Tower release pheasant shoot Sat 17th Oct.

[Francis Morin]

Chuck Connell, owner and congenial host at "Tails A Waggin' Bird Hunting Club" in Marion, MI (about 20 miles SE of Cadillac) has set up a Tower Pheasant Shoot, starting at 1100 hrs. (11 o'clcok AM) at the Club. Fee is $145.00 per gun, which includes ten birds and a lunch like you won't believe.

I've shot Tower birds there twice, IMO it is a great set-up. Chuck has 13 stands set around the tower in some great cover- he has over 300 acres in his lease there, stands are well placed, safety rules explained- he has good strong flyers- we usually have the Tower shoot first, with a signalled rotation clockwise from stand to stand- and area dog handlers assist with the retrieving. Then a break for lunch, and then a pick-up hunt with the dogs.

Blaze orange hats, caps, coats are optional for the Tower phase, but are mandatory for the pick-up hunt, and we usually split up into small groups with the dogs and their handlers.

Chuck is a great host-bring plenty of shells (and if you are a waterfowler like me, duck stamps and some steel loads, there are several large ponds on the property and the season will be wide open then.

His website is www.preservehunt.com and his e-mail address is childrenscharters@hotmail.com

[Francis Morin]

Date is Sat Nov 7th. same time and fee as the one Chuck held on 10/17--We had 19 "guns" for the tower ( Chuck can handle 26 if we pair up on the stations)--bring pleanty of shells, blaze orange and some good retrievers, as they will get a good work-out. The pick-up hunt after the great lunch is another good dog opportunity- Chuck has plenty of great wild rural farmland in his lease there-and there can be partridge and possibly woodcock back in the tag alders, behind the sorghum and milo fields.

Safety is the utmost rule- I have shot there three times now, have met some really fine fellows, seen great dog handling, missed a few, hit a few more and really enjoy it. Porbably the closest thing we will see over on this side "of the pond" for driven birds (pheasants)--:cool: