Reno of the North

BY
DUWAYNE SCHULER

The crowded banquet hall audi­ence was stunned when Keith Dinwoody, award-winning auctioneer, announced the SCI Northeast Michigan Chapter would begin their March, 2010 evening live auction with a non-catalog item - a Grand Slam of Sheep.

It's extremely rare to have even a single North American sheep hunt offered by a chapter. Though the minimum opening bid of $120,000 was not realized, the Desert Big Horn, Stone, Big Horn and Dall hunts were auctioned individually.

Premier hunts of grizzly and brown bear, moose, elk, and mountain goat and more affordable whitetail, mule deer, cari­bou, pronghorn, cougar and bird hunts were offered. There were items to tempt fishermen, high quality jewelry and sculp­tures by world-renowned artists.

This small northern Michigan Chapter (www.nemisci.com) thinks big and deserves the attention of seri­ous buyers. In 2011, the event will move to a facility accommodating 650 attendees. The Chapter's signature project is the Safari Wish Program and several recipients in attendance attested to its success.

The 2009 SCI Diana Award winner, club member Charlotte Peyer, also attend­ed. Can they top a program like this? I don't know, but I wouldn't bet against them: 2011 - stayed tuned.

During the course of the last six years, The Northeast Michigan Chapter of Safari Club International has made donations and contributions to a variety of groups, organizations and individuals. These contributions support activities consistent with the goals of our Chapter. Chapter donations and contributions to date total over ONE MILLION and include:

· Full tuition grants for 100 Alpena area, under-privileged children to attend the Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Education Service District Summer Camp Wilderness at Sprinkler Lake
· Full scholarships for eighteen teachers to attend the American Wilderness Leadership School in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
· Cash grants to eight schools to assist with wildlife projects and educational programs
· Funds to the Michigan Moose Collaring project and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources
· Funds contributed to the Alberta Professional Outfitters Society - Moose Tick Project and Hunters for Tomorrow initiative
· Funds contributed in support of efforts to preserve Grizzly Bear hunting in British Columbia and to support additional research on Grizzly Bears in B.C.
· Funds contributed to the Alaska Black Bear Initiative
· Funds donated to a hunt of a lifetime for four youths who are terminally ill/ severely ill and/or physically challenged
· Funds committed to the enhancement of Roosevelt Elk and Columbia Black-tail Deer populations on Vancouver Island
· Purchase of a wildlife display for the Jesse Besser Museum in Alpena, MI
· Funds contributed to support a local hunter safety program
· Funds contributed to assist a local area, wildlife rehabilitation center
· Funds contributed to provide over eight thousand pounds of venison to area soup kitchens and needy families through our Sportsmen Against Hunger Program – new freezers purchased for two local service agencies – as well as cash grants to area soup kitchens
· Funds contributed to SCI's General Fund to assist with worldwide efforts to protect the right to hunt
· Funds contributed to the Alpena Library to purchase wildlife material
· Equipment purchased to assist local Conservation Officers enforcement activities
· Funds contributed in support of ungulate enhancement programs in northern British Columbia and in the state of Alaska
· Scholarships provided for area youth to attend guide school
· Cash contribution to the Montmorency Conservation Club
· Cash contributed to the Alpena Kiwanis
· Funds provided to schedule a wildlife artist into area elementary school classrooms

The Northeast Michigan Chapter extends an invitation for you to join our membership and become an active part of our team! Thank you for your time and consideration.  To our current members, thank you for your continuing support!

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