MEMBERSHIPS ARE available for 2012.
We have 3 openings!
MEMBER PHIL WELLS of Lago Vista Tex. Phil has been a member here since Jan. of 2006. But this is the first time, he won MEMBER OF THE YEAR for 2011! I am sure he is thrilled to read this newsletter! Coming in second place was member Ric Leeper also a Texan. Ric wins a free Ultimate Field hunt! Then coming in third place was member Robert Hughes from Ok. He wins a free deluxe field hunt! Also an honorable mention to several members for a great effort in the contest. Such as Freddie Barnett from Miss., David Livingston also from Miss., Jim Keister from Texas, Ken Tate last years winner from Ok, all these guys did a fine job. Plus countless other members worked and sold hunts for us. They all still won, as they earned points for free hunts just the same. Thank you all for the effort you put into this! As for Phil Wells,,, , he wins $1000.00 in cash or $1000.00 in hunt credits! We had a lot e you spent bringing your friends and clients here. Membership pays if you try, this proves it! Congratulations Phil Wells, The 2010/11 member of the year at America’s pheasant hunting club! Yes, Phil you are number# 1 this year! You worked hard buddy, Congratulations Phil Wells!
THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING MEMBERSHIP! BELOW IS A SAMPLE OF OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS TO MEMBERS. BELOW THAT IS A LIST OF WHAT YOU GET FOR BEING A MEMBER HERE. JUST CONTACT US AND WE WILL SEND A MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION TO YOU BY MAIL OR EMAIL. EARN FREE HUNTS BY HUNTING HERE IS JUST ONE OF MANY REASONS TO BE A MEMBER!
CHARTER MEMBERSHIP WILL BE FULL AT 200 MEMBERS. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 195 MEMBERS, SO WE HAVE 5 OPENINGS.
CORPORATE MEMBERSHIPS ARE ALSO OPEN. WE HAVE OVER 450 COMPANIES THAT BRING CLIENTS HERE. WHAT A GREAT WAY TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS. OR GAIN MORE NEW BUSINESS! CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP IS $800.00 PER YEAR. EARN A FREE $267.00 HUNT FOR EVERY 15 SHOOTERS YOU BRING HERE IS JUST ONE OF THE REASONS TO BE A MEMBER HERE!
SAMPLE OF A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER IS BELOW=====
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION IS LISTED BELOW, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION! LET US KNOW AND WE WILL BE HAPPY TO SEND YOU A MEMBER APPLICATION!
SHOW ME BIRDS HUNTING RESORT NOW OFFERS CHARTER MEMBERSHIPS!
As a Charter member you can enjoy Show Me Birds to the fullest! High quality hunting as always plus special privileges just for the members. Our membership program is rated one of the best in the country. Our resort is the largest pheasant hunting resort in the nation! The new 3,000 ft clubhouse includes an office, pro shop, and conference meeting room, two bathrooms, large food service area, stone fireplace, and a dining area for 100 people! The clubhouse will allow us to offer more than just high quality hunting to our guests. We are offering “LIMITED” CHARTER MEMBERSHIPS to past clients. Membership is closed at 200 and we are now at 194 members. Yes, we will still be open to the public. But, just look at what you get for being a charter member!
1. Monthly newsletter during hunting season and bi-monthly during the non-hunting months. The newsletter will be filled with information about what’s going on at Show Me Birds. Plus news about all member only activities ahead.
2... Members can have ALL ROOSTER pheasant hunts anytime of the year!
3. Members will get a free Show Me Birds cap.
4. As a member you can request your favorite guide for your hunt. If a non-member has asked for the same guide on the same day, the guide goes out with the member.
5. Members can pick your favorite farm to hunt. If a non-member has requested the same farm for that day. The member always has first choice.
6. Members only EUROPEAN shoot. This will be in December, usually the same day as the Christmas party. On this shoot members buy the basic 15 bird European package, BUT we add 3 free birds per shooter. Making a 300 bird shoot 360 birds! Same for Field hunts that day!
7. Our clubhouse will be for rent. Non-members pay $125.00 per day. Members pay only a $30.00 clean-up fee. The clubhouse will be great for private parties, like birthdays, family reunions, etc. During the non-hunting season, members can have farm tours on the hunt wagon. Plus hatchery tours during the chick hatching season. The kids love it. We offer catered lunch or dinner along with the rental of the clubhouse. Anything from grilled hamburgers to steaks. How about a pheasant fry! A price list for meals is available. Non-members pay 25% more for meals.
8. As a member you get first chance at all hunt dates. Field hunts or European shoots. As you may know, some dates get filled up weeks in advance. September will be the month for members to pick any special date, before non-members can book. Very important around the holidays!
9... A special plaque will hang on the wall of the new clubhouse. Your name and town will be listed as a member in good standing.
10. If we have a cleanup hunt behind a European shoot, only members will be called and offered this special hunt. This does not happen a great deal, but it does happen a few times a year.
11. The member that brings the most hunters here during a season, is the member of the year ! This member will win $1000.00 in free hunts, or $1000.00 cash, or $1000.00 applied to a cruise!
12 Members will get a 10% discount at the pro-shop. The pro-shop will have caps, shirts, upland bird hunting clothes, etc. Plus shotgun shells!
13. FREE HUNTS! As a member you can earn free hunts. Each member will have an activity card. Each time you bring a guest, you get a credit. Once you get 15 credits you get a free ULITIMATE ($267.00) hunt for you! It’s our way of saying thank you. Active members earn hunts so fast they seldom pay for hunts here! Some earn over $2000.00 a year in free hunts!
14. Another FREE HUNT offer. Each member can sponsor friends to be members too. Each time you sponsor a friend to be a member you will get a credit. Once you get to 5 sponsored memberships, you get a free ULITIMATE hunt!
15. Members only Christmas Party! It will be a great time with food and door prizes that include free hunts! Quality time with fellow members in our new clubhouse. Last year over $1500.00 in prizes!
16. As you know we train gundogs during the off season. The cost is $450.00 per month to non-members. As a member you pay only $350.00 per month for gundog training. Discounts are also offered on the sale of puppies and started gundogs.
17. Our European shooting program is the top in the country. Some dates book 3 years in advance! BOOK A EUROPEAN SHOOT and when you fill it you earn almost $600.00 in free hunts!
18. Members can be called if we have openings to join a European shoot. They will be called before our mass email is sent to over 20,000 hunters. So members get in on openings before general public does.
19. Charter members are the foundation of our hunt club. Charter members are guaranteed the lowest priced membership. Once the charter membership is full, other memberships will be considered “standard” memberships. Standard memberships will be charged the cost of a charter membership PLUS AN INITIATION FEE.
20. Discount hunt prices. Example; non-members pay $161.00 for the standard hunt. Members pay only $151.00 for the same package! Save the same on all other field hunts as well! Most our members hunt each month; get credits for their guests and combined with the hunt discounts. They soon find the membership money is a dollar swap. All the other privileges are just a wonderful bonus!
The above 21 privileges are consider an INDIVIDUAL YEARLY CHARTER MEMBERSHIP.
INDIVIDUAL YEARLY CHARTER MEMBERSHIP COST IS ONLY $ 275.00
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Lifetime Charter Memberships are available; they include all of the above PLUS;
1. Show Me Birds Guide Shirt with lifetime member embroidered on it.
2. Show Me Birds Cap with lifetime member embroidered on it.
3. One 8X10 Photo enlargement of you placed on the clubhouse wall.
4. Your name and town listed on a permanent brass plaque on the clubhouse wall.
INDIVIDUAL LIFETIME CHARTER MEMBERSHIP COST IS ONLY $ 2750.00 ====================
Corporate Charter Memberships are available. They include the 21 privileges listed for charter memberships for THREE representatives of the company, PLUS;
1. Show Me Birds Guide Shirt with corporate member embroidered on it for each of the three company representatives.
2. Show Me Birds Cap with corporate member embroidered on it for each company representative.
3. Monthly billing for the expenses of your company at Show Me Birds Hunting Resort.
4. Company name and town listed on the corporate membership plaque in the clubhouse.
5. Corporate Charter Members are ALLOWED TO BUY ADDITIONAL BIRDS. Once they book the package hunt, they then can add additional birds to the bag. Additional bird prices are $24.00 per pheasant, or $15.00 per chukar. Now corporate members can create their own hunt, based on who they are entertaining. We do reserve the right to stop selling additional birds, based on safety concerns.
CORPORATE YEARLY CHARTER MEMBERSHIPS COST IS ONLY $ 800.00
SAMPLE OF MEMBERS NEWSLETTER BELOW= PHOTOS NOT INCLUDED
September, 2011 NEWSLETTER
HOWDY MEMBERS Hunting season is 30 days away! That’s right time comes fast and we open in just 30 days. Are you ready? Got your hunts booked? Got your shoots full? Need to join a shoot? Now is the time as we just finished some big hunting shows. Let’s start the 2010-11 hunting season with a big newsletter full of important info! Like a new 16 birds per hunter field hunt or get free hunts and not even walk into the door! That is correct, lot’s of new stuff this year. So here we go!!
KANSAS ROOSTER CROW COUNT= Each year the fish and game drive country roads and listen for pheasant cocks to crow. They compare this to the past year and drive the same roads each year. This is an early bird count index they say. For the 2010 season the count was down in 22 of the 46 check points. They think this is due to a hard winter and rainy spring. But the final forecast is not done till September. Across the nation the number of CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) acres are still on the decline which is bad news for pheasant hunters. According to Pheasants Forever last year alone over 1.1 million acres of this prime pheasant habitat expired last year and another 3.8 million acres is due to expire this fall. In addition to providing access to great hunting opportunities these lands provided great nesting cover and winter shelter that pheasants need to survive! Iowa Forecast- Iowa is coming off the lowest harvest number ever recorded in 2009 giving many hunters the feeling that there is nowhere to go but up. That may not be the case however as road side surveys showed another 12% decline in pheasant numbers this year for the state. Take a drive across Iowa and look, the only cover for a bird is a steel fence posts. South Dakota- Brood surveys in South Dakota were good, but the numbers were down over 25% from 2009.. Much of the decline is believed to be caused by the reduction of CRP acres in South Dakota. So three top pheasant hunting states report negative news again. But on the bright side== The forecast for bird numbers at Show Me Birds? All is well, bird numbers are up 10% soooo- better buy some shotgun shells and oil that shotgun if you hunt here!
OUR HOST HOTEL FOR THE 2010 -2011 SEASON! Again this year our host hotel is the Joplin Holiday Inn. They are located beside I-44 at exit 8B I believe it is. We had great success with them in 2009. They again have made us a great offer; just tell them you want the Show Me Birds Special. It is $35.00 pp two people per room; they will also give a FREE BREAKFAST BUFFET, not a bagel- a Buffet. The hotel has a large lounge inside the main hall for gathering and telling hunting lies after the hunts, some of you will really like that! I understand last year different groups of hunters got to know each other at the lounge and several groups of hunters joined together to hunt this fall. That is wonderful! To book at the Holiday Inn call directly to group sales CRAIG WHALEY AT 417-627-7827 or email Craig at = craig. whaley @ jqh.com to make reservations. It is important for our hotel to have in-house breakfast so that you can make it here by 8 am on hunt day. This is an excellent hotel, with a perfect location to jump on I-44 and head for the resort. Only about 20 minutes away. Be sure and call them after you book your hunt here to make sure you have a room. Some members have found them full,,, so plan ahead not just drive in. They have great rooms, big breakfast buffet, large lounge, and one more thing that some members really enjoyed last year!
The hotel really appreciates our business and to prove it they are hosting a *Nightly Manager’s Reception from 5:30-10:00 p.m. that features hot appetizers and soft drinks or cocktails at NO CHARGE! Now, a normal guest get two free drinks, BUT not if you are with SMB! You get 4 FREE DRINKS! Several hunters have told us they just stay there all evening! So when you have finished your day here hunting head for the hotel for this reception before dinner. This is a great deal that a lot of hunters will really appreciate. NEW for 2010, your group can have a free dining room. Yes, ask Craig about eating at the hotel; he can arrange a special room just for our hunters. You can order dinner, then eat and visit without the noise of a normal restaurant. So in the nut shell, after hunting go to the hotel, have a soft drink or cocktails with appetizers, then walk a few feet into your private dining room for dinner. Never leave the hotel, never fight traffic, never wait in line for dinner, then just go upstairs to your room when you are ready. What a great deal!! The prices are good, the food is excellent. Remember when booking to tell them you want the “show me birds special” this is very important. Also remember to book with Craig at the above number. Not the national Holiday Inn number or the internet site. Our special deal is with only the Joplin hotel and with Craig Whaley at 417-627-7827 or his email listed above. Craig is a great guy and takes super care of your hunters. He will be hunting here this fall too. So he knows the excitement is like a kid pulling into Disneyland’s parking lot!!!! The Holiday Inn in Joplin has proven to be a great addition to our program. It is a first class operation with a great package for your hunters. I have had about 5 hotels contact me and trying to get our business. I thank them “but no thanks” you simply can not beat this! Our resort and this hotel make for an unbeatable team! So remember to call ahead for
Craig at = 417-627-7827 and ask for the Show Me Bird Special!!!
NEW DETAILS OF WHAT DO I GET FOR BEING A MEMBER IN 2010 SEASON! Right here at the start of season I will list all the perks you get! I did this last year at the same time and it really helps a lot of you. Plus it has changed some since last year and I want to make sure you understand all that you can earn. I would say about 79% of the membership now get their dues money back in free hunts and some get a lot more. So here we go;
For every 15 hunters you bring here you get a $267.00 hunt free / Do that during October and get double points / For every 5 hunters you bring here and they join you get a $267.00 hunt free / Book a euro full with 19 shooters and your EURO shoot is free / only members can book a euro / Members that book euros get first chance at the cleanup hunts / members earn $606.00 in free hunts for booking a full euro / you get all rooster hunts for you and those that hunt with you / pick your guide and pick your farm ahead of public, remember other members are picking too. First to call get’s the pick they want / members get a discounted hunt price on all field hunts the grand prize is member of the year which gets a choice of cash or hunt credits in the amount of $1000.00 !!!! You pick which of the two you want; there are 25 membership privileges, the above is just a highlight of what you get money wise. This year is double points on your activity sheet for hunts that are done during the month of OCTOBER you can earn a free $267.00 ultimate hunt fast. Our record is one member who earned $1600.00 in free hunting on a $275.00 membership! Several members earned over $1000.00 in free hunts last year! So check those activity sheets on your first fall hunt and see your standing! Do the math; $10.00 hunt discount X one hunt a month (6 months) = $60.00. Most members hunt once a month. Bring 3 friends with you each time equals 18 hunters which exceeds your 15 points needed for the free $267.00 hunt. Now add the $267.00 and the $60.00 and you get $327.00. Membership is only $275.00 per year! So you come hunting once a month with your friends and you get your membership money back! All the other perks are a very fun bonus! Remember that members get called back first when I return calls and emails; this way on limited openings days you get the date of your choice. Also members are the only ones that get called if a cleanup hunt comes available. This never gets to general public! We also have several hunt packages this year. Members get a $10.00 per hunt discount on any field hunt package. Other perks are; monthly newsletters, free Show Me Bird cap each year, Christmas party, members only day and European with free bonus birds, summertime clubhouse use for only the cleanup fee, name on members plaque, discounts in pro-shop of 10%, discounts on dog training; As you can see it PAYS TO BE A MEMBER HERE! PLUS IT IS A WHOLE BUNCH OF FUN!!
WIN A FREE HUNT OR EUROPEAN SHOOT! Starting last year we added the NEW SIGN UP A MEMBER AND WIN A 10 BIRD HUNT or a FREE 300 BIRD EUROPEAN SHOOT! YOUR CHOICE; that is still in effect for the 2010 season! All new members if you have any questions about all this just call or email Kim. I know it can be a lot to keep you with. We are happy to help and explain. But that is not all, SEE MY NEW IDEA BELOW!!!
News= very important change in membership is listed below! Read and go for it !
NOW MEMBERS CAN CALL IN---- GET FREE HUNTS!! Ok, what does that mean? Here is how it works. Example; you are a member. You are at the coffee shop talking about SMB to your buddies. Your buddies stated they would like to go hunt. In the past you would bring them next time you come and get points. Now, you can also just call 620-674-8863 to the office. We will check the date book and confirm a farm opening. You then hand the phone to your buddies, we take a credit card to hold. DONE. You get credit and every 15 buddies that come hunting gets you a free ultimate field hunt! A $267.00 value. In the past members walked in the door with the hunters you sold for us. You do not have to do that now! Of course, taking your buddies card number is to insure that they will show. While on the phone I will explain the details with them and policies we have to make sure they honor the booking. So you can go around town and book hunts for your hunt club, get points for free hunts, and not have to bring them with you. This is a first and something many of you will really like! So get after it! Any member that tries should be hunting free here or at least earn enough points to write off the cost of membership! This new program changes everything; it does not matter now how many times you hunt; now it’s how many times you call! Ok, now stop and think about the member of the year contest. A member could win this and only hunt here once a year, if fact they could win it and not even hunt! Now that would be something to write about. This makes all the members on the same playing field to win free hunts and shoots. As I write this I can think of two dozen members that can really take off on the new “call in and hunt free” members program. I think you know who you are as well. I would advise to carry our business card in your wallet so you always have our number. Make sure we know it comes from you, thus you make the call. Git-er-done!!
DOUBLE POINTS IN OCTOBER= for the third year in a row. Come hunting in the month of October and get double points. Example= bring just 8 buddies here and get a free $267.00 field hunt! Only the month of October does this apply. This applies for friends doing field hunts or European shoots!
PUPPIES FOR SALE! Brittany puppies for sale. 5 females ($550) and 3 males ($500). Petergundog is out of Nolan's last Bullet bloodline. A great bloodline. Jan Bruce is a dog handler at Show Me Birds and email for information is at xkhp62@embarqmail.com
MEMBER OF THE YEAR CONTEST STARTS AGAIN! Here is LIFE MEMBER KEN TATE, of Tulsa Ok! Ken has been a member here for many years. But last season 2009 was the first time, he won MEMBER OF THE YEAR! Ken chooses the $1000.00 in hunt credit for his reward. Coming in second place was member Allen Kilgore-Pete Stayton-Larry Cole who have a corporate membership here and are from Rogers, Ark. Then coming in third place was member Freddie Barrett of Flowood, Miss. Freddie has been the winner for the past two years! But could not make it happen last year. Thank you all for the effort you put into this! We had a lot of fun watching the race go on for 6 months last season. NOW IT IS TIME TO START NEW AGAIN! Thank you members for all the time you spent bringing your friends and clients here. Membership pays if you try, this proves it! Can Ken Tate do it two years in a row? Will the new “call in and book a friend” program listed above change the contest? Time will tell! This contest is underway NOW! All hunters you bring in count towards $1000.00 grand prize! But, you win just by trying, as you get rewards along the way for each hunter you bring here! Check your activity sheet on your first hunt. Note= Where you stopped last year is where you start this year. YOU NEVER LOSE! Last years race was only a few hunters apart, so every hunter counts for sure. Each hunter you bring counts a point. October hunts count two points. It all starts with the first hunt of the year next month. The winner gets a $1000.00 in cash or hunt credits. I love to watch this race from behind the office desk. Gentleman start your engines. Let’s go!
HUNTING LICENSE ON LINE Remember you can buy your hunting license on line at our web site=
www.showmebirds.com and buy the special permit needed for here. The regular license is $72.50 but the one for us is called a CSA permit and is only $17.50 for the year. Yes, we still sell them here. BRING YOUR OLD LICENSE WITH YOU, WE NEED THE NUMBER ON IT FOR RENEWAL, this is very important and helps speed up the check in time for all of us! Many members keep their permits in their members file, Great Idea! Ok , SPEAKING OF WEB SITES, have you been to ours lately?? It is something else and getting lots of action! You can see TV shows, videos, dog sales, directions, what to bring list, great photos, members comments, hunt prices and packages, etc. So check it out at www.showmebirds.com . When talking to your hunting buddies, tell them to go to the web site for more information. It will get them fired up, then you call and book them and get credit. It is truly impressive!
CHRISTMAS PARTY AND MEMBERS 400 bird EURO! The date for this event is December 4th. We are taking reservations for both at this time. Some members come and shoot on the members shoot and stay over for the Christmas party that evening. This really helps members that live far away. The shoot will be a 400 bird event as members get 100 free birds that day. So the first 20 members to call and book pay the $300.00 price and get a 400 bird shoot!! I have increased the shoot this year, just for you. Field hunters also get that day = 3 free pheasants just like the euro shooters! So book your members euro for 5 free pheasants or book your field hunt for 3 free pheasants! It only happens on Dec. 4th! No other member to hunt with that day, let us know we maybe can mix you with other members that day. This will be a great day of shooting and the Christmas party at the same time. More info will be coming but now is the time to book your spot; openings are limited! As of today we have two farms open in the morning and one farm in the afternoon for field hunts. No shoot that day? Ok, you can still come to the Christmas Party that evening, it is free to members and their spouse. Each member can bring one other person,,, sorry but the clubhouse gets small if we bring the family. Call the office at 620-674-8863 or email me at showmebird@ckt.net to RSVP for the party that night!
WELCOME BRETT HOWARD TO SMB STAFF = Brett has made it! He started hanging around back in 2005 at about 16 years old. He helped as a volunteer and learned more and more each time he came out. Well it finally paid off and he joined as a full staff member about 4 months ago. He is a part time student at Pittsburg Univ. where his major is wildlife and parks. As you can tell he loves the outdoors, and is learning to love Show Me Birds. He has been working this summer on the bird production crews. He will be here this fall full time doing a dozen jobs a day like all of us do. He will be a back-up guide for the first year. As he stills admits he has a lot to learn, I have high hopes for him. He has a great; funny and outgoing personality and I am sure the hunters will enjoy meeting him this fall. Many of you have already seen him around the resort. Brett lives in Carl Jct. Mo. and as you can tell loves big white birddogs! He is working on building his dog string up at this time and will be ready to go this fall. So welcome Mr. Howard to America’s pheasant hunting resort! Now you can “ hunt free anytime you have time to go”! Just like the rest of us here.. go ahead and sell your shotgun it will just be drawing dust from now on! Welcome Brett, we appreciate you!
MEMBER OF THE MONTH, THE FREE HUNT WINNER IS! Hunting season is here so we will start this monthly hunt give away to a lucky member each month. So far this member bonus program has made 46 members lucky winners of free hunts. Last years winners were= John Soderstrom, Jake Tudor, Buff Highland, Toby Wilson, Dave Weilert, Dennis Quinn, and George Basore If we pick your name you win a free $214.00 package C field hunt. Now the rules, you must hunt the month you are drawn as a winner! Remember that ok, so starting off the September newsletter we open the door of the gun safe where the famous Susie Chukar has been all summer. She has been picking the winner for years! She flies over the member’s plaque and drops chukar poop on member Donnie Shores of Tulsa, Ok. Congratulations Donnie! You have the month of October to get your prize hunt! The first winner of the 2010-11 hunting season!
NEW ELITE FIELD HUNT PACKAGE! OK, I will be the first to say this package is not for everyone. But for some it is a real treat. I have heard comments from hunters and members that the ultimate 8 bird package is not enough birds. But when you consider that most groups that come here have 3 or 4 shooters. The 8 bird packages now becomes 24 or 32 birds for the group for 3 hours. BUT some tell me they do not like hunting is groups, just me and a buddy is what I like I have been told. So the idea hit me. We are now offering and is listed in our new 8 page full color brochure. The Elite package! It works like this; only two hunters per farm/guide. This is for quality control and safety. The hunt is still 3 hours long like the 5 other packages we offer. It includes everything our normal packages offer. But this hunt is for 16 pheasants or 18 chukars per hunter! So now you and your buddy can have a high action hunt without hunting in a group. This is also great for hunters that live far away and only come once a year. Or for special hunts like birthdays, Christmas presents, etc. When a special treat is needed to make an extraordinary event! Now you can create something great. Priced at
$530.00 per shooter; again this is not for all of you. But when you consider most states have a 3 or 4 bird per day bag limit. You would have to hunt a week to shoot this many birds! Those of you that have a hard time getting away from work can get 4 days of normal bag limits on one 3 hour hunt! For some of you time is very valuable and you don’t get away as much as you like. So here you are! Book this elite package just call or email as normal and we can set it up for you as we have in the past.
HUNTING SHOW REPORT! Last year I could tell the recession was going on. This year not so, I was really impressed with the shows this year. I heard countless times “we did not hunt last year” but we are going to do something this season. First we had Shreveport. To be honest I was about ready to stop going there after last year. This year it was a new promoter, new crowd, higher attendance too. I would say the numbers were up 25%. Next came the Jackson, Ms. show. It was like old times. Huge numbers of hunters. They told me 30,000 hunters Saturday alone! We had great interest and almost gave out all the DVD’s we had. Again this year several members came and helped in the booth. Billy Fortenberry, Tommy Combest,, and Freddie Barnett spent all three days in the booth! See photo= Thank you guys! I know we talked till we about dropped; thousands of hunters. Next came Memphis. In the past this show has just been ok, nothing to tell your mom about. It has always been a disappointment to me, plus I know there are plenty of hunters in the region. Shoot the Bird Dog Hall of Fame is just down the road. But this year it was different. We actually had countless hunters walk up to the booth and ask for a brochure and DVD. The interest level was twice the norm. This show also had a new promoter, maybe they did something different? Who knows, but I sure liked it. I was planning on trading Memphis for a new show next year in Nashville. But now I don’t think I will drop Memphis. Finally came Dallas- Ft. Worth which is always the big boy! They tell me 85,000 hunters in three days! This year I believe it! We hit this show with a truck full of Brochures and DVD’s thinking that since all the other shows were up this one would be as well. We came home with about 50 DVD’s. It was a dandy! To my surprise the first 3 shows we were the only pheasant hunting resort there? Then in Texas there were 4 pheasant hunting operations. Where are they all at? Many have gone out of business I am told by other hunting operations? No competition and many more hunters at the shows? I think I like that! Making all the trips with me were life long friend and staff member Jimmy Morton. I can’t think Jimmy enough for all his help each year at the shows. Also making 3 out of 4 shows this year was member Larry Ellis of Rogers, Ar. Larry did one show last season, likes it and does a great job. Shoot he can almost out-talk Kim! Thank you Larry! We closed with the best show season in the past 4 years maybe 5! Ok, what does that mean to you? Members, you better get those hunts booked! Remember, I warned you if you call in and the date is full! This is not a sales pitch my friends. Great show season, IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE ALL THE MEMBERS THAT CAME BY THE BOOTH THIS YEAR!
KIM’S KOUNTRY WISDOM== You could be a multi-tasking redneck if you have a charcoal grill setting at the door of the out-house. So you can get rid of lunch while cooking dinner! Oh, the picture I have of that in my mind won’t go away. Your wife is a redneck if at her 7th grade show and tell she holds up her engagement ring! You could be a redneck if you ever duck taped flashlights on your truck hood for driving at night. Finally, you could be a redneck if your deer hunting buddy ever asked you “ bubba have you ever thought what it would feel like to shoot a deer during deer season”?
Thank you for your interest. If you would like to join just call 620-674-8863 for a membership package to be sent to you.
May God bless you, Kim Shira
