Bows and Triggers, a 4-H club in Brown County, started up three years ago under key leaders Crystal and Jason Frederickson. There was a group in the 1980s, but it disbanded due to newer rules and regulations, and aging members.

Crystal Frederickson said collaboration is a big part of Bows and Triggers.

“I really strongly believe that kids want and need to get outside,” Crystal Frederickson said. “So it’s a shooting sport and wildlife program. I always emphasize to the kids that it is also wildlife, so we collaborate with obviously the New Ulm Area Sport Fishermen, we’re collaborating really hardcore right now with the DNR to do a Somsen Slough cleanup. So we do ditch cleanups, we’ve been out ripping out metal out of the ground, we’ve been doing all kinds of stuff with Joe Stangel at the DNR.”

Crystal Frederickson said the group has also learned about trapping from Minnesota Trappers Association President Brian Fischer. The group has also went to the National Eagle Center in Wabasha to learn about eagles. As for shooting sports, the group does trap, .22, air rifle, air pistol, BB and archery.

Tuesday, Bows and Triggers members got to throw a line in the water at Riverside Park and try out river fishing with the aid of NUASF members, who provided fishing rods, lures, bait and their fishing expertise.

The collaboration was supposed to take place last year but was canceled due to the river being too high. However, Crystal Frederickson was able to get in touch with NUASF Club President Chad Wills and make it work this summer.

“I just sent Chad an email and I said, ‘Hey, we couldn’t do it last year, the river looks real good this year, how do you feel about doing it?'” Crystal Frederickson said. “And he said, ‘Absolutely, pick a day, we’ll be there.’ They’re providing everything for the kids today. If the kids have their own reels, they could bring them, otherwise they’re providing the rods, the reels, the bait, and when we’re done, they invited us out to the clubhouse and they’re cooking us supper today.”

It was also a new experience for Bows and Triggers members. Crystal Frederickson said 20 kids were there to participate and all of the kids she asked said they had never been river fishing before.

“We’ve talked about it at meetings and when I talked about, ‘Hey, do you guys even want to do this?’ Because we don’t want to waste their time or our time,” she said. “And they were all like, ‘No, I’ve never done it before,’ and everybody was really excited.”

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Atticus Saari attempts to real in a big fish from the Minnesota River on Friday. The fish ended up getting away by snapping Saari’s line, but Saari had fun anyway and quickly had his dad repair his broken line.

Bows and Triggers 4-H is open to kindergartners to first-year college students. Those interested in joining can reach out to Crystal Frederickson at bowsandtriggers4H@gmail.com or get in touch with the University of Minnesota Extension Brown County 4-H office, which is in Sleepy Eye, by calling 507-794-7993. Enrolling in 4-H is free.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Fish weren’t the only thing caught on Tuesday in the Minnesota River. One young girl ended up hooking some broken fishing line and several lures with it, but she was aided by an older girl in the Bows and Triggers 4-H club, pictured holding the snagged line.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Two young members of the Bows and Triggers 4-H club fish in the Minnesota River at Riverside Park on Tuesday in a collaboration with the New Ulm Area Sport Fishermen.