| Members Showcase |
 |
Contact Us:
contact@ffsportsmensclub.com
Club Programs
Shooting Sports:
Skeet
Skeet has a long-standing history at the Fort Frances Sportsmen's Club range at Frog Creek, and still has a dedicated group of shooters who hit the range on Tuesday nights to aim at targets flying at 60 miles per hour. Skeet shooting requires quick reflexes and a steady aim. The shooters stand in various stations on a semicircle that faces two trap houses, with targets flying out of the houses, one or two at a time from opposing directions, with a total of 25 in each series.
It's a really fun sport you don't need much of a blast to break them, but the key is movement; it's all about the swing. The sport takes some getting used to, and like anything, the more you practice at it, the better you'll get. You have to shoot where the target is going to be, not where it is, and that's a hard thing to do.
The average cost is $7 per person per round to pay for the targets and the shells to load your gun-no more than the cost of going to see a movie. New shooters are always welcome, and can get individualized instruction on Thursdays at the range. Get more information by calling Len Noonan at 274-9131.
Archery
The club meets on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:30pm. Two instructors are available if anyone is interested in learning archery. Contact Blair Beadow at 274-9889.
Rifle
The rifle range is open to club members. It has berms at 50 yards, 150 yards and 200 yards. It's a great place to teach the novice shooter in a safe environment. Also a great place to try-out your sites before big game season.
The range office is Willy Anderson and can be contacted at 274-6702.
Community Fish and Wildlife projects
Hare Study:
Purpose: To monitor hare populations and use this as an indicator for predator populations (lynx) as well.
We have applied for funds to continue this project for the 4th year. It initially involved setting up 4 hare pellet count survey plots east of town. Each plot consists of 4 stakes, each 10m apart. Around each stake we count all pellets within a 1m radius (annually) and then ensure the site is clean in preparation for the following year. This is alot more fun than it sounds. If you aren't involved in scatology you should be!
Data is turned in to the MNR, who include it in their provincial data summary.
Cougar Watch:
Purpose: To gather evidence of the presence of a wild cougar population in Ontario.
We are entering our 3rd year with this province-wide program. We wait for a reliable sighting and then set up a station in that area. Each station consists of trail camera(s), hare snare apparatus, scent and visual attractants. New for 2009 is a commercially manufactured scent post/hare snare from Envirotel (P.Q.). They have developed their own scent lure and once set up, this need only be refreshed once a month.
The monthly monitoring would include collection of any hair samples and scats at the site, refreshing the scent lure, exchanging camera cards and replacing camera batteries. Samples are sent to the MNR lab in Peterborough for analysis, and all pistures that could be those of a cougar are forwarded as well.
In 2008 one photo, identified as "it could only be a cougar" by experts in Canada and the U.S., was taken by a program camera. The program relies on a great deal of chance, but as it grows we may get more positive results.
Seeding Logging Roads:
The seeding project was organized by Jeff Johnston and Ben Wiersema.
Abitibi Bowater was contacted, maps were obtained, seed ordered and records kept of the number of kilometres traveled and the number of kilometres seeded.
Johnston mounted a spreader on the back of his ATV, and using his half ton, hauled the bags of seed to the various sites indicated by the company. It took several days to complete the job as the roads to be sown were scattered throughout the Crossroute Forest.
Len Noonan, Henry Miller and Richard Boileau assisted Johnston on different days. Eighty-two kilometres were seeded.
Moose Management Review:
Last summer the MNR announced a review of the provinces moose management program. Meetings were held to review these programs. One of the meetings, held in Dryden, brought together hungers from around the area.
Sportsmen’s Club members Jeff Johnston, Brad Houghton, Darold Shute, Henry Miller, Ben Wiersema, and Blair Beadow attended. As well, Bruce Hamilton, representing Zone A, and Jack Hedman, representing OFAH, travelled from Fort Frances.
Gord Easton, from the MNR office in Wawa, presented a package for information and discussion. The package mentioned how caribou, elk, and deer will be managed in relation to each other. It outlined what tools should be used to manage the moose population and what changes could be made to the resident tag draw.
A review of the tag draw is necessary because of concerns raised by hunters about the process and because of changes in moose populations.
The presenter did not give any answers but made suggestions as to what could be done. Shortened seasons, changing the dates of seasons, larger groups for party hunting, draw for calf tags, and no calf season are some of the possibilities.
Broader consultation is planned in 2009.