An Outdoorsman’s Journal: The Joe 2025Venison Processing - recordgleaner_20251231_trg-2025-12-31-0-011_art_0.xml
An Outdoorsman’s Journal: The Joe 2025 Hello friends, KAMO, also known as Kids And Mentors Outdoors (kamokids.org), is one very cool organization that is bent on getting kids outside. We have six chapters in Wisconsin, and we are very good at what we do. This week I am going to write about our annual “Joe”deer hunt, which is based out of the MacKenzie Center at Poynette. We take 23 kids deer hunting all over Columbia County, teach them about biology and hunter’s safety, feed them for three days, and have some pretty cool events at night. Mark Walters not offered a good shot. This morning our hunt was uneventful, but this afternoon’s was the opposite. We are hunting in a box stand that was built many moons ago and watching a forest that was recently logged. Due to many treetops, visibility is poor. The bonus is that lots of deer are feeding on the new growth from the treetops of the fallen oaks. Brody had a lot of experiences, including one where we watched a buck breed a doe three times and he could not get a shot. Back at camp, well after dark, our deer pole now has 15 deer on it and the mood is electric despite the freezing temps. Tonight we had our annual bingo game for the kids. All 23 participated and 23 games were played, with each young hunter winning a gift, which in most cases was something donated by the good people of the Beaver Dam area and wrapped by Sally Braker, who is the wife of Jim Braker, president of Dodge County KAMO. Last spring I was given a brand new 12 Winchester 12-gauge that I donated to one of our final games of bingo. The Dodge County chapter of KAMO donated a Federal Firearms 20-gauge over-under shotgun and two very cool games of bingo were played. Brooklyn Goldberg of Fox Lake won the Winchester and Sully Subera of La Crescent, Minn., won the 20-gauge. These kids were both very helpful and positive all weekend and the entire group of 23 made us mentors very proud. In closing, I am the founder and president of KAMO and have been since it was born in 2007. I am giving up my position, as I am simply overwhelmed in my very positive life. I also feel that a change would be very good for KAMO. If you know someone who may be interested in the position, let me know. We have an excellent board of directors and I will continue to be a major part of KAMO, just not the top dog! Thank you to everyone who helped make The Joe possible for 2025! Sunset Friday, Dec. 12 — High 23, low 14 I am going to be real short on space to tell this very cool story, so I will be brief on everything. My young hunter is 13-year-old Brody Mueller from Horicon. I met Brody last summer at a KAMO outing on Castle Rock Lake and taught him how to paddle troll a canoe for walleye. Brody is with the Dodge County chapter of KAMO, and KAMO has been a major outdoor lifeline for Brody since his father’s passing four years ago. Frigid weather would be the number-one story this weekend, along with major harvesting of deer. Just today on a short day of hunting, a six-pointer and five doe would be hoisted up the KAMO deer pole. Later this evening, a conservation warden and wildlife biologist would give the kids some sound lessons on safety and wildlife management. We could not be more fortunate as far as the cooks we have. To feed 55 people three times a day for three days takes a lot of planning and volunteers. Our four main helpers were all a part of my childhood as I grew up in Poynette, and without them we would be eating cold meat sandwiches. Venison Processing Black River Country Insurance Group, LLC Catering • Weddings • Funerals Family Reunions • Company Meals We are looking into the future to better serve your needs today. • Auto • Commercial • Farm • Home • Farm Bureau Life Annuities Tim Voigt, Career Agent 93304 450 Hewett St., Neillsville 715-743-2800 tvoigt@ruralins.com 84607 School Sports Calendar Ryan Dillenbeck, Career Agent Saturday, Dec. 13 — High 3, low minus 7 My truck said minus 7 as Brody and I headed towards Pardeeville and then further north to hunt on our new friend Morrey VanSwol’s property. Morrey is 94 and has a handshake as strong as steel and a brain as sharp as a razor. Last night we saw two does, but Brody was 102 E. Main St., Thorp 715-223-2777 715-669-5400 rdillenbeck@ruralins.com www.smithbrosmeats.com Hwy. 13 South • Colby, WI 54421 Granton Greenwood Loyal spencer An Outdoorsman’s Journal: The Joe 2025 Hello friends, KAMO, also known as Kids And Mentors Outdoors (kamokids.org), is one very cool organization that is bent on getting kids outside. We have six chapters in Wisconsin, and we are very good at what we do. This week I am going to write about our annual “Joe”deer hunt, which is based out of the MacKenzie Center at Poynette. We take 23 kids deer hunting all over Columbia County, teach them about biology and hunter’s safety, feed them for three days, and have some pretty cool events at night. Mark Walters not offered a good shot. This morning our hunt was uneventful, but this afternoon’s was the opposite. We are hunting in a box stand that was built many moons ago and watching a forest that was recently logged. Due to many treetops, visibility is poor. The bonus is that lots of deer are feeding on the new growth from the treetops of the fallen oaks. Brody had a lot of experiences, including one where we watched a buck breed a doe three times and he could not get a shot. Back at camp, well after dark, our deer pole now has 15 deer on it and the mood is electric despite the freezing temps. Tonight we had our annual bingo game for the kids. All 23 participated and 23 games were played, with each young hunter winning a gift, which in most cases was something donated by the good people of the Beaver Dam area and wrapped by Sally Braker, who is the wife of Jim Braker, president of Dodge County KAMO. Last spring I was given a brand new 12 Winchester 12-gauge that I donated to one of our final games of bingo. The Dodge County chapter of KAMO donated a Federal Firearms 20-gauge over-under shotgun and two very cool games of bingo were played. Brooklyn Goldberg of Fox Lake won the Winchester and Sully Subera of La Crescent, Minn., won the 20-gauge. These kids were both very helpful and positive all weekend and the entire group of 23 made us mentors very proud. In closing, I am the founder and president of KAMO and have been since it was born in 2007. I am giving up my position, as I am simply overwhelmed in my very positive life. I also feel that a change would be very good for KAMO. If you know someone who may be interested in the position, let me know. We have an excellent board of directors and I will continue to be a major part of KAMO, just not the top dog! Thank you to everyone who helped make The Joe possible for 2025! Sunset Friday, Dec. 12 — High 23, low 14 I am going to be real short on space to tell this very cool story, so I will be brief on everything. My young hunter is 13-year-old Brody Mueller from Horicon. I met Brody last summer at a KAMO outing on Castle Rock Lake and taught him how to paddle troll a canoe for walleye. Brody is with the Dodge County chapter of KAMO, and KAMO has been a major outdoor lifeline for Brody since his father’s passing four years ago. Frigid weather would be the number-one story this weekend, along with major harvesting of deer. Just today on a short day of hunting, a six-pointer and five doe would be hoisted up the KAMO deer pole. Later this evening, a conservation warden and wildlife biologist would give the kids some sound lessons on safety and wildlife management. We could not be more fortunate as far as the cooks we have. To feed 55 people three times a day for three days takes a lot of planning and volunteers. Our four main helpers were all a part of my childhood as I grew up in Poynette, and without them we would be eating cold meat sandwiches. Venison Processing Black River Country Insurance Group, LLC Catering • Weddings • Funerals Family Reunions • Company Meals We are looking into the future to better serve your needs today. • Auto • Commercial • Farm • Home • Farm Bureau Life Annuities Tim Voigt, Career Agent 93304 450 Hewett St., Neillsville 715-743-2800 tvoigt@ruralins.com 84607 School Sports Calendar Ryan Dillenbeck, Career Agent Saturday, Dec. 13 — High 3, low minus 7 My truck said minus 7 as Brody and I headed towards Pardeeville and then further north to hunt on our new friend Morrey VanSwol’s property. Morrey is 94 and has a handshake as strong as steel and a brain as sharp as a razor. Last night we saw two does, but Brody was 102 E. Main St., Thorp 715-223-2777 715-669-5400 rdillenbeck@ruralins.com www.smithbrosmeats.com Hwy. 13 South • Colby, WI 54421 Granton Greenwood Loyal spencer
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