Club President   

By: Al Wiscovitch - Club President

Hello Oranco members, 

Wow, what a great weekend of weather, great 3-D shoot a big thank you to Jim Teel and all of our members who have given so much of their time making our range as nice as it is at the moment. Also thank you to all those who help to set up our 3-D event. If you all don’t know who is behind our 3-D tournaments yes, it’s Pete Whitworth our VP He has been doing this for our club for over twenty+ years, his unconditional dedication is why Oranco continues to be successful.

I would also like to thank Melinda and her crew for their hard work keeping up with our cookshacks service. It’s not easy getting this done each time we put on these events, but Melinda stays the course and finds a way to make sure we get shooters fed and happy. So please, when you stop to buy something to eat or drink thank her and her crew for giving us so much of their time.

For some updates: We have started our annual service of our equipment and will continue till we have all of our equipment done it’s not easy keeping everything going without a problem or two. So please when using our equipment use it correctly if you don’t know how it works then you should learn first before you operate any of our equipment. The cost and time we put into repairs can be very expensive and need everyone to be more careful when using them.

Banquet is set for May 16th we will be sending out RSVP’s very soon so please look for them this will be our 73rd year as a club, so please let’s make it a fun night! 

Update: As I have shared, we will be hosting the one-day Field shoot and on that same weekend we will also host the Southwest Regional field event. Here’s the twist there will be a new format for the Southwest regional more to come after we return from our state meeting.

How many of you know who has built most of our roads at Oranco? Well, if you said Bill Waltz yes Bill has been one of our long-time members and a self-employed equipment operator and has given so much of his time and dedication to our range. Bill is now retired but still gives a lot to maintain our range. Who also received the lifetime members award last year at our banquet, so when you see Bill out there either mowing or serving our roads say thank you without people like Bill and Pete who give so much and ask for no return. That’s why our club is always the leader of the pack!

One last comment, I know that a lot of you have heard about the removal of the deer on Catalina Island has been approved and is planned to take place over the next 5 years. But it’s not too late to text or write CDFW and file your thoughts on how inhumane it would be to slaughter all these deer and leave them to rot where they fall so, please chime in you can also go to Catalina discussion 2.0.

Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram and YouTube as well, it makes a difference! 

As always, 

Thank you for reading this newsletter.



Al Wiscovitch

alwisco@msn.com

(909) 322-3869

Club Vice President

By: Pete Whitworth - Club Vice President

Hi everyone. I am Pete, the Vice President and as such it is my responsibility to run our club invitational shoots. I also help our President Al Wiscovitch deal with the day to day running of the club in general, interfacing with the Parks Department, Corp of Engineers, Fire Department and most importantly we handle any complaints or issues that any of you have. Naturally you are always free to voice any issues at our club meetings held on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM in the clubhouse, however; Al and I are here to keep things running smoothly on a daily basis. So, when problems arise, you should always feel free to contact either of us for immediate help.

The Rendezvous Shoot was yesterday the 8th and it went well. We had a nice day, and most of the feedback that I have been getting is that people liked the challenge. This year we had 189 shooters, that is more than last year which was 173.

The setup on Saturday was well planned, and it went smoothly, without needing to make too many alterations along the way. We used a reverse loop (counterclockwise) and that always changes the angles that we shoot, so the shots end up challenging for the most part, because; everything looks different from a different perspective. I had a great crew for setup, and we were done with the last animal and backing the trailer into it’s spot at 11:57.

Today, we did the target pickup in excellent time. Steve and Harold pulled all the numbered stakes and brought them to the trailer where the crew loaded them into their holders.

The next shoot will be the Big Game shoot on April 5th. Setup will be on the 4th, and we will be doing the take down on Monday the 6th. The Big Game shoot is as the name implies, the shoot where we bring out all of our Big Game animals. In general, the animals are larger, the distances are longer, and the Elk doesn’t taste any better than it did last year. That said, it’s always a fun shoot, and you are welcome to come out on Saturday to camp for the weekend. Actually, we should be camping there on Friday night so call me if you want to come then and lets make it happen.

As always, if you have any Oranco issues, feel free to call or text me. If you call, leave a message, because I do not answer numbers that are not already in my phone.

That’s all for now folks.

Pete.

Pete Whitworth

ob.vicepres@outlook.com

(909) 223-5822

Range Captian

By: Jim Teel - Range Captain  

State of the Range (Feb 2026)

Thanks to everyone with range assignments, our range is in great shape. As always, there are multiple projects in the works and your help is always needed. A couple of range assignments have recently become available and I am looking to fill those roles as soon as possible. If you're interested in helping to take care of our range in exchange for your club dues, then contact me and we'll discuss the roles that are available. 

Bill Waltz and I replaced the bale on target #16 (Mountain Range) last week. As most of you know, that's a particularly daunting part of the course to swap out bales. If you'd like to see what that process entailed, a short video is up on the Oranco YouTube channel. Link to video: https://youtube.com/shorts/BEU3Wwz6LVs?si=TMEUKZmp5ZSx8QW7

I plan to replace a couple of bales on the practice range hopefully this week before the rain hits us again. The used bales are for sale for anyone interested in creating their own backyard range. Cost is $40 for non-members and $30 for members. They are very heavy and have to be loaded onto a truck or flatbed trailer with the tractor. You can contact Bill Waltz or myself to arrange that transaction. 

There are a number of trees throughout the range that are in various states of decay. I decide which ones are the priority to cut down based on how much of a threat they pose to either parked cars, common areas of foot traffic - or both. The tree nearest to the vehicle bridge was in pretty bad shape, posing a danger to vehicles and people crossing it - as well as a danger to the bridge itself... so, I cut it down. 

I will be needing some help to buck and split all of that wood (hopefully sooner rather than later) so volunteers are needed for that effort. Please be mindful of your surroundings when parking your car or truck. I've taped off a couple of areas where dead branches (widow-makers) are still caught up in the branches. Obviously, don't park where it's taped off but also use your own discretion in deciding where to park. The club is not responsible for any damages a falling branch may cause, so choose wisely.

If you're a prospective member or a member already in good standing looking to get some work credits before membership costs are due - then now is the time. Text or call me to make arrangements or simply show up when the work party announcements go out.

See you on the range!

Jim Teel

ob.rangecaptain@outlook.com

(818) 317-9110

Range Secretary

By: Brad Belvedere - Club Range Secretary

To all Oranco board members, Oranco members, and PM's,

I would like to say thank you for letting me carry on as your Range Secretary. I hope I can carry on the tradition that Mark Houston built for our club. 

We will be holding the first of the 2 shoots Mark put on.

Next month on March 7^th 2026. This will be the Champ Shoot. Which is 14 field, 14 hunter and 14 animal targets. This shoot is FREE to all members and PM's. We will also be serving lunch. 

The next shoot will be the 3D Champ Shoot on April 11th 2026. This will consist of" 30" 3D targets. 

Like Mark did in the past you will shoot from the ground blind also the tipping orange canoe. Yes there will also be the dreaded METAL TARGETS. This will offer a lot of hunting like set ups. The cost is $10.00 per person. You may invite one guest, their cost is $15.00 

So please come out and earn yourself a medal, that I will be giving out at our annual banquet. 

Brad Belvedere

ob.rangesec@outlook.com

(951) 545-9462

Tournament Chairman

By: David Bacon. - Tournament Chairman

Nothing to report.

David Bacon

ob.tournament@outlook.com

(909) 217-4441

Membership Chairmen 

By: Steven Baker - Club Membership

Hello Oranco Members,

As we get closer to renewal season, I want to share a few important reminders—especially since several members have already asked about updated membership cards.

Membership Term

Our next membership cycle runs June 1, 2025 through May 31, 2026.

Renewal notices will be sent on May 1, 2026, and all renewals must be completed by May 31, 2026.

Work Party Credits

Work party credits for the 2025–2026 membership year will close on March 31st. There is still time to earn credits before the deadline.

Beginning Sunday, February 15, 2026, a complete list of work party credits for all active members will be posted. You are also welcome to email or text me if you’d like to check your credits directly.

NFAA / CBH Cards

Please make sure your NFAA or CBH membership is current.

If the expiration year on your card ends in 5, it is time to renew.

Even if you are on autorenewal, that renewal confirmation goes only to you—so please remember to send me an updated copy of your card for our records.

As always, thank you to all our volunteers. Your time, energy, and commitment keep our club running strong, and we truly appreciate everything you do.

Steven Baker

ob.membership@outlook.com

(951) 285-1550

League Chairman

By: Mark Van Patten - League Chairman

Hi Oranco members,

By way of introduction, and I think a good majority of you already know who I am, but for those that don’t, my name is Mark Van Patten and I have been an Oranco member for a few years now. I have taken the reins from our previous League Chairman, Brad Belvedere and I will do my best to uphold and maintain the fine work that he did. I would like to thank Brad for all the training, advice and coaching along the way. I would also like to thank Al and the rest of the Oranco Board members for their encouragement and support. Oranco is an outstanding NFAA Five Star range and in my opinion the best in the state. I had the privilege of shooting here at Oranco back in the early 80’s (yes I’m that old) and I’m proud of what it has become since then. 

As your new League Chairman I have planned some good league competition, which is open to all members and PM’s. So please plan on coming out and having some fun competing against other club members. As always, it takes a lot of work and dedication to put on these leagues and I would be grateful for any and all help when it comes time to set them up. We usually do the setup on Friday mornings and the pickup after the shoot.

Our first league shoot will be the summer league starting in June and finishing in July. I’ll post the exact dates when we get a little closer. Both the Summer and Winter Leagues are 5 weeks on Saturday mornings. In between those, I’m planning on holding a Flint League in September which will be on Thursday evenings and run for 4 weeks. 

I look forward to being your new League Chairman and to meeting you all. So if you see me around the range, please don’t be afraid to stop me and say hi.

Shoot straight and have fun!

Mark Van Patten

ob.leagues@outlook.com

(951) 545-9462

If you are looking for photos of previous shoots, check out Tony Nguyen's fantastic photography in the link below! He has an amazing gallery organized by shoots and dates he's participated in:

tcnguyen-Oranco

Check out the Oranco Bowmen Youtube Channel