june 2025, Volume 80 No. 6
Club Website- www.richlandrodandgun.org
Club Facebook- www.Facebook.com/RichlandRodandGunClub
2025/2026 Officers
President
Evan Kirkpatrick
(414) 534-2817
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.
Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Program
Northern Pikeminnow eat millions of juvenile salmon and steelhead each year in the Columbia and Snake River systems. Money can be earned from May through September by helping reduce the number of pikeminnow 9” and larger feeding on salmon and steelhead smolt during their outbound migration to the ocean. Anglers must register each day before fishing to be eligible to earn money and fish caught must be checked in at the station where you registered. Our nearest check stations are at Columbia Point Park in Richland, at Hood Park in Burbank, and at the Umatilla Boat Ramp. Visit pikeminnow.org for more information including check in station hours and registration using the new Pikeminnow Registration mobile app. Rewards start at $6 per fish for the first 25 fish checked and increase to $8 and $10 per fish as you reach higher thresholds. You might even catch one of the specially tagged fish that is worth $500.
Photo of the Month
There were four contest entries this month. Richard Sharp submitted a photo he took of his son, Travis, and grandson, Richard, with a smallmouth bass caught on the Yakima River on May 4. Adrian Quinones submitted a photo of him with a full fan jake turkey he harvested on May 3 in the Spokane area. The photo was taken by his friend Jake. Evan Kirkpatrick submitted a photo of him with a gobbler he harvested on April 19 near Kettle Falls. The photo was taken by Jaimie Mullen. Micah Little submitted a photo of him with a largemouth bass weighing 5 pounds 4 ounces on the lower Snake River. The bass was released to swim another day. The photo was taken by James Bergin. Richard’s photo was declared the winner.
Vice President
Adrian Quinones
(619) 861-9204
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, email it to rrgcsecretary@gmail.com at least 6 hours before the monthly board meeting which occurs at 7:00pm on the third Thursday of each month.
MEETINGS AND DEADLINES
Next General Meeting – June 3, 7:00 PM at Richland Public Library
Next Board Meeting- June 17, 7:00 PM at Griggs Pasco Hunter Ed room
July Newsletter Contribution Deadline is June 22.
Email: admin@richlandrodandgun.org
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June 3 General Membership Meeting
7:00pm at the Richland Public Library
Sockeye salmon. They are not as big as some of their cousins but they are fun to catch,
wonderful to eat, and will be arriving near us soon. Vernie Cross of Vern’s Guide Service
will be the program presenter for our June 3 meeting covering details about sockeye fishing
to improve your chances of hooking more of these tasty fish. Vernie will cover fishing from
shore and from boats, trolling speeds, anchoring techniques, the gear to use, how to rig
shrimp, and more. He will be bringing his gear for a show and tell type presentation. Come
join us for the evening and then use your new knowledge to catch some sockeye as they
pass by the Tri-Cities.
Become a member today!
Download the June 2025 newsletter
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.
Fish Fry Fridays are back starting on June 6
Thanks to Richard Sharp, Fish Fry Fridays (FFF) are planned again this year at Gazebo 4 at Columbia Point Marina Park in Richland. If you participated last year, this is the same location at the end of Columbia Point Drive near the west end of the I-182 Bridge. The first event will be Friday, June 6, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. Bring your chair or a blanket, a potluck dish, and some fish for Rich to throw in the fryer and join us for a fun evening. Tableware will be provided. Rich plans to share some bank sockeye fishing tips to what you learn from Vernie’s presentation earlier in the week. Additional FFF events will be held at the same location and time on July 18 and August 15. Please add the events to your calendar now.
Wild Game Dinner Planning Meeting on June 9
A meeting to critique and close out the 2025 Wild Game Dinner and initiate planning for the 2026 dinner will be held on Monday, June 9, at 6:00pm at Marilyn Steele’s home located at 41530 S. Morton Road in Kennewick. Do you have any ideas about what should be done differently or could have been done better? If you plan to attend, or if you cannot attend but have ideas to share, please call of text Marilyn at 509-392-2128.
Introduction to Firearms Class on June 21
An Introduction to Firearms class will be held on June 21, 2025. The class will be co-hosted by the Richland Rod and Gun Club and the Tri-Cities Metallic Silhouette Association. Chief Instructor Ron Ruth reports that an article recently ran in the Tri-City Herald newspaper about the class and the class filled in less than two days, but call Ron at 509-737-7350 to get on a waiting list or express interest in possible future classes. Attendees must be at least 18 years old or accompanied by an adult to take the class. The class will be comprised of two parts. The first part will include an introduction to the safe handling of firearms, the different parts of a firearm and sights, the different types of firearms (pistols, rifles, and shotguns), and actual handling of firearms by participants. The second part of the class will include a demonstration of shooting of different calibers of firearms and actual shooting of firearms by the students.
Hunter Education Class Starts July 7
The last classes of the year will be evening classes starting July 7 and September 8. Registration will open on line at https://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/requirements/education/basic about 30 days prior to the start of each class. Don’t miss this opportunity if you know someone who needs to complete the course to be allowed to go hunting this fall.
Youth Conservation Camp
RRGC offers to pay the registration fees each year for several boys and girls ages 12 to 16 to attend Washington State Youth Conservation Camp on Orcas Island. Orcas Island is the second largest of Washington’s San Juan Island and provides a unique and beautiful setting for campers to experience the outdoors as they learn about the environment and ecosystems around them. Boys Camp this year is July 20 to July 26 and Girls Camp is July 27 to August 2. Parents are responsible for arranging transportation to drop off and pick up campers at the Anacortes Ferry Terminal. Camp week is broken down into four days of classes focusing on outdoor skills, hunter safety, fishing, and conservation with Friday set aside for class competitions. There is also time for other activities like swimming, canoeing, and group sports. If you know someone who would like to attend camp this year contact Larry Martin at 509-521-2554 for additional discussion or visit https://www.wsycc.org/ on the internet.
Welcome to Our Newest Member
Please join us in welcoming Doyle Hurst of Richland back to our club. Doyle was a member in past years but let his membership lapse. Doyle rejoined while attending the May general membership meeting. Welcome back Doyle.
Guzzler Maintenance
A team of nine volunteers from RRGC and Pheasants Forever repaired fire damaged Guzzler 220 on May 10. The guzzler is located near Pepiot and Blanton Roads near Mesa. Larry Martin took the photos which explains why he is not in the group photo.
Wood Duck Banding
The Wood Duck project team is currently checking nest boxes for nesting hens to band. 360 boxes have been checked as of May 21; 161 were used by wood ducks, and 53 boxes were used by owls. Some boxes have already hatched out chicks and others are nests in progress. New bands have been installed on 43 hens. 17 hens have been captured that were banded in prior years. 21 previously banded owls have been recaptured and 40 new bands have been placed on owls, many of them on owlets that are nearly ready to fledge. One recaptured female screech owl was banded 10 years previously in the same box.
Team leader Dale Schielke anticipates being able to resume live streaming from in-box cameras by about the end of May. Hardware compatibility issues were experienced last year with YouTube. Dale has been exploring new equipment to facilitate streaming to YouTube and believes we are close to getting everything operational. Watch for the links to the streaming on www.rrgcwoodducks.org
Youth from Nature School and Girl Scout Troop 5315 assisted with checking wood duck nesting boxes near Benton City and at WE Johnson Park. We were fortunate enough to find both nesting wood duck hens and screech owls with owlets. A great educational experience! Dale Schielke and Larry Martin represented RRGC at Jason Lee Elementary School Science Night with an informational display on wood ducks and guzzlers.
RRGC Memorial Scholarship Awarded
The Board of Directors has awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Kathleen Petersen, a graduate student majoring in Fish and Wildlife Science at the University of Idaho. The title of her Master’s program thesis is “Impacts of harvest on dispersal dynamics of gray wolves in Idaho”, working as a researcher in collaboration with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and University of Idaho. Kat’s experience includes serving as a research lead on a Bighorn Sheep project with the University of Montana and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and she has worked as a field lead and research technician on several projects involving elk, black bears, deer, elk, sage grouse, and mesocarnivores in Idaho and Montana. Kat is an Idaho certified Hunter Education Instructor and taught an undergraduate Hunter Education course at the U of I last year. She is an archer who has harvested deer and elk with her bow but she admits that she uses a shotgun to harvest turkeys. Kat is a member of the Wildlife Society (an organization of wildlife professionals) and is a representative to the Idaho Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. We wish Kat the very best in completing her collegiate work and achieving a highly successful career.
Salmon Summit
Nineteen RRGC volunteers donated a total of 69.5 hours for salmon egg deliveries to local schools and for the Salmon Summit fish release on April 29 and 30 in Columbia Park as part of the Salmon in the Classroom program. Kristy Pentico, Education Coordinator for the Benton Conservation District told Mike Estes “We could not have put on this event without you.” According to Kristy, more than 3,000 students participated in the Salmon Summit this year. Thanks to everyone who volunteered their time for this educational and fun activity. Special thanks to Marilyn Steele for providing the folding tables we used as platforms to hold the glasses for the students to take for the fish release.
Submit photos of some of your spring excursions so we can share the fun with everyone. All contest submittals will appear on the big screen at the 2026 Wild Game Dinner.
Submit entries to rrgcsecretary@gmail.com
Click this PDF icon to download the June 2025 newsletter
Update your contact information!
If you have changed your address, your phone number, or your email address please use this link and scroll to the bottom of the page where it says
“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: Brayden Wodtli and Micah Little – admin@richlandrodandgun.org
RRGC Club Upcoming Activities
Salmon Summit Fish Release – April 29 and 30, 8:00 to 10:30am, Col. Park East Boat Ramp
Next General Membership Meeting – May 6 at 7:00pm, Richland Public Library
Introduction to Firearms Class – June 21, 2025
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