UPDATED JAN.19/25
Welcome to Dirt Hills Wildlife Federation.
The club was established on January 9/ 1999. We are an affiliated club under Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation. Our first year we sold 180 memberships. We now sell over 800 yearly, with our peek at just shy of 1200. As of 2024 we have donated over $40,000.00 to Habitat Trust, over $20,000.00 to youth programs. Help purchase habitat land in the Parry area which we pay the land tax on yearly. We have been active in the Hunter Ed program and Federal Firearms Training, unfortunately we have no trained instructors at this time, but we will support any classes in Avonlea financially if requested to help in advance. We setup Avonlea and Rouleau schools with the NASP program(national archery in school). We set up 4 – $500.00 Scholarship in 4 schools, Avonlea, Rouleau , Milestone and Pangman.
We have released close to 5,000 Pheasants over the years in the local area, mainly on DU quarters, the birds will spread out from their. We have been more than honored partnering up with the Regina Wildlife and their Pheasant release program to carry on with the annual release of 150 to 200 birds every year.
Stocked our local reservoir with Northern Pike and Perch several years ago. 300,000 Walleye Fry were released every 2nd year by volunteers from our club. The fry came from the hatchery operated by the Moose Jaw Wildlife at Buffalo Pound, which get their eggs from the provinces spawning camps. The Sask fisheries control where the fry are to be released each and every year.
A few years ago, our reservoir water table was so low, we lost our Walleye population due to low oxygen levels. Sask Fisheries have not yet committed to restocking the walleye. Perch seem to have disappeared at the same time. The Northern Pike population is doing great though, making it a great water body for taking kids out fishing as the Pike are always active. With Dunnet Regional Park being right there it makes for an awesome getaway from the hustle of the city life. Winter Ice fishing is also a enjoyable past time and is an active pastime by so many as soon as the ice is safe.
One might say our biggest venture was our Shooting Range. It is on private land not far out of Avonlea. It took many years to get it to the point we could apply to have it accredited, but, in the fall of 2012 it was accredited for restricted and non-restricted firearms with no caliber restriction. The range was re-certified in late 2024 for another 5 years with the same classes. With the Liberal government going after us legal firearm owners, with all the bans, we have noticed a decline on the membership and range usage. We have also heard that many are not aware that the HAND GUN TRANSFER BAN, does not affect you from still taking your handguns and other restricted firearms to the certified ranges and enjoying the shooting sport. One thing you must understand also, in order to comply with restricted firearm possession laws, you MUST hold a yearly valid membership with a Certified Club/ Range.
Jan. 9/2025 was start of our 26th year as an affiliated club of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation. We are down to 5 members out of over 800 annually sitting on the Executive board of Directors and this if by far not enough to keep the club active in all our programs/projects. We are a Wildlife club, not just a shooting club! Our team is getting older, and like everyone else, we all have busy lifestyles to keep up with, so the club is in dyer need of members to sit on the executive board and take on the tasks of the club projects, activities and running the club. We have postponed so many projects, and club functions as we have no one to ORGANIZE them. Even keeping up on the gun range maintenance is impossible most months. Without more members getting involved at the board level, the future of this club is questionable, very questionable. I will try to keep meeting dates posted well in advance, but we struggle to have meetings with a quorum of 5 required and only 5 active members.
Please, seriously consider joining the executive team to keep this club and it’s programs alive. Any member in good standing can come to a meeting.
Remember, we are a Wildlife Organization, not just a Shooting Club.
Safe Hunting, Fishing and Shooting everyone
Warren Howse
President