Their aim is true: Wethersfield Game Club thrives in the meadows

by Mark Jahne

Editor

The Wethersfield Game Club may be out of sight, but it is not out of mind for the members who keep it going.

Located on a parcel of land in the Great Meadows along the west bank of the Connecticut River, the club has been a home for hunting and shooting enthusiasts for more than nine decades.

“The club was started in 1933 by Wethersfield hunters. It was all men back then,” life member John Salvatore said.

Women are now eligible to join and there are several of them on the membership list.

The club’s land is located along a town-owned gravel road off Great Meadow Road near the Putnam Bridge. This access road has a locked gate and only those who own land in the meadows have access to the keys.

Safety is paramount at the Wethersfield Game Club.

Salvatore and fellow life member Mark Munger said the locked gate has been a major improvement because prior to that people would use the meadows as a dumping ground for a wide variety of junk and trash.

“We own probably 100 acres total, but it’s not one continuous piece,” Munger said.

He added that Anderson Farms and the Winding Brook Turf Farm are other large landowners in the meadows.

This machine fires targets for trap and skeet shooting.

Members hunt on their land and use a portion of it for target practice and skeet and trap shooting, which takes place Sunday mornings. There is a small building containing a food shack and other basic needs.

Even though it is privately owned land hunters are required to have applicable state licenses and hunt for certain animals only during the designated seasons. The club stocks the fields with pheasants every fall, around 100 a week during the hunting season.

“We put out between 1,000 and 1,100 birds a year,” Munger said.

Marksmen aim at targets.

Members can take advantage of these options as well as test their marksmanship on the rifle range. The club hosts fall turkey shoots and spring ham shoots that are open to the public. Safety is a priority and there are always trained range officials who make sure that everyone abides by the rules.

Part of the club’s mission is to properly train people in firearm safety.

“We have two hunter safety classes a year through the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection,” Salvatore said. “We provide the instructors.”

The two men estimated that these classes attract 65 to 70 people every year.

Judges review paper targets to determine who shot the best scores.

“On Wednesday nights we’ve been having .22 rimfire shoots,” he added.

These involve .22-caliber rifles that have smaller bullets than most other rifles and pistols.

“You don’t have to hunt” to be a member, he said. “We have families that come down. We have people who never pulled a trigger before. We can help them.”

There are a variety of different membership levels and the costs vary as well. Parents can sponsor children to shoot and must provide supervision themselves in addition to the range safety officers. Donated sponsorship money allows children to participate at no cost to their families.

The club has approximately 120 members. Many served in the military. Paul O’Keefe is the president.

“On the conservation side, we work with the federal government and the state government and the National Wildlife Federation,” Munger said.

Women are also welcome to shoot and to become members of the club.

The club installed more than 100 wood duck nesting boxes in the meadows. It also plants sorghum to feed wild animals during the winter months.

“We help the town of Wethersfield with their annual fishing derby” for children at the Spring Street pond,” Salvatore added. “We clean up the roads down here” with town assistance. WL

Anyone who is interested in membership can apply online at wethersfieldgameclub.com. The fee is $50 and a background check is also required. Members must hold state long gun and/or pistol permits.