Bylaws

1.      This co-op shall be called the Oak Ridge Management Co-op.

2.   Game numbers and quality will be enhanced through proper game   management practices as determined by the association and Wildlife Management Professionals.

3. The Minnesota Agricultural Extension Service, the Soil Conservation Service, Quality Deer Management Association, Minnesota Deer Hunter’s Association, the Minnesota DNR, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be utilized as resources for determining proper game management practices.

4. “Proper game management practices” refers to but is not limited to:

A. Habitat management

B. Recommending harvest levels

C. Maintaining accurate harvest records

D. Providing population data through various census techniques

E. Recommending supplemental or enhanced food supplies

F. Sanctioning predator control as recommended by the Minnesota DNR game biologists.

5. The association members will be encouraged to help curtail illegal hunting by watching out for road hunting and night hunting and reporting such observed illegal hunting to their neighbors and the Minnesota DNR game wardens.

6. The association will promote record keeping, and assist in gathering and maintaining population and harvest data.

A. The association will assist in setting up spotlight counts.

B. Spotlight census data will be combined with casual observation reports and other available data to provide a good estimate of population densities and herd composition.

C. Harvest records will be gathered and combined following hunting season.

7. Ongoing education of all members will serve to improve landowner/hunter relations as well as neighbor relations.

8. Association members should encourage their non-member neighbors to join the co-op in order to increase the land area being managed and to reduce the amount of fringe areas from which deer are often killed by non-members and their hunters.

9. Three directors and three officers of the association will serve as the executive committee.

A. This committee is elected at the first annual meeting of each new year which begins on September 1.

B. Directors will be elected. One will serve three years, one will serve two years, and one will serve one year.

C. Directors can serve up to two consecutive terms.

D. Officers will consist of president, vice-president, and secretary-treasurer.

E. Officers are elected for a one-year term and can succeed themselves in the same office one time.

F. Active members of the organization will elect both directors and officers.

G. Directors and officers will receive no financial compensation.

10. Annual membership dues will be $15.00 per individual and $20.00 per household. Any additional donations will be accepted.

A. Membership signs will be available to each member at cost.

B. Dues will be assessed each year according to the needs of the association.

C. Money will be used for copies, postage, advertisement/promotion, website maintenance, meeting and administrative expenses, land improvement, and educational programs.

D. Membership will run from September 1 through August 31 each year.

11. Each member has one vote.

12. Membership is open to anyone interested in game management in or around the Oak Ridge management area.

13. These bylaws may be changed by 2/3 vote of membership present at any called meeting.

14. The Oak Ridge Management Cooperative bank account will be established at the Marshall County State Bank in Newfolden, MN.

15. All finances will be deposited in this account. Signatures of the secretary-treasurer and one other officer or director will be required on each check or withdrawal. In the event of co-op termination any money remaining in the account will be donated to the Minnesota Deer Hunter’s Association.

16. All members of the Co-op will be encouraged to join the Minnesota Deer Hunter’s Association and/or the Quality Deer Management Association.

17. It is not necessary for every member of this co-op to agree with every objective and goal of the co-op, rather each member of the co-op does support the general principals of land and species conservation along with responsible agriculture production.

18. The Co-op will maintain a website with the address: www.mnsportsmen.com.

19. Current Co-op guidelines will be posted on the website.