PROVIDING EDUCATION AND INVOLVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY
Duck/Goose Hunting
Hunting at Ducks Galore Lodge
LYS offers waterfowl hunting. There are organized hunts, or you can book your own hunt at the lodge. Please note that at least one LYS Life Mentor is required to attend all hunts and be part of your hunt, in an effort to offer assistance with your hunt and familiarization of the Lodge. See "Life Mentors" to learn how the program is run.
The Lodge
LYS prides itself with its efforts to combine historical preservation with the comforts of modern amenities located in the hour glass flyway of North America. Adult hunts and youth hunts are available.
The Lodge has the priority of your comfort. It provides lodge sleeping with individual beds, full kitchen, laundry facilities, and two full bathrooms. One of the many hunting locations is a pair of historic hunting pits preserved from yesteryear. We have included the article for your pleasure.
Farrar, Jon. “Geese Were Made For Hunting”.
Hunting at LYS's Ducks Galore Lodge in Lisco, Nebraska, will be one of the most memorable events in your life. It features hunting in pits and blinds right next to the Garden County Game Preserve. To see tens of thousands of geese and ducks in a day would not be uncommon. You will also get the luxury of staying in a hunting lodge that is second to none for comfort and amenities at a very affordable price.
Adult Hunts
The Adult Hunts are those hunts that are generated without the focus on mentoring youth. The purpose of these hunts is to raise money through guest lodge fees and exposing new members to our mission. The fees go toward the youth hunting subsidy pool.
If you would like to schedule a hunting trip for you and your friends contact us for the how-to details. Refer to our events calendar for the hunts that are open to everyone and contact the person listed. The hunts on the calendar designated as by invitation only are closed to the public.
Easy way to sign up for hunting:
Simply print up a Membership Application, write a check with a note what it is for and mail it to us. You get a discount if you send in your Membership Application along with your Membership Fee prior to the hunt. Your hunting reservation can NOT be made until you have sent in your Membership Application and Membership Fee..
Things to bring:
Food for your group; warm boots; sleeping bag (if you don't want to make your bed;) gun; steel shot shells; camo clothing is preferable but not required; your personal favorite beverage; two changes of clothing (one to wear and one to wash, pack light;) soft personal gear container if possible; personal toiletries; any other applicable hunting permits and stamps requirement; don't need to bring a towel or pillow; cooking utensils if you want to cook in the field (probably not needed,) camera (if you wish). Ear protectors AND ear plugs for sleeping.
Lodge Rules:
No smoking in the lodge. No house pets (waterfowl retreiving dogs only please.) No drinking alcohol before or during hunting. No loading of guns until securely located in the hunting facility; the gun safety device must be on when not aiming at game; food or beverage is only allowed in eating area; must use steel shot for all shooting activities; leave no personal valuables unattended; anything left behind after you leave the lodge to go home becomes the property of LYS; pick up trash and shot shell casings when leaving hunting area, put your personal gear on top of your sleeping area while awake; keep guns and boots in mudroom; clean birds outside; if taking prescription drugs or taking over-the-counter medication, or under a doctors care, you must disclose this to the Life Mentor on duty upon your arrival at the lodge; leave no perishable food in the lodge when your hunt is complete; remove all your game from the lodge when your hunt is complete as you are leaving for home..
Youth Hunts
The Youth Hunts are those hunts that are formed with the focus of full-time students attending. All fees apply but are significantly discounted. They are open to the public with only a few conditions. Those conditions are:
If the youth has a special need that they must provide the assistance required or the qualified individual that will furnish those special needs. Certification and licensing of the individual assisting must match or exceed the needs of the special needs child for the child to attend.
Applicable lodge fees must be paid in advance or scholarship must be arranged and approved in writing from Lincoln Youth Sports one week before the hunt is to take place. (See Lodge Fees for more information.)
Safety Is Paramount
Youth attending must be at least 8 years of age. All youth may carry a gun but must have the Nebraska Game & Parks Hunter Safety Certification to load the gun along with an adult member present at all times. Ducks Galore Lodge safety requirements are stricter than general hunting guidelines and must be adhered to or the hunting privilege will be revoked for part or all of the remainder of the hunt. Loaded guns may NEVER be taken into the Lodge.
Join Us
These events, as with many of Lincoln Youth Sports activities, are reserved with your non-refundable payment along with membership dues. See the events calendar for the hunts that are Kid Hunt and open to everyone and contact the person listed or email us at 402432mike@gmail.com. The hunts on the calendar designated as by invitation only are closed to the public.
Things to bring:
Warm boots; sleeping bag; gun; steel shot shells; camo clothing is preferable but not required; your personal favorite beverage; two changes of clothing (one to wear and one to wash, pack light;) soft personal gear container if possible; personal toiletries; Hunter Safety Certification Card (and any other applicable hunting requirements;) don't need to bring a towel; cooking utensils if you want to cook in the field (probably not needed,) camera (if you wish;).
Lodge Rules:
No physical contact with anyone at any time; no touching of other belongings even with their approval; no loading of guns until instructed by an adult; food or beverage is only allowed in eating area; must be kind to others at all times; must use steel shot for all shooting activities; only take food servings you will eat at meal time; mark your personal property with permanent marker; leave no personal valuables unattended; anything left behind after you leave the lodge to go home becomes the property of LYS; pick up trash and shot shell casings when leaving hunting area, put your personal gear on top of your sleeping area while awake; keep guns and boots in mudroom; clean birds outside; if taking prescription drugs, or taking over-the-counter medication, or under a doctors care, you must disclose this to the Life Mentor on duty upon your arrival at the lodge.
Life Mentor Opportunities
The Lincoln Youth Sports Life Mentor Program was founded to encourage leadership to help mentor youth, and/or raising money for L.Y.S. due to the heavy need to provide the subsidies required to finance the incredibly inexpensive hunts for youth.
Life Mentors have three options of commitment. The first option is that they can receive their designation in pairs. Two individuals agree to raise $25,000 over the next 5 years with a minimum of $5000 per calendar year. They also commit to take a group of hunters out to the Lincoln Youth Sports Ducks Galore Lodge at least once per waterfowl hunting season in an effort to either mentor kids or as a fund raiser for the kids hunting subsidy program. They agree to do this for the remainder of their life. One of the individuals will pick the week of the year that is their designated commitment. The other will be listed as an alternate and will take the lead roll if the first can not fulfill their commitment. The second option is that an individual can do a solo commitment of raising $15,000 over the next 5 years with a minimum of $3,000 per calendar year. In either option they must continue to maintain their membership fees annually. The third option is that an individual can do a solo commitment of raising $10,000 in one calendar year. In any of the options, they must continue to maintain their membership fees annually.
Life Mentors also commit to attempting to be an unofficial non-working guide at the lodge when outside groups want to stay at the lodge for a private hunt or personal hunt as often as they can. This is necessary since outside private hunts or personal hunts must have at least one LYSA Life Mentor in their hunting group.
Due to the heavy time and financial commitment, Lincoln Youth Sports and its board of directors agrees, at the time of the Life Mentor's commitment, to provide the Life Mentors with a commitment of one week (referred to as "Hunt") per year blocked off for them as to provide them with the continued opportunity to fulfill their lifetime commitment to either mentor or raise money at no cost to them and can never be removed or revoked by Lincoln Youth Sports or its board of directors unless they are released from their commitment either voluntary or involuntary under the provisions under "The Release."
The Release
Life Mentors will be released of their commitment if they:
Die.
Do not renew their individual annual membership fee during the calendar year it applies. If one of the two mentors does not pay their individual annual membership fee, it does not release the other Life Mentor of their commitment if their membership fee is paid.
Do not raise the minimum of $1,000 in any of the first 4 years. Deficit of achieving an average of $5,000 per year for dual Mentorship or $3,000 for individual Mentorship must be made up before the completion of the next calendar year to stay in good standing.
Do not raise the total dollars committed to achieve in five years.
Request it in writing and there is unanimous acceptance of the request by the board of directors.
Have been deemed by a unanimous vote by the LYS board of directors to be unfit to take proper and reasonable care of all the facilities of Lincoln Youth Sports during their Hunt or at any time they are at the lodge as a guest. If it is a board member, or their relative, or similarly, someone that is deemed to have a conflict of interest, that is in question, their vote will not apply to the unanimous decision.
Have been deemed by a unanimous vote by the LYS board of directors to be unfit to collect correct fees for the proper amount for their guests at the lodge.
Can no longer work together with their co-Mentor. The two mentors must decide which of them will stay with their commitment. If they can not decide between the two of them then both will be released from their commitment.
Other obligations and regulations they agree to are:
To commit to their Hunt by September 12 of each year or then, by not doing so, agree to open it up to others who wish to use Ducks Galore Lodge.
To collect all fees due from their guests along with their guests personal information such as name, mailing address, phone numbers and email address.
Other benefits are:
Life Mentors can "invade" and attend any hunt at anytime without restriction (other than "requesting" attendance of the host 24 hours in advance) but must provide their own sleeping arrangements if no lodge bunks or beds are available and must "field" hunt if hunting seats are full. Cooperation is strongly encouraged.
LIFE MENTORS
LIFE MENTOR 1 - Mike Letheby
LIFE MENTOR 2 - Bruce Cannon, Ryan Cannon Alternate
LIFE MENTOR 3 - Bill Pospichal
LIFE MENTOR 4 - Jim Tate, Don Tate Alternate
LIFE MENTOR 5 - James Kyle Tate, Jordan Tate Alternate
LIFE MENTOR 6 - Mike Letheby, Susan Letheby Alternate
LIFE MENTOR 7- Susan Letheby, Mike Letheby Alternate
LIFE MENTOR 8 - Graham Dahl, Chris Dahl Alternate
LIFE MENTOR 9 - Knox Dahl, Allison Dahl Alternate
Life Mentor Completed Information
LIFE MENTOR 1, 2002, Mike Letheby, raised $7,000 2002, raised $8,300 2003, raised $8,610 2004, raised $1,100 2005. Raised $25,000 2007. Raised $5,000 2008, raised $5,800 2009 raised $16,000 2010.
LIFE MENTOR 2, 2002, Bruce Cannon, raised $5,000 2002, raised $5,458 2003, raised $5,000 2004, raised $5,000 2005, raised $5,000 2006.
LIFE MENTOR 3, 2002, Bill Pospichal, raised, $5,000 2002, raised $5,000 2003, raised $5,000 2004, raised $5,000 2005, raised $5,000 2006.
LIFE MENTOR 4, 2002, Jim Tate, $5,000 2002, raised $5,000 2003, raised $12,730 2004, raised $3,000 2005.
LIFE MENTOR 5, 2006, Kyle Tate, raised $4,000 2006, raised $4,000 2007, raised $4,000 2008, raised $2,248 2009, raised $3,370 2010. raised $3,000 2011, raised $3,000 2012, Raised 1,400 2013
LIFE MENTOR 6, 2011, Mike Letheby raised $1,500 2011, raised $8,500 2012, raised $15,000 2013,
LIFE MENTOR 7, 2015, Susan Letheby raised $25,000 2015,
LIFE MENTOR 8, 2016, Graham Dahl raised $25,000 2016,
LIFE MENTOR 9, 2017, Knox Dahl raised $25,000 2017,
Life Mentor Uncompleted Commitments
All committed have been completed.
LIFE MENTOR DECOMMITS
LIFE MENTOR ALTERNATE 2002 Todd Pospichal released his commitment 2008 with non-payment of 2009 annual dues.
LIFE MENTOR 4 2003, Caleb Jensen & Joel Jensen, raised $25,000 2003. Caleb Jensen released his commitment end of 2007 with non-payment of 2008 annual dues. Joel Jensen released his commitment end of 2011 with non-payment of 2012 annual dues.
LIFE MENTOR ALTERNATE 1, 7, 8, 2002 Adam Letheby released his commitment 2014 with non-payment of 2013 annual dues.
LIFE MENTOR 5, 2003, Bill Selde, raised $5,000 2003, raised $5,000 2004, raised $5,000 2005, raised $5,000 2006, raised $5,000 2010. Released his commitment 2014 with non-payment of 2013 annual dues.
LIFE MENTOR 5 ALTERNATE, 2003, Will Selde, Released his commitment 2014 with non-payment of 2013 annual dues.