January 7, 2020
Gentlemen,
Saturday, January 11 will mark the symbolic end of our 2019-20 upland shooting season. In case of inclement weather, the rain date will be Saturday, January 18. Our agenda includes bird shooting in the morning and convening at the Clubhouse for a potluck luncheon at noon. Every member is invited for shooting and lunch regardless of personal bird account or for any part of the day, whether just the shoot or only for lunch. I will make a batch of something hot and gamey. It’s potluck, so if you feel the culinary urge, bring a favorite dish, or not.
The shoot ‘em up relies on birds from members’ accounts. A number of members have already volunteered birds. If you have birds, make it a morning and let’s get them out there. If you can’t come but want to support the shoot ‘em up, you can donate excess birds back to the Club.
If you would like to shoot and have birds to put out, would like to shoot but don’t have birds, have birds to contribute but can’t come, or just want to show up for lunch and a good time, email Brad Kettle and copy Fotos with your intentions. We will gather at the Clubhouse at 8:30am on the 11th to assemble hunting parties and assign fields.
The shoot ’em up is the symbolic end of the upland season. Legal bird shooting continues through March. Our goal and expectation is that we will follow the practice of the last several years and hold birds for members until the end of January, weather allowing. Any member wishing to keep birds beyond that date needs to reach out to Brad and make plans with him for final release or disposition of the member’s birds.
The Club will keep birds for you, subject to weather and other storage risks. You take the risk of birds lost to weather, predators, and other hazards of the season. As we all know, when the weather turns bad, holding birds in the pheasant pen and coop house gets difficult and expensive. The costs include labor and electricity. Moreover, when the days grow longer, the roosters get randy, start picking fights with each other, and doing worse to the hens. We need to get ‘em out of the cage and into the fields.
I hope to see everyone on January 11.
Tally ho!
Mike Fotos on behalf of the Game Committee
P.S. This is the time of year when some members are looking for extra birds while others may have more birds than they can use or give away to the shoot ‘em up. If you have birds to sell or if you’re looking to buy birds from other members, let Brad and Mike know and they will try to match you up.
P.P.S. I sent this message using the ‘bcc’ address line to reduce the in-box clutter of unintended recipients.