Without the fanfare of forest preserve signage and parking lots, 62 acres of forest, fields and trails is somewhat unheralded, but available to residents for a minimal annual fee.
For $35 per year, those who join the Northern Illinois Conservation Club gain year-round access to the Antioch property for hiking, club events, and hopefully in the near future, fishing in a pond that is being rehabilitated for stocking with bass and other species.
“We want to let the people know we have 62 acres right here in the middle of the community,” said Bonnie Letich, longtime club member and secretary for the group. “We want the community to know we’re here.”
In a bid to spread awareness and introduce the younger generations to activities such as trap shooting and archery, the club held its 2015 Youth Event Saturday, allowing kids and parents to try their hand at trap shooting, pellet gun practice, archery and even knife throwing.
“It’s an opportunity to teach the kids to be outside and learn to trap shoot, use a BB gun and they just love to do the archery,” Letich said Saturday.
The club will also host trap-shooting events open to the public for a fee of $10. The first is Sept. 20 and the second is scheduled Oct. 2. Both will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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The property is easily accessed, but still not highly visible. Its long gravel road entrance is located on the east side of Route 83 about one-half mile south of Route 173.
Inside the club property on Saturday, stations were set up allowing youth to try trap shooting using launched clay targets, to shoot arrows in a small archery range, to target shoot with a pellet gun and even try knife throwing at a wooden target.
Trained firearm instructors were present at the stations involving guns.
Nine-year-old Robert Willegal III of Antioch tried his hand at several of the offerings.
“I got to shoot a real gun,” he said as he took a break from the knife-throwing station. “The shotgun felt like when I shot it, I was going to fall down.”
His father, Robert Willegal Jr., said his son was lobbying for him to become a member of the club, and Willegal indicated that he probably will.
Club member Dale Miller said she spent much of the night before cooking up wild game dishes for visitors to taste, from rabbit and venison to bear and elk.
“They’re surprised that they like it and it doesn’t taste gamey,” she said.
Kyle Salee of Island Lake, a College of Lake County student, said he has been trap shooting for 10 years and he appreciates the opportunity to practice at the club. Both his father and uncle are members.
“I like the challenge of it,” he said.
At the archery range, Brookelyn Munson, 8, of McHenry was trying her hardest with the help of an instructor to pull the bow back and hit targets with an arrow. After a while, she succeeded.
Her mother, Caitlin, said she thinks access to the club for $35 was a good deal based on Saturday’s event.
“It’s really neat,” she said.
For more information on the Northern Illinois Conservation Club, visit the club’s website at www.mynicc.org.
Twitter @jimnewton5