January 2025, Volume 80 No. 1
Club Website- www.richlandrodandgun.org
Club Facebook- www.Facebook.com/RichlandRodandGunClub
2024/2025 Officers
President
Richard Sharp
(509) 551-6785
Secretary
Mike Estes
(509) 551-9066
Treasurer
Ron Moore
(509) 521-4528
I GIVE MY PLEDGE AS AN AMERICAN TO SAVE AND FAITHFULLY DEFEND FROM WASTE,
THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF MY COUNTRY; ITS AIR, SOILS, AND MINERALS.
ITS FORESTS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE. I WILL HELP EDUCATE FUTURE GENERATIONS
TO BE RESPONSIBLE CARETAKERS OF THE RESOURCES OF AMERICA.
Salmon in the Classroom Egg Delivery
Volunteers are needed to deliver salmon eggs to fish tanks in 37 schools in Richland, West Richland, and Kennewick on Thursday morning, January 9. Volunteers will meet Benton Conservation District staff at the north end of the Richland Fred Meyer parking lot at 9:30am and all the eggs will be delivered before noon. If you are available to assist, please contact Mike Estes at 509-551-9066.
Wild Game Dinner Tickets Available
Tickets will be available at our January 7 meeting for the 73rd annual Wild Game Dinner that will be held on March 22, 2025 at the Benton County Fairgrounds. The number of tickets is limited and are $30 each. The event is restricted to RRGC members and their guests. The program presenter will be professional photographer John Clement.
Prizes and wild game, fish, and fowl are being collected for the dinner now. If you are a hunter or fisherman, please consider donating a portion of your harvest for the dinner. Each package must be tagged with the donor’s name, WILD ID number, species and cut of meat, plus the date and location taken. Ground meat cannot be accepted. Copies of our prize solicitation letter will be available at the January general membership meeting that you can give to potential donors that explains our nonprofit status and the reasons for the solicitation. Please think about how you can contribute to and be involved in the Wild Game Dinner. Please contact John Prather (509-521-1593) for more information about meat and prize donations or Marilyn Steele (509-392-2128) about helping with the dinner preparations.
Board of Directors Meeting Notes
The video camera we ordered last month has arrived and Braydon Wodtli and Micah Little are ready to help create educational videos and record portions of our club activities and events. Let them know if there is something going on that you think deserves to be captured on video.
Welcome to Our New Members
Maija Greer and her family of Kennewick are our newest members. They are interested in youth activities, archery, fishing, and big game hunting. Please help welcome the Greer family into our RRGC community.
In Memory of Dewey Woollum
Duane “Dewey” Woollum passed on November 27, 2024 at the age of 84. Dewey joined our club in 1997 and was awarded his 25 year member belt buckle in 2022. Dewey was a frequent helper at the Wild Game Dinner where his son, Todd, often cooks the duck poppers. Our condolences to Todd and the rest of Dewey’s family.
Next Hunter Education Class – March 2025
The next Hunter Education class will begin on Monday March 31, 2025. It will be an evening class held at Grigg’s Department Store in Pasco. Registration will open on line approximately March 1.
Donations Received
A donation of $2,500 was received from the Blue Mountain District of Garden Clubs in early December. The donation was identified for use for wildlife water systems (i.e. guzzlers). Thanks to Larry Martin for his efforts to monitor and maintain the guzzlers and to secure the confidence of the Garden Club members to provide financial support for the program.
Mr. Kim Sako of Kennewick donated more than 4,000 rounds of .22 caliber long rifle ammunition, some .38 Special handgun ammunition, and a Daisy Red Ryder carbine BB gun this month. The ammunition will be shared between our Hunter Education class field days at the range, Wild Game Dinner auction items, and monthly meeting raffle prizes. The BB gun will be included as one of the kids’ prizes for youth attending the Wild Game Dinner.
Vice President
Evan Kirkpatrick
(414) 534-2817
Photo of the Month Contest Guidelines
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Must be taken in current license year.
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May include hunting, fishing, habitat, camping.
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Must include a critter (human or wild).
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Harvested game must include the hunter or angler.
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Winners will be selected by the Board of Directors.
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All photos become property of the Club.
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Note: The Board may use discretion in applying the guidelines when selecting the winning photo.
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Please include name of photographer and date taken.
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To submit entry, Bring photo print to board meeting, or email to admin@richlandrodandgun.org at least 6 hours before a board meeting.
MEETINGS AND DEADLINES
Next General Meeting – January 7, 7:00 PM at Richland Public Library
Next Board Meeting- January 21, 7:00 PM at Griggs Pasco Hunter Ed room
February Newsletter Contribution Deadline is January 22.
Email: admin@richlandrodandgun.org
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January 7 General Membership Meeting
Happy New Year! Will it get cold enough for safe ice fishing on local waters in January and February this year? Only time will tell, but our speaker this month can help you become prepared in the event that the opportunity arises, even if you have to drive a few miles to find good ice. Come enjoy an evening with us and learn from Evan Kirkpatrick’s experience fishing through the ice in wintery Wisconsin.
Become a member today!
Download the January 2025 newsletter
Evan Kirkpatrick submitted a photo taken by his father, Tim Kirkpatrick, of Evan with a whitetail buck deer harvested in Wisconsin in November. A beautiful mature buck that, unfortunately, tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease.
Donations Given
Crystal Sylvia, a 4th grade teacher from Lewis and Clark Elementary School in Richland attended our November Board of Directors meeting. Ms. Sylvia is working with Jill Carter, a physical education instructor at Lewis and Clark Elementary, to introduce an archery program at the school similar to the program at Jason Lee Elementary. Ms. Sylvia was an instructor in the Jason Lee archery program when it was created and acknowledged RRGC’s financial support to the program during its formation. Lewis and Clark has received a grant from the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) that includes 12 bows and $1,200 for other equipment. The initial startup cost for the program is approximately $2,400 so they are fund raising for $1,200. The program will start as a physical education class with the hope that it will develop into an after school archery club similar to Jason Lee’s. A motion was approved to donate $600 to assist with startup of the archery program at Lewis and Clark Elementary.
The RRGC Hunter Education class graduates’ pheasant hunt will be on February 22, 2025 at Limits Game Farm in Mesa. Several entities contribute to this event including the Ringold Chapter of Pheasants Forever, the Connell Gun Club, Limits Game Farm owned by RRGC member Dave Piovesan, and RRGC. The RRGC Board approved a donation of $600 to Limits Game Farm to assist with the cost of the hunt.
Be Safe While Ice Fishing
Because our program topic this month is ice fishing, it is worthy of a word of caution that there are inherent risks associated with standing and fishing on inches of ice with very cold and deeper water below. Slipping and falling is a concern but the greatest threat is breaking through thin or rotten ice. New ice is usually stronger than old ice. Four inches of clear, newly formed ice may support one person on foot, while a foot or more of old, partially thawed ice may not.
Ice seldom freezes uniformly. It may be a foot thick in one location and only an inch or two just a few feet away. Ice formed over flowing water and currents is often dangerous. This is especially true near streams, bridges and culverts. Also, the ice on outside river bends is usually weaker due to the undermining effects of the faster current. The insulating effect of snow slows down the freezing process. The extra weight also reduces how much weight the ice sheet can support. Also, ice near shore can be weaker than ice that is farther out. Booming and cracking ice isn't necessarily dangerous. It only means that the ice is expanding and contracting as the temperature changes. Go fishing, have fun, but be safe!
Photo of the Month
There were three contest entries this month. A photo of John Cooper with an Oryx (Gemsbok if we were hunting in South Africa) harvested during a free range hunt in New Mexico in November was selected as the winner. The photo was taken by Jude Gabaldon. Congratulations to John for harvesting a beautiful animal.
Packy Lackey submitted a photo taken by Chris Mosher of Packy with his mule deer buck harvested during a Washington archery hunt in September. Good job Packy. It isn’t easy to fill an archery tag in the open spaces of eastern Washington.
See below for contest rules and please keep those photos coming! All contest submittals will appear on the big screen at the Wild Game Dinner in March.
Click this PDF icon to download the January 2025 newsletter
Update your contact information!
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“Update My Contact Information”.
Richland volunteer opportunities for members (richlandrodandgun.org)
Get involved in one of our Committees:
Salmon in the Classroom: Mike Estes estesm34@gmail.com or
Gene Van Liew – e.van-liew@hotmail.com
Wild Game Dinner 2025: Marilyn Steele – momhoops46@gmail.com
Wood Ducks: Dale Schielke – dahlialou@gmail.com
KOE Kids Fishing Day: Marilyn Steele – momhoops46@gmail.com
Hunter Ed: Ron Ruth – RonRuth.HunterEd@gmail.com
Guzzlers: Larry Martin - larry49martin@gmail.com
Youth Conservation Camp: Larry Martin - larry49martin@gmail.com
Membership: Karen McNiven – richlandrodandgunmembership@gmail.com
Scholarship: Mike Estes - estesm34@gmail.com
Website: Braydon Wodtli and Micah Little – admin@richlandrodandgun.org
RRGC Club Upcoming Activities
Next General Membership Meeting – January 7 at 7:00pm, Richland Public Library
Tri-City Sportsmen Show - January 24-26, 2025 at TRAC in Pasco. Pond set up Jan 23.
HE Pheasant Hunt – February 22, 2025 – Limits Game Farm, Mesa
WGD Sausage Making – February 28 at 5:30pm and March 1 at 9:00am, both at John Prather’s
WGD Meatball Making – March 1 at 9:00am at Marilyn Steele’s home
Wild Game Dinner – March 22, 2025, Benton County Fairgrounds Building 4, Kennewick
Hunter Education Class – Starts March 31, 2025 at Grigg’s Dept. Store in Pasco
About
Richland Rod & Gun Club is an organized group of hunters, fishermen, and conservationists who share a common interest in the outdoors. Each year the Club members volunteer in a number of work projects that improve wildlife habitat, educate young potential hunters / fisherman, and raise funds for Club projects.
Meetings
The RICHLAND ROD & GUN CLUB meets the first non holiday Tuesday of each month except July and August at 7:00
The meetings are open to the public and consist of a short business meeting followed by a program of current interest.
Board meetings are held on the third Tuesday at 7:00 at Griggs Pasco meeting facility.
The Richland Rod and Gun Club offers opportunities to work in activities associated with wildlife, the outdoors and youth education. We would appreciate your involvement with one of our projects or programs that include, Fishing, Dog Training, Scholarship, Public Lands, Youth Activities, Migratory Waterfowl, Habitat, Game Birds, Big Game , Landowner Relations.
Content contributions, suggestions, or criticism to the RRGC website should be emailed to, admin@richlandrodandgun.org