December 2024, Volume 79 No. 12
Club Website- www.richlandrodandgun.org
Club Facebook- www.Facebook.com/RichlandRodandGunClub
2024 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.
Wild Game Dinner Planning Meeting – Please Plan to Attend
A kick-off organizing and planning meeting for cooks, chefs, kitchen workers and helpers for the 73rd annual Wild Game Dinner is scheduled for Friday, December 6 at 6:00pm at Marilyn Steele’s home, 41530 S. Morton Road in Kennewick. There will be food for attendees. Please plan to attend! No experience required. Please let Marilyn know you are coming so she can plan accordingly. Call or text 509-392-2128.
The Wild Game Dinner will be held on March 22, 2025 at the Benton County Fairgrounds. The presenter will be professional photographer John Clement. We need to start collecting prizes and meat 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 December 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
Karen McNiven has joined the BOD to fill the Trustee position vacated by Ron Moore when Ron agreed to serve as Treasurer due to Rick Libby’s relocation to California. Braydon Wodtli and Micah Little have volunteered to share the duties of Webmaster to free up more time for Ron to concentrate on the Treasurer’s duties.
President Richard Sharp is looking for sponsors for prizes for a geocache project which he plans to kick off in the spring. Rich envisions several cache locations within a ten mile radius of Columbia Point Marina Park where he would like to hold a picnic at the conclusion of the event and present prizes. Contact Rich if you would like to help with this project.
Dave Miller will be the lead for the Lunker Lake fishing pond set up and tear down at the Tri-Cities Sportsmen Show at TRAC in Pasco on January 24-26. Pond set up will occur on Thursday, January 23. Ron Ruth is the lead for the youth pellet range. Volunteer sign-up sheets for the event will be available at the December general membership meeting.
The Board approved the purchase of a video camera to create educational videos and record portions of our club activities and events. Braydon and Micah are the champions of this project. Many thanks to them for their time spent researching and trialing cameras to determine which would best suit our needs.
Welcome to Our New Members
Four membership applications were approved at the November Board of Directors meeting. Please join us in welcoming Liz Eder of Richland, Bryan Dunlop of Kennewick, the Cesar Lopez family of Benton City, and the Rich and Bobbi Sanker family of Richland. Please make them feel welcome and help them become involved in our club’s activities.
Guzzler Repair
Jerry Bloom, Wade Conant, Bill Watson and Larry Martin inspected and cleaned nine guzzlers on November 6. One of the guzzlers has rotted posts that need replacing. The posts on another guzzler were rotted enough that the apron was off to the side. The team temporarily reset the apron over the tank to catch as much rain as possible before they return for a full repair. Most tanks were 1/3 to 2/3 full although two that were near bee hive yards were empty. These guzzlers are in Walla Walla County off Dodd Road in the Britton Road area.
Next Hunter Education Class – March 2025
Chief Instructor Ron Ruth reports that 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. The HE pheasant hunt at Limits Game Farm will be on February 22, 2025.
Thank Yous Received
RRGC received a Thank You card signed by students from Tapteal Elementary in West Richland for our participation in the school’s STEAM Night. Dale Schielke and Larry Martin manned wood duck and water guzzler displays at the event. RRGC also received multiple Thank You cards from Washington State Youth Conservation Camp (WSYCC) staff and campers for our continued support of the boys’ and girls’ outdoor summer camps at Orcas Island. More than 100 campers were able to participate in the camps over the course of two weeks this year.
Bateman Island Causeway Removal
The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has released the Final Feasibility Report with Integrated Environmental Assessment for the Yakima River Delta Ecosystem Restoration. The report is dated September 2024 but was released to the public about October 28, 2024. The report describes the decision to remove the entire approximately 550 foot long causeway connecting Bateman Island to the mainland to improve water flows in the Yakima River delta. The estimated cost of the project including the feasibility study is $13.2 million, to be shared by USACE ($10 million) and the Washington Department of Wildlife ($3.2 million).
The causeway was constructed by a farmer circa 1940 to provide access to agricultural fields on the island. Construction on McNary Dam was completed in 1954 and created Lake Wallula on the Columbia River. The zone of influence for Lake Wallula extends approximately 2 miles up the Yakima River to just beyond the Interstate 182 Bridge. The water elevation of Lake Wallula combined with the blocking effect of the causeway has resulted in a large stagnant water area at the Yakima River delta that is several degrees warmer than the rest of the river.
The purposes of the project are to increase water flow for the benefit of ESA-listed salmonids and to improve aquatic habitat. Flowing side channels would reduce water temperatures and oxygen depletion which could reduce algae blooms and provide safer havens for outbound juvenile salmon from predators like bass, pikeminnow, catfish and walleye. It could also speed the upstream pre-spawn migration of adult salmon to the Yakima River from the Columbia River. The entire report can be reviewed at:
https://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Portals/28/YD1135_Main%20Report_Final_2024-10-11.pdf
Photo of the Month
There was only one contest entry this month. Lots of people must have spent the month sitting on the couch watching football on TV. The winning entry is a photo of RRGC Past President Bill Lambert with his first harvested wild turkey. The photo was taken on November 16, 2024 in Ferry County, Washington by Mike Estes.
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 – December 3, 7:00 PM at Richland Public Library
Next Board Meeting- December 17, 7:00 PM at Griggs Pasco Hunter Ed room
January Newsletter Contribution Deadline is December 22.
Email: admin@richlandrodandgun.org
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December 3 General Membership Meeting
If you are a waterfowler, this month’s program is for you. As we approach mid-season the birds are becoming much more wary. Tyler Watson and Abel Cortina of Williams Guide Service will share some new strategies that could make your waterfowl hunts more successful.
Become a member today!
Download the December 2024 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.
Click this PDF icon to download the December 2024 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: 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 – December 3 at 7:00pm, Richland Public Library
WGD Planning Meeting – December 6 at 6:00pm, 41530 S. Morton Road in Kennewick
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
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