Wal-Mart donated $1,000 to MDF's West Dakota
Chapter.
North Dakota
West Dakota Chapter Spotlight
May/June 2008
By Brandon Mason
The West Dakota Chapter: Moving Fast Right Out of the Gate!
Since I’ve been involved with the Mule Deer Foundation, going on some eight years now, I’ve always paid close attention to where there are locations of chapters across the country. I’ve paid special attention to the Northern Great Plains Region, most likely because that’s where I hang my hat. When the first chapter in North Dakota was starting in Bismarck, there was one chapter starting in Montana, one starting in South Dakota, and few established chapters in Wyoming. Over the last few years there have definitely been some positive changes in the amount of chapters in these states, especially in Montana and Wyoming. This seems natural because of the mule deer populations that exist from border to border in these two states.
In 2007, North Dakota has seen similar growth in chapters. The difference in some of the new chapters is that they are around two to five hours away from any good mule deer country. I hear comments from people all of the time that they can’t believe there are chapters in Fargo, Minot or Bismarck, N.D., or in Missouri and Wisconsin for that matter. They say these chapters aren’t even in the mule deer’s native range! My response to them is always, “Even though there isn’t a mule deer for hundreds of miles, there are mule deer hunters in these locations and around the country. I think it’s a true testament to their dedication to mule deer and mule deer hunting that they are willing to give back to something that isn’t even in their own ‘backyards’!”
West Dakota Chapter first annual banquet and
auction.
One of the chapters that is truly passionate about mule deer is the West Dakota Chapter in Minot, N.D. On March 8, 2008, they held their first Annual Banquet in Minot at the Holiday Inn. During the early stages of planning for this banquet the small committee of five individuals said they’d hoped to sell a couple of corporate tables and get around 100 people in attendance. I was hopeful for the same thing, but couldn’t have predicted how well it was going to go. They had just under 200 people in attendance, sold 16 corporate tables, and netted over $10,000! This was due in part to generous sponsors like Wal-Mart, Scheels All Sports in Minot, and the North Dakota Game and Fish in particular for support in their youth program event. Not to mention an entertaining Emcee like Kim Fundingsland and a great auctioneer like Kevin Beeter.
The success of this banquet was also because of the hours of planning and preparation the committee put in prior to the banquet. Way to go to the committee for their hard work and foresight to make their first banquet a great one. Steve Zarr, Steve Fundingsland, Jake Hansen, Kim Fundingsland and George Malaktaris did a fantastic job and are already planning on other events for 2008. These guys were so well organized it only took us three hours to set up for the banquet! That included getting all of the paper work done and merchandise set up. Steve Zarr, the Chapter chair for the West Dakota Chapter said, "Having all of our sponsors come through in the way they did is the reason our banquet was a success. Our guys worked really hard to fill the seats and our volunteers put forth a tremendous effort to make it flow smoothly." To sum up the event Steve said, "It was incredible! Nerve wracking at times, but incredible!"
The Mule Deer Foundation would also like to extend a special thank you to Mark Hamilton of Wild Things Gallery for his hospitality in letting the West Dakota Chapter hold their meetings at his art gallery and store in Minot and for allowing the use of his cabin for a fun banquet planning meeting/trap shoot the week before the banquet.
Now that the money has been raised from their first fundraising event, many people might be wondering what this chapter out of mule deer range will be doing with the money. Well, finding a place to put this money to good use won’t be hard! The chapter is already planning for a youth day sometime this summer. They were one of three chapters in North Dakota that was fortunate to receive a grant of $3,000 from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Mentoring Tomorrow’s Youth program. These youth events in the state have been given the name M.U.L.E.Y. Days, which stands for Mindful, Understanding, Legal and Ethical Youth. The West Dakota Chapter is looking at a couple of different options: 1) Taking kids hunting in the Badlands of Western North Dakota in the fall, or 2) Having a youth shooting and hunting skills day at the local shooting range near Minot.
In addition, the chapter is looking at possibly making a grant to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s hunter access and habitat development program known as P.L.O.T.S. (Private Lands Open To Sportsmen). The Northern Badlands Chapter in Bismarck has made a similar grant in the past and the West Dakota Chapter is encouraged by the progress that has been made with this program for mule deer, sportsmen and landowners.
For more information on the West Dakota Chapter or to see how you can become involved, contact chapter chair Steve Zarr at 701-240-5551 or regional director Brandon Mason at 701-527-0609.