Hello Club members;
2024 is in the books and I believe we are steadily increasing membership and membership involvement. The January 2025 Fisharee was a fun and successful fundraising event. We were very fortunate in the fact that our event was postponed until the week -after alternative date because of -0 degree forecast. The weather was much better on the alternate date with sun and moderate temps and very little wind. There were plenty of fishing enthusiasts and some very nice fish taken and displayed. The biggest fish was a 39 inch,15.8 lb. Northern Pike. Congratulations to all the winners that day!
Our other fundraisers were all positive moneymakers. The Hunters Nite Out, and Sporting Clays, including Bachelor parties that Charles tries hard to accommodate, make for good memories and a little money on top of it all.
The donations to our organization are always humbling and appreciated. Organizations such as MooseJaw Pizza and Brewing as always donates a sizable amount to augment our Walleye rearing pond. The Central Wisc.Gun Collectors Asso has been very supportive of our Hunter Ed. program by sending us one or more checks a year to help defray costs. The Rifle/pistol range is still the biggest draw for new and past membership renewal. We get many compliments on the new pistol range and it proves to be one of our more popular draws. Dedicating an area for pistols makes shooting on the rifle range (150 yard max) more relaxing and we think more importantly, safer.
Monetary donations and memberships are our lifeline. Manual labor are the hands that actually complete the obligations we commit to as an organization. We have a great group of volunteers and are always looking for more hands and more projects.
Our annual elections took place the first meeting of the year in January. Officers are Sec, Leslie Tourdot, Treas. Chris Lee, Public Relations, Charles Hudzinski, Vice Pres. George Noe, and President, Lou Lake. After 25 years of holding the position of president, I turn that duty over to someone we feel is motivated, experienced, and capable of guiding this organization into the future.
At the February meeting I recapped The highlights of the club since it’s beginning as I knew it. This brought about after meeting discussions of the inception and early projects this club involved itself with. Bev Hinze was nice enough to send me a couple pages out of a ’Wild Game” cook book published in 1981 and sold by the club as a fundraiser. This is the excerpt from that book that describes the Club up to 1981.
DELTON SPORTSMEN’S CLUB INC.
Box 194, Lake Delton, WI 53940
The Laker Delton Sportsmen’s Club is believed to have originated in the early 1950s. It was organized by such people as Walter Lipke, Carl Lehman, John Lehman Jr., Gordon Foster, Tony Hudzinski, Ember Adams, Mackey Adams, Larry Volz, Ray Kozlowski and Ernie Volz, who was President for a number of years.
At this time the Club had anywhere from 70 to 80 members who raised pheasants and later released them, raised money by having Field Trials and Fisharees, fought for the establishment of public parks, and for the betterment of sportsmen and fair conservation laws.
In the years between 1965 and 1968 the Club went into a dormant stage. It was later reorganized in September of 1968, from which time the Club has made numerous advancements.
The Club’s membership has increased to 350 members, it has changed its name to Delton Sportsmen’s Club, a division of Delton Charitable Organization Inc., and we have purchased 15 acres of land and plan on acquiring another 25 acres.
To be a member of the Club there is a yearly fee. After a person has been an active member for at least 2 consecutive years and reaches age 55 he is then considered a life-time member.
Our land, rifle and archery ranges have been set up, with trap trap houses to be constructed. Also in 1978 we built a clubhouse, complete with kitchen and restrooms, which can be used by other organizations such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Senior Citizens, etc.
The Delton Sportsmen’s Club still carries on many of the activities of the earlier days. Every year the Club holds the Mirror Lake Fisharee in January, Coon Field Trials in May and September, Coon Night Hunt and Dog Show in June and a Trap Shoot in October.
The Club annually awards Sr. and Jr. Trophies to the Sportsmen recording the largest game animals, fish and birds. The winners are then honored at a banquet held in April. Also there is a picnic and pig roast held at the end of summer where all members relax and enjoy.
Yearly the Club receives pheasant chicks which they raise and release on public hunting grounds or private property to which hunters can obtain access.
Between attending public hearings and writing to congressmen, the Club keeps up to date on conservation rules and regulations, and if opposed to any laws or bills, they voice their opinion.
At the 1981 Conservation Congress, the Delton Sportsmen’s Club received a Recognition Award Plaque presented by Governor Dreyfus as one of the outstanding clubs for contributions to Wisconsin Resource Programs.
Delton Sportsmen are proud of their achievements and are willing to support any person or group which has a legitimate problem concerning conservation and hunter activities. We are here to promote and preach the betterment of our states wildlife. And hopefully someday along with other Sportsmen’s Clubs, we can can gain greater authority in establishing conservation matters.
1981 officers for Lake Delton Sportsmen’s Club are as follows:
President……………….Gordon Pikel
Vice President………….Ray Kozlowski
Secretary………………..Lyle Ebsen
Treasurer………………..Mackey Adams
Public Relations……….. Roger Hudzinski
Director…………………..Mike Peasall
Director…………………..Larry Volz
As you can see from this 1981 publication, some things change along the way and this clubs ways of raising money and serving our mission have changed also as our membership input and interests dictate. The one thing that remains constant is the commitment of our group to have sensible goals, respectful discourse, and the grit to show up.
Come to a meeting, bring up a new interest, propose some way we can be of service to another worthy organization, the environment, our outdoor interests, or any number of issues too numerous to mention or unthought of yet.
As our new president, Lou Lake says “Join something bigger than yourself”, and Past President Danny Lee says about regime change ”Everyone just keep doing what the’ve been doing.“ All good advice, basic and simple. If you wish to join us in this give and take, heave ho, everyone doing what they been doing…. being a part of something bigger, attend the next meeting or event if you can.
Sincerely,
Mike Koch (Past Pres. DSC)