A Mishicot FFA fundraising trap shoot will be from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Sept. 23.

The 50-target, Lewis Class event includes 25 targets being standard trap and 25 targets being wobble trap.

No pre-registration is required. Cost is $30 to shoot and includes the Lewis fee. Shells will be available, but not included in the price. They will have food, refreshments and bucket raffles.

Even if you don’t shoot, head out and support the youth trap team. The event is sponsored by the Mishicot FFA Alumni Association.

If you have questions or would like to donate a raffle prize, contact Katie Koeppel at kkoeppel@mishicot.k12.wi.us or 920-323-5715.

Funds raised at the shoot benefit the Mishicot FFA trap team and help to keep costs low, allowing shooters to participate in the Wisconsin State High School clay target fall and spring leagues.

Read last week’s column:Honoring the late John Decker, and more news in this week’s Manitowoc outdoors report

Lakes Association’s annual banquet Oct. 13 at Larrabee Sportsmans Club

Manitowoc County Lakes Association will hold its annual banquet Oct. 13 at Larrabee Sportsmans Club, 16306 Harpt Lake Road, Mishicot.

Social hour with cash bar is at 6 p.m. and dinner is at 7 p.m. Guest speaker and program follow dinner.

RSVPs are due no later than Oct. 6 to Dan Dufek at danandstacie@msn.com, or phone or text 920-860-4933.

Cost is $20 per person and advance registration is payable at the door — or cost is $25 at the door without advance registration.

Speaker is Eric Olson, director of Extension Lakes, who will discuss “The Wisconsin Lakes Partnership and the Lake Leaders Institute.”

The annual meeting also includes an election of officers, a presentation of the lake stewardship award, a 50/50 raffle and door prizes. Door prize donations from lake associations or individuals are welcome. Inform Dan Dufek of door prize commitments by Oct. 6.

The event is organized and hosted by the Manitowoc County Lakes Association and the Larrabee Sportsmans Club.

Gun Club’s Shoot for Vets is Sept. 17

Manitowoc Gun Club, 3112 Clover Road, just south of Manitowoc, is holding its annual Shoot for Vets from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Sept. 17.

This is a 50-target Lewis Class event. The first 25 rounds will be 16-yard trap and the second 25 will be handicapped minimum from the 23-yard line.

They will have food and raffles throughout the day. Proceeds benefit the Manitowoc County Veterans Council. Call Tom Schulz at 920-973-4905 for more details.

Have spare deer or elk antlers? Donate them to Leader Dogs for the Blind.

Deer hunting season is here, and I will again be collecting deer and elk antlers for Deb Delie. Deb is a puppy raiser for Leader Dogs for the Blind from the Green Bay area. They use deer or elk antlers because they don’t splinter when the puppies chew on them.

Age of the antler also does not matter, so if you are cleaning out a garage and come across an old mount, please don’t toss it out.

The size of the antler also does not matter as they use antlers from spike bucks on up.

If you get a buck and would like to donate the antlers to Deb, just take a hacksaw and cut them off and I will be sure to get them to Deb for the Leader Dogs puppy program.

Contact me at 920-682-3106. Special thanks to those who donated their deer and elk antlers last season.

Wisconsin DNR will pay for red pine seeds

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is asking for help collecting red pine seed for its reforestation program.

This fall, the DNR’s tree nursery in Boscobel will be sowing the last of the red pine seed they have in storage and are asking members of the public to collect seed to replenish their supply.

Red pine (Pinus resinosa) can be found throughout the state, especially the sandy soils of central, northwest and northeast Wisconsin.

“The DNR’s supply of red pine seed has been depleted due to the lack of good cone crops over the past couple of years,” said Jeremiah Auer, DNR forest regeneration specialist. “Red pine is Wisconsin’s No. 1 conifer for timber production and many red pine plantations are now being harvested as they reach maturity. For sites that will be returned to red pine production, that most likely means planting seedlings for regeneration, so help in collecting seed now is vital to ensure the future of this valuable timber resource.”

Early September is the prime time to collect the red pinecones as they turn from green to purplish brown and reddish-brown tips develop.

Read more Bob Schuh:Manitowoc Rifle and Pistol Club hosts rummage sale, and more news in Bob Schuh’s outdoors report

The DNR is seeking red pinecones at that mature stage, when the color has just turned brown, but the scales have not yet opened to release the seeds. They are at maturity in southern and central Wisconsin and are mostly ready for collection in northern Wisconsin.

The DNR pays $125 per bushel for properly collected red pinecones. A bushel typically nets about a half of a pound of viable seeds. This means the nursery needs to purchase more than 120 bushels of cones to get enough seed for one year’s worth of red pine seedlings.

Collecting cones is a win-win as the collector earns some pocket money and helps ensure the next generation of red pine trees in Wisconsin.

For details about how to get involved with the collection, go to the DNR website and search “Sell Tree Seeds” webpage.

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

Outdoors columnist Bob Schuh’s “Scoping the Great Outdoors” column appears each Sunday in the Herald Times Reporter. He can be reached at 920-682-3106 or bobschuh@lsol.net.