June 2 General Meeting

6:30pm at the Richland Public Library

This is our final monthly meeting before our summer break.  We will have some social events this summer and then reconvene on September 1 to resume monthly general membership meetings.

There will be two program presenters this month.  Josh Evans has developed a computer application during his studies at WSU to assist with expedited transfer of data collected during duck nest box checks.  Dale Schielke, Josh’s grandfather, has been beta testing the app during wood duck nest checks this spring.  Josh will provide insight on how the app functions.

We are getting close to the start of the annual sockeye salmon run.  Sockeye are highly prized for their vibrant red meat, high fat content, and delicious flavor.  Richard Sharp will share some tactics for catching sockeye while fishing from shore.  No boat required!  Join us to learn how to catch these dandy fish as they swim upstream past the Tri-Cities.      

  Wild Game Dinner Closeout Meeting on June 15

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A tentative date for the 2027 Wild Game Dinner has been selected and we are currently waiting for confirmation from Benton County that Fairgrounds Building 4 will be available for our use on that date.  A meeting will be held on June 15 at 5:30pm at Marilyn Steele’s home to close out the 2026 dinner by reviewing suggestions for potential changes and improvements for next year.  Please share your thoughts by attending the meeting or by texting them to Marilyn at 509-392-2128.  There will be food at the meeting so please let Marilyn know if you will be attending so she can plan appropriately.

Donation to School Archery Team

Our Board of Directors voted to provide financial support to local schools that establish archery teams as part of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP).  The NASP program is for students in grades 4-12.  RRGC will include a line item in its annual Use of Funds planning for up to $1,000.  We have provided funds to several local schools over the past few years to assist with the purchase of archery equipment not covered by NASP or WDFW grants and other fund raisers. 

We were approached in May by the coach of the Mid-Columbia Partnership archery team to assist with travel expenses for some team members to participate at the NASP World Championships in Daytona Beach, Florida, on June 18-21.  The MCP team participated in the western regional NASP tournament in Utah in April.  Sixteen team members qualified from that event to the national/world tournament.  Eight of the sixteen who qualified are going to Florida.  Our Board approved a $1,000 donation towards the estimated $12,000 cost of the trip.  The donation includes a stipulation that the donation be refunded if the trip is canceled for any reason.  Because there were no requests from local schools for money for archery equipment this year and because it is very near the end of the school year, the Board agreed to fund this special request.  The donation makes RRGC a major sponsor with our logo on the banner that the MCP archers will display at Daytona Beach.  The coach and archers plan to attend our September 1 meeting to provide a short summary of their experiences at the national tournament.

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Donation Received for WGD Kids’ Prizes

John Prater submitted a $500 donation from Mardell Rowan-Schlotman for kids’ prizes for the 2027 Wild Game Dinner.  That should assure that there will be a lot of happy kids at the dinner.  Thank you, Mardell!

RMSF Youth Shooting Program

RRGC has been helping promote the NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) that is being conducted at the Rattlesnake Mountain Shooting Facility.  RMSF hosted its first YHEC event on May 16.  Only 6 youths participated, but one came all the way from Goldendale.  Dave McNeal reported that in addition to the youth participants there were seven volunteers, five adults, and three observers; including Jeff Castle, national NRA Coordinator for YHEC.  Events included Muzzleloader Shooting, .22 Shooting, Wildlife Identification and Orienteering.  Dave said everyone who attended had good things to say and helpful comments.  RMSF hopes to include Archery, Hunter Safety Trail, Shotgun Shooting, and a Hunter Responsibility Exam in the fall session.  If you would like to volunteer to help with the YHEC, please email Dave at mcnealendofthetrail@gmail.com  Dave provided these photos from the May 16 event.