KAMO – March, 2021 Newsletter
For comments related to this document, contact Mike

President?s remarks – Hello everyone,
This is KAMO President Mark Walters with my monthly report. Last night we had a Board of Directors meeting and it went really well. We have decided to watch the Covid 19 issue until the end of April and have a vote by May 1st on resuming full KAMO activities
unless Covid gets worse. This was what I believe is a wise and positive choice and it was very cool to hear everyone on the phone and what I felt is a very real desire to get KAMO back on its feet which in reality is just a matter of making things happen.
Another positive part of the meeting was having Jim Braker on the phone as well. Jim is with what will be our newest chapter and that is The Dodge County Chapter of KAMO. They held a
meeting last week and had 16 people attend and should be an official part of KAMO by May 1st.
On a closing note, I have informed the BOD that I am willing to stay on as President if they want me for foreseeable future as I just cannot see KAMO finding the right person at the present time
to fill what I feel is a very important position. I have a great feeling about KAMO’s near and long term future and can thank each and everyone of you for that. As always, thank you for everything that you do for KAMO.
Mark

Hunter Education – There are currently 17 hunter traditional and 46 internet field day hunter ed offerings statewide. Some instructors are reporting difficulty finding participants for these classes. The prevailing thought is that when the hands on component is optional for all age groups, which is currently the case, few people are going to take a hands on field day. For example, our La Crosse hunter ed instructor group opened an IFD class for April 10th in Onalaska with 24 spots three weeks ago – there are 15 still open. We decided to run the class anyway.

General – Your chapter?s portion of the directory will be sent out in April. Please look to see that emails and phone contacts are accurate. Like any data, a directory starts becoming inaccurate as soon as the ink dries.
Does your chapter need brochures, hats, t-shirts,hoodies? There is still a solid supply.. Great quality goods. Prompt shipping times.

B.O.D. Meeting Results
We will not attempt to replace the state president position until the pandemic subsides.

The Beaver Dam Chapter was given ratification to begin in May.

What about reconvening activities? Board of Directors will vote on or about May 1st to what extent activities can resume

Currently it is O.K. to do one on ones, conduct fundraisers as adults, and plan future activities.
Not O.K. – Group activities, kids in your personal vehicle

Recently inked agreement intended to increase participation in hunting

To preface the following notice, Pass it On – Outdoor Mentors (P.I.O.) does not intend to operate a mentoring group in Wisconsin – it?s not what they do – they are not a mentoring group, but a group that bridges kids to mentors.
After successfully piloting a Shooting Sports Outreach Program in Kansas and Iowa, P.I.O.?s intention is to bring this program to Wisconsin and Minnesota – two states that have high numbers of high school students involved in clay target leagues. Minnesota has over 10,000 participants and Wisconsin has over 6,000.
This program has substantial implications for DMAP and R-3.

Here?s a notice sent our way by Michael Christensen – P.I.O. President:
Pass It On ? Outdoor Mentors (P.I.O) and Outdoor Heritage Education Center (OHEC) sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to get more youth outdoors
OHEC will work with PIO to expand the Shooting Sports Outreach Program in Wisconsin.
The OHEC, a charitable non-profit organization based in Hazel Green, WI and P.I.O out of Wichita, Kansas, will be working together to expand the rapidly growing Shooting Sports Outreach Program to Wisconsin.
?The US Clay Target League and the Scholastic Clay Target Program are rapidly growing, currently engaging over 6,000 youth in shooting sports in WI. Our Shooting Sports Outreach Program works to bridge the gap between the shooting sports and hunting,? stated Brittany French, Director of Field Operations for P.I.O. ?We?ve proven that our model works in Kansas, we?ve had a successful pilot program in Iowa and we?re ready to expand to other states that have vibrant youth shooting sports programs.?
P.I.O. launched it?s Shooting Sports Outreach Program in Kansas in 2019, coordinating 89 hunts for over 220 youth. In the 2020 hunting season, over 180 hunts have been hosted, engaging over 500 youth, with turkey season coming up. ?We want to see these student athletes hunt a variety of species, engaging them and their families with dove, deer, duck, geese, upland, small game and turkey hunts,? said French. ?We feel that it?s critical that today?s youth be given multiple opportunities to hunt, hopefully making them life-long hunters and conservationists.?
?Our first task will be to raise the funds we need to hire a full-time Program Coordinator in WI and OHEC as usual was first to pledge support,? indicated Mike Christensen, President of P.I.O. ?This position is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the hunt, from arranging access to properties to hunt, to recruiting the youth hunters and mentors/volunteers who will share their outdoor expertise with the new hunters.?
OHEC support helps PIO begin to build a Shooting Sports Outreach Program in WI that will help ensure that the Wisconsin outdoor heritage is successfully passed along to the next generation.
About Outdoor Heritage Education Center
OHEC was founded in 1998 to connect people and resources. OHEC volunteers and donors have helped launch clay target teams in a number of Wisconsin schools. OHEC is a major influence in recruitment, retention and reactivation (R3) efforts that fit with its mission to help pass along our outdoor heritage to future generations who were losing touch with the natural world, and to increase the public’s understanding, appreciation and sense of stewardship for natural resources and related activities like fishing, hunting and other shooting sports.
About Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors
Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors, Inc. is a Wichita, Kansas-based national organization dedicated to providing children with mentors who will share with them the experiences of traditional outdoor activities. The heart of the group’s mission is to give children opportunities to connect with nature that they more than likely won’t have without a mentor showing them the way. Partnering with organizations with like-minded conservation and youth participation efforts like Big Brothers/ Big Sisters, Pheasants Forever, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Delta Waterfowl, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the National Wild Turkey Federation, among others, volunteers with a passion for the outdoors can give a child the chance to go fish, hunt, or simply spend time in the fields with a caring adult. For more information about P.I.O., please visit http://www.outdoormentors.org.
Chapter Reports –

Baraboo – The Baraboo River had its meeting on March 8. While this whole covid thing has gone on, our group has chosen to meet as we felt it important to keep connected and email and text just aren’t the same as face to face. There has been some that did not feel comfortable being in a group setting or around crowds, but that is just fine with us. There are still one on ones going on with plans for some group events as we see a hopeful end to all the restrictions. We already have campsites reserved for our June event and we will be making sure we have our spot reserved at the MacKenzie center for this years Joe hunt. Tradition Forward
Beaver Dam – Met on March 24th. Established President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer positions. The group has May 1st in mind for ratifying their chapter and the B.O.D. has approved it. The chapter was sent a starter kit – ten hats, ten shirts, 2 banners, 8 magnetics, 100 brochures,and posters.

Coulee – Zoom meeting on March11th. Guest Jacob Hart of the Holmen Community Center spoke about the center’s mission, which is partly to get kids more involved with adults in the outdoors. Depending mainly on Coulee?s ability to resume activities, our chapter members were receptive to helping set up some events that can be supported by the center. The center hopes to promote participation in the activities by Holmen area youth and may also help fund events.
Two mentors took a new kid out scouting for ducks and are encouraging him to read outdoor material,especially the Sand County Almanac (remember when every kid read it?). They hope to involve him and perhaps other kids in goose banding this summer. Banding geese is a remarkable research activity done on various pools of the Mississippi during a period of time when the birds have shed their flight feathers. The birds are herded by boaters to an island. At this time, the birds will swim instead of fly to an island where a net awaits them. Several years ago, one of our kids was dubbed the ?goose whisperer? for her ability to hold geese calmly in her arms throughout the banding process.

Yellow River – Having a brat fry fundraiser/ public awareness event on Saturday, May 15th at their local Festival.