Welcome to the Mendon Conservation League!

The Mendon Conservation League work day is scheduled for April 27, 2024. Save the date. Details will follow later.

Ron

We still need an officer for Grounds!

The duties as described in the club constitution are:

Please contact Ron if you have an interest.

Hello everyone! The holidays also bring us around to the annual renewal process.

Members who joined MCL late in 2023 still need to send in a renewal form even though they are paid through 2024.

Dues are due in January.  Dues not paid by the February meeting will have a $5.00 penalty added.

Please download and print this years renewal form. After filling it out, please mail it in or drop it off at a monthly meeting.

For readability, we prefer you use the fillable form. If you use IPAD or IPhone, you can fill it out and hit the books option to move it to your books file then print it. If it does not open the fillable form with text fields you can fill in, you should try saving/opening it with Acrobat.

Fillable form (preferred):
MCL 2024 Renewal Form (fillable)

Traditional form (write-in):
MCL 2024 Renewal Form (write-in)

These forms are also on our website under the membership section.

The membership fee was increased at the October 24, 2023 Board of Directors meeting to $110 ($115 After Feb. 2nd Meeting).
The current $25 "no work" exemption will remain in effect.

NEW MEMBER DUES EXEMPTION - We still need you to fill out a renewal
form, but if you were introduced to be a member at the October,
November or December meeting and voted‐in as a member at the
following meeting there is not a fee for 2024.

John Conley will be mailing out renewal forms to those members that do not use email.

This is also going out in an eblast.

Fellow MCL members, October 25, 2023

Rising prices and property tax increases are impacting all of us, including
clubs like MCL.

On October 24, 2023, the Board of Directors voted to increase
membership dues and shooting fees as follows:

Effective November 1, 2023, annual dues will increase to $110.00. The
current $25 "no work" exemption will remain in effect.

The fees for Trap and Skeet will increase to $5 per round.

Rifle and pistol range use continues to be included with your membership
dues at no additional charge.

The $3.00 shooting fee for each guest of a member per visit is unchanged, as well.

Compared to many clubs, MCL remains a bargain. We are doing our best
to keep it that way.

Thank you for your continuing membership.

We look forward to seeing you on the ranges and at MCL monthly meetings
during the coming year.

Tom Conroy, Chairman
MCL Board of Directors

We have had at least two recent occasions of people hunting on MCL property who did not sign in our sign out. That is a good way to lose your club privileges. All those hunting on MCL property must sign in and sign out. They must also indicate where on the property they are hunting.!

Also, only club members, their spouses and children under 21 may hunt on MCL property! Spouses and children of members must be accompanied by the MCL members when hunting on MCL property. No guests may hunt on MCL property.

Ron Stappenbeck, President MCL

Thanks to all those who participated in the 2023 MCL Workday on April 29. Due to the rain, it got a late start but ended being very productive with a few jobs being added at the last minutes.

 

Scott Gade

Chris Gent

Mark Fiscella

P.H. Clark

Dick Killew

Pat Vallely

Pete Deloe

Mike Beikirch

Kevin Buggie

Mike Buggie

Jingcheng Leo

Rod Mitchell

Ron Stappenbeck

Jame Gaston

Nick Choroshyzio

Lou Geneden

Jamie Waldman

Lou Page

 

Officer of Grounds

Bob Howland

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This is Bob Howland’s MCL Work Project list for everyone’s information. Bring some tools for the project you plan to work on.

Work List for MCL Work Day – 29 April 2023

1. Replace club sign by front road (Team Leader required)

2. Move tree firewood from entry driveway to where pile by parking lot.

3. Fill skeet and trap houses with birds.

4. Prepare riding and push mowers for mowing season. (Team Leader: Scott Gade)

5. Move snowblower from garage to mower shed and prepare it for storage. (Team Leader: Scott Gade)

6. Wash clubhouse windows.

7. Blow out leaves from 65 & 100 yard ranges and porch.

8. Start cutting back and killing Japanese Knotweed.

9. Blow off clubhouse roof.

10. Rake gravel from grass.

11. Replace shot up backers and a couple of 2x4 on 100 yard range

12. Cut plywood in 100 yard range to make new backers.

13. Replace one shot up 2 x4 on 65 yard range target.

14. Empty trash barrels in 65 and 100 yard ranges.

15 Mop restroom floors.

We have installed locks on the 65 and 100 yard range buildings. The code is the same as the MCL club house door. Do not share the code with anyone who is not an active member! Do not enter the buildings by going around the sides!

Ron Stappenbeck, President MCL

Mendon Conservation League

Acceptable use of the 65 and 100 yard ranges

4/19/2023

You are responsible for obeying the MCL General rules, 65 yard range rules, 100 yard range rules, MCL Code of Conduct and the 65 and 100 yard range shooting rules stated below. These rules are posted in the club house, on our web site and in the range buildings. You are also responsible for insuring your guests obey all MCL rules.

Shooting on the 65 yard range.

You may shoot at:

1. Paper targets that you mount using the wood holders and 1” x 2” boards with cardboard stapled across them or home made holders. You must put the targets high enough so your bullets hit the back bank, not the ground. You may place clay pigeons on such a target. These targets may be any distance from the shooting bench to the 65 yard bank.

2. Steel plates, which should be 500 grade steel. They should be mounted in a safe manner so when bullets hit them they help drive the bullet toward the ground. They should be placed at a safe distance from the shooter based upon the cartridge being fired.

3. Targets mounted on the wood backer that has been permanently placed at the back left side of the range. This backer may also hold a hanging steel target that you may shoot at.

4. You may shoot at clay pigeons placed on the back bank of the 65 yard range.

When you finish shooting return all target holders back to the shooting building and clean up any targets. Place trash in the trash container.

Clean up your brass and place it in the white brass bucket or take it with you.

Do not put live rounds in the brass bucket or leave live rounds anywhere at MCL.

Shooting on the 100 yard range.

You may shoot at:

1. Paper targets placed on the wood backers positioned only at 100 yards. No other distances are acceptable.

2. You may temporarily place a steel or home made target at 100 yards positioned to the left or right of the existing 100 yard targets.

Do not shoot at the Timbers at the base of the target stands or the 2” x 4” uprights that hold the target backers.

Cleanup your targets, put trash in the trash container, pick up your brass and place it in the brass bucket or take it with you.

Do not put live rounds in the brass bucket or leave live rounds anywhere at MCL.

Mendon Conservation League
Policy on Misuse of MCL Facilities
April 2023

If members or their guests are found to be disobeying MCL rules and/or destroying MCL property the MCL member is subject to immediate expulsion per the policy adopted by the MCL Board of Directors on 4/12/2023. Members or guests may also be subject to prosecution. You are responsible for knowing MCL policy, no excuses.

MCL members are responsible for directly monitoring their guests. You may only have three guests at one time and you need to be close enough to give them visual and verbal commands. Members are responsible for paying a $3.00 fee for the day for each guest they bring to MCL. Once a guest has attended three times they must join MCL or no longer come to MCL.

We will be monitoring MCL facilities!

Misuse of MCL Rifle and Pistol Ranges that has led to our policy decisions.

We have had a number of instances of people misusing our Rifle and Pistol Ranges.

Examples include:

• shooting our yardage markers until they fell over
• shooting up the stands we provide for people to put targets up
• shooting at our orange safety cones
• shooting holes in our trash containers
• shooting at various inappropriate objects that they placed on the range.
• shooting at rocks shooting at the 8” x 8” Timbers that hold up the 100 yard range backstop
• shooting at the upright 2” x 4” that the 100 yard target backers are attached to.
• someone stole the white metal target stand that was in the 65 yard range. shooting at a 22 flip target with a high powered rifle which destroyed it.
• acting in an unsafe manner
• leaving target set up on the 65 yard range when you leave.
• members not being on the same range with the guest they brought.

We assume that by the time you are old enough to own a firearm and join MCL that you should know how to conduct yourself in a mature manner. If you can’t then find another place to shoot.

I want to thank Doug Merrill and Dick Killeen for creating and installing new yardage markers on the 65 yard range to replace those that were destroyed. The yardage markers are not targets, don’t shoot at them.

Ron Stappenbeck, President MCL

This is a link to the pdf Ron sent around from the NY DEC:

NY DEC FAQ on Hunting and Hunting-Related Activities in response to Recent Changes to New York State Firearm Laws

At the September 7, 2022 Mendon Conservation League(MCL) meeting the MCL membership voted to eliminate the requirement to join NRA in order to join MCL. We will be updating our membership forms and web site to reflect this change.

The MCL Board stressed that they still encourage members to join NRA and other organizations that are defending our Second Amendment rights. The NRA is a primary reason we have our Second Amendment rights today and the effort to eliminate those rights continues at both the state and federal level. Recent NYS gun laws make that pretty clear! So make sure you vote.

Ron Stappenbeck, President MCL

Mendon Conservation League Hunting Season reminders

9/2/2020

This is a short list of Mendon Conservation(MCL) League rules related to hunting on MCL property:

• You first responsibility is safety, make sure you practice it all all times.
  
  
• You are required to sign in and out each time you hunt on MCL property. A sign up sheet is posted on the soda machine.
  
  
• Only MCL members there spouses and member children age 12-21 are allowed to hunt on MCL property. The MCL member must be with them when they are hunting on MCL property
  
  
• Follow hunting dates and hours defined by NYS DEC. You are not limited to only hunting during MCL shooting hours.
  
  
• Any tree stand or climbing device must be carried in and out on the day you are hunting. You are not allowed to leave a stand overnight.
  
  
• We expect you to stay on MCL property. There is a property map posted inside the clubhouse. Take the time to learn the property boundaries in the day time, so you do not make a mistake in early morning darkness.
  
  
• We have posted most of the MCL property. MCL posted signs along with posted signs from other property owners will help keep you on MCL property.
  
  
• NYS law does not allow you to trespass on private property. For example, you are not allowed to follow a wounded deer onto property where you do not have permission to hunt. You must first get permission from the property owner.
  
  
• You are required to follow NYS hunting laws. There are houses on all sides of MCL’s property. You need to insure that your are far enough from those houses and that shots you take terminate on MCL property. Shooting at anything where you are not absolutely sure your projectile will land on MCL property is not acceptable.
  
  
• The following was copied from the NYS DEC website:

It is illegal to discharge a firearm, bow or crossbow: within 500 feet (for a firearm), 250 feet (for a crossbow) or 150 feet (for a bow) of a dwelling, farm building or structure in occupation or use unless you own it, lease it, are an immediate member of the family, an employee, or have the owner's consent. You do not need to meet these distance requirements from the MCL club house. 

• I was made aware that someone was deer hunting on MCL property yesterday using rifles. That is illegal! MCL property is in Monroe County NY. It is not legal to be afield in any NYS deer season in Monroe county NY with a rifle larger than a 22 rim fire.

Ron Stappenbeck, President Mendon Conservation League

The MCL three visits policy is still in place. Once you bring the same guest three times that guest should apply for membership at MCL. Your immediate family(spouse, sons, daughters) are not considered guests, they are family members and are welcome to use MCL facilities while you, the member are present.

The CDC just published guidance that anyone fully vaccinated for COVID-19 is not required to wear a mask. MCL will follow that policy. Those who are not vaccinated can make there own decision about whether or not to wear a mask to protect themselves and other non vaccinated people. MCL is not responsible for their decision.  

Anyone entering the club house is required to sign in on the log book located on the table near the entrance to the club house.

Ron Stappenbeck, President Mendon Conservation League

These link to the DEC Statistics Ron shared vis eBlast.

NY DEC 2019 Hunting Safety Statistics

NY DEC 2018 Tree Stand Safety Statistics

A few weeks ago we found one of the white metal stands that we placed in the 65 yard range had holes shot in it. It was meant to be used with 1” x 2”s to hold up targets not to be a target. It was found stuck in the bank at the back of the 65 yard range. It appears someone used it to prop up a target and in the process shot holes in the stand.

Those stands are not meant to be targets and we do not appreciate someone shooting holes in the stands. Destroying club property is not acceptable!

Please think a little before you do something like that. Access the possible negative affect of your actions before, not after!

Thank you

Ron Stappenbeck

Dated April 1, 2018 as approved by the Board of Directors.

CODE-OF-CONDUCT-MCL.pdf

We generally have between 10 and 20 people, but not every one stays for lunch. We also don't know whats on the menu untill that very day. We encourage anyone interested in the club and our activities to visit then.

Example from 7/12/2017:

Today we had chicken and biscuits for $4.

Pictures from September 19, 2015