Hunting activity has now come to a close, and members are now welcome to train or run dogs on the Club property provided they check in at the summer Check-In Box located at the front door of the Clubhouse. If you are unsure about how it works, just come inside during business hours or call ahead of time. Please note: THERE IS NO SCRATCH HUNTING ALLOWED AFTER THE HUNTING SEASON IS OVER. Any birds left over from hunting activity are there for continued dog work and for natural reproduction. Keep in mind, sporting clays activities are on-going and members need to be aware of shot fall zones and be sure to avoid these areas when the range is open.
As the 2013-2014 hunting season is about to come to a close, the Club would like to thank everyone for their business and for enduring what has been a very cold and unusual year to say the least. Hopefully, this spring will be a little kinder to those of use who live for and enjoy being in the outdoors. Spring fishing and turkey seasons are set to begin, shed hunters, are out and about, and before long wild asparagus and the famed morel mushroom will be popping up like dandelions on the front lawn.
The Club was fortunate to have a decent stretch of reasonably good weather that allowed everyone to get their birds used up before the end of the season. Cover conditions held up well, and the Club was happy to get a lot of compliments on producing some truly great birds this year. Club staff worked very hard in some super cold weather to take care of birds, customers and equipment.
The Club has had some ups and downs the last two years, and has endured one of the toughest stretches in its 30 plus year history. A severe drought two summers ago that among other things resulted in record corn (feed) prices, was followed by a fairly mild winter that ended with one of the wettest springs ever recorded in Waukesha County. Then a fire involving 32 fire departments and scores of firefighters in June was followed by what will likely be the coldest winter in our lifetime. Ups and downs in the weather, grain markets, and even the events of the day are all expected- but rarely like these last 24 months. Then again, one never knows what may lie ahead!
Still, the Club is very much alive and well as the season ended with more than just a bang! During the past month, almost 8,000 birds were released for hunting. April has been very busy as the Club helped 28 first-time hunters participate in the Learn To Hunt Turkey Program (they bagged 10 birds), 40 more were helped in the Kids Fishing Program, 34 kids got field tested and graduated from hunter safety education, and 118 registered sporting clays shooters turned out for the Wern Valley leg of the "Interstate 300" tournament. Things will start to slow down a bit in the coming weeks, but not much as the first batch of pheasant chicks is due to arrive soon. Field work will start in earnest once the weather breaks. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED OUT WITH THE KIDS!
For the first time in 7 years, the Club will be raising membership prices about $50 for the upcoming season. The reasons why are many and include the increased cost of feed, insurance, fuel, and equipment. A new air conditioning and furnace system for the clubhouse will be installed next month. Prices on some may beverages will be changing as well. At the same time the Club is still anticipating over $30,000 in improvements to the sporting clays and pistol/rifle ranges through a cost sharing program via the DNR and Federal P-R Funds. The DNR is waiting for the funds to be released by the Fed. Chemicals and fertilizer needed for hunting cover and food plots have also risen sharply with the price of corn and other crops, but seem to be leveling off. The cost of additional birds will be determined by where those markets go over the coming months and should stay fairly close to last year. The fact that the Club raises its own birds is the main reason members pay a little more up front for memberships and comparatively less for additional birds throughout the season.The Club is fortunate to have so many great friends, old and new- who enjoy being a part of Wern Valley and hopes everyone will understand that membership fees can't stay the same forever. Membership renewal forms for the coming season are now available with 5 free birds added to any membership renewed before June 1st. The Club will be sending the renewal form and a free round of sporting clays to all current members to enjoy this coming summer. Be sure to bring along a friend or new shooter, and remember youth shooters under age 16 shoot for half price. Special event dates members may want to remember are the Miller Lite Sporting Clays Championship on July 11-13(normally in June) and the Great Cancer Shootout on Saturday, July 26.
The Club's popular 15-week Summer Sporting Clays League will be starting the first week of May. Teams will consist of 4-7 shooters, and members can call the Club to sign up or to get additional information. Members interested in using the rifle/pistol range are asked to please call or email ahead or check in with staff before using the range. Due to its proximity to the sporting clays range, the rifle/pistol range is not open during sporting clays days and hours of operation. Please note there is no shooting on the Club grounds on Sundays during the summer (special events excluded) to allow neighbors a quiet day on the weekend. As always, the Club will be holding monthly registered shoots for those interested in taking their wing-shooting game to the next level. Fiocchi Ammo for sporting clays will not be a problem as the Club has purchased enough for most of the summer and has discounts available for purchases of larger quantities. According to Fiocchi, there will be a major shortage of ammo this summer.
The Club has been selling Loyall dog food for about a year now and it has been popular with members and their dogs. New for this spring, the Club is offering a full line of G2 Wildlife Food Plot Seed. Sold in bags for roughly 1/2 acre per bag, they have a very good product with very little inert (waste) material. Clover, veggie, spring, fall, and all season mixes are available. Planting food plots for wildlife has become very popular over the last decade.
Anyone interested in an opportunity to promote their business may want to consider the new Gun Rack Sponsor Program available here at the Club. The gun racks, located on the Club's Sporting Clays course, are available for $150 per rack which holds a 24 by 32 inch sign included with any information you may desire on the sign. Gun racks are located around the course at each shooting station, 5-stand and other places of interest; and are an excellent way to get exposure to thousands of shooters over the course of the summer. All sponsors will also be listed on the Club's website. Please call the Club if you're interested!
Thanks again, and see you all soon!
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