Welcome to The Chain O' Lakes Sportsman's Club

[nifman]

Hi I am on the BOD of the Big Bear Sportsman Club in Kaleva. We have recently purchased 80 acres of land and are in the process of deciding the range layout and how we will use the land. We have a few sporting clay shooters that are strong advocates of us putting a large sporting clays range on our property.These folks that are working on the plans are new members, that want a place to shoot, but we also want to have a way to raise money. I have no experience with sporting clays at all, and I think most of the long term members( the club formed 8 years ago) do not know what we need, or if we want to do it. The initial plans that were shown to us shows a plan that will use around 55 to 60 acres, with a road around the perimeter of the 80 acres, leaving about 20 or so acres for everything else. The stations would be as proposed around the perimeter with the fallout zone being in the center. To me this seems like a lot of land to devote just to one discipline. I would really appreciate any thought or ideas the good folks from the COLSP could share with me. Our land is two 40's that are end to end running N to S.
Thank you
Dennsi Risser

dennisr@chartermi.net

[Moon Doggie]

Dennis,
...I've got a lot of experience in this, so gimme a call when it's convenient.

[nifman]

Hi here is a link to a map quest map of the property. I hope to be able to get a more detailed one that has been cropped. The property is the 80 on the corner of nine mile and Puustinen road. The boundaries to the east start about where the e is in 9 mile road, there is a tree line, also the farm to the west on Puustinen is about the 1/2 mark((40 acres) and it goes south another 40. The current proposed plans call for a road around the perimeter, with the shot fallout for the sporting clays in the middle. The proposed sporting clays layout would go past the farm on Puustinen, about the distance that 15 to 20 acers . That would leave the rest to have pistol, rifle and a 3 d bow range. I will have a better plan with things drawn out when I can get to the clubhouse on Thursday. The proposed plan will have room for a 3 d bow course on the east end of the property, and I can not remember how wide it would be, but the bow shooters do not think it is the right setup for them. The gun ranges would be in the south end. i would like to get the sporting clays in a smaller part of the property as we need a clubhouse and we want to have places for different orig. like scouts that can use the land also. I would like to propose a sporting clays layout under 40 acres if possible.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/Kaleva+MI+49645/#a/mapsprint/l:::Kaleva:MI:49645:US:44.3697:-86.0286:zip:Manistee+County/m:hyb:13:44.365052:-85.979229:0:0:/io:0:::::f:EN:M:/e

I hope I have not confused you. The top of the map is North. I will have more info as soon as we have another meeting, but I want to keep our club a sportsmans club not a shotgun club.

Thanks Dennis