In this issue: 

Presidents Corner

Carlos Avery Deer Hunt

Banquet and Election News

MDHA North Metro

MDHA and Capable Partners Blind Rebuild Project

2009 Schedule

LQP Deer Hunting 2008

 

President’s Corner 

Dear Fellow Capable Partners Members:

 First, I would like to thank those who participated in and coordinated outings last year.  We had a record year at the MNRV.  We had an old-fashioned deer hunt at Carlos Avery according to Gregg Runyon.  Your participation as both participants, AB’s and coordinators is vital to the mission of Capable Partners.  Keep up the good work!  I would like to thank Roger Hawke and Tim Vraa for their work with the Minnesota legislature and DNR.  Roger is stepping down after many years of excellent work with these government bodies.  Tim has stepped up to take his place.  We look forward to a smooth transition and a continuing good relationship with these organizations.  I would also like to thank you for your confidence in me and electing me to a second term.  I hope I have learned from my first term and can do a better job this time around.

 Second, we have some new board members.  Welcome Lloyd Sinclair, Brian Willinbring, Gregg Runyon, Jerry Foster, and Mansoor Wangnoo.  I look forward to serving with you.  We need fresh ideas and new perspectives.

 Third, we face a challenging economy.  Unfortunately, we need to charge participants a fee of ten dollars ($10.00) to participate in the following events. 

      1.   The day trip on Lake Mille Lacs  

      2.   The night trip on Lake Mille Lacs

      3.   The Major Avenue Hunt        

4.  The Caribou Pheasant Hunt

Please see the 2009 activities schedule for dates for these events.

There are several ways you can help us minimize the impact of the economy on Capable Partners.  We can always use help selling Game Fair raffle tickets both before and at Game Fair.  We can always use help fundraising.  We need ideas for new funding sources and people to contact them.

 Fourth, we are considering making a video about Capable Partners to post on YouTube and link to our website.  If any of you have experience making videos, footage of Capable Partners-sponsored events, or thoughts about this idea, please let me know.  This idea needs plenty of input and work before we are ready to proceed. 

 Fifth, the Minnesota Deer-Hunters Association talked to me about setting up a dove-hunt this fall.  We need help on two fronts with this.  Please check with the Minnesota Legislature and your representative to see that they keep the current dove season.  Also, if you know of anybody who has land on which we might hunt, please let me know.

Again, this is your organization.  We welcome help and suggestions for improvement.  Please email me at mhanson@winternet.com or call me at (952) 381-0025 with any ideas or suggestions. 

Sincerely,

Mike Hanson, Esq.

Volunteer President

 

Millie Lac’s Fishing

We will be at Netti’s Hunters Point. It is about six miles past where we were last year. A $10.00 charge per person will be collected.  Right side of the road.  Watch For the sign.

Carlos Deer Hunt 2008 

Where are all the Deer?

 The Carlos hunt started on Oct 11^th and ran through Oct 18^th. We had 23 hunters sign up for the hunt. This was the first hunt for us, to use the new fully enclosed deer stands that were built over the summer. Everyone appreciated the new stands, but there was one question everyone was asking. WHERE ARE THE DEER?  Nate started us out with a nice doe. Rick & Randy scored late Sunday. Randy was in the running for the small deer award. Monday it poured so the hunt was called. At this point the Carlos hunt turned into a good old fashion deer hunt. The guys hunted hard for the next couple of days and didn’t see any deer. Dan broke the ice and scored a little deer. Rick McCoy could only hunt 1 day, but made the most of it with a nice doe. Barry Hite was able to make it down for a couple of days of hunting and got a nice doe. Tom closed out the season for us, with as it became known as the Massive 3 Pointer. There was a couple deer missed and a few passed up. So with as a tough as a hunt as it was we took 7 deer and broke in the new deer stands. For a change no vans got stuck so it was a very successful season. We finished the Carlos Deer hunt with the banquet in January to thank our helpers. The banquet was special this season as we were able to thank the helpers for not only the hunt, but all the hours put in on building the stands. It was cold as it always is for the banquet, but we had a fantastic turnout. Dan was awarded the small deer award the Little Rattler. Tom was awarded the big deer award for the massive 3 pointer. Lloyd officially scored the antlers and presented them to Tom. So I would like to pass along another Huge Thank You to all the helpers who helped build the stands that were great. We will be able to use these stands for many years. So THANKS AGAIN.  I need to pass along thanks to Lloyd, Jerry & Roger for all your help & the whole Carlos gang for putting up with us for the week again.

Gregg Runyon

Carlos Deer Hunt Coordinator

                                                                                                

MDHA & Capable Partners Deer Stand Rebuild Project

To explain what this project is. I need to start from the beginning. This project has been going on since 1990. This is when it all started. Lloyd Knudson Carlos Avery WMA, Roger Hauck, Bob Grayes & Lloyd Sinclair MDHA & Capable Partners got together in 1990 for the first Minnesota Special Handicapped deer hunt at Carlos Avery. We were going to hunt the normal season on Carlos Avery.

We ran the hunters through an Advanced Hunter Education deer clinic, and we did a mandatory sight in. We used the old NWA gun range off 95^th ave in Blaine for this. They donated range time to us to get the hunters sighted in. Each hunter was required to have a helper and a permit to shoot from a motor vehicle. This was a tool we use to screen our hunters. 

We went out the night before the hunt setup some hay bails and plywood on the ground. The plywood was to make it easier for the hunters in wheelchairs to turn if they needed to get on a deer. The hay bails as a blind to hide us a little bit if we had to move. Well opening morning rolled around rain, snow & wind greeted us at the make shift blinds. It gets better though, when we got to where we had setup the blinds with hay & plywood most of them were gone. Guess somebody else figured it was a good idea and helped them selves to the hay & plywood.  

That’s where Lloyd Knudson went to bat for us. He pushed and got a special season opened in October, when we might have a little better chance at the weather being a little better. We also were allowed to hunt the Carlos Avery sanctuary. This is where the first MDHA deer stand build started. MDHA and many volunteers built 15 ground stands for Capable Partners to use. The stands had 8x8 plywood floors and 4 foot sides to hide the hunters. The side also was a good rest for the hunters to shoot off. The stands were set so we could drive the hunter & helper out to the stands drop them off, and move the vehicle back to a designated spot. We were successful for a number of years using these stands.  

Then the fire hit Carlos Avery. We were all set to hunt then the call came we could not hunt, because we lost a number of stands and the fire was not under control. I had no more then called all the hunters that were scheduled, and told them we could not hunt. When I got a call asking if we wanted to hunt a couple of the stands that didn’t get burned? Well a quick hunt was setup and we even harvested a couple of deer.

This brought on another stand build. MDHA came in and helped purchase material, and rebuilt the stands. They got a little fancier this time. The sides were put on slides so they could move up and down. This way they could be set to a height that would help the hunter use it for a better shooting rest.

In the mean time another hunt was setup at Lac qui Parle. CPA of Sibley MN helped build the deer stands. They went all out here; they totally enclosed the stands and put a roof on them. The windows on all four sides made it so the hunter could see all around. The roof made it so they could hunt in a little bit of comfort.

Then another hunt was setup at Cambridge at Becklin WMA. MDHA came in and helped by purchasing the material to build the totally enclosed stand like Lac qui Parle uses. The hunters that were using these new enclosed stands were starting to like hunting in these stands. So at Carlos Avery we started a project to replace our stands with the enclosed ones.

CPA of Sibley MN donated funds to build 2 stands. With a little wheeling and dealing with Menards of Elk River I was able to get enough material to build 3 stands. I was a little short of money to do this. So I contacted Lloyd Sinclair of the North Suburban chapter, explained the project and he was able to secure the funds so the material was purchased. Jerry George of Carlos Avery built the 3 enclosed stands that were ready for our season 2 years ago. Our hunters really liked these, I even had a chance to try one and it was nice being dry hunting in a down pour.  

This starts our latest project which is what this article was about. A Capable Partner, Terry Havgeto was able to secure material and hardware for 14 stands. I was working with Lloyd Sinclair and the North Suburban Chapter they were able to get a plastic sheeting to enclose the stands with. The sheeting came from MDI Plastic of Grand Rapids; they gave us a fantastic deal on the sheeting. Lloyd made a road trip to MDI and picked up the sheeting. What was looking like a couple year project was going to happen NOW. We got a couple of donations for the stand project from the Perrun family and Gene Striefel. This was enough to get the plywood for the floors & roofs with some money left.  

We started the build in April. On the first morning we had MDHA volunteers, a group of Carpenters, Jerry George of Carlos Avery & Capable Partners. On that Saturday it was raining, so we hauled the building material up to a couple of garages at Carlos Avery. The group put their heads together, and came up with a plan and made a couple of jigs. The assembly started. By the end of the first day the volunteers and built the roofs, walls and floors. They came back on Sunday and built the windows & doors for the 14 stands.

The project went on hold for a couple of months with weather and personal commitments. We got together again in June and started the assembly. The group was able to put together 8 stands. During the week Darrell Erickson of MDHA Lakes Chapter,  Lloyd & Jerry went out and roofed the 8 stands. The next meeting we got the other 6 stands put together again our roofing crew roofed them. We came back again and started putting the sheeting on. We now have just about all 14 stands ready to be placed out and replace the old stands. There are just a few little things to be completed. Jerry, Lloyd, Darrell & Greg said they would be able to pull the old stand and place the new ones. The Capable Partners hunter will be hunting in STYLE this fall for our deer hunt.

I’ve got so many people to thank for this Deer Stand Replacement project that I don’t want to try and do it by name or chapters, because I might miss some body which I don’t want to do. So I want to just So THANK YOU, Carlos Avery WMA, MDHA, the many Carpenters & The many Capable Partners Helpers & Hunters that helped out in getting this project done. 

Gregg Runyon

Carlos Avery Hunter Coordinator

Capable Partners

 

MDHA North Metro Chapter

Greg Runyon

This year at the MN Deer Classic MDHA North Metro Chapter presented Capable Partners with a check for $1000. The money was used to purchase a new fiberglass material for our stand rebuild project at Carlos Avery. By purchasing this cheaper material we will be able to replace 14 stands with an enclosed blind for this fall’s deer season. They also donated 2 portable blinds. .Present from left to right are, Alan, Carol, Lloyd, Ole and Gregg. Thanks again MHDA for you continued support.