Francis Creek Sportsman’s Club, 9309 Parkway Road, Manitowoc, on the corner of Parkway and Polifka roads, will hold its annual squirrel hunt and meat raffle Sept. 28.

Hunt registration is 4-9 p.m. Sept. 27. At least one of the hunters in a team must register that evening. Entry fee is $5 per person and an additional $5 per person if participating in the three-person team hunt. Team hunters must be in line no later than 2 p.m. and individual hunters must be in line no later than 3 p.m., no exceptions.

An entry in the hunt automatically enters hunters in a drawing for a squirrel gun. Additional squirrel gun tickets may be purchased at the club.

This will be a 100% payout with a first-place payout and trophy for heaviest fox, gray and red squirrel.

Team payout will be for first, second and third places.

The meat raffle starts immediately after the squirrel hunt trophy presentation and includes chicken, ham, shrimp, beef sticks, steak, cheese, beer, booze, gift certificates from area businesses and other raffle items.

The main gun raffle drawing will be at 9 p.m.

Call or text Bob at 920-860-0941 with any questions.

Even if you don’t hunt, head out to the event and have fun with the whole family. The air-conditioned clubhouse opens with food and a full bar at 10 a.m.

Read last week’s column:A bear for the record book and more in the latest Manitowoc outdoors report

Mishicot FFA fundraising trap shoot is Sept. 28

Mishicot Future Farmers of America will hold its fundraising trap shoot from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Maribel Sportsman’s Club.

The 50-target Lewis Class event will be shot from the 18-yard line and have 25 regular targets and 25 wobble targets.

Cost to shoot will be $30. Food and refreshments will be served.

Also included will be bucket and card raffles.

Proceeds benefit the Mishicot FFA trap team.

Maribel Sportsman’s Club is next to Interstate 43, exit 164, State 147, Maribel.

Woodland Dunes offers ‘Wild Wanderers: Fossils’

Woodland Dunes Nature Center and Preserve in Two Rivers will present “Wild Wanderers: Fossils” Sept. 28.

A complementary program to the “Raising a Wild Child Series,” “Wild Wanderers” is for children ages 5-8 years old (older and younger siblings are welcome to join) and an adult.

Take a deeper dive into various nature topics through guided activities, games and nature hikes. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

In this session, explore the geologic history of Wisconsin through hands-on fossil exploration activities.

Some portions of the program will be led by staff; others will be for families to explore on their own.

Dress for the weather — a majority of the program will take place outdoors.

Registration is required by the Monday before the session, and space is limited. Program runs 9-10:30 a.m.

Cost is $3 per child for members or $4 per child for non-members.

To register, email Jess at jessicaj@woodlanddunes.org or call 920-793-4007.

Open houses set at fish spawning facilities, fish hatchery

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has announced dates for fall open houses at two fish spawning facilities and one fish hatchery.

Over the coming weeks, the DNR will host open houses at the Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility, Root River Steelhead Facility and the Wild Rose Fish Hatchery.

Each of these free events will give attendees a chance to see fish up close and learn how hatcheries and spawning facilities help sustain Wisconsin’s fish populations.

Join the DNR from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility, N3884 Ransom Moore Lane in Kewaunee, to watch salmon egg collection demonstrations, enjoy educational displays and take a guided tour of the facility.

The Algoma Kewaunee Great Lakes Sport Fishermen will also be providing wagon rides. The Root River Steelhead Facility open house will take place from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Oct. 12 at 2200 Domanik Drive, Lincoln Park in Racine. The event will feature guided tours and fish spawning demonstrations. Volunteers from Salmon Unlimited, Trout Unlimited and the Milwaukee Great Lakes Sport Fishermen will be providing educational fishing stations where visitors can try new casting techniques and receive knot and fly-tying lessons.

An open house at the Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery’s education center, N5871 State Road 22 in Wild Rosen, will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 26. This event will celebrate the annual fall salmon migration. Included will be games and educational activities for people of all ages, including learning to cast workshops, fish identification tips or the chance to “swim” upriver like salmon on their migratory journey to spawning areas. Other fish activities include fish printing on tote bags, building a spinnerbait, making Kool-Aid clay fish, and touring the original 1908 hatchery and the modern operation.

More details about each of these events is available on the DNR’s events calendar.

Curd crawl:Manitowoc Curd Crawl fundraiser to crown 2024 Cheese Curd Champion in October. Here’s how to get wristbands.

Temps in the mid-80s say it’s still summer.

As I am putting the finishing touches on this column on Sept. 15, it feels like mid-summer outdoors. Temps are approaching the mid-80s with 77% humidity. Archers will have to get their deer into a cooling unit quickly with these temps.

That’s it for this week, so have fun in the great outdoors.