06/13/2026
Scoping The Great Outdoors
By Bob Schuh
At the May meeting of the Mishicot Sportsmen’s Club, they donated $500 to the Heart-A-Rama group for their donation to the Sportsmen’s Club AED unit. CPR isn’t just a medical skill. In a cardiac emergency, anyone can be the difference before professional help arrives. Parents, caregivers, neighbors, coworkers, and friends are often the true first responders. When more people are ready, more lives are saved. If you see a teen or adult collapse, call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest. Heart-A-Rama is a local comedy and variety show dedicated to raising funds and awareness for the American Heart Association. Some funding stays within the local area and goes toward installation of AED’s in Manitowoc County. Heart-A-Rama holds its event at the J. E. Hamilton Community House in Two Rivers, and it has been running for over 50 years. The shows they hold are in April and May of each year. So far, they have raised over $3.3 Million and placed hundreds of AED’s in local schools and public places across Manitowoc County. On behalf of the Mishicot Sportsmen’s Club, thank you very much for the AED unit by Heart-A-Rama group of Manitowoc County. (Caption for photo by VL Outdoor Media LLC) Mishicot Sportsmen’s Club recently made a $500 donation to Heart-A-Rama. The AED unit the club received makes them more prepared in the event of a cardiac event at their clubhouse. Left to right is Tom Bartleme of Heart-A-Rama, Joe Tulachka, President of the Mishicot Sportsmen’s Club, and Fritz Dramm of Heart-A-Rama.
Maribel Sportsmen’s Club will be holding their Jack Valenta Memorial Father’s Day Shoot on Sunday, June 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants will shoot 25 wobble trap and 25 regular trap all from the 16 yard line. Cost is $30 and includes the Lewis fee and the clays. There are $5 high gun options. The club is starting out the Lewis purse with an additional $100 to increase the payout. Maribel Sportsmen’s Club is next to I-43, exit 164, 8824 State Highway 147, Maribel.
Manitowoc County Lakes Association will hold their next meeting on Thursday, June 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the Manitowoc County Office Building, 4319 Expo Drive in Manitowoc. Pete Puleo, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, Geology, and Environmental Science at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, will speak to us about the results of Gass Lake Sediment Coring project that took place in June of 2024. Tara Wachowski, Education and Grants Manager in the Manitowoc County Soil and Water Department, will present information on their 2026 Manitowoc County fair booth and discuss possible opportunities for our membership to assist this year. The general meeting will follow including lake reports. The Manitowoc County Lakes Association will protect and enhance the quality of area lakes and watersheds for the benefit of all.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is accepting applications through July 1 for the 2026 Learn to Hunt Deer program at Sandhill Wildlife Area. Sandhill Wildlife Area’s Learn-to-Hunt workshops combine classroom instruction and outdoor training with a mentored deer hunt on thousands of acres of intensively managed wildlife habitat. This unique opportunity will provide eligible hunters an educational experience while achieving deer management objectives within the 9,150-acre property. Both the youth and adult workshops will cover:
Deer biology and management
Hunting rules and regulations
Ethical hunter behavior
Basic firearm safety and practice sighting and firing a hunting rifle
"Even with the mid-March blizzard, the winter of 2025-26 was the twelfth consecutive mild winter, according to the Winter Severity Index at Sandhill. April rains have also sped the green-up by about a week (compared to last year), leading to favorable predictions of fawn recruitment," said Darren Ladwig, DNR wildlife biologist at Sandhill. “All this leads to great predicted hunting opportunities, so don’t miss out." The program is open to young hunters (aged 12-15) and adults (age 16+) without previous experience hunting deer with a firearm. A chaperone must accompany all hunters. Registration fees for the program are waived this year because private donations were made as a memorial for Nicholas Jongebloed. “The family of Nicholas Jongebloed has generously sponsored this year’s Learn to Hunt in his memory, as he was an avid supporter of the program," Ladwig said. In-person workshop dates for this year are Aug. 19, 21 and 22. All participants (and accompanying mentors) are required to attend one of the workshops. The program will culminate with a two-day hunt on Nov. 7-8, 2026 at Sandhill Wildlife Area (near Babcock in Wood County). All participants must complete a hunter education course before the hunt. Apply for the 2026 Sandhill Learn To Hunt using our online application. The application deadline is July 1, 2026. For further information, contact Darren Ladwig, DNR wildlife biologist, at 715-498-2338 or by email at [email protected]. That’s it for this week so have fun in the great outdoors.
