Top-Flight Hunting Newsletter

September  06, 2010

I hope you are all doing well and looking forward to the upcoming hunting season. After spending the last four weeks in Wisconsin, Wes is on his way back down. For some reason he thinks it has cooled down already. We still have a few projects to finish up but hope to have them all completed prior to the end of September. This season in addition to Wes, Tim will be back guiding and cooking. Tim has been helping out here since 1991. Meshach, a second year guide is now going to college but will be out here afternoons and weekends. Justin who guided for me two years, is going to be working on weekends and then we have two new trainees.

Since the end of July we have received little to no rainfall. While it is getting very dry, the pastures have the best cover that we have had in several years. Also the spraying we did this past spring really knocked out a lot of the rose hedge. By the end of this week we plan on starting to mow strips and boundaries and finish filling the ruts left from last season.

At the bird farm we have received all of our pheasant chicks, and only have four more orders of quail and chukar chicks to deal with. The birds are looking good and we hope you all are looking forward to doing lots of shooting this season. All total we will have received 43,000 chicks this summer. Needless to say they are about to eat us out of house and home.

We will officially open the doors this weekend !

Hopefully we get some cool weather soon. Most hunts conducted during this time will be early morning or late afternoon. By the 1^st of October we hope things are going full swing.

Teal season opens on September11^th

At this time we still have openings, and the Teal season runs through the 26^th. We are already seeing some birds showing up and are looking forward to a great season. If conditions stay dry we should really do well. All of our ponds are filled by wells so the dry weather gives us an advantage. The regular duck season opens the first weekend in November and from what we have heard the duck season should be a great one with hatches and duck numbers well above average this year. The reports we have received for geese is that they had one of the best hatches in years and that means young birds. Time will tell.

Dove season opens on September 17^th

We only have a few opening left for opening day. The 18^th and 19^th still have plenty of room. At this time we have a good number of doves but you all know how that can be. If you wish to schedule we will pencil you down and contact you a couple of days prior to the season. If we do not have birds we will let you know.

NEW FOR 2010

1. We will be selling ammo this year at very competitive rates. We have also put in shirt and cap orders in addition to other hunting related products. We will also have ice, drinks and snacks. So check it all out when you are hunting with us.

2. If you get stuck driving where we did not park you, there will be a minimum charge of $85.00 for getting you out. While last year was extremely wet most cases involved people driving where they were told not too. Besides a wrecker not being able to get to many spots, our neighbor Bill is getting tired of all the time he spends pulling people out. In addition to that, my guys are spending time on my payroll helping you, when they have other things they should be doing. Not to mention all the time we spend in the off season filling ruts. If you have 4 wheel drive, odds are it got you 4 foot farther than you should have gone. So please pay attention and drive only where we tell you too.

3. The tower shoot schedule will be posted on Web site later in the year. Last season we had to cancel several of our shoots due to lack of interest. However, many times hunters were calling after the RSVP deadline. We have to know one week prior in order to plan for these shoots. So please call prior to the deadline.

4. Under no circumstances are you to clean your birds in the field. You are welcome to use the cleaning facility by the lodge if you are cleaning your own birds. Cleaning them in the field just leaves a mess for the next hunters to look at. If you clean your own birds and use the cleaning facility, please clean up after yourself. Also please help keep the pastures clean. Pick up your own trash and as many of your shotgun hulls as possible.

 

As many of you know, we raise our own birds to assure that you have the highest quality hunt . Several people have asked what that operation looks like so here you are.

 Remember to send me pictures of your hunt this year. We will be posting them on the website, and featuring them in the newsletter.

This past summer we have done a lot of work out here in order to make Top-Flight a better and nicer place to hunt. We have done this without any price increases. In order to keep prices down we need you all to help. In closing, I hope you all are looking forward to this season as much as I am. I am looking forward to a great season and hope to see you all out here soon. Your business is greatly appreciated.

Leon Randermann

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