Pheasant Fest 2012

[Bruce Day]

Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever held their 2012 Pheasant Fest in Kansas City over Feb 17-19. Over 22,000 attended. Comments and photos follow.

We sold over 80 books of raffle tickets and signed up several new members. Many more took away membership applications and said they would join later. The raffle gun was on display.
Doug Turnbull was there and spent time with us. Doug had made a special raffle gun for Pheasants Forever which was won by a 13 year old girl. The gun was a VHE 12ga with gold inlaid pheasants and the PF logo on the trigger plate.
Geoffroy Gourney was next to us and spent time engraving a Parker hammer gun frame and a colt SSA.
We had 40 Parkers on display in our double booth. The guns ranged from bottom grade guns in need of TLC to high condition high grade small bores. Something for everybody to look at and talk about. 410's to 10ga's.

Outdoor writers stopped by and made plans to meet with us for articles showing Parkers in action. These writers were local and national.

Thanks to Ed and Tim Morgan for working the ticket sales. Mike Shepherd was a stalwart and was there every hour every day. What a great help. Displayed a great 20ga A grade and a variety of other Parkers. Mike drove all the way from Amarillo TX, over 500 miles. The Morgans came from Ill and ne Iowa, over 400 miles. Craig Parker came from western Oklahoma, a long way, and was there all the time. Craig is getting started in PArkers and was a big help.

Doc Van Blaricum displayed his C 20ga and his C 12 with two barrel set, one of the barrel sets a rifled 12 bore with special Parker rib inscription. And some people have said that Parker never made rifled barrels. He also displayed his newly done G grade top lever hammer 16ga with 32" barrels. The cracked stock was repaired by Dennis Smith and the barrels were redone by Dale Edmunds.

Charlie Herzog was there with gorgeous hammer guns and small bores. I showed my C Bernard collection plus a bunch of small bores. Charlie and I had 20 guns between us and another 20 were from other people. We wanted to be inclusive . There is a light 12ga Hammer A grade with Whitworth fluid steel barrels that was shown. That gun came from Alfred Dupont.

Many thanks to Charlie, Craig Parker, Mike Shepherd, Doc Van, Lee Moege, the Morgans, who worked the booth every day. Hello to many members who stopped by to talk including Pete Blair, Mel Hrubeck, Dave Parker, and I know I have forgotten others. The local sheriff and police chief, friends of mine, stopped by to look. Many of the top shooters and NRA instructors and sporting clay instructors in the area stopped by to talk Parkers. The top female shooter in the region, a friend, wanted to look and see if a Parker might fit her.

So, a long and tiring show, we had a great steak dinner on Sat night, and lots of good work we believe spreading the Parker message.

The 2013 Pheasant Fest will be back in Minneapolis, MN.

[JLoew]

Great work to all involved. What makes the PGCA sing are the volunteers that step up to the plate. They share their time, talents, knowlege and treasured Parkers. Thank you for your continued support for our organization.

[Holeshot]

All those pictures make me feel like a boy in a candy store. Thats an awesome display and Thank you

[Richard Flanders]

Looks like a display and a weekend to be proud of. Thanks Bruce. BTW - did you get the brass I sent?

[Autumn Daze]

Bruce, Charlie,Mike,Ed and everyone else involved thank you very much for putting in the time and work involved to make the PGCA what it is. A wonderful display and fabulous photos. Great work gentlemen!

[Double Lab]

Bruce et al, Thanks for representing the PGCA and displaying all those wonderful, wonderful guns. You all truly epitomize what the Parker experience is all about.

[Austin W Hogan]

Good turnout; fine display; like the "old days" maybe better.

Thanks to all

Austin

[Dean Romig]

That is an excellent representation of Parker shotguns and the PGCA. Once again you guys have outdone yourselves! A big Thank You to those dedicated volunteers who made this year's Pheasant Fest PGCA display what it was - Outstanding!

[ED J, MORGAN]

thankyou, Bruce for your work and in taking such fine pictures.

[AmarilloMike]

Ed is a super salesman. He would sit in that chair hour after hour selling those tickets. He would tap the gun or call out and the next thing you new he had them reeled in and they were getting out their money. I started calling him "Metal Man" because he has a cast iron butt and a silver tongue.

Bruce, Charlie, Ed, Dick, Lee, Craig, Pete, and Jim were all great company and I am glad I got a chance to meet them all face to face. I took some pictures with a new camera. If they came out I will try and get them posted posted here tonight.

Best,


Mike