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- Beaver Island
Summary
The Beaver Island Wildlife Club (BIWC) is a member-supported conservation and outdoor-recreation organization on Beaver Island, documented in forum posts and community-newspaper notices from 2007 through 2025. Its officers have described a DNR-partnered walleye-rearing program at Lake Geneserath, support for the island’s wild turkey flock, seasonal wildlife-feed and tree-and-shrub distributions, an annual ice-fishing tournament, and a shared fishing dock later transferred to Peaine Township. Its 2024 notices describe it as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Fisheries management at Lake Geneserath
Responding to an outside angler’s inquiry in March 2011, the Club’s then-president, Jeff Powers, described a stocking partnership at Lake Geneserath running for “close to a decade”: the Michigan DNR supplied walleye fry each spring, and biologists from the Little Traverse Bay Band conducted electrofishing surveys to monitor the resulting population. Powers said the pond used for rearing the fry had been donated by a local resident, that a volunteer committee maintained the pond and handled the transplantation of reared fry into the lake, and that the Club also ran a spring cormorant-harassment program, carried out by volunteers deputized and trained annually by USDA Wildlife Services to reduce cormorant predation on the lake. In May 2015 the same member, Jeff Powers, reported to the forum that landowners had found at least fourteen dead carp floating in Lake Geneserath; the discovery was raised at a Club meeting and relayed to a Michigan DNR fisheries biologist, Heather Hettinger, who asked for carcasses to test for a carp virus. Powers noted concern for the lake’s carp population and its migration with Lake Michigan through Cable’s Creek; no test result is held. A July 2023 MDNR fisheries survey of Lake Geneserath, Fox Lake, and several island streams, summarized in the Club’s February 2024 newspaper column, reported bluegill, pumpkinseed sunfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, creek chub, northern pike, and steelhead taken from Lake Geneserath, with multiple year-classes of walleye cited as evidence that the Club’s stocking effort was working.
Turkey hunting and other programs
In March 2011 the Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce credited the Club with having “done a fantastic job over the years of developing and supporting a large flock” of wild turkeys on the island, and said the Chamber was marketing the island to turkey hunters with an advertisement running in Turkey & Turkey Hunting magazine. The Club also distributed free island-grown cobbed corn as wildlife feed to residents in November 2012, and in 2024 announced it would again purchase trees and shrubs for island property owners to plant as wildlife food sources. The Club has held an annual ice-fishing tournament on Lake Geneserath timed to Michigan’s Free Fishing Weekend, awarding prizes to adult and youth anglers; the 2024 tournament was cancelled for poor ice conditions and a summer tournament was considered in its place.
Lake Geneserath dock and Peaine Township
In April 2024 the Club announced it would donate the fishing dock at Lake Geneserath to Peaine Township while continuing to install and remove it each season, alongside board changes that welcomed new members Shelby Harris and Brian Antkoviak and thanked retiring members Jeff Powers, Jordan Marsh, and Rob Ballinger. At its June 17, 2025 meeting, the Peaine Township Board of Trustees approved payment of $5,656 to the Club for the Lake Geneserath ADA-compliant fishing dock.
Identity and evidence limits
The Club’s 2024 notice describes it as a 501(c)(3), but the project does not yet hold an IRS determination, charter, formation record, full board roster, or audited accounts. The source record does not establish that it is the same organization as the historical Beaver Island Game Club; the shared conservation focus and similar name are insufficient proof of institutional continuity.
The records also do not establish dock ownership transfer, all funding, construction completion, maintenance responsibility, present condition, or access rights.
See also
The dated record
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Sources
- The Wildlife Club offered corn and three turkey feeders for winter placement and later reported that all three had been placed. This is a first-party distribution update, not a quantified feeding or wildlife-population study.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 14 · t014885
- A forum post said the Wildlife Club may be using aerial pyrotechnics to harass cormorants in the harbor and warned residents about loud bangs. The wording is tentative and the thread contains no official Club statement, permit, operational log, or confirmation; it should not be treated as proof that the activity occurred.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 14 · t014049
- The notice scheduled a monthly Wildlife Club meeting at Peaine Township Hall and identified hunting and fishing as agenda areas. It documents a public-facing meeting schedule, not minutes, membership, or decisions.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 06 · t006765
- The notice scheduled a Wildlife Club meeting for September 20 at 7 p.m. at Peaine Township Hall. It documents a public meeting announcement, not minutes, membership, or decisions.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 13 · t013587
- The notice scheduled a Wildlife Club meeting for 7 p.m. that evening at Peaine Township Hall. It documents a public meeting announcement, not minutes, attendance, membership, or decisions.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 14 · t014707
- The Club offered freshly cut island-grown cobbed corn for wildlife feed and later reported that some remained. This is a first-party distribution notice, not a quantified wildlife-management program report.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 05 · t005695
- The Club secretary announced a Facebook page for the organization. This documents a communications channel, not a formal incorporation, complete membership, or archival continuity of the page.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 03 · t003304
- The Chamber said the Wildlife Club had developed and supported a large turkey flock, that the Chamber was marketing the Island to turkey hunters, and that an advertisement was running in Turkey & Turkey Hunting magazine. This is organizational promotion, not an independent flock survey, advertising audit, or proof of license sales.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 03 · t003218
- A forum participant announced a fall turkey hunt, said no application was required, and gave a start date and management rationale. This is a participant reminder, not a Michigan DNR season notice or population survey, so the regulatory details should be independently checked before reuse.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 03 · t003751
- The Wildlife Club president said the group had worked with Michigan DNR and Little Traverse Bay Band biologists for nearly a decade to rear and stock fry in Lake Geneserath, monitor the population, and run a trained cormorant-harassment program. This is a first-person organizational account; no independent stocking logs, survey data, or permits are held here.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 03 · t003225
- A new resident asked for information about wildlife and birding organizations; replies directed her to the Wildlife Club and to CMU. One participant identified Jeffrey Powers as the Club president, but the archive does not hold minutes or an officer roster confirming that office.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 00 · t000886
- Beaver Island Wildlife Club News, Northern Islander, February 2024.The Club’s attributed notice describes a planned Lake Geneserath ice-fishing tournament, reports a 2023 fisheries-survey summary, and discusses proposed dock work. It says the Club is a 501(c)(3) organization and describes donations and memberships; this is a self-description in a community-newspaper notice, not an IRS determination, charter, audited financial statement, or formation record. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.
- Beaver Island Wildlife Club News, Northern Islander, April 2024.The attributed notice says the Club would donate the Lake Geneserath fishing dock to Peaine Township and continue seasonal installation/removal, while also reporting board changes and planned tree/shrub distribution. It is not a recorded deed, agreement, completed transfer, or current access/maintenance record. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.
- The Board approved payment of $5,656 to the Beaver Island Wildlife Club for the Lake Geneserath ADA-compliant fishing dock. This establishes that stated payment approval, not a complete funding picture, receipt, ownership transfer, construction completion, or current condition.governance · township_meetings · peaine-board · 06-17-2025-board-of-trustees-regular-meeting-minutes-approved-02dcc59094
- A forum report said the Wildlife Club meeting discussed at least fourteen dead carp at Lake Geneserath and that the observation was relayed to a Michigan DNR fisheries biologist. The forum record does not establish the Club’s formal role, a confirmed cause, or test results.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 08 · t008731
- The Club announced a June 1 meeting at Peaine Township Hall with a fishing tournament, an island wildlife/habitat plan, and tribal-biologist participation on the agenda. The notice establishes an organizational meeting and planned agenda, not minutes, decisions, or a completed plan.forum · www.beaverislandforum.com · 10 · t010208
Added 2 August 2026. Recent changes
Cite this article
Beaver Island Archive, “Beaver Island Wildlife Club”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/organizations/beaver-island-wildlife-club/, accessed [date], citing Jacquel, “Turkey feeders,” Beaver Island Forum, December 1–7, 2019. (and 15 further sources listed on the page).
Last revised 2026-08-02. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.
BibTeX for “Beaver Island Wildlife Club”RIS for “Beaver Island Wildlife Club”