WELCOME TO CHALLENGE THE OUTDOORS, INC.
NOVEMBER 2024 NEWSLETTER
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – Carl Gierke It’s been a great year of positive change for CTO. Of course, the highlight has been getting Peter’s Pond up and running with an open house celebration on August 18th. Since then we’ve had several organizations utilize the facility, including Aspiro, New View, Lakeland Industries, and Emerald Bay Assisted Living. All had a great time and were very appreciative of the opportunity to get outdoors, catch a few fish, and have some fun. They’re all looking forward to coming back again next year and we’re looking forward to having them back. We’re also looking forward to continuously improving the property with plans in the works for a walking trail, archery course and a storage building. Just a reminder that Peter’s Pond is open to our members and their guests during daylight hours, fishing is catch and release, and a fishing license is not required. Also, once it gets colder, please stay off the ice because aerators in the pond circulate the water enough to make ice unsafe.
Other recent changes have included improvements to our Facebook page and website. There’s no denying the importance of social media in communicating these days, so we think the changes will help you keep up on activities and events and enable you to share your thoughts and pictures with fellow members. A huge thank you to Rock Suutala and Michael Londre for all their great work on updating the website and Facebook page. They did some work independently, but also worked together to make things user-friendly and look great. Thanks guys!! Thanks also to Anne Atnip for being administrator of the Facebook project.
Another change involved moving the venue for this year’s deer hunt from the Lessor town hall in Landstad to the Lumberyard in Bonduel. The fact that the number of hunters continues to increase necessitated the change and we had plenty of room to spread out, enjoy some great food, and tell a few hunting stories. Thanks to Dave Paul, mentors, landowners, food servers, and everyone involved with the hunt for making it a safe and successful event. Thanks also to the folks at the Lumberyard for providing us with a great place to hang out.
Although CTO events are winding down for the year, there’s still a lot of time to enjoy some great hunting and fishing this fall, so I hope you can get out and enjoy some of the outdoor opportunities Wisconsin has to offer. Hope to see you out there!
RECAP OF RECENT EVENTS
END OF SUMMER OUTING AT OUTAGAMIE CONSERVATION CLUB- Barb Kaun
What a day, filled with sunshine, fishing, trap shooting, pistol range, archery all available thanks to our friends at Outagamie Conservation Club on September 16th. Three volunteers, led by member Karen Konshak, mentored us in Frisbee golf and yard Yahtzee. The 35 members who attended enjoyed great food and fellowship.
YOUTH AND LADIES DAY AT J&H – Carl Gierke September 9th 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 CTO members and friends supervised the trout tank. We had many wonderful volunteers that helped kids and ladies bait hooks and then unhook, clean, and ice fish. There are always a lot of smiles on the faces of those that fished 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!
FALL PHEASANT HUNT- Carl Gierke On Sunday, October 20th a combination of helpful volunteers and CTO hunters eager to bag a pheasant or two met at J&H game farm 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 and/or handled by Roger Hanson, Joe Wesloski, Kirk DeCramer, Gary Fontaine, and Ridge Johans. Many thanks to Matt Ernst for providing his UTV 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 again planned for March and October. Watch the next newsletter for exact dates.
NAVARINO TROLLEY RIDE – Carl Gierke On October 1st, 17 CTO members, friends and family participated in the trolley ride offered by Navarino Nature Center. We met at 11am at NNC and rode the tractor-driven trolley through the wildlife area and got to see the beautiful fall colors and a variety of wildlife. Tim Ewing, director at NNC, rode along and discussed points of interest, management of the property, and the wildlife we observed. After the tour, everyone was treated with lunch and Barb Kaun hosted a trivia contest in which winners were awarded prizes for their vast knowledge. After lunch, many participants took time to explore the displays inside the nature center. Thanks to Tim and NNC for offering this tour and making it an enjoyable day!
SCOPING THE GREAT OUTDOORS- Bob Schuh October 5-13 was Wisconsin’s deer hunt for persons with disabilities. These are sponsored hunts and take place on properties that landowners sign up to be in the program. Every year I hunt in the one sponsored by Challenge the Outdoors (CTO). CTO signs up land to hunt all over northeast Wisconsin which includes Manitowoc County. That makes it easier for persons living here instead of running to Shawano County where the first hunts originated. This year 37 hunters took to the woods with CTO, trying to fill the freezer with venison. Hunters shot 23 deer in total, 8 bucks and 15 doe. In Manitowoc County, 7 hunters took part with CTO and shot 3 bucks and 4 doe for a 100 percent success rate in our county. I was one of those lucky hunters as I took a fat doe on Wednesday of the hunt. Check out ctoforme.org to see all the activities that CTO provides for its members. Michael Londre harvested an 8 point buck on Oct. 5, opening day of Wisconsin’s deer hunt for persons with disabilities. Michael harvested his buck in Shawano County as part of the hunt sponsored by Challenge The Outdoors.
SPECIAL OCTOBER GUN DEER HUNT- David Paul A recap of our hunt this year has been outlined by Bob Sshuh in his article above. Thank you Bob. This year was one of the most challenging hunts that CTO put together with 50 potential hunters signed up for the hunt. CTO has a policy that if you signed up for the hunt this year and you missed the hunt and didn’t notify me in a timely manner those hunters will not be allowed to hunt next year with CTO. Please see our policy as it is printed in our newsletter.
CTO doesn’t own any of the land we hunt on throughout the week. We have been blessed by many landowners who have enrolled their property with CTO for over 20 years and we welcome the new landowners who have stepped up so we can grow this hunt to where it stands today. Bill Mayville started this program himself by offering up his land to five disabled hunters in the first year and Bill has been instrumental in securing land throughout Shawano, Oconto and Outagamie Counties over the years. Joe Palmer started our satellite hunt in the Manitowoc area approximately five years ago and they had a fantastic hunt this year with a 100% success rate.
Many hours go into preparing for this hunt as we have to meet all of the deadlines that the DNR holds us to so that we are legal and meet their requirements. This would not be possible without the volunteers who set up blinds the week before the hunt, the assistance they give to the hunters before and throughout the week and then helping in gathering all the equipment after the hunt is complete. I would like to recognize these volunteers who registered hundreds of miles on the personal vehicles and will even go ditch diving to recover your harvest if need be. Chouse Hartlaben, Bob Mayville, Jon Mayville, Leo Mayville, Bill Mayville, Chuck Moser, Alex Wegner, Don Uphill, Mike Shulze, Randy King, Carl Gierke, and Nathan Owen.
We were able to secure two additional gators at no additional cost from Reisterer and Schnell John Deere in Shawano and Pulaski and they came in handy transporting hunters throughout the field. Thank you for the donation. This year we required that hunters who bagged a deer provide their confirmation number to CTO for accurate record keeping and Thank you for doing this in a timely manner.
We knew we had outgrown our facility last year for our Saturday meet and greet so Bill Mayville and I were able to secure a new venue for our gathering at “The Lumberyard” located in Bonduel. The owner, Dan Nolan and his sister, Dianne were gracious enough to open up the back half of their establishment free of charge for Saturday and Sunday so we could host our group. This was our first year of not having anyone head up the food committee for our deer hunt so Bill Mayville, Jackie Paul and myself put together the menu and made sure the food, beverages and supplies made it to the venue in a timely fashion and under budget. Many thanks go out to the volunteers who helped with serving the food and clean up. Jackie Paul, Barb and Fred Kaun, Patty Ragolskii, Tina Panske, Becky and Debbie Crooks, Aaron Worden, and Clara Stutzman.
Listed below are the names of the hunters and what their harvest was.
DOE HARVEST Darwin Swille, Joe Palmer, Tom Sauer, Bob Schuh, Jeff Pagels, James Janelle, Grayson Nieuwenhuis, Tom Kryzanek, Randy Graham, Dale Hynek, Beverly Dorn, Ed Zahn, Luke Dobberstein, Gary Thyes, James Weber
BUCK HARVEST_ Scott Bratz 6 point, Gerry Schick spike, Keith Pamperin 6 point, Greg Bishop nub, Don Binsfield 4 point, Brent Maxim 7 point, John Sticka 8 point, Michael Londre 8 point.
As we look ahead to next year we will face the same challenges as this year. I would like to emphasize one particular point regarding this hunt we sponsor. I will always try to give everyone an equal chance to harvest a deer. With that said, it is important for all of our hunters to know that just because you been fortunate enough to bag a deer year after year from a particular piece of land that you are not guaranteed that you will be returning to that same parcel next year. We need to give all of our hunters an opportunity to hunt the most productive areas, not just a chosen few. Good luck to our hunters who will be participating in the November gun hunt.
UPCOMING EVENTS
WINTER FUNDRAISING BANQUET - Carl Gierke This event will be held at Stadium View in Green Bay on Thursday, January 16th, 2025. The evening is filled with raffles and auctions of lots of outdoor gear and guns and includes a great meal. We are in need of volunteers for that day, as well as members to get items for the raffles and silent auctions and solicit table captains. Table captains receive a free gun if they recruit a group of eight attendees. There is a poster at the end of this newsletter with more details, in case you’d like to help spread the word or post one in your favorite hangout or business. Please let me know if you have questions or are willing to help.
HOLIDAY PARTY- Anne Atnip The Holiday Party is being planned, so save the date for Saturday, February 1, 2025. The festivities will be at Willow Creek Bowling Lanes, 2020 Verlin Read, Green Bay from 11 am-3pm. Lunch of pizza or chicken tenders will be served at noon. Bowling will be available from 1-3. Please RSVP by Friday, January 17, 2025 on this Google Form or by calling Anne Atnip at 920-606-5864. If I can’t answer the phone, please leave your name, number of people attending, lunch choices, and if you are planning to bowl. Please contact Anne if you wish to help with organizing and/or volunteering at this event.
SPRING TURKEY HUNT- Tom Narmore This coming May, CTO is teaming up with Shadows on the Wolf for a spring turkey hunt for our disabled members. We are able to take ten hunters and the hunt will be May 16th-18th. Lodging for the hunt will be provided at the Christus Memorial Church Camp located just outside of Clintonville. We will be giving first preference to those who have never hunted turkeys. Members who have never harvested a turkey will be getting second preference. If we have less than 10 hunters, then any disabled member may be accepted. You may only harvest one bearded turkey during this event. You have the option of applying for a tag (Zone 3, Period E) before December 10th. However, we recommend that you wait to make sure that you are selected for the hunt and then purchase a tag over the counter sometime towards the end of March 2025. If you wish to sign up for this event or have any questions, please contact Tom Narmore from January 15th to March 1st, 2025, but you must sign up by March 1st. Your cooperation is needed so we can line up mentors and land. My phone 920-410-4436, email narmore1988@yahoo.com.
NON-EVENT INFORMATION
CHALLENGE THE OUTDOORS FACEBOOK IMPROVEMENTS- Anne Atnip During the past month, a group of CTO members have developed a brand-new Facebook page. This new page is in a format specific for an organization, instead of a personal page. It allows for better communication and multiple administrators. The new administrators have no affiliation to prior Facebook pages.
Please follow our new page https://www.facebook.com/challengetheoutdoorswi.
Spread the word by inviting friends to the new page. The old Facebook pages are not maintained and will not have current information. It will take a group effort to guide people to join the new page. Thanks again to Michael Londre for updating our Facebook page.
CTO WEBSITE - Barb Kaun Again, a big thank you to Rock Suutala for updating CTO’s website. If you have experience in maintaining websites and would like to help in this project, please contact ctoforme@yahoo.com or leave a message at 920-593-6300 and you will be contacted.
EVENT VOLUNTEER CHAIRMAN – Karen Konshak I am looking for any volunteers or members that would be willing to transport and assist some of our members that cannot drive due to physical challenges. Please call or text me if you would be willing to help. 920-680-0687
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 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 people unable to attend events did not always 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!
DISABLED VETERAN RECREATION CARD Resident disabled veterans who are receiving disability compensation benefits due to a service-related disability rating of 50% or greater, 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.
MEBERSHIP CONTACT INFORMAITON – Fred Kaun Help us in maintaining an accurate membership list. If you move or change your phone number, PLEASE contact us with the information by leaving a message on CTO voicemail at 920-594-9300. If you can provide an email, the newsletter will be sent to you electronically, which will save CTO money that can be used to increase participation in events. THANK YOU!!
CTO BOARD MEETINGS - CTO’S Board of Directors meets the third Wednesday of each month at 5pm, currently alternating between Appleton (American Legion) and Green Bay (Home Instead). If you would like to take part and offer your ideas, help with events, or just find out how things work, you’re welcome to attend. If you have a question for a specific board member, please refer to the list of directors near the end of this newsletter.
CTO ONGOING PROGRAMS - CTO has several programs designed to supplement the cost of outdoor activities and encourage disabled members to get outdoors 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. Please contact the chairperson if you are interested in participating or have questions. Programs 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 – Randy Swille
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 – Randy Swille
3) Field Grants – Supplements the cost of 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 – Debi Delie
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS - Rock Suutala, Gerald and Deborah Elbe
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 Authorization Application form 9400-604 [PDF]. To obtain a form, visit dnr.wi.gov and search using the keywords “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.
SHARE YOUR TALENTS - Carl Gierke David Paul, who has put together our newsletter for the past several years, is stepping down and will be passing the newsletter on to another talented individual beginning with the January 2025 edition. The newsletter comes out every two months and David is willing to help train a new person. If you are interested in sharing your skills with our members, or know anybody that might be willing to help, please let me know. Thanks!
CTO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NAME
POSITION
PHONE
CARL GIERKE
PRESIDENT
920-986-3272
RANDY SWILLE
VICE PRESIDENT
920-373-8081
randyswille@yahoo.com
JAMES NOOYEN
TREASURER
920-246-6497
james.nooyen@homeinstead.com
BARB KAUN
SECRETARY
920-720-9689
b.kaun.316@gmail.com
FRED KAUN
DIRECTOR
920-720-9689
fkaun@me.com
KEITH PAMPERIN
DIRECTOR
920-494-3990
kjpamperin@aol.com
DAVID PAUL
DIRECTOR
920-740-2775
ANNE ATNIP
DIRECTOR
920-606-5864
suamicoanne@gmail.com
DEBI DELIE
DIRECTOR
715-305-5687
debidelie1@gmail.com
BILL MAYVILLE
DIRECTOR
715-758-8363
bill.mayville@yahoo.com
PAT NIEUWENHUIS
DIRECTOR
920-687-8707
nubby009@aol.com
STEVE NOOYEN
ASSOCIATE DIR.
920-621-2827
snooyen@homeinstead.com
MARK BAEHR
ASSOCIATE DIR.
920-766-9218
baehrm@sbcglobal.net
BRIAN HESS
ASSOCIATE DIR
920-864-7954
abhess@centurytel.net
CTO CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR 2024
Date
Time
Event/Location
Contact(s)
Nov. 20
5PM
Board Meeting, American Legion, 3220 W. College Ave. Appleton
Carl
Dec. 19
5 PM
Board Meeting, Home Instead, 901 Anderson Dr., Green Bay
Carl
Check calendar on website @ www.ctoforme.org for other events. Click on the date for more information about events in the newsletter.
Contacts:
Carl Gierke 920-986-3272