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In This Issue

Buck Up!

As many of you know every year trophy bucks are harvested from Oklahoma and FowlPlay has some of the best grounds in SouthWest Oklahoma for taking trophy bucks. Last season I was lucky enough to harvest a 12 Point Non-Typical weighing in at 224 lbs from one of the premier hardwood properties. I am looking forward to getting out there this season to watch the deer move scouting for the next big buck.  You can see some of the deer in the Gallery; so take a look.  Shannon

Come Getcha Some

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2010 Club Meeting

The Club Meeting will be held at Dale and Sandra Gidley's on Saturday February 6th at 1:00 pm for renewing members.  Directions and/or address will be provided shortly via the club server.  For new members who have interest in joining and sponsored by a current member can attend this meeting with their sponsor member.  If you have any membership, club, or general questions, please call me direct.

Tim

New Lodge Coming Soon

Over the last couple of months you all have heard or been involved in discussions related to the new lodge. Over the next few weeks we will finalize drawings to begin construction in March. This has been a plan of Tim's for more than 10 years and those of you who have been around know what it means to Tim and the Club to finally have a place of our own.

I could not think of a better place to build on, than Field & Stream. The post card property of the FPHC portfolio with its beauty and bounty of game will provide a back drop like no other.  I can see everyone sitting around the camp fire with drink in hand; telling stores from their days hunt, mesmerized by the bright stars you are sure to see and the songs of the coyotes  in the night.

We believe this will be a place that everyone enjoys and will take pride in. A place you already bring your family and friends too. A place you dread to leave and where the count-down begins until your next visit.  With a new place brings new beginnings and we look forward to sharing it with the friends we have made a long the way and the new friends still to come. 

Shannon

Membership Pricing & Structure

Each new season brings the opportunity to evaluate what worked and did not work throughout the season.   Memberships for the 2010-11 Season have changed with the build of the new lodge moving the club back toward an all-inclusive fee as in years past.  These fees will cover both your hunting and lodging for the season.  There will be more details shared at the club meeting. 

We will also discuss the possibility of structuring a board; defined work days, harvest reports, and modification/adds to the club rules and regs.  If you have any questions, please call Tim direct or wait for the club meeting.

Shannon

Banded Together - Avery Youth Pro Staff Eric Bragg

How many kids dream of getting a call from their parents asking if you can skip school?   Well at about 3:00 pm I received a text from my Dad asking if I could skip school Friday because he had been up in Oklahoma that afternoon scouting and found a conola field holding about 6,000+ geese.  Dad said it was going to be a hunt I didnt want to miss out on.   Skip school; you dont have to ask me twice; so I called one of my buddies, Tyler and asked if he wanted to drive up there with me that night.  Tyler was about two and half hours away; not getting off work untill 7:00, would put him at my house a little after 10:30 pm.  Once he arrived; I got all my stuff and we headed to Oklahoma.


We arrived at the FPHC lodge at 1:00 am the next morning;  really tired from driving up, we just dropped our bags and went to bed.   Around 5:00 am I heard my Dads alarm go off and I knew it was time to get up.  I woke up Tyler and we got ready to go with my Dad and his buddy Jay.  We grabed a few snacks from the kitchen and hit the road.  We met up with one of our friends Tim, owner of FPHC and the local game warden David.  All 6 of us went to the field and started to unload the two trailers with decoys. Once we got to the X in the field; we noticed a little water so we set up around it.  Set-up and ready to go, it is now time to wait for legal shooting and for the birds to come in.  Right at shooting light as wigeon began pouring down on top of us, we had 15 min of shooting and time to get all the bad shots out of the way.
 

Ten minutes later we had our first group of geese, about 15 belly up in the decoys. The shot was called, seven (7) geese fell. Everybody hollering good job,  when we heard a honk, two (2) geese about 10 feet off the ground were heading this way.  We jumped back in the blinds; the Geese flarred over to me and my Dad, when my Dad said kill-em.   We poped up and bang bang; two (2) dead geese.  Bo off to retreive the one I shot and not even noticeing until my dad went to put it on the ground; I saw a shine. I jumped out of my blind, picked up the goose to find a band!! I was so excited I shot my first banded bird. Bo hurried back with the second goose and while checking out the first one, we realized we got another banded bird!! Two Bands!
 

Well with only 9 geese to go we sat down and got ready.  Few minutes later about 1500 birds were headed our way and they all wanted in where we were.  It was crazy. There were birds touching down everywhere. The shot was called and birds began to fall. While we were shooting birds, birds were still landing and when we sent the dog to pick-up our downed birds; more geese got out of the decoys. We were done; so with our 6 man limit in hand and 2 bands we packed up.  It was a great hunt and really cool to hunt with the game warden. It was for sure one we will all never forget.

The 2 banded geese were Banded Together on 7/24/07 in Nunvant.

You can also catch Eric on his Avery Blog : forum.averyoutdoors.com/showthread.php?t=65919
 

Equipment Used: GHG® FFD Canada Lessers, GHG® Pro-Grade Lessers, GHG® FFD Sleeper/Resters, GHG® Canada Shells, GHG® Speck Shells, Avery® DYI Landyards and, Avery® Fleece Skull Caps.

Hunters: Jay Walkins, Tim Slattery, Dave Smith, Tyler McDaniel, Chris Bragg, and AYFSer Eric Bragg
 

Corporate Hunt Report from Jay

Fowlplay is hosting several corporate hunts in the next few weeks.  Our first was this past weekend; a corporate goup looking to book some hunts in the 2010 season. The goose hunting was tough with light winds and warm tempatures; especially with the freezing tempatures the weeks prior, which pushed and consolidated the birds to open waters.  Sunday was a different day and the duck hunt went extremely well.

The birds are still in the area with plenty of food and water.  The Green Heads arrived late in the season but well worth the wait. The next hunt is our Ducks Unlimited Group.  More details as things develop.