ORANCO BOWMEN MONTHLY NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER 2018
ORANCO BOWMEN ARCHERY CLUB
Club President   

By: Joe Dotterer - Club President

Well I'm back from my Alaska Caribou hunt. I didn't get one again this year but we did see a lot more than my last trip. If you ever get a chance to do a hunt in Alaska, it is a fantastic trip. Flying in a Super Cub with tundra tires and landing on a ridge top or a sand bar, as we did this time. (This makes no sense) We were 125 miles from the nearest town and...If you want to know more, get with me sometime at the range.

Before my trip we were able to get some major improvements done at the range. If you haven't been to the range lately, you should notice the practice butt awning has been extended 8 ft to shade the bow racks and tables. I need to give a very big thank you to the 4 other people that helped with this project. Steve Smith, Bill Waltz, Max Burk, Todd Dancer and a new member of only 2 weeks, Rick Delmonico. Guy, I can't say enough for your help except, thanks. Also thanks to the Oranco Board for approving the $4700 to fund the project.

The front gate area fence was finally fixed and we were able to get the drivers insurance to pay this time.

Caltrans has cleaned the Euclid & 71 easement out in Bear Valley and they did a great job. I've talked to them 3 times to try to get the Bear Valley fence fixed where a car went through. We had 2 meeting with the Park Dept while I was gone. Pete and Chriss attended them and we were well received. We have a new contact at the Park Dept again so it was meet and greet (makes no sense). We seem to get a new contact every 12 to 18 months. It would be nice to get somebody in that position to stay for a few years so that we could build a relationship.

We have hired a outside weed spraying company to do most of our weed spraying. They did the Valley range 3 weeks ago and now you can tell what is dying. We hope this will cut down on the weeds and tumble weeks.

We bought some larger trees through Al Wiscovitch and will be planting them soon. They are green all year and are suppose to be drought resistant also.

Bill Waltz and Pete Whitworth did some major backhoe work to get ready for the Tomahawk shoot on Oct 14th. They pulled out the old Tomahawk brace and moved it to the bowl area on the mountain range to make it safer. They fixed target 22 on the Mt. Range and the trail to 23. What a difference it has made. Great work guys.

We will be doing some repairs to the car bridge very soon. Hopefully it will be done before the Tomahawk.

We hosted the State Target Shoot again this year and we had over 100 shooters over the 2 days. We had to turn some people away as we were full. We will probably do it a 2nd weekend to allow more shooters next year. We were also glad to see the 2nd VP of Target, Karen Keating come to our range this year. She was complimentary on how we set up the range and how well it was run.

Oranco will be hosting the NAFAC (North American Field Archery Championship) for the 2nd time. This year it will be on November 10th & 11th which is the same round as our State Field Championship.

To compete for awards you must be a full member of NFAA or IFAA and must be a resident of Canada, America or Mexico. This is your chance to be a International Champion.

I will be doing a class on how to shoot a regulation Field, Hunter and Animal round in October. Watch for my notice in the newsletter or our web site. I will also cover how our club, or region and our State & NFAA work together to set shooting rules so everyone is invited and it's free.

There will be a work party Saturday October 13th to get ready for the Tomahawk on Sunday. We also need helpers for Sunday so watch for more info and who to call. I look forward to seeing everyone at the Tomahawk.

Joe Dotterer
(951) 897-5685 
Club Vice President

By: Pete Whitworth - Club Vice President

I would like to address some recent unrest and bad publicity that was brought to our attention by a few members (and non members) at the September 11th meeting. We were told that Oranco is getting a lot of negative write ups on the internet and on Yelp, specifically regarding Joe, Chriss, and myself. We were also told that word around the range is that the three of us are rude.

David, (our website administrator) looked on Yelp and found three negative posts. Two of these were complaining about the “owner of Oranco”, and how he doesn’t know how to run a business. David’s look at Facebook didn’t turn up any negative comments at all.
I personally remember a guy a couple of years ago who stood around the office complaining that we don’t rent equipment or offer training, saying over and over that this is no way to run a business. I corrected him repeatedly by informing him that we are not a business, yet he just kept repeating himself while I was dealing with the usual shooters on that Sunday. No amount of explanation could get it through his head that we are not a business, we do not rent equipment to people with no training, and we do not offer training. The entire concept of volunteer labor was beyond his comprehension.
I think we need to put this into perspective. Three negative posts from non members including people so knowledgeable that they think someone owns Oranco can be summarily dismissed. People like that do not concern me. Ignorance of all facts is their right, and they also have the right to post nonsense.

What does concern me is the fact that some of our own newer members apparently feel the same way, to the point that they brought this to the meeting and pointed to these bad reviews to bolster their point.

To those members I say that you are missing a lot of facts that should put this into perspective for you.

Let’s start with a brief history…….

Oranco is a private club with stated archery and community related goals that you can read about in our By-Laws. As a club, we are serious about those goals and a quick look around the range will attest to that, once you understand how we got here.

Oranco moved to our current location from Orange County in 1980. At that time Oranco was a barren piece of land with very few trees and a trickle of water that we called the creek before it eroded into the canyon that it is now.

Since then, this place has evolved from the desert like property and the dead body that our volunteer working members soon found in the creek, to the Oranco you see today.
Our 5 star range and club with all its amenities didn’t get handed to us by the parks department, the corps of engineers, or anyone else. Our volunteer working members did everything you see, mostly with hand tools and hard labor.

So, all of the amenities you see today were done for you by the very people that are being disparaged as having a bad attitude. The trees alone were a major undertaking. We drilled holes in this concrete like soil and planted 400 trees in the first week or two of seriously addressing the shade issue. We are still planting trees today, as soon as we get water to the places we need them. There are still many members that can tell you what it was like when we had no shade.

Note: someone shot a hole through a barrel that is part of the watering system on the hill. I mention that to show that we are building this place up despite the lack of respect that it takes to purposely wreck property that we have put so much time and effort into.

Our President Joe Dotterer joined the club in 1981 and immediately jumped in to help create the range that we all enjoy today. Unlike most of us, Joe didn’t work a day here and a weekend there, he was and still is regularly here four days a week, working tirelessly for our benefit and the health of archery in general. Joe is the person who keeps track of our range records, stays in contact with the Parks Department and Corps of Engineers, meeting with them to negotiate the terms and parameters that we work within. He is also the guy you see out there on weekdays, soaked with sweat and caked with the dirt we all walk on as we enjoy the fruit of his hard labor.

I joined in 1983 and at that time anyone wanting to join Oranco had to have a sponsor willing to vouch for them over a period of three months. Luckily someone was willing to make sure I learned the rules and responsibilities I signed up for. I had to attend work parties and meetings for those three months, and was confirmed as a member once I completed that. I have been a working member ever since.

Chriss Bowles joined the club around 2005 although it seems like I have worked with him for as long as I can remember. Chriss is the Range Captain and he runs all the State, National, and North American tournaments that we host. Like the rest of us, he is no stranger to the work of maintaining our little 48 acre piece of ground plus he coordinates the events we do to promote archery to the younger generation at places like Raahages, Glen Halen, Tonner Canyon, and here at Oranco.

That was a quick introduction to the three of us who seem to have garnered the ire of those who find us to be rude.

We get it. We are heavily invested in Oranco and it falls upon the three of us more than other board members to maintain rule and order on the property. People don’t like rules, (heck, I don’t either), however; the few rules we have are absolute and were created for good reason after much debate.

I can’t speak for Joe or Chriss but from my perspective I find myself increasingly having to explain rules that members should already know and respect. I tend to issue verbal warnings before taking action, and they probably do too.

Now that I am seeing the problems getting worse rather than better I do get frustrated and even wonder if I am warning the same people over and over. I am now making sure I know who I spoke to in the past, by taking a picture of their membership card. Plus in cases where immediate expulsion from the club is the rule, I bend it a bit and tell them that this is their one and only warning. Two things fall under that. Overhead drawing and target camping.

Illegal taking of game is one place where I have no latitude at all. If I become aware of that, it is cause for immediate expulsion from not only Oranco but from CBH as well. This could be considered a one and only warning, but none will be given at the time of this offense.

Now, it’s all well and good that people sit out here under the trees that we planted for them, stirring the pot and becoming more and more annoyed with our perceived attitude, however; it would be far more constructive to join the volunteer working members who make up the core of this club so you can bring your grievances directly to us. If you don’t like how things are done, come out and help us come up with solutions. We argue, sometimes we have an “attitude,” sometimes we get a bit animated. At the end of the day, we always make this club a better place. You can too.

Pete Whitworth
(909) 223-5822
Treasurer

By: Louie Lopez - ob.treasurer@outlook.com

Nothing to Report.

Louie Lopez
(714) 538-7202
Range Captain
 
By: Chriss Bowle s -  Club Range Captain
 
Just a quick update from the range. The Mountain range targets are looking a little bit rough out there right now. I know it’s hot and its hunting season, but let’s get them cleaned up pretty quick. The tumbleweeds are starting to take over again. Joe has had a guy out there spraying, but the dead tumbles will still need to be removed. Let’s get on it.

We had a real good State 900 round at the range last weekend. Looks like 112 total shooters. I really enjoyed seeing the kids out there battling it out. Thanks again to Tom Battinich, Mike McGraw (from Cherry Valley) and June Montenegro for helping these kids in their archery pursuits. These 3 guys put in a lot of time and energy to coach these JOAD teams and it’s great to see the results. Anyone that would like to start a program at Oranco please feel free to step up. I think it would be really cool to have a great JOAD team and see the young people out at Oranco again. There is plenty of money out there so all we need is a volunteer or two. We can foot the bill for everything else. A special thanks to Max Burks, Todd Dancer and Bill Waltz for setting up the Range for the 900. It was hot as usual and these guys did a terrific job of chalking and getting the targets out. Super job guys! Another shout out to my shoot day team of Pete Whitworth, Dave Bacon, Al Wiscovitch, Don Bridgewater and Dale Boyer. All of these guys did a great job helping to corral the kids, assist with scoring and keep things running smoothly. I think the whole shoot went well. Thanks to all who shot for your patience. I hope you guys enjoyed it. We will be running 2 weekends next year in order to accommodate additional shooters from all age groups.

Everyone needs to get fired up for NAFAC!! Yes we have the North American Field Archery championships coming up at Oranco in November. Now is a good time to get your registration in. This will be a standard 84 target field/animal/hunter round. There are a few unique rules for this tournament, but not that much to remember. It’s a fun tournament and will see a lot of visitors to the range. There is even rumor of a possible Kim Gentner sighting! Sign up and come on out. It should be a lot of fun!! November 10th and 11th.

A couple of hunting topics. I am sure everyone has heard about the bear attack out in Beaumont during Bear archery season. Always an important note when bow hunting to WAIT 30 TO 45 MINUTES before starting out of the stand to track. Broad heads are not about shock and awe like a rifle bullet. They are about bleeding out. The shooter needs to wait and give that animal time, especially when it is dangerous game like bear. Looks like a couple of other incidents of predator attacks outside the state in Wyoming and Alaska. Important note here is to keep moving when quartering up the animal. You are not the only one in the woods that would like a taste of the carcass. Get that thing sliced up and get moving! In a state like California, where you can’t carry a gun, that becomes especially important. In the immortal words of wild Bill Hickok…”take your time in a hurry”.

One last note would be to watch out for rattlesnakes at the range. We have killed a couple this year. Decent sized too! Keep your eyes open and please make sure it’s a rattler first. Don’t kill the king snakes. They do a nice job on the rodent population and that really helps.

Start thinking about the CBH/SAA state meetings in January (11-13). Now would be a good time to make reservations as rooms will fill up fast. There should be some lively discussion so make it point to go if you have time. It will be my first one on the dais so it should be interesting.

I know hunting season has been good for everyone and I look forward to seeing everyone out at the range this fall to share some stories. Until then please be safe and mark you calendars for all of the upcoming events.

Chriss Bowles
(951) 757-4571
 Hunt Chairman

By: Bill Leal - Club Hunt Chairman   

Hi all,

I was reading a article in a magazine and it was about LYME DISEASE. Lyme disease comes from a bite of a WOOD TICK that is carrying the disease. Be careful when you are walking in the woods, through tall grass, leaf piles, and on deer you have harvested. Lyme disease is in all 50 states and in California the percentage is climbing higher and higher every year, so be careful. Symptoms of Lyme disease are similar to the flu and a wood tick bite leaves a bulls eye like mark at the bite location, so be aware. For those of you who don't know what a tick is search for it on the internet.

Don't forget to send in the game cards! You can leave them at the club house or at the mailbox next to the to the front gate. If by chance you don't have any game cards you can pick them up at the club house every Sunday from 8:30 am to 2 pm or at the meetings on the second TUESDAY of each month from 7 to 9 pm. Come to the meetings, it is important as a club member to see how the club is run, if you have anything to say bad or good or suggestion we will listen to you so make it a date to attend. Non-members are invited to the meetings and to shoot on Sundays from 8:30 am to 2 pm for a small fee.

If you need any game cards, send me a email and I will send you some. Be sure to put your name, phone number, and address on the email, so I can send them. You can put small and big game on the same card.

When you are done deer hunting in the state of CALIFORNIA you have to turn in your tags if you got a deer or not to CDFW. Look on the internet CDFW to get more information. Finally, watch out for fires, rattlesnakes, and drink plenty of water to keep hydrated.

Bill Leal 
(714) 803-9617 - Cell
(714) 523-5284 - Home
7328 El Dorado Drive
Buena Park CA 90620-7589
Range Secretary

By: Tony Tobin - Club Range Secretary

Nothing to report.

Side note:
If you want to contact Tony please text him. He is much more likely to respond back. Thank you.
   
Tony Tobin
(626) 354-2268
Tournament Chairman

By: Don Reiter. - Tournament Chairman

Nothing to Report.

Don Reiter
(909) 263-6703
Club Secretary

By: Amanda Duchardt - Club Secretary

Hi All!
For those members that were unable to attend the Club Meeting in September, here are the goings-on highlights:

  • The State 900 tournament was held on September 8-9. Everything went smoothly.
  • Next shoot is the Tomahawk Shoot on October 14. This shoot is a 2 arrow shoot with 39 3D targets and 3 paper targets. Bill Waltz and Pete Whitworth rented a backhoe and moved the tomahawk target location to the bowl. Bill is an AMAZING operator.
  • Inventory of 3D targets is complete. We’ll be placing and order for new/replacement targets soon.
  • Please check your email and the Oranco website for details regarding free archery lessons for beginners for one hour on Saturday and every other Sunday. This is a great opportunity for new members to learn the basics and most importantly – safety!
  • A couple members and prospective members attended the meeting to voice concerns about their negative interactions with some of the Board Members. While the Board is comprised of volunteers and it is often our job to enforce rules, the Board is the face of Oranco to the public (such as on Sunday openings) and a friendlier environment will attract members while a negative/accusatory attitude will chase away good members and decrease participation in club activities and events.
  • Reminder: Please don’t throw anything in the portable toilets that doesn’t belong there (diapers, beer cans, etc.)!

Want to be informed or get involved? Our next club meeting is Tuesday, October 9 at 7 pm in the club house. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a Board Member, please reach out to one of the Board Members for more information.
Club Meeting Minutes are available in a binder at the Club office or email Ob.Secretary@outlook.com for a copy. The Summary of Board/Member Actions from the last meeting are included below.
Membership Chairmen  
 
By: Samantha Ewertz - Club Membership

Hello Everyone,
Our current membership is at 384.
I would like to welcome the following new members;

Richard Delmonico
Steve Perez
Verle Smith
Mark Bertone
Daniel Frazier
Aimee Trejo
Lloyd Wellington
Panupan Viboonvutiwong
Kirk Jesse
John Busic
Norman Kristiansen
John Flis
Maurce Walker
Raul Garcia
Matthew Jenkins
Frank Takacs
T. Crosser

Samantha Ewertz
Flint Captain

By: Jason Duysings - Club Flint Captain

Nothing to report.
Jason Duysings
951.906.4021
Two Year Board Member

By: Al Wiscovitch - Two Year Board Member

Nothing to report.

Al Wiscovitch
(909) 322-3869
Oranco Bowmen Archery Range

Occupying about 45 acres, Oranco Bowmen Archery Club is a NFAA certified 5-star range. This is the highest certification given by NFAA. We are the only range in Southern California with practice butts from 10-80 yards in 5-yard increments. If you need a place to "dial in" your bow, this is it! 

Oranco also has two NFAA roving courses: Our Valley Course is a level 28-target course, consisting of 14 animal and 14 hunter paper targets. For those who desire a bit more of a physical challenge, our Mountain Course is a hilly 28-target course offering 14 Field targets and another set of 14 animal paper targets. The Layout changes occasionally.
Oranco Bowmen Archery Club - Range Map 
Oranco is not responsible for lost or stolen belongings.

Please remember to lock your vehicles when you are not present and always take your equipment home with you. We have received reports about stolen equipment, and want everyone to understand that you alone are responsible for your belongings . We advise you to put your identification information on your belongings and try not to leave anything unattended.

Remember: We are open to the public on Sundays and during shoots. During these events it is much more difficult to track who is on range property, especially if people do not sign in at the office.

Be safe and responsible everyone.
NFAA Shooting Class
 
Learn how to shoot an official NFAA Hunter, Field and Animal round. Also learn how shooting rules, equipment rules and other rules are proposed from the Club to our Region, to CBH then NFAA
The class will run 1 to 1½ hrs. Just show up.

NO preregistration is required.

Open to all members and Guest
Sunday, Oct.28 2018 @ 9AM
 
Questions call Joe Dotterer (951) 897-5685.
WORK PARTY

SATURDAY  OCTOBER 13th at 8:00 am

Bring gloves and racks.
No reservations required, just show up.

Target set up:

Assembly area clean up
Cook shack prep
General Range cleaning
Target Gluing

All you can eat lunch!

  Announcements  

Range Beautification Party : We would greatly appreciate your help and support to the upcoming Work Parties. Keep an eye out for the email blast. All Club Members and their families are invited. Per Joe Dotterer, Club President there will be an “ ALL YOU CAN EAT LUNCH ” served for ALL of our Volunteers who come out and help.

Your assistance ensures that the Oranco Bowmen Archery Club remains the best in Southern California. There is a reason why people travel from all over California to shoot at our Archery Club. Get involved and help us out.  
 
Cook Shack Workers Needed : Positions are still available for volunteers to help out during the upcoming shoots. Tony Tobin will be taking over Cook Shack Assignments effective immediately. Terry Lopez will no longer be accepting calls for Cook Shack volunteers.

Please contact Tony Tobin in order to reserve your spot at: Cell# (626) 354-2268  . TEXT ONLY because he cannot answer his Cell Phone at work. Leave your name and your cell phone number.First Come, First Serve.   

Target Camping : This is NOT Allowed...Period. Your Membership will be terminated for doing this! The Practice Butts are for sighting in, improving your archery skills, and honing your accuracy. The Roving Range is just that, Roving. Shoot 4 arrows, Score them, then move on to the next target. 

You have been warned. Don't do it. It is not worth it.  

Public Land Elk With a Longbow

I recently caught up with good friend, Jim Neaves, of Centuar Archery in Montana, to hear about his public land elk hunt with a longbow in the river bottoms of western Montana. It was one of those special hunts where Jim found himself in the right place at just the right time. Jim shares his story here…


The Journey For A Longbow Super Slam

The grizzly was occupied chasing salmon when I loosed an arrow from my longbow. On impact the bear spun like a tornado, fighting the arrow. As I’ve done dozens of times, I subconsciously grabbed another arrow from my back quiver and nocked it by feel.


Tips for Stalking Antelope and Mule Deer

The setting South Dakota sun washed the prairie grass in gold as I ducked out of sight and charged forward to intercept the moving and feeding pronghorn.

I started slowing down as I reached a slight rise that separated us. Then, the top of her back appeared within bow range. I nocked an arrow and rose up just high enough to get a rangefinder reading – 60 yards. As she cleared the rise, I hit full draw. She walked about five steps closer and then presented the shot I was expecting. My arrow hit both lungs, and my white-and-tan prairie prize fell in a lifeless heap.

  NEWSLETTER GOAL 
Mission Statement :
My Goal as Newsletter Editor is to help Members stay informed with the Operations and Activities that are going on in and around the Oranco Bowmen Archery Club. Your suggestions are welcome and appreciated. Check out our Club Website : Oranco Bowmen Archery Club Website