2024 Pheasant Fest

[mobirdhunter]

Your PGCA is well represented at this year's Pheasant Fest in Sioux Falls, SD. Our members contributed about 30 unique and wonderful Parker shotguns for the display, and we had good interest in our raffle gun, selling over $1,000 of tickets in this first half day. As a rookie attendee, I was so impressed with the support and good work of our membership (and I tried to help, too).

I'll make another report later and will have names of all of our member attendees. Bruce Day continues to provide leadership and guidance for this effort as he has for years, and Dean and Matt Hanson are extraordinary in their enthusiasm and hard work to make our presence a success (Matt is a ticket hawker extraordinaire!).

Stay tuned. I'll post more photos and have a roll call of members in a later post. What a great organization!

[John Davis]

If I leave now, I can be there in eighteen and half hours. Thanks to all the PGCA members and volunteers who are working so hard at this event. It is always great and positive exposure for the organization.

[Randy Roberts]

Nice work fellas. Your support is much appreciated 👍

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by John Davis

If I leave now, I can be there in eighteen and half hours. Thanks to all the PGCA members and volunteers who are working so hard at this event. It is always great and positive exposure for the organization.

John, we had a a gentleman drop by and show great interest in the guns on display. When he asked me about single barrel trap guns, I realized we had none. We’ll need to remedy that next year.

[Kirk Breier]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

John, we had a a gentleman drop by and show great interest in the guns on display. When he asked me about single barrel trap guns, I realized we had none. We’ll need to remedy that next year.

Any lack in SBT guns is made up for with the number of your representatives who own and hunt Gordon setters. Outdoor writing through decades would have one thinking Parker owners are all Yankees who wear ties in the field and only hunt behind white setters!

Your display was a great opportunity to see a range of frame sizes together in one place. It's one thing to read about differences in the guns and imagine from there, quite another to see them individually. Well done, and easy to see why your booths attract so many visitors.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Kirk Breier

Any lack in SBT guns is made up for with the number of your representatives who own and hunt Gordon setters. Outdoor writing through decades would have one thinking Parker owners are all Yankees who wear ties in the field and only hunt behind white setters!

Your display was a great opportunity to see a range of frame sizes together in one place. It's one thing to read about differences in the guns and imagine from there, quite another to see them individually. Well done, and easy to see why your booths attract so many visitors.

Thanks, Kirk. You sound like a member-in-the-making, and a Gordon Setter admirer. Parkers and Gordons are a great combination, and I can tell you from observation, that a Parker complements any good hunting dog.

Please consider joining our group, we'd love to have you.

[mobirdhunter]

With those unique guns all packed and headed back to their home safes, we closed a successful Pheasant Fest. Success can be measured in ticket sales (thanks to Matt!!), the sharing of Parker knowledge, and the fellowship of members who were there to represent the Association (thanks guys!).

Next year I understand the Fest will be in Kansas City. I hope I'll be there and can meet even more of our group to help spread the work of The Old Reliable. See you there!

Some last photos:

1. I missed getting a good photo of Dean Weber on the first day. Dean lives in Sioux City, and was a good host/representative for his fine city. Being close to home, he also had "grandpa duty" -- an extra busy guy during the event. (Ask him about his last time staying in Kansas City )

2. The girls were able to travel with some of us and they helped out and provided great support. Here are Bruce Day's wife, Katie, and my Elaine, having "bagged" a wandering Mearns quail. (Note: they sold tickets to the bird.)

[Kirk Breier]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

Thanks, Kirk. You sound like a member-in-the-making, and a Gordon Setter admirer. Parkers and Gordons are a great combination, and I can tell you from observation, that a Parker complements any good hunting dog.

Please consider joining our group, we'd love to have you.

Garry, I've had too much time with pump guns and other doubles to switch entirely to any one brand or type, I'm a lost cause in that respect! I did own a Parker Reproduction at one point, and when I went looking for a bench vise I wound up with a Parker. Couldn't be happier with it, and I only need the one although if I did have a need for another, it's at least cheaper than buying a shotgun.

[Chris Pope]

Nice Job- wish I were there!

[Reggie B]

Thanks to all there representing the PGCA! Great work!