AHAMO ARCHERY CLUB

August 10, 2008
August 2008 Newsletter

CLUB OFFICERS

President:        Steve Williamson (597-6917)      
Vice President:   Dick Sousa       (592-8045)      
Secretary:        Tom Backman      (344-8019)
Treasurer:        Brent Simmerman  (597-9497)
Trustees:         Ed Rebarich      (345-7608)
Sergeant at Arms: Ronnie Courvelle (293-0459)
News Editor:      Lee Pereksta     (592-3856)
3D Coordinator    Buck Knight      (331-4117)
VP of Indoor      Aaron Good       (968-9745)

Indoor range phone (734-7272)

Key Dates to Remember

  
Thursdays — Joad 6:30 pm
Aug 24    — Last Outdoor 3D, Outdoor Range
Aug 23    — Workparty to set up for Outdoor 3D
Aug 25    — Workparty to unload trailers, Indoor Range
Sept 8    — Club meeting, 7:00 pm, Indoor Range
Sept 13   — Outdoor 3D at Cabelas

July/August Club Meeting

This is the first newsletter since June. Since then we have had a July and an August meeting and a July shoot. At the July meeting we discussed the upcoming July shoot, news on the indoor range steps being destroyed, Offutt youth classes, and new equipment being ordered for the indoor range. At the August meeting we covered quite a lot; including reducing the number of outdoor shoots next year, the status of our new web site, A shoot we will be putting on at Cabelas in September, Joad, and our final shoot at the outdoor range scheduled for August.

New members:

There were 3 new memberships voted since the June meeting. Our newest members are Tim and Wendy Delaware, Jeremy Smetana, and Jeff Schiernbeck; welcome to the Ahamo Archery Club.

3D Shoots for 2009:

At the August meeting we discussed our outdoor shoots being held at the Archdiocese Camp. So far this year we have put on 4 shoots, and when deducting expenses for food, awards, and other items, our profit was only $400. Our current thoughts are that because of all of the work that goes into these shoots, we would be better off reducing the number of shoots at the outdoor range. We need to continue putting them on to promote our sport and Ahamo, but we may be better off holding only 2 or 3 shoots each year. The decision was to reduce the number of shoots, but we have until the schedule is created for next year to decide how many to actually hold.

August 24 3D Shoot:

Our final shoot at the outdoor range will be on August 24. The workparty to set up will be on Saturday the 23rd at 8am. We need to set up all targets at this shoot, and when it’s over bring in all of the targets and take them to the indoor range. Here’s a schedule of dates and times—your help is needed to make this last shoot successful:

Saturday Aug 23
Set  up starting at 8am
Club members can shoot immediately after set-up*
Sunday Aug 24
Registration from 8am to noon
Tear down starting at about 1:30 *
Monday Aug 25
Unload trailers at the indoor range 5pm*

The Nebraska State unmarked 3D will be held along with our shoot. Archers can register for one, or both of these events, but will shoot only once. If shooting the State shoot, you cannot shoot on Saturday. All archers shooting the State shoot will need to shoot on Sunday.

Tear down will start when one of the ranges is vacant. All will start shooting on our A course, and we anticipate starting to tear that range down at about 1:30. If you have a 4 wheeler, please bring it out to make tear down easier to manage.

Current plans are to unload trailers at 5pm on Monday. There is a chance that may change, so you might plan on helping, but check with a board member on Saturday or Sunday just to be sure that is still the plan.

Quality Deer Mgt Assoc. Shoot:

Ahamo was given the opportunity to run a 3D shoot for the Quality Deer Management Association prior to their banquet on September 13. The board discussed and decided to do that. I had never heard of this association until now, but found their web-site (QDMA.com), and it appears to be a large organization. They are expecting 1,000 people to attend this regional banquet… but we don’t know how many of them will be archers and will be attending our shoot.

Ahamo will get all of the registration fees for this shoot and will only need to set-up and run the shoot. QDMA will provide trophies. We will need to plan for the set up on Friday before the shoot and may need to actually set up the targets on Saturday before the shoot. Watch for more information as the shoot gets closer. Registration for the shoot will be from 8am to 2pm on Saturday.

Nebraska Big Buck Classic:

Ahamo was offered yet another opportunity. On April 17, 18, 19 next year there will be a Big Buck Classic event at the Quest. We were asked to put on an indoor 3D for that event and would need to set up an entire indoor 3D shortly after Wahoo and would not be able to pound steaks into the floor or use cut trees like Wahoo. After a discussion we decided it would be too much of an undertaking and would offer back that we could set up an indoor 300 round shoot or a Vegas Round shoot.

You can see information on that event on NebraskaBigBuckClassic.com

Indoor Range News:

Plenty of news here about our indoor range:

An elderly gentleman lost control of his car and ran into the steps at the indoor range just prior to the July meeting. Since then we have had no steps at the indoor range. I shot a couple of times since then and needed to bring a small ladder to reach the door. Adding to the story… when looking to get the steps replaced our landlord found that the gas pipes under the steps were damaged and needed to be moved. The gas company needed to do that before the steps could be installed. As of Friday August 8, the gas pipes have been moved. So hopefully the steps will be replaced shortly.

Second bit of news:

We updated our bow press at the indoor range and now have one that will handle parallel limb bows and split limb bows. Bill Arledge gave us a lesson on the press at the last club meeting. You can damage your bow if you use it incorrectly, so be cautious when using it, or see a member that was at our last meeting for instructions. You can also attend the next meeting and ask about it and I’m sure someone will show you how to use it.

If you would like to purchase the old bow press, please contact Steve Williamson. We are selling it for $150… a pretty good price for a quality bow press.

Besides the bow press, we installed a bow vice and left the chronograph out for members to use. We also replaced the bow scale and have a grain scale on order that we will leave out at the range for members to use.

Now… please read this next item carefully:

We have a lot of pricy equipment left out at the indoor range. Please… Please... use it carefully and do not let your kids play with it. I have seen kids hanging from our bow scale… and am thinking that may have been the cause of the old scale breaking. I have also seen kids pushing each other around the range in chairs. It wouldn’t take much to run into the counter top with the bow vice and equipment on it with a chair. Sitting or standing on the counter is also not a good thing. Do not let your kids miss-use the grain scale, take parts off of the bow press or bow vice, or sit or stand on the box with the chronograph in it.

Use the equipment at the indoor range as if you purchased it yourself and it were yours. Since we are a club and purchased it with club funds, it does belong to all of us and we need to take care of it.

Club Web Site:

With our web host closing up shop, we have till the end of the year to find another provider to host our web site. The sportsmans web recommended a host called the outdoor network. I checked with them and am starting to go through the process of moving to that hosting site. What I have found so far, is they will assist in moving our stuff to their site and will help update it with some new features. What I like is the ability to easily add pictures to the site and publish the newsletter as a PDF. Our links on the site will also be updated to be more modern.

When you harvest a deer or turkey this year, please be sure to let me know and give or send me a picture. Successful hunters get a plaque or plate for prior plaques, your picture may make it to our web site or newsletter, and you may be in the running for our big buck contest.

Offutt Youth Program:

Many thanks to Steve Williamson and Bill Arledge for running the Archery clinic for the Offutt Youth Program. They provided instructions to 50 youths during the three sessions they taught.

Newsletter Items:

If you have a hunting picture or story, please send it to me, I’d like to put it in the newsletter. If you have an item for sale, send me the information to put in the newsletter as well.

Please email me anything you would like to add to the newsletter, or contact me for my mail address. You can even give me your article at a club meeting.

P.O. BOX 460945, Papillion, NE 68046-0945, USA. . webmaster@sportsmansweb.com