After a busy hunting and ice fishing season, and prior to the beginning of another fishing season, the Humboldt Wildlife Federation brought their latest year to a close with their annual awards banquet and supper on March 16.
Awards were handed to hunters and fishers in a number of categories including different animals, different weapons, and based on age.
This year awards were handed out to hunters and fishers of all skill levels and age ranges, with the youngest winner being two-years-old, and the oldest being in their 60’s.
Having such a wide range of ages in the club is important, says Federation treasurer Murray Freistadt.
“You’ve got people with the past knowledge and experience and we’ve got that youth aspect that’ll keep the club going. Without the youth and the kids, in ten years we would probably be almost defunct which would really be sad because this branch has existed for 71 years.”
Freistadt notes hosting the banquet is a great chance to celebrate the hard work of their members throughout the year, and says it is a great chance to relax with other members.
“It’s kind of a nice get together to visit with other members and lots of networking goes on between people.”
Currently the wildlife federation features 370 members in the Humboldt chapter, but Freistadt notes it is early in the year.
Last year saw the federation ended the year with 501 members, up more than 30 members from the year prior.
Some of that jump can be attributed to the reopening of the gun range, notes Freistadt, who says it did bring in more members.
The gun range was closed two years ago due to flooding, he said, with the Federation deciding it needed to either be fixed up or moved.
The federation elected to fix it up, with Freistadt noting they were unable to pay for it up front and received a four-year payment plan option from the construction company.
Thinking they would be able to pay off the work in four years the federation accepted the offer, says Freistadt.
“We paid it off in two,” he beamed.
Freistadt notes being able to have the gun range is important because it gives hunters a “legal, safe place to shoot.”
While money has be used to help offset the costs of the gun range, the club has also been hard at work raising money to bring the National Archery in the Schools Program to Humboldt.
Freistadt notes some of the money raised will be used to help bring the program to Humboldt Collegiate.
While the high school is on the agenda for getting the program, the federation has already fitted both St. Dominic and Humboldt Public with the equipment, having set up HPS approximately one year ago, and St. Dominic just one month ago.
“Three years ago we were told it was impossible to do a NASP kit for a school and we’ve got two of them done.”
While the federation works hard to raise money for these projects they do receive a lot of support from the community, notes Freistadt, who gives a lot of credit to the businesses for helping their club through donations.
“We wouldn’t exist. We couldn’t afford to buy this stuff.”
This year’s event featured between 260 and 270 people, and while that number is down from previous years, Freistadt says he is still pleased to see that many.
Humboldt Wildlife Federation Award Winners
Typical white tail with rifle Adult Male 157 5/8 Neil Saretsky
2nd place Typical white tail with rifle Adult Male 145 6/8 Terry Newberry
Typical white tail with rifle Adult Female 132 5/8 Taylor Wittke
2nd place Typical white tail with rifle Adult Female 127 7/8 Jennifer Gerla
Typical White tail with rifle Youth Male 122 1/8 Bradon Labonte
2nd place Typical White tail with rifle Youth Male 114 0/8 Derek Tarnowski
Typical white tail with rifle Youth Female 112 4/8 Morgan Atamanchuk
2nd place Typical white tail with rifle Youth Female 107 6/8 Kamryn Wittke
Typical white tail with bow (archery) Adult Male 144 7/8 Brian Ortman
Non typical white tail with rifle Adult Male 83 1/8 Ryan Ortman
Typical mule deer with rifle Adult Male 163 0/8 Scott Skogen
2nd place Typical mule deer with rifle Adult Male 153 4/8 Carson Saretsky
Typical mule deer with bow (archery) Adult Male 161 5/8 Josh Ewen
2nd place Typical mule deer with bow (archery) Adult Male 154 7/8 Roger Chapman
Typical mule deer with rifle Youth Male 140 5/8 Justin Tempel
Typical mule deer with muzzle loader Youth Female 127 7/8 Kylie Weber
Typical elk with rifle Adult Male 258 4/8 Russel Salikin
2nd place Typical elk with rifle Adult Male 236 2/8 Darren Whitbread
Typical elk with rifle Adult Female 326 6/8 Taylor Wittke
2nd place Typical elk with rifle Adult Female 260 0/8 Mary Weber
Moose with rifle Adult Male 154 0/8 Tim Saretsky
2nd place Moose with rifle Adult Male 141 7/8 Jordan Wittke
Moose with rifle Adult Female 152 4/8 Carol Pratt
Moose with rifle Youth Male 118 4/8 Logan Stumborg
Pronghorn antelope with rifle Adult Male 73 6/8 Mark Schick
Bear with rifle Adult Male 19 4/16 Jordan Wittke
Bear with bow (archery) Adult Male 18 9/16 Colin Pratt
Bear with rifle Adult Female 15 2/16 Taylor Wittke
Pheasant Adult Male 30 bars Chris Dufault
Canada Goose Adult Male 15 lb 12 oz Jeremy Dufault
2nd place Canada Goose Adult Male 15 lb 9 oz Chris default
Canada goose Youth Male 10 lb 15 oz Nolan Atamanchuk
Canada goose Youth Female 11 lb 12 oz Morgan Atamanchuk
Snow goose Adult Male 4 lb 2 oz Murray Freistadt
Mallard duck Adult Male 3 lb 11 oz Richard Polanik
Mallard duck Youth Male 3 lb 9 oz Nolan Atamanchuck
Mallard duck Youth Female 2 lb 14 oz Morgan Atamanchuk
Pintail duck Youth Male 2 lb 4 oz Nolan Atamanchuk
Walleye Adult male 9 lb 15 oz Jeremy Dufault
2nd place Walleye Adult male 4lb 12 oz Matt Schidlowsky
Walleye Youth Male 3 lb 0 oz Dylan Dufault
Walleye Youth Female 2 lb 8 oz Karlee Dufault
2nd place Walleye Youth Female 2 lbs 0 oz Jaycee Dufault
Pike Adult Male 10 lb 7 oz Jeremy Dufault
Pike Adult Female 21 lb 12 oz Kaitlyn Wickenhauser
Pike Youth Male 13 lb 7 oz Nolan Atamanchuk
Pike Youth Female 2 lb 11 oz Jaycee Dufault
Perch Adult Male 1 lb 9 oz Carson Saretsky
2nd place Perch Adult Male 1lb 2 oz Chris default
Perch Adult Female 1 lb 10 oz Kaitlyn Wickenhauser
Perch Youth Male 1 lb 3 oz Dylan Dufault
Lake trout Adult Male 20 lb 5 oz Chris Dufault
Bass Adult Male 2 lb 8 oz Chris Dufault
Splake trout Adult Male 3 lb 6 oz Richard Polanik
Rod Earis Master Angler Award Kaitlyn Wickenhauser
Humboldt Wildlife Federation Archery Award Bear 18 9/16 Colin Pratt
Fay Folden Memorial Award Pronghorn antelope 73 6/8 Mark Schick
Bobbie Kopp Memorial Award Taylor Wittke
