More ORWMA news and Youth Hunt
1. In person burn seminar, September 24 https://orwma.org/event/texas-am-agrilife-extension-fire-seminar-at-weimar-civic-center-1754-ih-10/
2. When the deer checker information is finalized I will send out the list of contact information. I will also include Scorer information.
3. According to Mark Lange we should be getting an email later in the week about printing tags. DO NOT REPRINT TAGS! This is a felony! Ask Mark if you have any issues.
4. Our next board meeting is October 3 at 2:00 pm at the Community Center.
YOUTH HUNT – November 19-21, 2021
1. If you wish to donate a blind (that can sit at least 2 people) please email oakridgewildlifemanagement@gmail.com and I will forward to Keith and Vernon.
2. We will have a ranch wide dinner on Saturday, November 20. More details to come.
3. If you wish to help, please email oakridgewildlifemanagement@gmail.com and I will include you when the planning meeting is scheduled.
ORWMA Board Elections
The October ORWMA Board meeting will be held Sunday, October 3rd at 2 pm at the Community Center. Three Board positions will be up for election at the meeting. The positions are for Vice-President (currently held by Steve Jaap), Secretary/Treasurer (currently held by Angie Konvicka), and Whitetail Deer Chairperson (currently held by Jerry Rogers). The term is for two years with no term limits and will begin on January 1, 2022. Angie Konvicka will NOT be seeking reelection as she plans on finally enjoying retirement! Our communications chair, Angie Peters, can assist with the minutes and correspondence portion of the Secretary/Treasurer position which would leave the financials.
The duties of the above positions are listed below as taken from the ORWMA By-laws:
A) Vice-President
1. Will assume the President’s duties in the President’s absence.
2. Will perform other duties as requested by the President or Board of Directors
B) Secretary/Treasurer
1. Maintains all Association Records (including membership records.)
2. Records and distributes minutes of the Association Meetings at least 3 days prior to the next meeting for review and approval at the next meeting.
3. Handles Association Correspondence as requested.
4. Responsible for accounting of Association’s Funds.
5. Prepares the Monthly Treasurer’s Report for the Board of Directors
C) Whitetail Deer Chairperson
1. Will promote accurate census and harvest data records.
2. Will oversee the administration of Deer Checkers.
3. Will keep membership informed of changes to MLD program or other regulations or changes that affect ORWMA.
If you are interested in serving in one of these positions please email oakridgewildlifemanagement@gmail.com or come to one of the board meetings. Dates and times will be posted on the website and on the ORWMA Facebook page. Even though board meetings are generally held once a month, these positions will require much more than that.
President’s Message
Well, it’s August, Friday the 13th and summer is finally here. The February freeze and May rains are behind us. We can look forward to a couple months of warm temperatures before things begin to cool off.
Herd Composition Sheets have been mailed out and spotlight surveys are being held every Saturday night in August. If you want to participate, we meet at the Community Center at 8:30 pm and head out at dark.
This year’s Fall Meeting (formerly known as the Doe Permit Meeting) will be held September 11th at 9 am at the Community Center. Mark Lange the Wildlife Biologist will be present to explain the new rules and regulations. By now, everyone should know that if you want doe permits, you must have signed up on the Land Management Access (LMA) website. Your ORWMA dues ($20) must be current, and you need to have paid your $30 fee to the State of Texas on the LMA website. If you have done this, you will print your own doe tags. If you haven’t, then you can only hunt with the tags from your license, which means bucks only and does on the 4 county wide doe days in November.
The September ORWMA Board Meeting will be held September 4th at 4 pm at the Community Center. All Landowners are invited to attend. If you are interested in serving on the ORWMA Board, please come to our board meetings. Elections will be held at the October ORWMA Board Meeting on October 3rd at 2 pm at the Community Center.
Also, this year ORWMA is again planning on hosting a Texas Youth Hunt November 19-21. The Texas Youth Hunting Program (TYHP) was formed with the Texas Wildlife Association and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1996 to provide opportunities for youth to participate in hunting activities safely, legally, and ethically, while learning about the role landowners and hunters play in wildlife conservation. If you want to volunteer a deer stand or help in any way, drop us a line at the e-mail below. Or come to one of the board meetings. We are still in the early planning stages, so we will be sending out further communications as we firm things up.
Earl Fly
President
Oakridge Ranch Wildlife Association
Doe and Fawn
A sweet picture …
June and August 2021 Meeting Minutes
ORWMA Happenings and Dates
1. Deer spotlighting is every Saturday night in August. Meet at the community center at 8:30 pm if you wish to participate.
2. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you fill out your deer census and turn it into Jerry. If you don’t, your doe permits could be in jeopardy. VERY IMPORTANT!!! Attached is Mark Lange’s letter to all the WMA,s, but we made it specific to Oakridge. The second document is the herd composition form and instructions.
3. The fall meeting (doe permit meeting) is September 11, 2021 at 9:00 am at the community center with Mark Lange.
4. The next ORWMA meeting is September 12, 2021 at 4:00 pm at the community center.5. The Texas youth hunt is November 19-21. If you wish to donate a stand, get with Vernon vwallace@satyainc.com or Keith kpete7777@gmail.com. Saturday night will be a dinner and the ranch is invited. Please bring a side dish or dessert. The meats will be brisket and sausage. Also, the kids need something to do on Saturday so if you wish to allow fishing at your pond, please let Vernon know.
Deer Spotlighting and Census and Mark Lange Letter
Deer Spotlighting will start on July 31, 2021 at 8:30 pm at the community center.
Also attached is the deer census forms and instructions and letter from Mark Lange pertaining to the hunting season.
Ice Cream Social July 17
The annual Ice Cream Social will be held July 17th at 5 pm at the Community Center. Bring your favorite ice cream, toppings, or cookies.
Wildlife District 7 Webinar 2021 Flyer and Mark your Calendars
The Colorado County Wildlife Management Association’s (CCWMA) Banquet is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Saturday, July 10, 2021, at the Columbus Hall (formerly K.C. Hall) in Columbus, Texas. There will be live music from 4:00-6:30 and a full catered barbecue meal at 6:00 p.m. with free soft drinks and free beer while it lasts. Meal tickets will be $12 for adults and $6 for kids 12 and under. There is no cost to attend.
There will be card raffles for a Yeti cooler and an Argentina Dove Hunt, bucket raffles, a buck scoring contest and of course the drawing for the big raffle. There will also be vendors with merchandise for purchase. The 2020 Scholarship winners and the 2020 Whitetail Contest winners will be recognized.
Bring your WMA harvested buck mounts to be displayed and be eligible to win one of five $50 gift certificates. Make sure they can be hung for viewing. Also, bring your game cam and regular photos for the Photo Contest. This year’s guest speaker will be TJ Muir (Wildlife Damage Management Biologist with Wildlife Services) and he will discuss feral hog control.
The general public is also invited to attend this family friendly event. Proceeds from the event go to help fund future scholarships. To date, CCWMA has handed out over $130,000 in scholarships to local and/or CCWMA affiliated graduating seniors. Hope to see you there!
The annual Ice Cream Social will be held July 17th at 5 pm at the Community Center. Bring your favorite ice cream, toppings, or cookies. Watch your email, facebook, and ORWMA website for details.
Attached is the flyer for the TPWD District 7 2021 Webinar Series. All will be virtual over the lunch hour so hope you can find time to listen in. The webinars begin July 7. Below is the link to register just in case the link on the flyer does not work.
And looking down the road, the Fall Meeting (AKA the doe permit meeting) will be held September 11th at 9 am at the Community Center. Mark Lange will address the changes to the MLD program and how they affect ORWMA.
Earl Fly
ORWMA President