The wood duck and bluebird house project headed by Maribel Sportsman’s Club and Francis Creek Sportsman’s Club continues to reach new milestones.

Feb. 19, we built wood duck house No. 8,000 since the project started in 1990. To this point, we have also built more than 14,000 bluebird houses — and few years ago, we also expanded into bat houses.

Manitowoc County Fish & Game Protective Association is the main sponsor, but several other groups have joined in the process.

Recently, Lynn Robinson, representing Green Bay Duck Hunters Association, presented me with a check for $250 to help with the cost of building supplies.

The houses are given, free of charge, to conservation-minded individuals who will place them on the landscape to enhance nesting capabilities for those species. If you would like some of these houses, please give me, Bob Schuh, a call at 920-682-3106 to make arrangements to pick them up. And any donations made to the effort go directly back into the purchase of more materials.

Read last week’s column:9-point buck one for the record books and more in the latest Manitowoc outdoors report

Scoping the Great Outdoors: Read on for more outdoors news from throughout Manitowoc County and beyond.

Still time to get tickets for Northeastern Wisconsin Great Lakes Sport Fishermen Banquet

The Northeastern Wisconsin Great Lakes Sport Fishermen Banquet will be at City Limits, 3627 County Road CR, Manitowoc, March 9. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. and the buffet dinner will be served 5-7 p.m.

Banquet tickets are available through March 6 at Popp’s Harbor Town Citgo in Manitowoc, Klein’s Hardware Hank in Two Rivers or from Fred Schnell by calling 920-901-6020.

Tickets are $35 and no tickets will be sold at the door with a limit of 300 banquet tickets available.

Raffle ticket packages must be picked up at City Limits between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. March 9 or when doors open at 4:30 p.m. If picking up tickets in the morning, use the back door.

Raffle ticket packages must be ordered in advance from Fred Schnell by calling 920-901-6020.

In addition to a great dinner, hundreds of prizes in the form of door prizes and raffle prizes will be available, along with silent and live auction items to bid on.

Northeastern Wisconsin Great Lakes Sport Fishermen supports natural resource preservation/ enhancement, plus events that promote outdoor youth mentoring.

Maribel club announces dates for spring hunter safety courses

Maribel Sportsman’s Club has announced its spring 2024 hunter safety and bow hunter safety course dates.

Hunter safety course No. 1 will run April 11 and 18, both from 6 to 9 p.m., and finish up with the field day from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. April 20.

Hunter safety course No. 2 will run April 25 and May 2, both from 6 to 9 p.m., and finish up from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. May 4.

The club will then hold a bow hunter safety course May 7 and 14 and finish up May 16, all from 6 to 9 p.m.

Pre-registration is required for any of these courses by calling me, Bob Schuh, at 920-682-3106.

Read more Bob Schuh:Click here for more ‘Scoping the Great Outdoors’ columns

Applications being accepted for Izaak Walton League scholarship

Every spring, the Brown County Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America accepts applications for the Ray Kliss and Past President’s Memorial Scholarship.

All Wisconsin residents who will be studying environmental science and related conservation programs at the college or technical school level in the fall/winter of 2024/2025 are eligible for a scholarship, up to $1,000, as well as students already enrolled in college or technical schools.

Funding comes from an endowment established to honor Ray Kliss, past president of the Brown County Chapter, and all past presidents of the Wisconsin Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America.

Applications for interested students consist of a resume, a school transcript and three letters of reference submitted by March 31.

Provide an address, phone number, and the school and program the student is planning to enroll at or now attends, if already out of high school.

People familiar with the activities and character of the student should provide these references. Supplemental information, in the form of a cover letter, indicating activities and interests in environmental issues will also be accepted with the resumes.

Mail all applications to: Scholarship Committee, Brown County Chapter-Izaak Walton League, P.O. Box 5391, De Pere, WI 54115.

The Izaak Walton League is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of environmental conservation. One aspect of those standards is the promotion of careers in the environmental sciences. As a result, applicants will not only be evaluated on the basis of need but also on their character, leadership and educational desire and initiative in the areas of environmental science studies.

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