Hawkeyes:
I am a lowly IIT3 in MN near the MN/WI/IA borders. Since the need for home and farm wind damage repairs prevented me from heading north to help the instructor corps in Hinckley, MN I took a short trip south investigating NE Iowa ranges. There is a "hunting and gun club" just south of Decorah, IA that mostly caters to bird hunters, but has 50yd and 100yd rifle ranges as well. It appears that they have fallen on some hard times in the last year or two (who hasn't??) and there is a possibility of a mutually beneficial relationship with Appleseed. They have a Lodge/clubhouse that would easily serve as a place for history presentations. The ranges themselves are not covered but have excellent berms on three sides. The 50yd range is about 65ft wide, and could accommodate 20 shooters with ease. The 100yd range is smaller, maybe 40ft wide, but with higher berms. I left pamphlets and information for the range "manager" and put up a number of targets as "interest builders."
I tried to find a purported Postville, IA range and could not find anything resembling a range in Postville or its environs... not to say that it isn't there, but it's damn well hidden from a even a persistent investigator...
Are there any potential patriots in NE Iowa, or am I wasting my time trying to get something started??
This is area yet to be mapped for us! Postville would be awesome, but Decorah is good enough!
Do we have instructors in this program that speak spanish?
Maybe Yiddish would be more useful. I passed at least a half dozen Orthodox Jews walking to their synagogue in Postville while driving around looking for the purported rifle range near town. I speak a little Spanish with the migrant workers that help me on my apple orchard, no muy bueno. I'm doing much better learning their cooking and have quadrupled my consumption of tortillas. ;D
Don't speak Yiddish or Spanish. Have been informed that I don't talk English none to good. Gavin (zero713) joined the instructor corps at the Montrose AS. His missus was at Winterset and although not an instructor YET might be asked to translate. In the mean time thanks to both of you for opening the possibility of northern Iowa AS's.