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Coon Valley Conservation Club: Our Mission

Achieving our conservation goals through Education, Wildlife Conservation and Habitat Improvement, and Community Involvement

 

EDUCATION

  • Hunter Safety Education - Each spring we sponsor a Wisconsin Department Of Natural Resources Hunter Safety Education Class. This class teaches young sportspersons safe handling and use of firearms and archery equipment, ethical hunting practices, and an understanding and appreciation of sound ethical conservation practices through classroom instruction with hands-on field exercises.
  • Scholarships - Each year we provide financial scholarships to local youth enrolled in conservation related courses of study in colleges and universities around the country.  The Kenny Brye Memorial Scholarship is available to any student who is enrolled in a conservation related degree.  The scholarship is named after club member Kenny Brye who was instrumental in establishing the scholarship program.
  • Grade School Tours - Each spring, the 7th grade class from our local elementary school is invited to the club grounds for a tour.  There are representatives from both the land forestry management and wildlife management programs on hand to act as tour guides.  The students are introduced to the different types of wildlife and plants that exist on our club grounds.  The students also plant about 100 trees in different locations on the grounds.
  • Youth Conservation Camp - Each summer we sponsor area youth in the Wisconsin State Environmental Youth Camp in Stevens Point, WI.  These weeklong camps teach conservation concepts in a fun camp setting and allow our youth to experience many of the pleasures that our great outdoors have to offer.
  • Boy Scout Troop Sponsor - The CVCC is the sponsor our local Boy Scout Troop. Troop activites conducted at the CVCC clubgrounds include meetings, campouts, and participation in shooting events. The Scouts also assist with CVCC events including our annual chicken Q and highway clean-ups.
  • Other Community Education - We also sponsor various shooting sports organizations and activities in our area including the 4-H Shooting Sports Program and the Vernon County Law Enforcement Association Youth Field Day. The CVCC hosts all shooting activities for the Vernon County 4-H Shooting Sports Projects including archery, air rifle, .22 rifle, muzzleloaders, and shotgun. Practice sessions are provided for project members, a four county competition shot is held in July and the annual Vernon County Fair Premium Shoot is held the last Sunday in August. All of these activities are conducted by certified 4-H Shooting Sports Project Leaders. We are also proud to sponsor various conservation related library materials to our local schools and libraries.

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION & 

HABITAT IMPROVEMENT

  • Trout Rearing and Stocking - Each spring we release over 2000 wild brook trout into our local streams and rivers.  This effort, in conjunction with the Wisconsin Department Of Natural Resources, has aided in making our area streams the envy of the state, if not the country.  Since 1957, we have raised and stocked more than 135,000 trout!
  • Wildlife Food Plots - Each year a portion of the club grounds is planted in food plots that will be left for our wildlife guests over the winter months.  These plots consist of red clover, alfalfa, sunflowers, corn and grasses.  These plots offer an excellent source of nutrition for the local wildlife over the winter and spring months.  We do not allow fall tillage on our grounds so that the corn and alfalfa that is left in the fall is exposed for the wildlife to enjoy.
  • Tree Planting - A portion of the club grounds is enrolled in a forestry program.  This program focuses on improving the quality of the wood lots on the grounds.  Sound forestry management practices are used to ensure that the majesty and beauty of the forest areas of our club grounds are preserved for future generations.
  • Habitat Improvements - The club grounds also have several areas were habitat improvements have been made.  There have been improvements made to the stream banks on the club grounds.  Various types of birdhouses can be found scattered across the club grounds. We provide housing for many species including: wood ducks, wrens, kestrels, and even bats! There are also several areas where native prairie grasses have been reestablished.
  • Wildlife Management - We also actively participate in reintroducing and managing the various wildlife that call our club grounds home.  We have recently stocked pheasants on our grounds and it is not uncommon to hear the familiar squawk of a rooster pheasant looking for a mate in the spring.
  • Affiliation & Awards - The Coon Valley Conservation Club is an active member of the Vernon County Conservation Alliance and the an affiliate  club in the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation.  In 1997 we were awarded the Wisconsin Conservation Club of the year by the Wisconsin Land & Water Conservation Association.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

  • Active in our Community - The Coon Valley Conservation Club sponsors many activities in which community involvement is encouraged.  These activities are aimed at utilizing the resources of the club grounds, while promoting community involvement with the Coon Valley Conservation Club.
  • Handicapped & Disabled Persons Deer Hunt - Each October our club makes our grounds available to area handicapped and disabled hunters to hunt deer.  We are very proud of this effort, ensuring our handicapped and disabled friends and neighbors have the same opportunities to enjoy our natural resources that we often take for granted.  We also provide assistance and guides for those hunters
    that need these extra requirements.
  • 3-D Bow Shoots - The club sponsors several 3-D bow shoots on the club grounds.  These shoots are typically held during late winter or early spring when cabin fever is running rampant, but we also have a late summer shoot that allows our shooters a last tune-up before the hunting season begins.  These events give the bow shooter an opportunity to hone his or her bow skills.  The 3-D targets offer a realistic target under normal hunting conditions.  We also offer bows for young archers to use in hopes of having them discover the joy of this sport.
  • Muzzleloader Shoots and Invitationals - The CVCC hosts monthly muzzleloader target shoots from April through September that are all open to the public. CVCC members provide not only friendly competition but also free advice and assistance to beginners as well as experts. The May and September shoots are held the third weekend of the month and are invitationals to all muzzleloader enthusiasts for a full weekend of activities including camping, food, practice and competition with both rifle and shootgun, plus all the camaraderie of like minded individuals.
  • Chicken Q & Family Fun Day - Each August, the club holds it’s annual Chicken Q and Family Fun Day.  This event has a host of activities that take place including a horseshoe throwing contest, sawdust pile for the kids, dunk tank, hay rides, and live music.  Oh, did we forget the lip-smackin-est, delicious chicken dinner you’ll find anywhere?
  • Fundraisers - Each spring and fall the club holds a fundraiser banquet at the Coon Valley Village Hall.  Each summer the club holds a fundraiser raffle that offers prizes from firearms to ATVs. The funds  raised from these functions are used to finance our club activities that are listed in this brochure among others.

 

Please click here for a copy of our latest informational brochure.