MEETINGS AND DEADLINES

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Next General Meeting – March 4, 7:00 PM at Richland Public Library

Next Board Meeting- March 18, 7:00 PM at Griggs Pasco Hunter Ed room

April Newsletter Contribution Deadline is March 22.   

Email:  admin@richlandrodandgun.org

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March 4 General Membership Meeting

 

7:00pm at the Richland Public Library

 

This should be a very busy meeting with annual election of Officers and Trustees, renewal of memberships that expire on March 31, possibly your last chance to purchase tickets to the Wild Game dinner that will be held on March 22, and an opportunity to purchase chances in the Quality Trip drawing that will be conducted at the conclusion of the Wild Game Dinner.    

 

The program speaker this month will be Todd Miller, WDFW District 4 Fish Biologist, who will present the annual fishing forecast for our local waters.  If you have a catch record card for salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon that needs to be submitted by April 30, 2025 you can bring it to the meeting to give to Todd and save a stamp. 

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Annual Meeting - Election of Officers and Trustees

 

The club’s bylaws identify the March general membership meeting as our annual meeting where the first item of New Business is the election of Officers and Trustees for the next year (April through March).  Our Board of Directors consists of four elected officers (President, VP, Treasurer, and Secretary), up to 15 elected Trustees, and the Immediate Past President.  The Nominating Committee appointed by the President recommends the following members for election as our 2025-2026 Officers and Trustees.  President: Evan Kirkpatrick.  Vice-President: Adrian Quinones.  Treasurer: Ron Moore.  Secretary: Mike Estes.  Immediate Past President: Richard Sharp.  Trustees: Tim Irvin, Monte Kelsey, Paul Kison, Packy Lackey, Micah Little, Larry Martin, Karen McNiven, Dave Miller, Dave Myers, John Prather, Dale Schielke, Braydon Wodtli, and Pete Workman. Nominations will also be accepted from the floor at the meeting.  Anyone nominated from the floor must be present and agree to serve if elected. 

 

Wild Game Dinner Tickets and Quality Trip Chances

 

This may be your last chance to purchase tickets to the Wild Game Dinner that will be held Saturday, March 22 at 5:00pm at the Benton Franklin Fairgrounds in Kennewick.  The program presenter will be photographer John Clement.  Dinner tickets are $30 each and Quality Trip chances are $25 each.  Membership dues for 2025 must be paid to participate in the Quality Trip drawing.  See Dale Schielke for dinner tickets and Ron Moore for Quality Trip chances.  Quality Trip rules are shown further down in this newsletter.

 

Wild Game Dinner Preparations and Prize Donations

 

We still need meat donations, prize donations, cooks and helpers for the 2025 Wild Game Dinner.  If you still have meat to donate please bring it to the March 4 meeting.  If you have collected prizes or have a prize to donate please bring it to the meeting or contact John Prather (509-521-1593).  The deadline for prize donations is March 15.  Please consider helping at the following food prep events. 

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February 28, 5:30pm - Sausage making at John Prather’s shop.  (Marilyn will provide soup for volunteers.)

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March 1, 9:00am – More sausage making at John’s shop.  (Breakfast burritos for helpers.)

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March 2, 9:00am – Meatball prep at Marilyn’s house, 41530 S Morton Rd. Kennewick.  (Biscuits and gravy for helpers.)

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March 9, Noon – Chukar prep at John’s shop.  (Marilyn plans a light lunch for helpers.)

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March 16, Noon – More chukar prep at John’s shop.  (Chukar soup lunch for helpers.)

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March 21, 9:00am – Wild Game Dinner set up and prep at Benton County Fairgrounds Building 4.  (Pizza lunch at noon.)

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March 22, 7:00am – The culmination!  Breakfast at 8:00am with cooking to follow.  BCF Building 4.  Appetizers at 5:00pm.  Dinner at 6:00pm.    

 

John Prather’s shop is at 215107 E. Game Farm Road, Kennewick.  Marilyn’s address is 41530 S Morton Rd., Kennewick. These events are open to anyone interested in helping. No experience is needed so come join the fun!  Please text Marilyn (509-392-2128) if you need more information or to let her know you will help.

 

Quality Trip Rules

 

Annual membership dues expire on March 31.  Dues must be paid for 2025 to be eligible to enter the 2025 Quality Trip drawing.  Each member is eligible to purchase two chances in the drawing but members who have performed volunteer work on a number of RRGC projects and activities are eligible to earn additional chances.  A free chance in the raffle will be offered to any member who 1) purchases a chance in the drawing, and 2) has accumulated 20 or more hours of volunteer work on club sponsored projects during the preceding calendar year (January 1 through December 31, 2024).  A second free chance will be offered if the individual purchases 2 or more chances and has accumulated 40 or more hours as described in the preceding sentence.  No member may be awarded more than two free chances in the drawing.  Volunteer service on the following projects will count towards the accumulated hours.

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• Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show – Lunker Lake and Youth Pellet Range (set-up, tear down, shift work)

• Wild Game Dinner (food preparation, cooks, equipment transport, event set-up and tear down)

• KOE Special Needs and Kids Fishing Days (rod assembly, mentoring, event activities)

• Angler Education (class instructors and assistants)

• Hunter Education Class (instructors and assistants during classes and range day)

• Hunter Education Pheasant Hunt (mentors and dog handlers)

• Introduction to Firearms Class (instructors and assistants)

• Salmon in the Classroom (egg and supply deliveries, carcass deliveries, dissections, fish release)

• Habitat (water guzzler installation, monitoring, maintenance , removal or relocation)

• Wood Duck Nests (construction, installation, monitoring and maintenance, student instruction)

• RRGC wildlife related group projects in support of WDFW, USFWS, and other agencies.

 

Quality Trip chances are available from Treasurer Ron Moore.   The drawing will be held as the last event of the annual RR&GC Wild Game Dinner on March 22, 2025.  The winner does not need to be present to win.  For full details and a copy of the agreement the winner will be required to sign, follow this link to the Quality Trip page then click on Quality Trip Rules underlined in the first paragraph:  https://www.richlandrodandgun.org/trips

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Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show Recap

 

Thanks to each of the 72 volunteers who helped at the Lunker Lake kids fishing pond and kids Air Rifle Range at the Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show.  This was the 31st year that Shuyler Productions put on the Tri-Cities show and RRGC has assisted with the pond every year.  Merle and Bev Shuyler are retiring so we will likely be working with the new show producer next year. 

 

1,667 trout were caught during the three days, which is 385 fish more than were caught last year.  326 remained when the pond was drained at the end of the show including three 4 pounders.  Daily catch was 324 fish on Friday afternoon, 778 on Saturday, and 565 on Sunday.  Proceeds from the event were $4,308 from Shuyler Productions and donations totaling $188 for a total of $4,496.  RRGC expenses have not been tabulated yet but include fish food for WDFW to raise the trout, prizes for tagged fish caught, rental of a sump pump to drain the pond at the end of the show and for food for volunteers. Net proceeds to RRGC are about $3,500.  We also made a lot of kids and their families happy, spread the word about our club and signed up nine new members, and promoted the principles for which RRGC exists.  Larry Martin and Monte Kelsey delivered donated trout from Lunker Lake to Blue Mountain Wildlife in Pendleton, Oregon for food for birds of prey during their rehabilitation..  Additional fish were given to a Richland middle school teacher for dissection by the students.

 

Special thanks to Ron Ruth for coordinating volunteers at the Air Rifle Range; to Dale Schielke for coordinating workers for the fishing pond, working with WDFW on tagging and delivery of the fish, securing prizes for the tagged fish, and supervising the wood duck nest box building by the kids; to John Prather whose expertise in assembling and disassembling the fishing pond was recognized by the show producer; to our Membership Chair Karen McNiven for staffing a table to attract new members; and to Marilyn Steele for keeping the volunteers well fed throughout the show.  Thanks also to Grigg’s Department Store, Texas Roadhouse, Richland Dairy Queen, and AWS for donating prizes to supplement prizes donated by RRGC.  145 tagged fish prizes were awarded.