KAMO November, 2024 Newsletter – 3 pages
For comments related to this document, contact Mike

President?s message – Hello to all KAMO members and friends of KAMO,
Hello KAMO members and friends of KAMO,
This is Kids And Mentors Outdoors president Mark Walters with my monthly update. The most important thing that I can say is that this Friday, December 6th and the remainder of the weekend is our biggest event of the year which is The Joe, down in Poynette at Mackenzie
Environmental Education Center.
I believe there will be 20 hunters and I have to give a hardy thank you to the stand out people that put this together Bob Brodeur, Kevin Seymour, Rick Miotke, Mike Brown and several others. It is impossible to describe the amount of work and sometimes “stress” that they go through to pull this off and what they accomplish is a beautiful thing.
Last year Dan Small’s team created their annual Deer Hunting Show which is watched by thousands of people and maybe even hundreds of thousands, that show was recently aired and much of it was on last years “Joe” and I have heard nothing but good about it.
About all I can say is thank you and as I have said since 2008, as a group of six chapters, we accomplish a lot in a year’s time.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a healthy New Year and thank you for all that you do for KAMO!

Mark
Planning for the 2024 Mac Kenzie hunt (the ?Joe?)
A last Joe prehunt class was held for the last 4 kids on Sunday, Nov. 17th.
A volunteer is still needed to collect dorm fees.
The dorm fee is $20 per person. Bring a check to the ?Joe” to cover your chapter?s fees.

Last year, Dave Roll came in and filmed during the Joe Hunt as mentioned in Mark?s message. The resulting footage has recently been broadcast on PBS.. This video can be viewed here:

https://www.pbs.org/video/deer-hunt-wisconsin-2024-6fa4j0/

Wisconsin Interscholastic Fishing Association (WIFA) Ice Fishing State Championship – Pools 7 & 8 of the Mississippi River on Saturday, 15th, 2025. This is a colossal event with over 100 participating high schools. It is possible that a school in your area will be competing there.
WIFA has a Master Angler program that any kid, 8th grade (second semester) and up can enjoy and they don?t need to be in WIFA. Some KAMOKIDS have really embraced this quest to outdo other kids in the state – goes by length for 16 species.

Chapter Reports

Baraboo – The Baraboo River Chapter of Kids & Mentors Outdoors held our monthly meeting on Monday November 11th (Veterans Day) at the Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center. Our small group reported over 100 hours of getting kids outdoors in the past month. Most of this was Duck Hunting, Fishing, and preparing for the upcoming Joe Hunt. The main topic of the meeting was the Joe Hunt, which will be held December 6th?8th. Huntmaster Kevin Seymour reported that 20 kids are signed up along with 22 mentors. The food menu is set but we are NOT providing lunch on Sunday this year. Kids are reminded to bring a water bottle/container since there is a refill station at the MacKenzie Center and we will have a very limited supply of plastic water bottles. We have lined up a certified 1st Aid volunteer for the weekend (Thanks Craig) and are printing signs to put in your vehicle if hunting off the property. Friday evening will be training with the DNR and Saturday evening we will be playing Buddy Bingo. We are also hosting a ?Hunters Attic? throughout the weekend. Please bring Bingo prizes or items for the Hunters Attic if you have any. Our group will hold our December meeting at the MacKenzie Center during the hunt and the January meeting will be held at Rivers Edge on Monday January 13th at 7pm.

Coulee – We have been searching for some spots to take kids sledding in the Minnesota hills and have had some suggestions that were followed up on. Two parks in La Crescent have good potential.
There is an ongoing fishing tackle collection project going on in Mik?s basement.. Donated tackle comes in both on its own and because we have it mentioned on Craigslist and the Nextdoor.com site A combination of used and new tackle is being consolidated to make up give away bags for kids attending fishing events in 2025. We may share with the Genoa Fish Hatchery for their events if we have enough..
We have begun planning a fishing event to honor a fallen mentor during Wisconsin?s Free Fishing Weekend. The Kraig Hoff Memorial Fishing Event – Saturday, January 18th. We would like to start with a small or medium activity and grow it from there. We are trying to involve other groups such as the Friends of the Upper Mississippi,Izaak Walton League, Upper Mississippi River (USGS – Kraig;s employer) ) in joining us..
Coulee has been getting calls from groups, businesses and individuals interested in joining our activities, donating equipment and money – 4 in just the past week. A newly opened Stoddard area Pub in the area that has outdoor minded owners, employees, and clientele is one of these. The Pub is preparing a KAMO ad with pictures to run on their community area t.v. monitor. How people are hearing about our group is a good question, but we are liking it. Perhaps it is a product of our persistence, determination, and good will towards the community.

Dodge County Conservation – DCC KAMO had a pretty slow Month. Some of our mentors took advantage of the decent weather and got some kids out deer hunting. Pretty slow in this part of the state but a few deer were taken and check out our Facebook page for one our KAMO kids first deer. Anticipation for the Joe is getting everyone fired up. Let’s hope it is better than the 9 day traditional hunt. Some new things we will be part of in the coming months: Icefest in Waupun, Cabinfever fest in Beaver Dam and some more things in the works . Watch our Facebook page for all the latest news. Get a kid outside and see what happens.

Jim B Pres.
November 17th pre hunt class that started in the Poynette American Legion and ended on a range out on the Harmony Sewerage District grounds.

Meadow Valley –
Will be getting the Joe Hunt hats.
We will have 2 participants in the Joe Hunt.
The fishery is scheduled for 11 January 25 with a backup date 8 February 25 at Lake Tomah.
It was decided to increase the applicant pool for the scholarships to Mauaston and Tomah.

Thanks,

Jim