"For Hunters by Hunters"
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"For Hunters by Hunters" |
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THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER January 2009 By: Dan Ochsner, President, Valley Waterfowl 2008 Recap
It has been an exciting year at Valley Waterfowl. In March we had a very successful fundraiser dinner, and as a result or your generous support, we were able to lease 2 additional blinds. We had a record number of hunter applications for the 2008/2009 season almost triple the prior year. We were granted hunting privileges for one season at Cougar Wetland, just west of Galt for boys under age 16, first year hunters, and all females. Check out our special Cougar Wetland photo gallery to see the excitement of the Cougar Wetland hunters.
What is in store for 2009/2010
Our permit for the Cougar Wetland hunting rights was for one year. We will apply for next year but we are not the only waterfowl group that has an interest. We will keep you posted as this project moves forward.
This has been a slow waterfowl season. The weather has not cooperated. We lost our water at the Delevan blind in December, but it has produced some ducks and geese as a dry location. We will not lease that blind next year. Our blind in the grasslands proved to be a disappointment. We will not lease that blind next year either, but we will continue our search for a suitable blind in the grasslands, hopefully for next year.
Due to the significant increase in hunter applications this year, we had a board of directors meeting on November 4th and made some decisions for next year. We are a volunteer organization, and some of our team put in untold hours on your behalf. One of those is Ron Tobeck who coordinates all the hunts. Last year we had 85 hunters, this year we were close to 220.
To preserve a quality hunting experience for the 2009/2010 waterfowl season, the following changes have been implemented by the board:
1. In addition to the $35.00 annual membership fee for adults, those who wish to hunt Valley Waterfowl blinds for 2009/2010 will be required to send in a hunt application fee of $35.00 per hunter, once the applications become available in our September newsletter, and are posted on our website 10 days after the mailing of the newsletter. This is necessary, as our insurance cost per hunting member is approximately $25.00 per person. 2. We will limit the number of individual hunters 100, first come first serve, by postmark date. This means that when we have 100 hunters listed on 50 applications, (as an example) we will close it and put the balance of applications on a waiting list. 3. We also elected to forego our booth at the International Sportman’s Expo in Sacramento, because we feel that we have reached our hunting member capacity. Until we establish another chapter of Valley Waterfowl, whether it be in Sacramento or the Grasslands area, we probably will not have a booth at the ISE show. 4. In the past, we have struggled with attempting to provide hunting beginning on the season opener. In the last 3 years we have experienced a mild harvest on the opener, then a very slow start for the first month of the season. Due to water conditions and not knowing what next year will bring. We will focus on our beginning date for Valley Waterfowl blinds for the 2009/2010 season, on November 14, 2009.
As previously mentioned, your support at our Annual Sportsman’s Dinner, which is approaching rapidly, (March 7th, flyer attached), generates 90% of our annual income from which we equip and lease blinds. Please join us this year for another quality, family oriented experience in furtherance of our sport. On behalf of all the Board and Committee at Valley Waterfowl, we thank you, our loyal dinner attendees from the bottom our hearts. You are truly a blessing to the continuation or our organization, “For Hunters, by Hunters”.
If you have questions about the upcoming dinner, please give me a call on our message phone at 209-339-9337, or 866-884-6797, or at work at 209-367-2452. Please take a moment to read the dinner flyer at the back of the newsletter, and send in your ticket request as soon as possible.
We applied for a Grant through NRA last year, and we are hopeful that they will provide us with some funds to further develop our Youth Program. Bruce Bullard is our Youth Services Chair, and has some exciting things planned for our young hunters. We hope to have several blinds available for the youth hunt days, January 31st and February 1st this year. We are also planning an Apprentice Hunter Appreciation Day later on this year, if our funding comes through from NRA.
In closing
Without the continuing support of the Valley Waterfowl Committee, we would not exist. Imagine how much time it takes to put out all the decoys at 4 blinds, then pick them all up, wash them, categorize them, and put them back in storage for next year. Hats off to the the Decoy Committee at Valley Waterfowl. We also expend lots of energy and hours putting on the annual Sportsman’s Dinner. Some of the people who work untold hours never get much credit. We always ask the committee to come forward at the dinner and acknowledge everyone, and for most that is enough. But, if you have the opportunity at the dinner, thank a committee member for the job they are doing, it’s all the pay they need, and it will certainly make their day.
We have added 4 dinner committee members this year, and we are thankful. We are always looking for someone who is willing to put in some time to make us a better organization for you. We won’t pass around the surveys at the dinner this year, but if you are so inclined, let any committee member with a Valley Waterfowl shirt on that you have an interest in helping. We’d appreciate it.
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