake). The boat is available to any CTO member to use from roughly May 15th through mid-September. All you need to do is call David Paul, (920-740-2775) to reserve the boat for a half or full day. You’ll need to bring your own fishing equipment. If you’ve never used the pontoon boat, you’ll also need to take a short orientation course from Dave.

CTO Pontoon Boat Guidelines: Failure to follow these guidelines may terminate your use of the pontoon up to one year from date of infraction per CTO Policy.

A) Keys and signup sheet are at the BP gas station located at HWY 117 &22 in Cecil. You must request the use of the pontoon before using it from David Paul, 920-740-2775. Report any issues or damage immediately to David.

B) First time users are REQUIRED to receive training on operation of the pontoon and the lake topography.

C) You must follow the Wisconsin DNR boating regulations and you are responsible for knowing these regulations. Failure to do so can lead to legal ramifications that you are solely responsible for.

D) Prior to leaving dock:

1) Make sure you have at least one working cell phone with you on the boat that gets adequate reception.

2) Retrieve personal flotation devices (PFDs or life jackets) from storage and make sure one is accessible for each person. Individuals under the age of 13 are required to wear them. Make sure one throwable flotation device is accessible in case of emergency.

3) Tilt motor down into water, but not hitting bottom. Trim down further when in deeper water.

4) Turn on running lights in dark or foggy conditions.

5) Make sure you have untied the pontoon from the dock.

E) When returning to dock.

1) Remove any garbage, worms, fishing gear, food, etc. from the boat.

2) Bimini Top (canopy) should be lowered and please reattach the cover to the Bimini unless it is wet.

3) Make sure all running lights are off.

4) Make sure pontoon boat is secured at all points to the dock and close and latch all doors.

5) Return life jackets and other equipment to storage area it came from.

6) Return keys to BP gas station and call or text David Paul when you are done for the day. 920-740-2775

BEAR HUNT - Carl Gierke CTO has been informed that a Wisconsin woman who obtained a bear tag is willing to transfer her tag. She would like the tag go to a woman, preferably but not necessarily a disabled hunter. The tag is for Zone C in northern Wisconsin and the season runs September 8th - October 12th. There may also be a mentor available for the hunter. You can find more information regarding bear hunting and tag transfer on the DNR website. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact me as soon as possible. 920-986-3272

DEER HUNTING LAND NEEDED- David Paul I am reaching out to our members to see if you or someone you know might have hunting land that we could use for our disabled deer hunt the first weekend in October and possibly until the following Sunday of the next weekend. During the hunt the landowner would not be inconvenienced or have any responsibility to assist in the hunt. Landowners can specify the type of deer they would allow to be harvested and how many hunters would be allowed on their land. Hunting land for this October needs to be enrolled by May 31st. If you feel that you could help us out with this request, please contact David Paul at 920-740-2775 or email dcp7576@gmail.com

OCTOBER SPECIAL DISABLED DEER HUNT- David Paul This year’s hunt will begin on Saturday, October 2nd and ends on October 10th. Sign up for the deer hunt starts on July 1st and ends on August 31st. Hunters must provide a legal weapon, ammunition, chair, Disabled Hunting Permit, transportation to the breakfast and hunting land and most importantly a helper that can sit with you while hunting, if you need assistance. CTO will provide land, a hunting blind, opening weekend breakfast, a sack lunch, and someone who will help retrieve and clean your deer. CTO has made arrangements with a local butcher who will process, (debone, cut up steaks and roasts) your deer for around $60. You must contact David Paul at 920-740-2775 to sign up. Please watch your next newsletter for additional information and the exact times.

FALL PHEASANT HUNT- Keith Hartjes The hunt will take place Sunday, October 24th starting at 8 AM until noon at J&H Game Farm, W5810 J&H Road, just West of Navarino off of HWY 156. We have arranged for birds in the field, dogs and handlers, machine operator, back-up shooters, cleaners and baggers, great food and just a great day to share stories and get to know other CTO members. Shooters will be in two shifts, 8:30 until 9:30 and 9:45 until 10:45. Each disabled hunter will be allowed two pheasants. If you don’t have your own gun, there will be guns available at J&H for you to use. Shotgun shells, (12 gauge and 20 gauge) will be provided. You need to wear orange. Each hunter is welcome to bring family members or a friend to assist them, but pheasants are put out only for the disabled CTO members. Lunch is courtesy of CTO and is made by the folks at J&H. Don’t forget to sign up by October 15th if you are going to be part of this hunt. If you have any questions, please contact Keith Hartjes.

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

4) Awards Program - Each year at its annual banquet in July, CTO awards prizes for the biggest deer, turkey and fish of different species that are harvested at, or outside of, CTO events. These and other awards hopefully encourage members to get out and hunt and fish whenever they have a chance. If you’d like to register an animal for consideration in the awards program, please contact CTO’s awards coordinator, Sharon LeFevre at 920-615-2356 or email at bookmom53@gmail.com The awards will be given out at the 2021 Annual Banquet on July 18th. Time frame to submit an entry for an award is from July 1, 2020 thru June 30, 2021.

MEMBER PARTICIPATION/CANCELLATION POLICY (implemented JUNE 2011) An event chairperson(s) may bar a CTO member for one (1) year from participating in the same event, if the member signs up for an event and fails to attend the event without giving prior notice given to the event chairperson(s) that she/he will not be attending. There shall be exceptions given for sickness, injury, equipment failure, or a death. The event chairperson(s) will have final authority to say if a one (1) year ban from the following year’s event is warranted depending on the circumstances surrounding the absence and impact on the event. This policy was implemented because occasionally, people unable to attend events did not notify CTO or event chairpersons, causing spaces to go unfilled. Please notify the chairperson as far in advance as possible if you can’t attend an event you’ve signed up for. We just want to ensure that as many people as possible can attend events. Thanks!

NEW MEMBERS- Please welcome the following members to CTO. Ariel Sanderson. MEMBERSHIP EXPIRED? - You are responsible for making sure your membership is up to date. If you have a Life Membership you never have to renew.

TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION- Sharon LeFevre *CTO’s Website address: www.ctoforme.org *Facebook is: CTO - Challenge The Outdoors (this is a public group). Please note that you need to access this Facebook group page through Facebook and search for our name. *Facebook group page for CTO is https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengetheoutdoors/ -If you have questions regarding any of the above, you can contact Sharon at 920-615-2356 or www.bookmom53@gmail.com

NEWSLETTER - David Paul The Challenge the Outdoors Newsletter is published at the beginning of January, March, May, July, September and November. If you know of a member that is not receiving the newsletter, please contact David Paul at 920-740- 2775 or dcp7576@gmail.com