Back to ‘The Joe’

An Outdoorsman’s Journal

Mark Walters sponsored by

Hello friends, This week’s column is all over the map on a very positive subject. Back in 2006 I had an idea to start an organization through this column to get kids outside. In 2007 that thought became action and would become KAMO, Kids and Mentors Outdoors (www.kamokids. org). These days we have chapters in Poynette, Wisconsin Dells, Marshfield, New Lisbon, LaCrosse and Beaver Dam of which each chapter covers the region. What we do is offer kids hunting, fishing, outdoor education and just about anything under the sun type of experiences.

To be perfectly honest, Covid really hit us hard, but we are currently on what may be our most positive and energetic path ever.

Friday, Dec. 9 High 32, Low 21

The Joe is a hunt which is based out of the MacKenzie Environmental Education Center near Poynette. This year, 17 youth and three adult first-time hunters were given a weekend to remember at a simulated deer camp with mentors from KAMO guiding each hunter on properties as far as 20 miles away. We receive support from staff in the kitchen and maintaining law and order at our camp. Our first “Joe” was held back in 2008 and we had to take the last two years off due to Covid.

I have become friends with the Tyler and Patsy Thiede family out of Mayville and have been helping mentor two of their children Conner, 11, and Carsyn, 12, in youth turkey hunts and this year’s youth deer hunt. For “The Joe,” Tanner Webber, Tyler’s 19-yearold stepson would be mentoring Carsyn and I would be mentoring Conner. These kids are tough, polite and fun. We would be hunting on the Eugene and Marcia Vangen farm near Otsego. The Vangens are brother and sister, old family friends and have the prettiest farm this side of the Mississippi.

Last weekend, KAMO members held a three-hour safety class for the mentees and then Tyler, Carsyn, Conner and myself came here to scout. Today we all drove here in a very challenging snowstorm and it was day one of our hunt.

To make a long story short, Conner and I were hunting a well-managed food plot and just before dark a 2.5-year-old buck made the mistake of standing in some corn stalks at 90 yards for a bit too long and Conner made an excellent shot. The buck had already shed its antlers but would be aged and checked for CWD at the end of the weekend.

Tonight at camp it was the start of fun and games. These kids come from all over the state and, like a bunch of puppies, are always playing in the snow and getting to know each other. Two does were also harvested and day one had three deer on the pole.

Volunteers and donations are a must as not even counting the donations this is about a $4,000 endeavor. Volunteers that I want to give a shout out to include Jeff and Patti Rouse, who run our kitchen and have never missed a year. Peppermint Patti and I were great friends growing up and we would be starving without these two ordering and cooking our food. Another quality shout out is due to the Sassy Cow Creamery out of Sun Prairie. They give us all of our chocolate and white milk as well as ice cream for the weekend and we are feeding 50 people five meals.

Saturday, Dec. 10 High 27, Low 18

We all sleep in dorms at this facility and the place is a classic that is owned and managed by the WDNR. Breakfast is served from about 4:30 to maybe 7 a.m. and then every mentor and mentee hits the woods for a morning hunt, lunch and an afternoon hunt. Then tonight there is lasagna and a bingo party for the kids where a ton of donations create the prizes.

Today, six more deer were added to the pole and tonight 12-year-old Jameson Brodeur of The Lake Wisconsin Chapter “Poynette/Lodi” won the night’s final game which was emceed by Greg Wagner of the Baraboo River Chapter and that was a Savage 308.

I started this column saying that Covid really kicked KAMOs behind, but we are on a major rebound and one example would be Bob Brodeur’s Lake Wisconsin Chapter. Bob has been a friend since we were kids in high school and this event brought a bunch of new energy people to his chapter. They will be holding a meeting every second Wednesday of the month at 7 pm at the American Legion in Poynette.

The last day of our hunt was Sunday and by then everyone is physically and mentally exhausted. Today we had a special story when 17-year-old Braedyn McMullen of Winneconne, who was being mentored by Randy Hines from the Coulee Chapter of KAMO, spotted a real nice 8-point buck that was bedded down. When they spotted the buck there was not a good shot and Randy told Braedyn to try and sneak up a bit closer. Randy was able to watch the entire experience and Braedyn was smooth on his stalk, put the bullet where it had to go and both of these guys and later Braedyn’s mother Whitney were about as happy as three people could be.

KAMO is always looking for mentors, mentees and financial help. We are open to starting new chapters and are a 100-percent volunteer organization dedicated to getting kids outside.

I had backed off as president due to the loss of the love of my life, Michelle Chiaro, last June. I never left, the position was never filled, and I will fill it until we do if everyone in KAMO is good with that.

Sunset