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Lorain Rifle and Pistol Club

Lorain Rifle and Pistol Club

According to the club site: The Lorain Rifle and Pistol Club exists for encouragement of the organized shooting sports, the education and training of the community in the principles of safe firearm handling, and the pursuit of excellence in marksmanship. Members of (LRPC) enjoy many opportunities to participate in a variety of Club activities and shooting events.

LRPC sponsors events and shows across northern Ohio. Check out the calendar for the latest events.

Range Access

Private Ohio Shooting Range

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The Range

A covered 100 yard range, a 200/300 yard range, and 25 yard steel/paper pistol range.

All three ranges are open 365 days a year from 9:00 am until 1/2 hour prior to sunset to its members and their guests only.

Address

LRPC
48548 North Ridge Road
Amherst, Ohio 44001

Contact

P.O. Box 111
Amherst, OH 44001

Website: https://lorainrpc.org/

Club Contact: lrpcsecretary@ gmail.com

Membership information: https://lorainrpc.org/join-lrpc/

If you are a shooting range and would like to list your facility –  email us

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Lorain Rifle and Pistol Club

Edible Plants

Wintergreen Plant Identification

Wintergreen Plant Identification

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General

Once growing, the wintergreen plant, spreads out by its rhizomes. When you find a grouping of wintergreen, chances are there is an underground root system connecting most of the plants together. Plants also start by seed but stratification, a period of cold, is necessary.

Wintergreen is still highly regarded and used by foragers and herbalists for both food and medicine.

Common Names

Boxberry, deer berry, Ground Berry, Spiceberry, wintergreen, checkerberry, tea leaf, teaberry, and creeping wintergreen

 Description

The oval-shaped leaves are green, leathery, shiny, hairless, and slightly toothed and grow on stems that are 3” to 7” tall. They are, broadest beyond the midpoint and coming to a rounded point at the tip, about 1″-2″ long and 1/2″-1″ wide. In autumn the leaves turn reddish.

The flowers are colored white to pale pink, bloom during the later summer (July – August) and are shaped like blueberry flowers. They have five terminal lobes.

Range and Habitat

The wintergreen plant is native to Eastern North America from Georgia north to New England to Newfoundland to Manitoba and south to Mississippi – Eastern US and Canada.

It can be found under white pines or in moss, and in mixed forests. The plants do well in low nutrient soil as long as there is good drainage.

Harvest

wintergreen plants are evergreen

Although wintergreen plants are evergreen the leaves turn reddish during winter months. They can still make a good tea but it will not be as good as fresh greens leaves would make. With that said, you can harvest leaves year-round and use.

The berries will turn red in the fall. This is the time to harvest. They are at their freshest. Just like with wintergreen leaves, you can harvest the berries throughout the winter. Later in the winter they will lose some of the taste and become dryer, but they can still be harvested – they don’t necessarily go bad.

Edible

The berries of wintergreen plants are edible for people and a wide range of animals.

Wintergreen plant leaves are used in herbal teas.

Interesting Notes

wintergreen plant can be found in eastern North America

The volatile oils of winterberry deter most insect pests.

Native Americans brewed a tea from the leaves to alleviate rheumatic symptoms, headache, fever, sore throat, and various aches and pains.

Wintergreen is a common flavoring in American products ranging from chewing gum, mints, and candies to smokeless tobacco such as dipping tobacco

The berries are high in vitamin C and contain wintergreen oil

Wintergreen essential oil is much more concentrated. It is potentially not safe to ingest in any amount – click the link and read the potential issues from NDNR.com

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USDA plant guide

Picture License attribution
English: Wintergreen from Greeley, Pennsylvania in early December.
Date 6 December 2016
Source Own work
Author Bramblehillshaman
CC-BY-SA-4.0 self
3.31MB 2448×3264

Garden Pests

Flea Beetle Identification

General

Flea beetle damage on an eggplant leaf

The flea beetle is a type of leaf beetle that can be found anywhere and on many different plants – vegetable crops; shrubs; weeds. Some species of these little beetles do good by eating invasive weeds while many of their relatives are known garden pests that can exact extensive damage to plants including radishes, broccoli, cabbage, turnips, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, spinach and melons to name a few.

Common types of Flea Beetles:

Crucifer flea beetle; crucifer flea beetle; striped flea beetle; western black flea beetle; potato flea beetle; spinach flea beetle

Description

Most adult flea beetles are small, 1/16 –1/8th inch long. An exception is the spinach flea beetle, which is 1/4-inch long.

Since there are different species, flea beetles come in different colors such as: black, bronze, bluish or brown to metallic gray. Some even have stripes. They all have large back legs which they use for jumping (something like fleas) – this can make for easy identification.

Their eggs are very small and are white. They are laid in the soil. Unless you are trained and have a strong magnifying glass, don’t bother looking for any.

Larvae are small white grubs. They will be down at the root level. Again, unless you are trained and have a strong magnifying glass, don’t bother looking for any.

Territory/Habitat

Based on the many species of this bug, they are found worldwide.

Diet

Plants, leaves, stems, fruit and the larvae of certain species are known to eat roots. These can be bad garden or crop pests. For gardeners, eggplant, corn, and cabbage family crops (i.e. cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower) are very susceptible. There are flea beetles that attack tomato, potato, pepper, beet, spinach, turnip, radish, plus almost every other vegetable to some degree.

Signs of Damage

Flea beetles chew irregular holes in the leaves that can look like small, scattered pellet shot. Severe flea beetle damage can result in wilted or stunted plants. They can attack and destroy seedlings. I have had eggplant seedlings so severely impacted that the harvest was basically nil. When damage is bad enough crop production will be adversely affected.

Life Cycle

Flea beetles live through the winter as adults in leaf litter or other protected cover. They become active in early spring. Depending on the species, females lay single or clusters of eggs in small holes, in roots, soil or leaves of many vegetables as well as occasionally on flowers and ornamental shrubs and trees.

Small white larvae hatch from eggs and feed on the roots. Larvae then transform into pupae in the ground. There are usually one to two generations per year.

Treatment

Flea beetles are best managed through a combination of methods. Since they are most damaging in spring, you will need to monitor for leaf damage. If there is damage – treat immediately!!

When closing up your garden for winter you can remove old crop debris or till it into the soil so that beetles will not be able to get protection in the winter.

First step during growing season is if you think you have flea beetles and damage indicates flea beetles, try yellow sticky traps you can place in your garden to catch some.

Use row covers to keep beetles out while seedlings are growing. As the plants mature, remove the row covers before the flowers bloom.

Some advice is to plant a favorite crop, such as radish, as a “trap crop” so you can draw in the beetles and treat. I personally don’t do that. The way I see it is all you are doing in ringing a dinner-bell for the bugs.

Microctonus vittatae, a native braconid wasp, and tachinid flies kill the adult flea beetle. The larvae of this wasp develop on the female flea beetle and prevent the beetle from reproducing. To encourage these insects, plant flowers such as caraway, herb fennel and coriander as well as flowers such as poppies, marigolds and yarrow.

To control the larvae try using parasitic nematodes in your garden beds. Install them in beds just before planting crops. If the larvae can be controlled or killed, you can almost eliminate local populations.

You can also dust plants and surrounding soil with diatomaceous earth.

There are many pesticides labeled for treating flea beetles. Check with your nursery to put together a program

Notes of Interest

Other flea beetle species are beneficial, feeding on weeds and similar nuisance plants. A few species have even been introduced to various locations as biological control agents against some weeds. One important example is in the control of Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula), an invasive weed in the United States. It has a toxic latex and is generally avoided by herbivores. Flea beetles of the genus Aphthona have been successfully introduced to control this plant.

wild life recipes

Edible Plants

Hazelnut Plant Identification Guide

Hazelnut Plant Identification Guide

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General

The Hazelnut is a native shrub to North America. You should be able to, except for the US southwest and Gulf coast, find hazelnut plants growing. Once located, remember where they are since nuts are an important food source. Count yourself lucky if you can forage such a free food. Their leaves, twigs, and catkins (male flowers) are important for wildlife. They are browsed by rabbits, deer, and moose and are winter food for turkey and ruffed grouse to name just a few of the dependent animals. The dense shrub provides cover and nesting sites for many wildlife species.

This plant has separate male and female parts on the same branch. A single shrub will produce some nuts, but as a wind-pollinated species 3-5 shrubs are recommended for optimal nut production.

Common names

American hazelnut, American Filbert, American hazel, America hazelnut, beaked hazelnut, California hazelnut

Description

The shrub is deciduous and grows from 3’ – 15’ tall. Once established, it grows by its spreading rhizomes forming thickets.

The main stems are straight with spreading branches. The coloration is light brown with red-hairs. 

Leaves grow alternate and are broad oval with a heart-shaped or rounded base. They are approximately 3 inches – 6 inches long and 4 inches wide. The leaf edges are doubly serrate, hairy beneath, the petiole with stiff, glandular hairs. The leaves turn orange to red or purple in the fall.

Male and female flowers are separate, but both types grow on each plant. Male flowers, in small clusters – maybe 2 to 3 flowers per cluster, form as catkins that are 3 inches to 5 inches long in the fall. They will winter and open the next spring as yellow. Female flowers form and are tiny and inconspicuous with only bright red stigma and styles protruding from the gray-brown buds near the end of the twigs.

Clusters of 2 -6 of the acorn-like nuts about 1 inch long and a bit wider will grow after pollination. The nuts are enclosed in two toothed leafy husks

Location

Plants can grow in sun or partial shade in moist, well-drained soil.

Hazelnut map

They (several species) are widespread in North America, Maine west to Saskatchewan and North Dakota, south to eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Georgia, not found along the Gulf coast region or Southwest USA

When foraging, look in moist to dry woods and thickets, forest margins, roadsides, and fencerows and other disturbed areas. Also search streamside as long as the soil is not boggy.

Harvest

Hazelnut shrubs flower from March thru May before the plant leaf’s out. The nuts (fruits) form and ripen in the July – October time period. Late summer thru fall is the time to harvest. Be careful if you wait to long you will lose out to wildlife. Visa versa – if you get there first, make sure you leave a good amount for wildlife.

Edible

The nuts of hazelnuts are sweet and may be eaten raw, dried and roasted or ground into flour (gluten free).   

Interesting Notes

The nuts of American hazelnut, which have a higher nutritional value than acorns and beechnuts, also are eaten by squirrels, foxes, deer, northern bobwhite, ruffed grouse, turkey, woodpeckers, pheasants, and deer. 

Plants of American hazelnut may begin producing seed after the first year and produce good seed crops every 2-3 years. 

American hazelnut is not affected by any serious pests. 

Hazel flowers are wind-pollinated, so no bees or butterflies are needed for pollination.

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USDA plant guide

Edible Plants

Rose Plant Wild edible

Rose Plant Wild edible

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General

The wild rose plant found widely across North America, as well as many places around the world, is an overlooked forage food. Most people look at the plant and see flowers and thorns not thinking of the multitude of food choices the entire plant provides over an extended harvest period. For the semi-initiated into foraging, wasted comments such as, “You can make rose hip tea.”, is about all you will get. Yet this is a must if you want to forage wild food. Rose hips contains vitamins such as C and A as well as antioxidants, along with nutrients such as zinc. The seeds can contain vitamin E.

There are 35 or so species of the wild rose family in the USA. Some species were brought to North America and became naturalized over time (invasive).

Common Names

Pasture rose, Scotch briar, Prairie rose, Wood rose, Wild brier, Sweetbrier

Description

Roses grow on thick canes; the ends of old canes turn gray to tan. Newer growth is dark green in color; all stems and branches have thorns

Most truly wild roses have flowers with only five petals, usually pink to white. Most also bloom only once, in early summer. Any rose blooming later in the season may be a cultivated variety gone wild.

The plants, because there are so many varieties, can be anything from small bushes to large shrubs to vining plants growing upward. The most important visual characteristic will be the thorns on branches and the leaves that look very much like domestic rose plant leaves. In late summer to fall the hips developed from pollinated flowers are the dead give-away.

Location

As the map shows, wild roses can be found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. They prefer partial shade and moist well-drained soil in dry fields to open woods.



Harvest

You can pick the ripe hips in the fall when it is full and, typically, red. The buds can be picked right into winter.

Harvest young shoots and peel off any thorns during spring and summer.

Pick flowers when they are in bloom. Make sure to take only healthy looking flowers. Cut the portion at the base as that may be bitter.

Leaves can be pick and used in teas.

Edible

Rose hips can be eaten raw or cooked. There are multiple ways to use them. You can bake rose hips into breads or pies, puddings, soups, jellies and their pectin has been used as a thickener. Remember, rose hips and leaves make a nutritious tea!!

The rose petals are edible. You can candy rose petals add to cakes for decoration and yes they can be eaten. Petals can also be made into jams, jellies, vinegars and syrups.

The young shoots peel and eat the young shoots raw or cooked with other vegetables.

Interesting Notes

The pollen and nectar of the wild rose is a valued food source for many beneficial insects, including many types of bees.

Rose hips are a winter food for birds and mammals such as waxwings, pine grosbeaks, grouse, squirrels and mice to name a few.

Native Americans used the roots as an ointment for sore eyes, and the wood of the plant for arrows as well as a food source.

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USDA plant guide

Edible Plants

Bunchberry Wild Edible

Bunchberry Wild Edible

General

Bunchberry Plants are perennials growing 4” – 8” tall. Because they spread by rhizome they generally form a carpet-like mat. They are not overly tasty but in a foraging situation they are edible. Additionally, they are widespread and hence can be found in many places if you are looking and know what you are looking for.

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Common Names

Bunchberry, dwarf cornel, creeping dogwood, crackerberry

Description

bunchberry drawing showing stem, leaves, flower heads and berries

As previously stated, bunchberry are small plants that form carpet like colonies. Each “individual” plant grows a singular stem with about six leaves positioned at the top. 

The elliptic, dark green leaves form as wheels at the nodes. Leaf veins follow the leaf margin as is seen in other dogwoods. In autumn, the leaves may develop red and yellow tones.

The plant generally puts forth four white leaves from the top center. These are not the flower. The true flowers are small white to purplish-white clusters in the center of the white leaves. The flowers are formed in late spring and early summer.

From the true flowers, clusters of red berry fruits grow beginning in mid-summer as the white leaves typically drop.  The fruit can stay viable into late autumn.



Location

Bunchberry can be found growing in forested areas and is native to Canada, parts of Alaska and the northern to Central portions of the contiguous United States. It can be found coast to coast. It grows best in acid soils that are not overly dry. The plant grows best in shade, (4 hours or less of light daily).

Edible

The red ripe berries are the edible parts of the plant. They can be eaten raw or cooked. They can be combined with other fruits even added to puddings and sauces.

Harvest

In late summer into late fall the red berries are picked. The berries can be rather dry and tasteless but are edible.

Interesting Notes

Bunchberries were collected and eaten by Native Americans raw, cooked, even put into sauces and puddings.

The berries are a source of food for deer, grouse and small mammals.

Birds are the main dispersal agents of the seeds, feeding on the fruit during their fall migration.

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USDA plant guide