Southwest Chapter
|
Steve Gehrke
Phone: 608-778-3878
E-mail: sgehrke@rotomix.com |
|
Southwest Annual Banquet - 10/14/10
The banquet will be held at St Clements Church in Lancaster. For more information, please contact Carolyn Haupert at 563-542-4416. |
The Southwest Chapter of Wings Over Wisconsin was formed in 1985. The chapter serves members in Grant County and part of Crawford county. Thanks to the members and supporters of the chapter, they were able to spend over $40,000 in the last two years to support the following wildlife habitat and local projects.
Projects funded by the Southwest Chapter of Wings Over Wisconsin include:
* Habitat restoration is our biggest goal. One project is the coordination of an annual giveaway of seed corn, sunflower and sorghum seed to promote wildlife food plots. This spring, over 500 acres were planted in food plots by more than 144 landowners. Seed corn was donated by area seed dealers.
* In an additional habitat restoration project, 100 acres of native prairie grasses were planted in partnership with Grant County NRCS. We own a no-till drill which is rented to landowners who plant native seed.
* We have been working to increase the pheasant population in Grant County for many years. We have built and maintained pheasant pens to raise pheasants each summer for release to members' CRP or food plots. In 2009, nearly 1,800 birds were released.
* Thanks to a generous donation from John Stockel, Wings owns the Switchback property, a 90 acre parcel with prairie, wetland and woods near Lancaster. In our continuing effort to support wildlife habitat at Switchback, pheasants and bobwhite quail were released. Trees, shrubs and food plots were also planted.
* In an effort to support the songbird population and increase the enjoyment of the elderly and ill in our communities, we donate birdseed and birdhouses to local hospitals and nursing homes.
* Youth programs are important to the long-term life of our organization and wildlife habitat. Our sponsorship of youth programs includes hunter safety courses and includes a gun lock for each attendee. Our 8th annual youth hunt was held this fall. Fifteen youngsters received demonstrations on gun safety and dog etiquette, a clay pigeon shoot and a live hunt. We also participated in the Grant County 4H Project Day where members helped 70 kids build birdhouses.
* We also award one or more scholarships each year to students enrolled in a conservation related education program. Seventeen scholarships have been awarded in the last five years.
PHEASANT PROGRAM
Each year the Southwest Chapter raises pheasants for release on member's CRP or other suitable habitat. We want to recognize those volunteers who make this program possible. Pheasants are purchases as day-old chicks. They spend their first 3-4 weeks in a brooder house, with warming lights. Then they are gradually moved out into the open, first into a small catch pen, then into a larger pen where they can forage and learn to fly. The larger outdoor pens are planted each spring with cover crops. All pens are maintained annually by the organization to insure that no predators can reach the birds.
Our largest pen is in Cassville. Jon Adrian volunteers his time to provide daily care to the birds. This pen can hold up to 1,000 birds. BARD Materials donates land in Fennimore adjacent to their plant for another pen. This pen is run by Darrell Jeidy, who handles about 1,000 birds each year.
The Lancaster pen is on the Yoose farm and care is provided by the family. About 800 birds are raised in this pen.
All of these volunteers spend many hours daily to provide food and water, clean pens and equipment, and monitor the health of the birds. Only because of their dedicated time and effort are we able to stock our area with good quality pheasants.
SWITCHBACK
If you want to enjoy nature, visit Switchback, 90 acres of wildlife preservation land on Five Points Rd, southwest of Lancaster. Switchback is owned by the Southwest Chapter and is open to the public for hiking, camping, bird-watching and picnics.
The property provides critical habitat for pheasants and a wide variety of wildlife. Each year pheasants and quail are released to increase population.
Land management practices are employed to prevent erosion and improve the property. Various improvements completed in the last three years include a new river crossing, an improved access road, new signage, flood repairs and an enlarged parking area.
The Southwest Chapter thanks John Stockel for his generous donation of this property in 2003. John had spent 10 years nurturing this land and wanted to insure that it would be maintained for wildlife forever. He chose Wings Over Wisconsin because of our dedication to land and wildlife preservation.
John continues to be the main caretaker for Switchback, providing countless hours working on the land. |
|
|
Local youth assisted in the pheasant release.
|
|
|
Switchback burn
|
|
|
Southwest
Chapter Sponsors
| • |
Faherty, Inc |
| • |
Kinney, Urban & Kussmaul |
| • |
Milprint, Inc |
| • |
AmericInn |
| • |
Angler's Nook |
| • |
Animal Arts Taxidermy |
| • |
Baker Welding and Iron Works |
| • |
Banworth & Udelhoven |
| • |
BARD Materials |
| • |
Baus Electric |
| • |
Bloomington Area Sports Club |
| • |
Bloomington Meats |
| • |
Boxcar Willy's Bar |
| • |
Braudt Automotive |
| • |
Bryhan's Body & Paint |
| • |
Busy Dea |
| • |
Carroll's Plumbing & Heating |
| • |
Cassville Conservation Club |
| • |
Castle Rock Inn |
| • |
Century 21 - Sutton Realty |
| • |
Cheers II Bar & Grill |
| • |
Country Inn & Suites |
| • |
Country Inn by Carlson |
| • |
Crooked Creek Repair and Machine |
| • |
Dairyland Seeds |
| • |
Dupaco Community Credit Union |
| • |
Eastman Cartwright |
| • |
EC-3 Environmental Consulting |
| • |
Fennimore Lumber |
| • |
Finney Implement |
| • |
Friesens Plumbing and Heating |
| • |
Fullers Milker Center |
| • |
Glasbrenner Insurance |
| • |
Governor Dodge Hotel |
| • |
Green Industrial Supply |
| • |
GroAlliance |
| • |
Haverland's Bar |
| • |
Helen Anderson Photography |
| • |
Helker Jewelry |
| • |
Homestretch Restaurant |
| • |
Hometown Florist |
| • |
Kevin Doerring |
| • |
Kims Silver Dollar Bar |
| • |
Krantz Electric Solar Installations |
| • |
Kussmaul Seed |
| • |
Lancaster Auto Body |
| • |
Lancaster Motors |
| • |
Leibfried Feed |
| • |
McCartney Corners |
| • |
Mike Meighan |
| • |
Milestone Materials |
| • |
Millborn Seeds |
| • |
Moors Salvage and Recovery |
| • |
Mycogen Seeds |
| • |
Natures Touch |
| • |
Needham Trucking |
| • |
Northwoods Retreat |
| • |
Olson's Taxidermy |
| • |
Pat & Greg's Pour House |
| • |
People's State Bank |
| • |
Pheasants Forever |
| • |
Phillips Excavating |
| • |
Pink's Automotive |
| • |
Prairie Beer Dist |
| • |
Riemers Sales |
| • |
Rooster Ridge - KPC |
| • |
Rural Excavating |
| • |
Russell Brothers |
| • |
Sand Prairie Quail |
| • |
Second Shot Saloon |
| • |
Southwest Logistics |
| • |
Spangler Seeds |
| • |
Steinhart's Farm Service |
| • |
Steve Gehrke |
| • |
Super 8 |
| • |
SW WI Sportsman's Club |
| • |
Tall Tales and Sports Shop |
| • |
TNT Jewelry & Gallery |
| • |
Tri-County Archers |
| • |
TRICOR Insurance & Financial |
| • |
Walker's Clothing & Shoes |
| • |
Wepking Pump |
| • |
Wisconsin Woodworks |
| • |
Wyffels Hybrids |
| • |
Yoders Rockville Bar LLC |
|
