OP
OP
Millet, sunflowers, corn, peanuts, wheat , sorghum.
Update: This will be the worst opening day EVER in over 30 years! :(
- Thread starter Warren Allison
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farmerjan
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How's the crowd this year? Weather? Hope you have a great weekend...
Mark Reynolds
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They must be singing "Comeon Baby light my fire......"
They may have actually gotten rain. That map will probably change a bit in a couple weeks. A bunch of that area got 2-7" out of that last tropical storm.
OP
OP
We sold all 250 spots again this year. Weather was awesome. Low 90's, breezy, cloudy some and overcast some, so perfect wing shooting weather. LOt more people stayed for the supper and the party after this year. I have just now got to my motel room. Gonna jump in the shower then head back out there. I got an awesome band playing tonight!
Mark Reynolds
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Glad you are getting to enjoy it!
OP
OP
Well, the last S & W Equine and Cattle Company dove shoot ended up[ being our most successful yet. $62, 250 was the amount the 250 shooters paid. The MC clubs who have always came for the Saturday night supper and band party and pay the full price, even though they don't shoot, did it again. 30 members between the 2 clubs, who all worked out there from Friday morning til Sunday morning, still paid full price, so that was another $7500. We raised $70k for the 4H/FFA. We had a lot more non-shooters there, with all the help that wanted to show up and be a part, so we ended up selling just 20 gallons of stew, 8 racks of ribs, and 6 butts. Usually we have more than that left over to sell, and that is the seed money for next year's food. $40 a gallon for the stew and $40 for a rack of ribs, and $30 for a smoked butt. We made $1300 , but the cost of the food this year ran over twice that, nearly 3 times that. That's ok....Scott and I threw a hell of a party for over 500 friends, fed them twice, ( 3 times if they came early Saturday morning and ate breakfast) , had free beer, a band, and it costs us about $2k....about $4 a person!
We had almost no trouble at all. One group of 4 showed up in white or tan shorts, bright colored golf shirts and white tennis shoes, but they were local so we sent them home to change. We caught another group of 4 ...2 teenage sons and 2 dads with alcohol on the field, and one dad wanted to act up when Scott told them they had to leave and no refunds. But 2 of our biker friends " explained" to them that they had to leave and they could not make a scene. They got co operative pretty quick, except for one incident. . We offered to let the boys stay and shoot, but the one dad said " F you" to Scott., so the boys had to go. The dude that said that got open-handed slapped in the mouth, and when he got up off the ground they all left.
Had one dude that got into the beer at the fish fry for lunch, so we told him he couldnt go back on the field. But, he was ok with that, and just got another beer and hung around to help us get the BBQ ready.
All in all, we view this as basically no trouble.
After the party, HB and some of his crew hauled the bathroom trailer over to Ms. Maddie's church, and they met at daylight Sunday at the church and hooked it all back up. They had already stubbed out the electrical and had put in a septic tank and field lines. Most of the bikers stayed and attended the service.
Me and Scott tried again to give HB some money on that trailer and the site prep, etc, but it just pissed him off when we mentioned it! LOL There ARE no better people in the world, than real, old-school bikers!
And best of all, this tradition will keep on after this year, A neighbor of Scott's, about 10 miles down the road, has a place on his farm, where he has built a pavillion by his lake. Huge covered shelter with a commercial type kitchen at one end, with 2 bathrooms. Plenty of parking around it, and it is probably 1/2 mile through some woods from where he will plant a 70 acre dove field, so it won't spook the birds. Couldn't ask for a better place, He has been wanting to do a dove shoot for years, but never would as long as we were doing ours.
So all said and done, we couldn't have asked for a better ending to our nearly 30 year era. Scott and I both are very happy and are at peace with our decision.
We had almost no trouble at all. One group of 4 showed up in white or tan shorts, bright colored golf shirts and white tennis shoes, but they were local so we sent them home to change. We caught another group of 4 ...2 teenage sons and 2 dads with alcohol on the field, and one dad wanted to act up when Scott told them they had to leave and no refunds. But 2 of our biker friends " explained" to them that they had to leave and they could not make a scene. They got co operative pretty quick, except for one incident. . We offered to let the boys stay and shoot, but the one dad said " F you" to Scott., so the boys had to go. The dude that said that got open-handed slapped in the mouth, and when he got up off the ground they all left.
Had one dude that got into the beer at the fish fry for lunch, so we told him he couldnt go back on the field. But, he was ok with that, and just got another beer and hung around to help us get the BBQ ready.
All in all, we view this as basically no trouble.
After the party, HB and some of his crew hauled the bathroom trailer over to Ms. Maddie's church, and they met at daylight Sunday at the church and hooked it all back up. They had already stubbed out the electrical and had put in a septic tank and field lines. Most of the bikers stayed and attended the service.
Me and Scott tried again to give HB some money on that trailer and the site prep, etc, but it just pissed him off when we mentioned it! LOL There ARE no better people in the world, than real, old-school bikers!And best of all, this tradition will keep on after this year, A neighbor of Scott's, about 10 miles down the road, has a place on his farm, where he has built a pavillion by his lake. Huge covered shelter with a commercial type kitchen at one end, with 2 bathrooms. Plenty of parking around it, and it is probably 1/2 mile through some woods from where he will plant a 70 acre dove field, so it won't spook the birds. Couldn't ask for a better place, He has been wanting to do a dove shoot for years, but never would as long as we were doing ours.
So all said and done, we couldn't have asked for a better ending to our nearly 30 year era. Scott and I both are very happy and are at peace with our decision.
Mark Reynolds
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So you think you are done? LOL! I've got some news for you. Based on what I've heard so far, you might be finishing up a chapter, but the story isn't done yet. I forsee you playing a big role for the next few year's at Scott's neighbor's place. You are going from the main 'instrumentalist' to the 'director' who is now conducting the new instrumentalists.
OP
OP
I will help them cook that first year, and I will get his insurance for the event for him, unless I sell the agency this year. And, I told him I'd get him the music and production. He is already planning on building a stage out here by the pavillion, and I told him I'd send him a set of plans for it. We may have a monthly concert out there once he gets the stage built. But that's all I am doing!
Mark Reynolds
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Careful, that "all I'm doing!" has a way of growing at times, and it doesn't look like a 'tiny' amount at this point.I will help them cook that first year, and I will get his insurance for the event for him, unless I sell the agency this year. And, I told him I'd get him the music and production. He is already planning on building a stage out here by the pavillion, and I told him I'd send him a set of plans for it. We may have a monthly concert out there once he gets the stage built. But that's all I am doing!
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Warren - GREAT thing you have done. I know it is difficult to quit doing something so meaningful. But, there always comes a time when it's "right".
gman4691
Well-known member
Glad to hear it all went well and that you will be helping the next crew get it going next year. Always good to have a seasoned veteran coach the new crew when they first take over.
