MACKLIN – The annual supper and awards night for the Macklin Wildlife Federation was held Jan. 13.
The federation were able to sell all 400 tickets once again this year, however federation president Shane Vollman said roughly 30 people did not attend due to the extreme cold.
“This year the cold was our biggest obstacle. Our silent auction did not do as well as previous years as no one wanted to stay too late,” said Vollman.
Vollman said the members who help with putting on the supper did a great job, saying he has not heard of any complaints. Guests had the chance to try various cuts of moose, elk, deer, wild boar, rabbit, fowl and fish.
The Macklin Wildlife Federation used to have speakers come to talk at the suppers, however, have decided to step away from that format.
“We loved having special guests come to speak, however had to stop. It became difficult to hear them speak over everyone else who was talking,” he adds.
The group has always invited conservation officers to the suppers along with anyone who has anything of interest to show off to join them at the annual event. This year, Don McGonigle was present with a deer skull he found that had incisor teeth still attached, which he has named “Fang.”
“We appreciate those who join us. We welcome non-members to bring their mounts to show off, they are just not eligible to win any of the prizes,” Vollman added.
Funds that were raised from the supper go back into the community. Vollman said funding is divided between Hand & Creek, the Macklin Cross-Country Ski Club and a variety of activities for the school such as snowshoeing, fishing derbies and the NASP program.
Vollman explained that $4,000 in new snowshoes were purchased for the Macklin School along with 25 new fishing rods. The federation held fishing derbies with the youth at the two fishponds, one at the east end Macklin Lake and the other five miles south of the town on Cosine Road. Both ponds are stocked with trout from both the Saskatchewan government and the Macklin Wildlife Federation.
“We want to get kids outdoors and off the phones, so we want to find ways to encourage them to take part in some of our activities,” said Vollman.
Winners of this year’s awards were:
Bear: Austin Gartner; Moose: Fred Masson; Antelope: Kayla Krushelnisk; Ladies’ Whitetail Deer: Cassie Whitney; Typical Whitetail Deer: Del Shapka; Non-Typical Whitetail Deer: Kevin Gartner; Typical Mule Deer: Gus Baier; Non-Typical Mule Deer: Pat Mckinnon; Walleye: Tony Hauck; Rainbow Trout: Austin Gartner; Perch: Gus Baier; Ladies’ Northern Pike : Kyla Krushelniski; Junior Northern Pike: Kass Hauck; Northern Pike: Austin Gartner; Largest Duck: Jesse Giggs; Snow Goose: Ryan Bartch; Speckled Belly Goose: Kevin Gartner; Canada Goose: Leighton Hauck; Wildlife Photo Contest: Kali Richardson; Scholarship: Kamryn Baier.
There were no entries for the various elk, muzzle loader, archery or junior categories, along with ladies’ mule deer, lake trout and white fish. The federation would like to see more youth get involved and remind parents that memberships can be purchased from Dustin Rissling at 306-753-8026.
