It’s that time of the year again when our thoughts turn to all the hunting adventures we will be going on soon. Remember, BE SAFE first, and then have fun. Let me take a few minutes of your time and update you on what has been and will be going on at your club.

We made an agreement with CH&D allowing them to deposit waste dirt ( mostly topsoil) on our field and re-seeding it with the seed we requested in exchange for putting millings on our parking lot and possibly some other dirt moving projects.

On May 9 we held our Youth Fishing Derby and I believe it was a great success. I don’t remember hearing any complaints and although not every youth caught a fish every youth did win a prize. Credit for the success and much gratitude go to the club members that donated their time, items, or/and money. Fred Ligus, Jay Whitfield, Jim Hill, Frank Davis, John Martin Sr., John Martin Jr., Heather Martin, Ed Sadler, Bill Sadler, Tom Boord, Toni Boord, Jim Snyder, Ron Finfrock, Kathy Finfrock, Bob Free, Gilbert Orvitz, & John Musgrove, Ed Ligus and James Griffith.  Anyone I missed I’m truly sorry but please let me know that I missed you so I can give you do credit in the Spring Newsletter. If you had a child at the fishing derby chances are they had their picture taken. If you would like a copy of their picture, contact John Martin 724-396-7929. Fred Ligus and Bill Sadler have volunteered to take over the lake duties next year. Contact them if you wish to be on the lake committee or have any suggestions for them.

Samantha Pedder & her mother Tina organized another fantastic Women On Target event. Samantha will be organizing an event in the spring of 2010. Details will be in the spring newsletter.

Jim Hill coordinated YSA’s part in another very successful Westmoreland County Conservation Officers Youth Field Day at Mammoth Park. Assisting Jim this year were Bobbie Davis, Tom Boord, and George Anderson.

Clyde Trout will be scheduling the pheasant stockings this year. The stocking dates aren’t etched in stone but tentative dates are: October 23, October 30, November 6, November 13, and November 20. Call Clyde for more information or to help with stocking the Pheasants.

The club gate is being left open quite regularly. This allows non-members to enter and use your club property. Would you leave the front door of your home open? Remember only dues paying members with pins and keys are allowed to use club property, unless it is an event open to the public.

Rifled slugs and shotgun slugs are not to be shot on the center fire rifle range. All muzzleloader and shotgun shooting must be done on the muzzleloader/shotgun range. Only paper targets are to be used on the ranges.

From time to time there may be Boy Scouts working on a project or other work being performed on or around the ranges necessitating the closing of the ranges. We will try to provide as much prior notice as possible but, if you find the ranges closed unexpectedly, please be understanding as the work being performed is a necessity and will make the ranges more safe and/or user friendly.

Remember when hunting on the club grounds all club rules and all PGC laws and regulations must be adhered to. The club now has a Grounds Warden and deputies that patrol the grounds to assure everyone using the grounds are members and are not violating club policies. Please remember, when using the club grounds to park in the appropriate parking lot inside the club gate and wear your membership pin and carry your membership card at all time. Disciplinary action may be imposed on any member violating club policy, State Police will be called for any trespassing violation, and the PGC WCO will be called for any hunting law or/and regulation violation. Your club has too many members to excuse the wrongful acts of a few members or non-members. As a member you have the right and responsibility to police your club. Ask others to show their membership card and identification, if necessary, to validate their membership and privilege to use the club grounds. Also, please be courteous and understanding to the Grounds Wardens; they are protecting your property.  If your encounter a violation call one of the officers or board members or John Martin.

I have been thinking for the past few years that the club will be in need of a membership dues increase if we want to continue functioning at the present level and want to purchase other property, should something of interest become available. I have discussed the club’s expenses and income at a membership meeting each spring and have noted that our reserve is less each year due to rising costs and a static income. Ed Sadler has done a demographic study of our membership versus dues for a five and ten year period of time and the study shows a marked reduction in income. The board will be reviewing this study at the September board meeting and will be informing the members of their recommendation at the September or October membership meeting. If you have any suggestions please get in touch with me as soon as possible.

Trap is doing exceedingly well. Tuesday nights and Sunday practices have been attracting many shooters even in this down economy. Even though things are going well we would still like to see more new shooters come out and learn to enjoy this sport. We have gotten many youth involved in trap and if you asked any of them they would tell you there is nothing like it. One nine year old, who had never shot a gun before, said “it’s awesome!” YSA’ s Twi-Night trap league completed their third straight year as NUMBER ONE. The traveling trophy will now remain in our club house for ever. Winning three years consecutively has hardly ever been done and we’ve only been in the league five years.

We will be cutting trees on the 200-yard range this fall and are looking for help! Anyone that helps can load and take the cut logs. We can collectively decide on a date. Please call Tom Boord 412-973-3282 or Mike Spychalski 724-424-5501.

The Club provides wood frames on the pistol, 100-200, 25 and 50 yard ranges with homasote sheets for holding targets. The frames on the 25 yard rifle and pistol ranges have recently sustained bullet damage which appears to have been intentional. Members are reminded to attach targets to only the homasote sheets and not the wood target frames. Only paper targets are to be used. Frames are not to be used to support informal targets such as used ammunition boxes, clay birds, lumps of coal etc. Targets should be no larger than the homasote sheet supporting the target. Please do not use sheets of paper or cardboard larger than the homasote sheet. This will prevent damage to the wood frames. The membership’s cooperation in the wise use of the target frames will prolong their life and reduce the costs of maintaining the ranges for membership use. Any member observing intentional miss use of the target frames should report the incident to the Board of Directors.

Fred Ligus will be ordering the fish for the lake. The Trout stocking date will be October 24, 2009 at 5:00PM or later.

We’ve just competed another successful year of shooting and competition. We’re very proud of the fact that our Twi-Night Trap Team was able to once again finish in first place in the 25 week Twi-Night League (three years in a row) and we now own the trophy.

There’s always room for more shooters. We shoot the League at 5 different clubs (Ruffs Dale, Hecla, Connellsville, East Huntingdon and Youngwood) on a rotating basis on Thursday evening starting in late March.

We were able to complete and utilize our new trap field last summer with the guidance, support and assistance of the club and its members.

We faced a number of challenges in the past year. Price increases for shooting components, fuel costs and an increase in target prices to name a few but we were still able to be profitable and successful without increasing our price per round. Most other clubs have increased their prices over the past couple of years.

For more information call Jim at 724 527 5945, Roger at 724 832 1582 or Fred at 724 837 5516.

Jim Lambert

On behalf of the YHEC participants, their parents and coaches we would like to thank the club for their continued support. For those not familiar with YHEC (Youth Hunter Education Challenge) it is a NRA program intended to promote firearm safety and to introduce young people to the shooting sports. From March through June our participants practiced 3-D archery, Sporting Clays, 22-long rifle, muzzle loader and hunter responsibility on the club grounds. Then on June 21st they competed at Scotia Range in State College PA with other YHEC participants from across Pennsylvania.

The teams did quite well and we all should be proud of their accomplishments. Here is a list of their accomplishments at the state and national level.

2^nd Place Hunter Responsibility
Neil Trout

3^rd Place Wildlife Identification

3^rd Place Hunter Responsibility
Alex Pedder

2^nd Place Wildlife Identification
Jared Polansky

3^rd Place Wildlife Identification

Alex also competed with the PA Blue team at the National Level in New Mexico and overall they placed 5^th in the Nation.

Shane Wawrzyniak, Corey Hay, Josh Wilson, Neil Trout, Matt Smith

2^nd Place Sr. Team – Rifle

Alex Pedder, Jeff Hann, Cody Anderson, Chris Frosbrink, Jared Polansky

1^st Place Jr. Team – Hunter Responsibility

2^nd Place Jr. Team – Rifle

3^rd Place Jr. Team – Archery

3^rd place Jr. Team – Wildlife Identification

Larry Pedder, Mark Perillo, George Anderson, Brandon Teet, Bob Lenhart

1^st Place State Champions

As of this writing we have several openings for the 2010 season. Should you wish to participate you must be at least 11 years old, be a club member and have passed your hunter safety exam by the state competition.

For information, please contact either Tom Polansky or Larry Pedder.

For information, please contact Tom Polansky (724-864-3285) or Larry Pedder (724-834-5366).

Samantha Pedder will be having another Women On Target event this year. It is tentatively scheduled for May 15^th. All ranges will be closed on May 15^th till 5:00PM.

Membership will be closed beginning October 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009. This is the period for the 2010 renewal. All 2010 dues must be paid at the October, November, or December regular meetings or by mail. Enclosed with this newsletter is a renewal card. Please fill it out completely including your current gate key number. The gate lock was changed January 1, 2008. If you do not have a current key one can be obtained at club meetings at no cost or by mail for $3.00. If you have misplaced or lost your key there is a $25.00 charge for replacement.

The game dinner will be held Saturday, March 6, 2010 at the Roosevelt Hall I Norvelt. Lots of good food, 50-50’s, raffles, auction, and door prizes that include a 4-gun giveaway are on the dinner ticket. Tickets are $20. Tables can be reserved for parties of eight (8). For information and tickets call Pete Hawley at 724-925-7165, Ken Carlson at 724-925-3610 or Bobbie Davis at 724-832-1582.

If you have an urgent message, contact one of the officers, trustees or committee persons below.

President:            Roger Davis                  724-433-4175

Vice Pres:            Dale Close                    724-838-1510

Secretary:            Mike Spychalski            724-424-5501

Treasurer:            Bobbie Davis                724-832-1582

Field Capt:           Tom Boord                    724-925-1852

Trustees:             Jim Lambert                  724-527-5945

                            Fred Perillo                   724-837-5516

                            Bob Mull                       724-331-9884

                            Carl Rossman              724-309-3275

Past Pres:            Clyde Trout                 724-925-8054

Game Dinner     Pete Hawley                  724-925-7165

Hunter Educ:     Roger Davis                   724-832-1582

                          Carl Rossman                724-309-3275

Newsletter:        Carl Rossman                724-309-3275

Membership:     Ken Carlson                   724-925-3610

Lake:                 Fred Ligus                      724-925-8206

Pheasant Stk:   Clyde Trout                    724-925-8054

NRA:                 Bobbie Davis                 724-832-1582

Gds. Warden    John Martin                    724-396-7929

Rifle & Small Bore     Bill Petrakis           724-423-7329

Pistol:                        Mike Spychalski    724-424-5501

Trap:                         Jim Lambert           724-527-5945

Archery:                    Matt Wilson           724-925-6829

Tractor:                     Tom Boord             724-925-1852

Shotgun/Muzzleloader John Martin        724396-7929 
 

YHEC:            Larry Pedder                   724-834-5366

                        Tom Polansky                724 864-3285

The Range and Ground chairpersons are always in need of members to help on their committees. If you are willing to help out, or you need to contact them with an idea or questions, please give them a call! If you wish to take charge of one of the committees, contact Roger Davis.

·      Please wear your pin and carry your membership card while you are at the lake and/or involved in any other club activity and any time you are on the club grounds. You will be checked.

·      When you put your third game fish on your stringer, YOU ARE DONE FISHING.

·      If you release fish, don’t handle them. Cut the line or use pliers.

·      For your safety and the safety of others, there is no parking beside the lake or on the road. Parking is in the club parking lot ONLY.

·      You are only allowed 1 rod at the lake.

• No ice fishing unless the ice is at least 4”  thick for obvious safety reasons.
• Pennsylvania Game Commission regulations and laws apply to all club members when hunting and trapping and shooting on club property.
• Non-members are not permitted on club property except during “open to the public” events.

If you see someone doing something wrong, please say something to them and report them to the grounds warden, a club officer or trustee. You, as a member, have that right!!!