ORANCO BOWMEN ARCHERY CLUB |
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Club President
Hope you all are keeping dry? It sure has been a very wet winter so far. It's been a long time since we have had such a real winter like this. I must say it has been enjoyable.
Ok, a few things to share with you all,
Now as most of you know we have just returned from our CBH State meeting and it was nice to see Oranco Bowmen well represented at the award banquet. Roland Fraterrigo, our membership chairman, received his award for completing the grand slam. The grand slam is winning all four state championships. The 900 indoor broad head and the field. Congratulations Roland. {Not an easy task} We also had Dan Haberern pick up his award for taking a big buck. If you haven't had a chance to see his buck, look it up on Facebook. Congrats Dan the {fruits of retirement}
Now some news from our just finished state meeting. We at Oranco came away with a few tournaments that we will be hosting this year. We will host the Field state championships and the south/west sectional. The south/west will piggyback on the state field. This event only comes around every seven years. Next up, we will be hosting the state marked
3-D championship and the 3-D unmarked championship these two events will stand alone.
We will also be a hosting site for the 900 as well. Boy we are going to be very busy and hope you all will be part of all these events we sure will need all hands on deck.
As for other news, We have been very busy cleaning up our range. Bill is back and mowing and trying to keep up with the mowing. Jose Lara is our new range captain taking over for Chriss Bowles who has retired from range captain. Let us thank Chriss for all his time as range captain. Chriss will still be on the board as he will now take on the job that was Jose Lara's job. Chriss was challenged for his new position by Kevin Carlson. It's nice to see other members of Oranco willing to take on board positions. Thank you, Kevin for putting it out there.
As most of you know I am taking over as Oranco's new president. As our new president I will do all I can to keep us moving in the right direction and always work hard to keep all of you informed with our goals and range and trust. Joe Dotterer has left some big shoes to fill. He was a forty year member and president of Oranco for twenty four years. His legacy should never be forgotten. It was his hard work and all the other members past and present that have made our club second to now. Great clubs just don't happen. It takes strong leadership, board members, volunteers our loved ones who support us every time we are at our range or every time we shoot tournaments. Yes we all know archery is our hobby but most of us see Oranco as our second home. Yes I admit for me it's the place to go and find solitude and hang out with my friend. Thank you, Joe and our past and present members. I am honored to serve you all here at Oranco Bowmen.
Thank you,
Al Wiscovitch
(909) 322-3869
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Club Vice President
Last weekend I stepped outside of my personal comfort zone and attended the annual CBH meeting that was held locally at the Ontario Airport Hotel this year. If you have not done this, I highly recommend it. This was a well organized meeting that looked at and decided quite a few issues in an extremely efficient manner. Chriss Bowles, as CBH President did a great job of keeping the meeting on track and tempering the run-away attitudes that surrounded one issue in particular. In my opinion, he stepped in and successfully defended the basic principal of fellowship that we all depend on within the field archery community.
Our local region, Orange Belt Field Archers (OBFA) was strongly represented by Al Wiscovitch, Jose Lara, Steve Smith and Brad Belvedere. Out of the 14 petitions that were decided, our region was instrumental in debating the few amendments that came up and helping to arrive at reasonable resolutions on all of them. (I personally had an issue with one word in one petition, however; as a non voting guest, it is my opinion that our region did an excellent job of promoting our collective views.)
Now, here is the important thing that I learned and I intend to put this knowledge to use before our next tournament (The Big Game shoot on April 23rd.) As I already mentioned, I was a non voting guest at the meeting, but that didn’t stop me from raising my hand and commenting on a debate over the official styles used by NFAA. My comment was met by my old friend Gary McCain stating that I am the problem. He went on to say that I should read the rule book (which of course I have read plenty and also have a copy of on my phone). I dropped it at that time and had a lengthy discussion about it with Gary after the meeting on Saturday. I spent Saturday evening thinking about that discussion and when I came in on Sunday I had another discussion with Gary before the meeting started. The bottom line here is that I came to realize that the NFAA rules do recognize all the styles that I have adopted at ORANCO over the last few years, CBH clarifies them even better and the only real difference between what they have arrived at and that I arrived at from a different direction, is terminology. Basically, when Gary correctly said that I was the problem, what he meant was that my using different terminology was adding to the confusion that people face as they travel from club to club and attend state and national events. Quite frankly, I think my terminology was better, however; since it’s obvious that changing the NFAA rulebook is not in the cards, and since with Gary’s help I have been able to mentally justify the reasoning behind why the NFAA uses the word “Traditional” to represent what I have been calling “Modern Recurve” (that reasoning by the way, is that the Traditional style has evolved from day one into what we now see when we look at the modern recurves with elevated rests, plunger buttons, and short stabilizers). As the new “trad” era has come into play, we see people returning to the roots, and shooting recurves off the shelf, and the Longbow style has been further divided into wood arrow vs: carbon/aluminum arrow divisions. I referred to those styles as “Traditional”, and that brings in a lot of confusion since that “Traditional” style already exists as the evolved Recurve style in the NFAA rules. To correct this moving forward, I will be renaming our styles to agree with the NFAA and CBH terminology. IE: Traditional will be for the evolved modern recurves, Longbow will be called Longbow rather than “traditional longbow” as we have been calling it. We will be dropping the name Traditional Recurve and that style will now be named Recurve Off The Shelf (ROTS) which agrees with the NFAA rules and terminology. Also for the sake of uniformity between ORANCO and the NFAA rules, I am splitting the Longbow Style into Longbow Wood and Longbow Aluminum/Carbon. Beyond that there is one more NFAA single string style that has been ignored, Bare Bow Recurve (BBR). My plan is to bring that style back at ORANCO too. As far as Korean type bows that use thumb rings are concerned, I have been allowing them to compete in Recurve Off The Shelf. I do not see another solution for that so I will continue to allow them to shoot in that style.
Here is a quick preview of the new styles list…
- BB (Barebow) - No Sight, Draw Check OK, String Walking OK, Fingers only, Any Stabilizer.
- FS (Freestyle) - Any Sight, Notes OK, Release, Any Stabilizer.
- BHFS (Bowhunter Freestyle) - 5 Fixed Pins Max, No Magnification, Release, 12” Stabilizer.
- FSL (Freestyle Limited) - Any Sight, Notes OK, Fingers Only, Any Stabilizer.
- FSLR (Freestyle Limited Recurve) - Any Sight, No Magnification, Notes OK, Fingers Only, Any Stabilizer.
- BBR (Barebow Recurve) - No Sight, No Draw Check, String Walking OK, Fingers Only, Bow Must Pass Through 12.2cm Ring.
- T (Traditional) - No Sight, Button OK, Flipper Rest OK, Fingers Only, 12” Stabilizer.
- LW (Longbow-Wood) - No Sight, Off Shelf, No Button, Fingers Only, No Stabilizer.
- LAC (Longbow-Aluminum/Carbon) - No Sight, Off Shelf, No Button, Fingers Only, No Stabilizer.
- ROTS (Recurve-Off The Shelf) - No Sight, Off Shelf, No Button, Fingers Only, No Stabilizer, Non Shelf Bows may use thumb ring at ORANCO shoots.
Thank you Gary for your help in getting me to understand why the word Traditional really does apply to what I was calling modern recurve.
That’s it for this report. I hope everyone is able to get out there and do some shooting between rain storms.
Pete Whitworth
(909) 223-5822
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Club Secretary
Nothing to report.
Amanda Duchardt
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Treasurer
Nothing to report.
Louie Lopez
(714) 538-7202
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Range Captain
Hello to all the Oranco family.
I’d first off like to thank you all for being a part of this wonderful club and introduce myself as your Range Captain for 2023 and with hopes of many years to come. I have personally met the vast majority of you but for those few that I haven’t, I look forward to shooting, talking and hopefully working with you.
In the past, you’ve probably seen me working at the range and/or shooting. This time around nothing has changed. I have however started jumping on our tractor and started mowing to assist in alleviating the workload on our hard working crews and we’ve been making some good progress between our breaks in the weather. I expect the rains to start lifting really soon and now as we approach the Spring, I expect for more light in the evenings to be able to work and shoot more. I also plan to announce some work parties here pretty soon for some range cleanup and target gluing so we can get our prospective members through our process and help make our range a better place. Evening work parties are available with me during most weekdays and occasionally in the mornings with Al and Mark.
For all those members that currently have lane or range assignments, thank you very much for your hard work in your upkeep of your assignments. I cannot emphasize enough how much help we need to keep maintaining and improving our facility. I’d like to point out that without your help, we cannot advance so I would like to take this time to encourage everyone in this club to challenge yourself to find some time to come out and chip in on some work. Working together will generate strong bonds, friendships and great pride in our club. Without taking up too much of your time, thank you again for being a part of this club. And do not hesitate to shoot me a text message, e-mail or phone call with any questions, ideas, introductions and hopefully some scheduling for some work around the range.
I wish you all great luck in your upcoming tournaments, hunts and great times at the range.
See you out on the range,
Jose Lara
(909) 706-1149
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Hunt Chairman
Nothing to Report.
Chriss Bowles
(951) 757-4571
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Range Secretary
I hope this letter finds you all well in good health and spirit. This year seems to be spinning by so fast with a multitude of archery tournament shoots happening every weekend!
The annual club Champ Shoot this last Saturday was well attended by the Oranco membership, PM'S, and guest. Everyone had a great time shooting the NFAA style Field, Hunter, and Animal round tournament. All archers enjoyed free breakfast and lunch with drinks provided by the club throughout the day.
Great shoots don't just happen, it takes a great team of volunteer members working together to make these shoots successful! I want to thank all of you for your hard work, who were involved with weeks of range clean up, target setting, cookshack, and registration. You're the one's who make Oranco Bowmen a premier Archery Club!
Again, thank you all so much!
We just finished the Winter 3-D league Saturday 3/11, and we're lucky to get a window of good weather with the rain as heavy as it has been in the past weeks. It rained all day Friday. Al Wiscovitch and I were at the range doing cookshack prep, and did a quick inspection of the footbridges on the creek. Here's some pics of the water flow!
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We're constantly shoring up the creek walls with concrete, dirt, rock and gravel to keep from losing our foot bridges and trees from heavy rain run-off. |
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I'd like to thank Al Wiscovich for doing such a great job in developing and running the 3D League shoots and Wednesday night Flint Rounds over the past few years. Those have become such favorites with the Oranco club archers and Congratulate him as he steps into the position of Oranco Bowmen Club President. Also, congratulations to Brad Belvedere for stepping up to the League Chairman Board position. Jose Lara is the new Range Captain, Chriss Bowls is our new Hunt Chairman, and David Bacon is our new Tournament Chairman. Congratulations to you all we know you'll do a great job in your new board positions!
Oranco Bowman is holding the Celebration of Life for Joe Dotterer Sunday the 12th at 11am, come join family and friends at the range assembly area as we celebrate Joe's life and many years of service to Oranco Bowmen Archery Club and the archery community. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
Oranco Bowmen Bowhunter's 3D Championship
Coming soon!
Mark Houston
(760) 605-1155
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Tournament Chairman
Nothing to report.
David Bacon
(909) 217-4441
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Membership Chairmen
Nothing to report.
Roland Fraterrigo
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League Chairman
Hello fellow Oranco members. I'm Brad Belvedere, a 15-year member of this wonderful club. I was recently elected to the League Chairman position and I also sit on the Orange Belt Board along with the CBH board as your Region 3 Representative.
As some of you know I was Al Wiscovitch's helper in setting up the winter, summer, and flint round shoots. I will continue holding these shoots, as I see how much fun they are. I would also like to add tough man shoot so look for an email on these upcoming events.
If there are any other suggestions or ideas, please email me at the email below.
Brad Belvedere
(951) 545-9462
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Two Year Board Member
By: Bill Waltz - Two Year Board Member
Nothing to report.
Bill Waltz
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Our Barn Owl Colony
Hellooooo, archers!
It’s that time of year again when our barn owl colony is busy making more owls! Every year around early February the barn owls that favor the habitat of our club begin “nesting” and reproducing. There are a total of six nesting boxes spread out around the club’s property and they stay largely unoccupied all year long. March through August is the typical nesting season for barn owls, but ours usually start in February and finish by June or July at the latest.
There can be as many as six eggs per mating couple, although the most I’ve seen at our club is five. Last year the clubhouse owl box and the sniper hill owl box both had five eggs apiece that were all successfully hatched. It only takes about a month for the eggs to hatch, then another two months for those fledglings to grow into adolescents that are largely indistinguishable from the parents that hatched and cared for them.
Barn owls hunt gophers and ground squirrels, the nemesis to any respectable golf course or archery club. They have been known to hunt larger prey such as rabbits, but mainly it’s ground squirrels and gophers that find themselves on the business end of a barn owl’s hooked beak. This method of pest control is preferable to poisons and mechanical traps for the safety of our members’ dogs - and for the safety of the next generation of archers that are still closer to the ground than they are to holding a bow. And since barn owls aren’t the only birds of prey in our area, keeping our range poison-free also ensures the longevity of the Cooper’s hawks and red tailed hawks that also call Oranco their home.
The barn owl nesting boxes are designed the way they are to prevent fledglings from getting out of the boxes before they are able to fly. Even then, with our occasional high winds - sometimes juvenile barn owls lack the endurance to make it back to their boxes and need a little assistance to get back home. Later in the nesting season, I will share advice on how to safely handle and return the juveniles to their homes should you find a young, confused-looking barn owl walking around on the range.
If you’d like to follow along with how our owls are doing, I will be posting weekly status checks of the owl boxes on my YouTube channel, Carp Killer. If you’d like to receive notifications when new videos are uploaded, consider subscribing to the channel and turn on notifications. And while you’re there - feel free to check out some of my bow-fishing content too.
The only good carp is a dead carp.
Video Link:
-Jim Teel
(Club Owl Man and Carp Killer)
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If you are looking for photos of previous shoots check out Tony Nguyen's fantastic photography in the link below! He has an amazing gallery organized by shoots and dates he's participated in:
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Oranco Bowmen Archery Range
Occupying about 45 acres, Oranco Bowmen Archery Club is a NFAA certified 5-star range. This is the highest certification given by NFAA. We are the only range in Southern California with practice butts from 10-80 yards in 5-yard increments. If you need a place to "dial in" your bow, this is it!
Oranco also has two NFAA roving courses: Our Valley Course is a level 28-target course, consisting of 14 animal and 14 hunter paper targets. For those who desire a bit more of a physical challenge, our Mountain Course is a hilly 28-target course offering 14 Field targets and another set of 14 animal paper targets. The Layout changes occasionally.
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Oranco Bowmen Archery Club - Range Map |
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Oranco is not responsible for lost or stolen belongings.
Please remember to lock your vehicles when you are not present and always take your equipment home with you. We have received reports about stolen equipment, and want everyone to understand that you alone are responsible for your belongings. We advise you to put your identification information on your belongings and try not to leave anything unattended.
Remember: We are open to the public on Sundays and during shoots. During these events it is much more difficult to track who is on range property, especially if people do not sign in at the office.
Be safe and responsible everyone.
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Announcements
Range Beautification Party: We would greatly appreciate your help and support to the upcoming Work Parties. Keep an eye out for the email blast. All Club Members and their families are invited. Per Joe Dotterer, Club President there will be an “ALL YOU CAN EAT LUNCH” served for ALL of our Volunteers who come out and help.
Your assistance ensures that the Oranco Bowmen Archery Club remains the best in Southern California. There is a reason why people travel from all over California to shoot at our Archery Club. Get involved and help us out.
Cook Shack Workers Needed: Positions are still available for volunteers to help out during the upcoming shoots. Tony Tobinis back and will be taking over Cook Shack Assignments effective immediately. Terry Lopez will no longer be accepting calls for Cook Shack volunteers.
Please contact Tony Tobin in order to reserve your spot at: Cell# (626) 354-2268. Due to poor cell service in his area please contact him via TEXT message to assure he can receive your information. First Come, First Served.
Target Camping: This is NOT Allowed...Period. Your Membership will be terminated for doing this! The Practice Butts are for sighting in, improving your archery skills, and honing your accuracy. The Roving Range is just that, Roving. Shoot 4 arrows, Score them, then move on to the next target.
You have been warned. Don't do it. It is not worth it.
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We’ve all heard horror stories about tick-borne illnesses. Lyme Disease is currently the most common vector-borne illness in the United States, with nearly 30,000 cases reported each year. As hunters, we keep this in the back of our mind as we hike through the woods, and undoubtedly come into contact with these parasites on a regular basis.
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On International Women's Day, USA Archery celebrates the female trailblazers past and present
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - As we celebrate International Women’s Day and embrace Women in History Month, it is only right that we acknowledge the role archery has played in breaking down barriers and leading the way in the pursuit of participation equality.
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Mission Statement:
My Goal as Newsletter Editor is to help Members stay informed with the Operations and Activities that are going on in and around the Oranco Bowmen Archery Club. Your suggestions are welcome and appreciated. Check out our Club Website: Oranco Bowmen Archery Club Website
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