Kids and Mentors Outdoors (KAMO)

KAMO is a Wisconsin-based non-profit organization that gets kids off their earbuds and into the outdoors. Never before has there been such a substantial need for adults to pass their outdoor skills on to a younger generation that has become disconnected with nature. KAMO has 5 chapters - Florence, Ladysmith, New Lisbon, Baraboo, La Crosse/ Onalaska. Kamokids.org is the group's website and provides details, contact information and photos of the group's activities. KAMO is unique in that members of the group plan, organize, and finance activities year around. These activities can be done one on one, small or large group. KAMO mentors are encouraged to contribute the time what they can comfortably give and are not pushed for more. KAMO has been popular and can always use new mentors who bring their ideas and energy to the group. The La Crosse group I'm a memeber of could use some people for Learn to Hunts or other mentored hunting experiences for events on the river and local Mississippi Valley properties. We are open to someone who may have horses or places to camp as that is what our kids are asking for.I will try to post our activities on here once in a while.

Dodge County Conservation KAMO had an outing on Green Bay the weekend of 2-18/19-23.
Some kids got lucky.

Coulee Chapter collaborated with U.W. La Crosse Fishing Club on Lake Onalaska on February 18th.
11 kids, 3 parents, 6 fishing club members, 2 KAMO mentors.
Fishing was slow at first, but bluegills and perch were on the feed later.

Youngster with shed he found near Beaver Dam

Lake Tomah Ice Fishing event photos.

Photos taken during 1/21/2023 Lake Tomah event.

Lake Tomah Ice Fishing event photos from 1/21/2023 outing.

KAMO will have an ice fishing event on Lake Tomah on Saturday, January 21st. Might be worth a look if this is in your area. Should be headquartered in the enclosed shelter and out of a heated tent on the lake.

KAMO held its "Joe Hunt" over the weekend of December 9,10, and 11th. The hunt is headquartered at the MacKenzie Environmnetal Center near Poynette. The mentor/ mentee pairs stay in the dorms there, eat their meals and socialize in the lodge. They hunt both on the MacKenzie grounds and several DMAP landowner properties in the area.

This year, there were 18 kids and even a couple adults hunted for the first time.

Eleven deer were taken. A local wildlife biologist was one of the novice hunters. He stayed throughout the weekend and aged each animal, removed their lymph nodes for CWD testing, and helped us through the forms, which include the GPS coordinates of the harvest site.

A story will be written about this in the next Outdoorsmans Journal, which is written by Mark Walters since 1989 and contains interesting tales of his experiences.

You my wonder how a buck was harvested during the anterless deer season. The answer is that the KAMO group runs this activity as a Learn To Hunt. 

Learn to Hunts (LTH) are novice hunter expriences run by host organizations. An LTH, a DNR program, can be run in or outside of a regular season, no license needed by mentee, no hunter ed required by mentee. Mentee must be mentored. It is a chance for the novice to see whether they enjoy hunting before making decisions about buying equipment, etc.The (DMAP) Deer Management Assistance Program is also a DNR thing that allows landowners ro have some deer harvested off their property in exchange for some perks.

We provide kids with hunter education and range experience. We then get them out hunting. Two of KAMO's five chapters youth deer gun hunt involvement resulted in 5 first deer taken. Here are a few of those.

KAMO is starting to operate more fully. Here are a couple things from the La Crosse area chapter:

Hello KAMO Fans,

This is the first complete activity listing in two years! If interested in attending, please contact the lead person listed under that event well in advance. This allows us planning time. We create an “interested in activity” list.

We need people participating in our stuff whether they are officially in our group or not.. Feel free to share with others.

Saturday, April 2nd - Internet Field Day (hunter ed/ firearms safety) - Onalaska American Legion. 7:40 - 1:30. Intended for kids who want to participate in shooting sports and/ or hunting. Must be registered and have completed an online course in advance. Lead - Mike - [email protected]/ 608-799-5037. 

Saturday April 2nd or 30th - Nature Connection Days - Norskedalen. Ages 5-9 - 11:00 - 12:30/ Ages 10 - 15 - 2:00 - 3:30 PM. Lead - Kati - [email protected]/ 608-393-8703. KAMO covers the fee for all KAMOKIDS.

Thursday, April 14th - Trip to the Best Dam Fishing float. This is a kids day off from school. Equipment provided. KAMO has a group rate and pays the fee. This is a great scenery, wildlife and fishing experience. Usually start in mid-morning, but Fritz will let you know.

Lead - Fritz - 608-799-7533.

The Coulee KAMO has recently taken groups fossil hunting and squirrel hunting.

We are going tubing at Whitetail Ridge at Fort McCoy.

Also, we are supporting a local WIFA team (high school aged ice fishing competitors) with equipment and chaperoning.

We could use other adults to help with the chaperoning - it should be a lot of fun.