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OVER 500 MEMBERS DEDICATED TO THE IMPROVEMENT AND PRESERVATION OF THE BRULE

Brule RiverBrule River Sportsmen’s Club, Inc.Sportsmen’s Club, Inc.

BRSC Calendar: The next regularly meet-ing will be Monday, August 28, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. at Round Up North Restaurant in Brule.

This year’s project involved cutting

tag alder on about a thousand-foot sec-tion of the Little Brule River. Thirteen

volunteers worked on July 29 and Au-gust 5 to help DNR fisheries biologists,

Paul Piszczek and Aaron Nelson, re-store trout habitat.

The alder brush was tipping into the

stream, choking the stream habitat, and shading stream-side evergreen forest

growth. DNR staff used chain saws while the club’s volunteers cut alder

with loppers and removed cut stems from the stream, placing them in the

adjoining woods. The trout habitat of this stream

reach was initially destroyed by beaver in the late 1970’s. Your Sportsmen’s

Club assisted DNR biologist Steve Schram during the summers of 1979

through 1981 in restoring this section. In that project, workers cut tag alder

and bundled the stems placing the bun-dles in the water to narrow the channel.

Since that time DNR staff has re-turned many times re-cutting alder to

assist forest recovery. Each fall the DNR

checks to make sure that beaver have not

returned. Any beaver

that are found are quickly removed by

federal trappers before

their ponding can kill the stream-side trees.

This year’s project once again helped maintain trout habitat and assist ever-

green growth, a forest that would even-tually be un-favorable beaver food.

Go to the Club’s Facebook page for a short video of the volunteers at work at

https://www.facebook.com/BruleRiver SportsmensClub/ and for historical photos

of the 1979-1981 project, see or webpage at http://bruleriversportsmensclub.com/

habitat-management/the-first-project/

2017 Trout Habitat Volunteer Project Complete

Habitat Work Photos: 1. Cory LeeJoice and

Jon Bergquist remove alder brush. 2. Down-

stream view of crew, removal nearly complete.

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By Dennis Pratt

Bill Gobin

Cory LeeJoice

Jon Bergquist

Mike Sierszen

Ken Lundberg

Ron Gaare

Gervase Thompson

Walt Swanson

Tom Bydalek

Dennis Pratt

Dennis Smet

Andy Dargatz

Mike Zicus

Paul Piszczek

Aaron Nelson

2017 Habitat Volunteers

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BRULE RIVER SPORTSMEN’S CLUB, AUGUST 2017

President Dennis Pratt called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. at Round-Up North in Brule. Officers and Directors: Present - Dennis Pratt, Ken Lundberg, Bill Gobin, Paul Helbach, Mick Killoren, Mike Zicus, Dennis Smet, Dean Wellman, Ron Gaare, and Ron Pearson. Minutes of the June 26th Meeting: The minutes as written in the July newsletter were approved following a motion by Bill Gobin and a second by Dennis Smet and unanimous approval by voice vote. Treasurer’s and Financial Secretary’s Reports: Financial Secretary Bill Gobin reported that there were two deposits into general fund totaling $121.00. Bill also presented the Treasurer’s report. We had beginning balance was $8,184.73, and the ending balance was $7,550.26 with the following expenses: Arrowhead Printing (June newsletter) $247.14; Boy Scout Troop 212 (spring clean-up) $125.00; Katie Thompson (July newsletter) $200.00; Joe Scaccia (June meeting) $50.00; and Bill Gobin (postage) $8.33. Outstanding checks and scheduled payments: Joe Scaccia (July meeting) $50.00; and Arrowhead Printing (July newsletter) $250. Both reports were approved following a motion by Ken Lundberg, second by Ron Gaare, and a unanimous voice vote. Committee Reports Habitat: Ron Gaare/Dennis Pratt – Dennis visually surveyed steelhead fry above Hwy. FF. The fry don’t appear to have been hurt badly by any flooding this year. Probably not a bumper crop, but generally good. The Club will provide water and pop at lunch when we re-visit our first project on the Little Brule River next Saturday. Second work day will be the following Saturday. We’ll meet at Dennis Road at 9 a.m. to complete volunteer forms. Legislative: Ken Lundberg – nothing to report. Scholarship: Paul Helbach – Paul introduced Logan Sikora and announced that the 2017 scholarship has been awarded to Logan. Paul then introduced Bradley Ray, our 2000 recipient who has worked with Logan. Brad noted how generous the scholarship is and de-scribed how important it was for him to get it in 2000. Logan described his background and career goals. Paul has arranged to have the award announced in the Lake and Forest Magazine and in two local papers. Education: Dennis Smet – nothing to report Membership: Jim Waletzko – not present. Budget: Ron Pearson – General, Education, and Scholarship Funds are all in good standing. Social Media – Mike Zicus/Dennis Pratt – Winneboujou Club’s new application for a pass to access Big Lake is now posted on our web-site and Dennis has referenced it from our Face Book page. A link to the application will be maintained on our “About the River” page. Facebook seems to be an effective way of pointing followers to the exact page on our website. We’re always in need of material for the newsletter. Other Business South-Shore Grade on Nebagamon Creek Issue – Dennis Pratt – Nothing new since last month’s update. Email of newsletter to Members Project Progress – Ken Lundberg – Seems to be going well. Electronic newsletter has been going out to about 341 members. Constant Contact reports that 55–68% of these were opened immediately; whereas 11–14% went unopened. We will begin whittling down the number of printed newsletters with the full transition tentatively planned for November. Brule River Roundtable Meeting – Club is supporting the meeting. Registration information is on our website. Old Highway 2 Erosion Update – Nothing new to report, although someone has installed some concrete barriers. Challenge Center Canoe Outing – Ron Pearson reported the outing will be on August 19. Meet at Twin Gable at 9:00 a.m. A decision will be made then as to whether to reschedule if the weather is questionable. Arrangements are in place to launch at Wildcat and the State Forest and Club members will provide canoes to ac-

Brule River Sportsmen’s Club

Regular Meeting Minutes

July 24, 2017

“July Minutes” continued on pg. 3

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BRULE RIVER SPORTSMEN’S CLUB, AUGUST 2017

commodate nine clients and two staff. Lunch will be at Ron’s place afterward. Iron River National Fish Hatchery Open House – We’ve been approached as to our willing-ness to provide and serve hotdogs as in the past. Dean Wellman moved that we participate and allot $250 toward the food. Donations at the event partially offset our costs. Motion was seconded by Dennis Smet. Motion passed. Event will be from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Sep-tember 16. Ken Lundberg will oversee with details finalized next month. Lake Superior Fisheries Management Planning Process – Lake Superior Fisheries Biologist, Bradley Ray, described the process they’re developing. Presentation from the 1st meeting is posted on the DNR Lake Superior website http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/lakesuperior/LakeSuperiorFishManagementPlan.html DNR wants the plan to be a stakeholder driven “bottom up” process. They are inviting representatives from 38 key groups (conservation organizations, sportsmen and angling groups, local units of government, chambers of com-merce, etc.). Hope to have monthly meeting for 6–8 months to develop goals, strategies, and measurable objectives for the plan. Plan targeted to be finalized in Fall 2019. The business meeting adjourned at 7:37 p.m. Recorded by Mike Zicus for Walt Swanson.

“July Minutes” from pg. 2

Fishermen: Prevent floating your hat whilst

you angle. A Brule River Shelle-

lagh will keep you upright while

pursuing the ever-elusive spotted

fish.

The Brule River Shillelagh is avail-

able exclusively at Twin Gables

Café in beautiful downtown Brule.

Cost: $25 each, or two for $40.

100% of the proceeds go to the Brule

River Sportsmen’s Club Scholarship fund.

“Fin-clipping” from e 1 You have been receiving your newsletters

electronically beginning with the May issue

if we have your email address.

We do not know whether some people are

not opening the email message because the

email address we sent it to is incorrect or if it

is simply personal choice.

Please let us know through the website if

you are not getting the newsletter by elec-

tronic delivery and think you should be.

For more information, go to the Club’s

website.

Attention

2017 Scholarship Awarded Logan Sikora, our 2017 scholarship recipient, accepted the $5000 scholarship at our July board meeting. He was born and raised in Col-fax, Wisconsin (about twenty miles northwest of Eau Claire) and fished the Brule River as a youth with his dad. Entering his senior year at Northland College in Ashland, Wiscon-sin, Logan is majoring in Biology and Natural Resource Management with an emphasis on fish and wildlife ecology. He says his passions are fish, fish management, and the bodies of water that they inhabit. Logan aspires to be a fisheries biologist somewhere in the Midwest hopefully in northern Wisconsin. He is an active member of the stu-dent chapter of the American Fisheries Society at Northland and has volunteered for the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wisconsin DNR. His summer jobs have included working for the Wisconsin Fisheries Cooperative Unit in Stevens Point and interning for the DNR’s Lake Superior Fisheries Management Unit in Bayfield. This summer Logan is employed by the Wisconsin DNR as a research technician at the Escanaba Lake Research Station near Boulder Junction. We look forward to following Logan’s path to a fisheries career in the upcoming years.

Paul Helbach (scholarship committee chair) hands $5000 check to Logan Sikora while the 2000 scholarship recipient, Bradley Ray, looks on.

Lake Superior Steelhead Association

is holding their

3rd Annual Spey Day

Saturday, September 9

at McNeil's on the Brule

11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

For details see

www.steelheaders.org/news

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Brule River

Sportsmen’s

Club

P.O. Box 100

Brule, WI 54820

What We Do:

Fisheries Habitat Projects — Club members and others

volunteer during the summer months to restore features

necessary for fish spawning, growing and feeding.

Clean-ups — Keep the Brule clean and beautiful.

Monthly Membership Meetings — Frequently include

guest speakers.

Monthly Newsletter — Helps generate understanding

of fisheries and water quality, and keeps members and

others informed about Club activities.

Scholarship Program — Provides educational support to

students.

Officers

President — Dennis Pratt

Vice President — Ken Lundberg

Financial Secretary — Bill Gobin

Recording Secretary — Walt Swanson

Treasurer — Jeff Stollenwerk

Board of Directors

Tom Bydalek Dennis Smet

Paul Helbach Jim Waletzko

Courtney Johnson Dean Wellman

Mick Killoren Ron Pearson

Mike Zicus Ron Gaare

Newsletter Editor

Katie Thompson -- goirish@cheqnet.net

BRSC Membership Form

Name

Address City

State Zip Phone

e-mail

Name ______________________________

Address City

State Zip Phone

e-mail

Donations

Education Fund $ Habitat Fund $

General Fund $ Scholarship Fund $

Visit us online at www.bruleriversportsmensclub.com

All information contained herein is confidential.

All but $1.00 of your membership dues is tax deductible.

Donations are 100 percent tax deductible.

Thank you for your support!

BRSC Gift Store Order Form

Brule River Map (Upper) (same prices as for lower map)

Brule River Map (Lower)

$8.00 each (members) - no shipping charge

$10.00 each (non-members) - plus $1.00 S&H

Large Map of Lower Brule (36”x24”) – suitable for framing

$25.00 (members) – plus $5.00 S&H

$30.00 (non-members) – plus $5.00 S&H

BRSC Baseball Hat

$20.00 each (members) – plus $4.00 S&H

$25.00 each (non-members) - plus $4.00 S&H

Newsletter DVD

$5.00 each (members) - no shipping charge

$6.00 each (non-members) - plus $1.00 S&H

The Brule River Sportsmen’s Club, Inc. is a tax-exempt organization

defined by Chapter 501 (C) (3) of the IRS Tax Code.

Brule River Sportsmen’s Club, Inc.

P.O. Box 100

Brule, WI 54820

Individual $20.00 ____ Renewal (due by Jan. 1 ea. yr.) Household $25.00 ____ New Member

This is a gift membership. Please send membership card(s) to: