KAMO January, 2024 Newsletter – pages
For comments related to this document, contact Mike

The newsletter for the next month begins the same week that the current monthly newsletter is sent. This gives you, the members of KAMO, lots of opportunity to add something to the next edition.

President?s message – Hello to all KAMO members and friends,
This is KAMO President Mark Walters with my monthly update. First the news that is not so good. Somehow we lost our dates for The Joe Hunt for next December. In other words, someone else has our spot. No sense getting mad, and I do not know what went wrong but it was not on our end.
The Joe is KAMO’s largest activity of the year and we are trying to come up with options. We do have the facility scheduled for the following year. Our state meeting is Saturday, March 23rd, we
could really use all hands on deck to figure out our options. Please send ideas to Mike Brown for what you may want on the agenda for our meeting and please send your thoughts to me for the annual President’s Award that is given out at our get together.
If we have ice, I will be attending The Northwoods Chapter “Florence” fisheree on February 23rd. I am looking forward to having fun with my friends from that neck of the woods and may just camp on the ice.
Please remember to send your chapter dues to Jim and as always, thank you for everything that you do for KAMO!

Mark

Midwest Outdoor Heritage Education Expos (MOHEE) – Did you know that we have a partnership with this organization? A memorandum of understanding was drafted in 2023 that allows KAMO to set up promotional materials at MOHEE events.
The next opportunity would be at the MacKenzie Center on May 15 – 16th. The event hours are from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm each day.This is a Wednesday and Thursday and the youth that come in as participants are released from school to attend.
This is an enormously well attended event.

2024 Joe Hunt – The MacKenzie Center will not be available during the antlerless deer season in 2024. Another group reserved it during that time. We will discuss some options during the state convention. One option would be to go to the center in late November.

State Convention – Saturday, March 23rd, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, Schmeekle Reserve and Visitors Center, 2419 North Point Drive, Stevens Point. Originally, we were told that we had to order food in advance through a particular service the university is under contract with for food service. We got notification from that food service recently that they will not be open that Saturday, and we can feel free to order from somewhere else.

February 16th – 17th, 2024 – Wisconsin Interscholastic Fishing Association (WIFA) State High School Fishing Championship.After all the preparations – hundreds of hotel reservations, booking the Civic Center, there won?t be an actual WIFA tournament this winter due to the deterioration of ice in the La Crosse area where it was planned.
Did you know that any kid in the state, grade 8th (second semester) – 12th grade can participate in WIFA?s Master Angler program? They do not even have to be on a team. Some KAMO kids in the La Crosse area, which does not have a team, became nuts over this program, spent countless hours competing with others around the state, and even got plaques and other awards from WIFA. You can start your grade level eligible chapter kids as Master Anglers through studentfishing.com. There is a requirement to use a specific bump board and take/ submit pictures through the FishDonkey App. Mike has a brochure on it as well and can send it to you..

Dues – Chapter dues for 2024 are coming up. They are still $600 and are payable before March. Jim Rydmark is the new treasurer. If you need his address, it is in the directory or you can get it from me (Mike). The Marshfield Chapter can disregard payment.

KAMO wear – There is some interest in having more hoodies, t-shirts, and hats made up. If your chapter could use something made, please let me know. The size is particularly important.
Remember, that your chapter may have taken some of this wear home – it was on the table at the 2023 convention and that it was your responsibility to pay the state treasurer for the items you took back with you.

Hunter?s Education – In 2023, there were 11 hunting incidents for the whole state, which is the lowest number in 40 years. That could lead to the conclusion that safety training is effective.
The DNR has as goals to increase course enrollment and instructor recruitment/ retention. As of mid-month January, 2024, there had already been over 60 hunter ed classes offered in the state.

Chapter Reports –
Baraboo – The Baraboo River Chapter held our first meeting of the year on Monday January 8th, 2024 at Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center. Our small group had approximately 305 hours of time in the past month of getting Kids Outdoors. Most of this was from the annual Joe Hunt, but there also was some fishing and skiing mentorship provided. We reviewed the successful Joe Hunt and ideas for improvement next year. In the last newsletter we reported 20 deer and 2 turkeys harvested, which is a record for this event. The Outdoor Wisconsin crew that filmed various parts of the event plan to air the episode in the Fall of 2024. The Lake Delton Sportsman Club heard about our successful program and is considering donating for next years Joe Hunt. We are planning to give them a brief presentation about our club in the near future.
We set the dates for our annual camping trip for June 28?30th and Rick has made reservations at Juneau County Park on Castle Rock Lake. We will again be joined by the Dodge County KAMO Chapter. Our next meeting will be held Monday February 12th at River?s Edge.

Thanks,

Greg

Coulee – Mentors Mike and John ran a hunter education internet field day at the La Crosse Rifle Club on January 27th. This class had 13 students and was also a training opportunity for two novice instructors and the regional OST and her assistant also came in to observe and help. This class was put on at the request of the Providence Academy, a Catholic school in La Crosse that is starting a trap league. We have opened a second hunter education class for Saturday, March 16th at the Omni Center and it is filling quickly.
We came up with the idea of having a meet and greet at mentor Tim?s house for potential new mentors/ volunteers. This would probably be done in April when mentor travel is minimal and when we might also have spring activities coming up to invite the new people to try out. So, Coulee mentors, do you know a person that could be invited to this small gathering?

Dodge County Conservation – DCC KAMO held a Meet and Greet, Get to Know KAMO at our local Bowling alley Thursday the 25th From 6-8 pm and it was pretty successful. We picked up a few new mentors and some great ideas as well. Myself ( Jim Braker) Greg Pahl and Lucas Bruntjen. (KAMO Kid) along with Mark via telephone were on our local radio station promoting KAMO and our meet and greet.
We also participated in Cabin fever fest handing out Hot chocolate and making a few more contacts as well. The local Boy scout troop was there making Chili and Dutch oven treats and are very interested in doing things with our chapter in the future. We posted 2 Hunter safety classes for March and April and they both filed up within a day. Our Monthly meeting is held the last Tuesday of every month at Tower Lanes in Beaver Dam WI at 6.00 pm. Anyone interested in learning about what DCC KAMO is all about can attend.
We have a lot going on and follow us on Facebook to find out what it is. Get a kid outside and see what happens.
Jim Braker. Pres.

Meadow Valley – Meadow Valley Chapter Highlights:
Discussed the Joe Hunt: CWD testing went well. I have the meat for the LaCrosse chapter.
Planning for the Ice Fishing day – 27 January from 8am to 2pm at Lake Tomah. We started a bow loaner program for more information contact Aaron Bigalke.

Thanks,

Jim

Northwoods – Northwood chapter update
We held a pizza meeting in January to discuss our winter fishing event, February 24th will be the date pending ice conditions. We purchased 20 more ice fishing pole combos and a mentor is building storage totes for easy access. The sap is running also, stay safe n hope for normal weather.

Johnny Johnson from Florence Wisconsin