Mishicot High School’s Fischer Schaus placed ninth at the USA High School Clay Target National Tournament July 10-14 in Mason, Michigan.

Mishicot had five students qualify for the tournament, and Schaus and Sawyer Sand both advanced to the championship round July 14.

Schaus shot 50-straight July 13, and then in the championship round July 14 shot 100 straight to advance to a shoot-off with 15 kids who also shot 100. He finished with a 24 out of 25 in the shoot-off, putting him on the podium in ninth place in the country.

Roughly 1,800 kids were at the national tournament.

Schaus is coached by Sara Schmidt, Andy Wondrash and Katie Koeppel.

Read last week’s column:Manitowoc Salmon Derby winners and biggest fish, plus more news in the latest outdoors report

Rifle and Pistol Club’s fall hunter safety course set for September

Manitowoc Rifle and Pistol Club, 7227 Sandy Hill Lane, Two Rivers, will hold its fall 2024 hunter safety course from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 10, 12, 17 and 19, finishing up from 9 a.m. until noon Sept. 21.

People can register on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Go Wild website. Cost is $10 per person.

Contact Mike Rozmiarek at 920-901-6103 with any questions.

Maribel club’s fall hunter safety course is in August

Maribel Sportsman’s Club will hold its fall 2024 hunter safety course from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 15 and 22, finishing up from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Aug. 24.

Pre-registration is required by calling me, Bob Schuh, at 920-682-3106. Cost is $10 per person and is open to both adults and children.

Before registering, make sure your child is big enough to properly hold and use a firearm and able to read at an 11- to 12-year-old age level.

Woodland Dunes’ next Raising a Wild Child focuses on ‘Shapes in Nature’

Woodland Dunes Nature Center and Preserve in Two Rivers will present its next Raising a Wild Child program, “Shapes in Nature,” in two sessions Aug. 8.

The first session will run 9-10:15 a.m. and the second will be 10:45 a.m.-noon.

Members are $2 per child and non-members are $3 per child.

A news release described the program: “Experience the wonders of nature with your 2- to 5-year-old through nature hikes, play and guided activities. Help your child notice the natural world and ignite their curiosity!”

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Registration is required by the Monday before the session, as space is limited.

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

Woodland Dunes is at 3000 Hawthorne Ave.

More Bob Schuh:Click here to read more ‘Scoping the Great Outdoors’ columns by Bob Schuh

Watch out for blue-green algae, DNR warns

Wisconsin DNR is reminding beachgoers to watch for blue-green algae this summer.

Blue-green algae can have harmful effects on humans and pets, including illness if swallowed or inhaled in water droplets or irritation if rubbed on the skin.

Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, are photosynthetic bacteria and can appear in two distinct ways.

Planktonic blue-green algae look like tiny particles, dust or grass clippings floating in the water and are most often green, tan, reddish-purple or blue.

Bottom-dwelling mats of benthic blue-green algae can float to the surface and are often brown, black or turquoise in color.

When environmental conditions are just right, blue-green algae can increase in number to visible accumulations called “blooms.”

Planktonic blue-green algae blooms float to the surface and form scums, paint-like conditions or “pea soup” water containing billions of tiny particles.

In Wisconsin, blue-green algae blooms generally occur from mid-June to late September, with peak bloom season in July and August when waters are at their warmest.

Blue-green algae grow in all waterbodies in Wisconsin. Waters with high nutrient levels like nitrogen and phosphorus are most susceptible to blooms, but even lakes with excellent water quality may occasionally experience small blooms, especially after periods of calm weather.

Bottom-dwelling benthic mats are often seen in lakes with clear water, since sunlight needs to reach the bottom.

Most lakes and rivers in Wisconsin are not tested for blue-green algae, so it is important to know what it looks like and always assess conditions before swimming. Stay safe by following best practices, including the following:

• Do not swim in water that looks like “pea soup,” spilled paint or water that has a scum layer, mats or puffy blobs floating on the surface. All of these may be blue-green algae, and the abundant particles can also host high bacteria levels.
• Do not boat, water ski, etc., over such water to reduce inhalation exposure.
• Do not let children play with scum layers, even from shore.
• Always shower after contact with any surface water, whether or not a blue-green algae bloom appears to be present since surface waters may contain other species of potentially harmful bacteria, viruses or parasites.
• Always avoid swallowing untreated surface water because it may contain bacteria, viruses and parasites that could make you sick.
• When in doubt, stay out.

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