PGCA at Pheasant Fest Des Moines

[Bruce Day]

We did it again for the fourth year. Over 20,000 people ( final count later) and about 20-25 guns. I got interviewed by the Des Moines register and my picture and an article were in the Sunday newspaper. Charlie and Tom Wooden were the stars of a video produced by Pheasants Forever that was posted to You Tube and Facebook and many may look at that......going contagious I think its called in internet lingo. We had an article about us published in Iowa Sportsman as a teaser to the Pheasant Fest. Fellows, fame is just around the corner. I reminded Charlie that Pres Obama made his campaign through Facebook and such, so you never know what could result.

Many , many thanks to our good members who stepped up and helped. There were Charlie Herzog, Tom Wooden, Pete Kappes, Dr. Dick Dow, Col. Jeff Christie( USAF ret), Wes Stueber, Ed Morgan, Col. Carl Beers( USA ret), Mike Koranda, Randy Zahn, Bruce and Mike from Duluth. We signed up about 7 new members, Ed and Tom brought in $1700 to $1800 in raffle ticket sales. Dick Dow flew in from SoCal, Tom Wooden from Mass. We twisted Larry Harwood's arm until he joined the PGCA. We were planning new hunting trips, making arrangements, had a wonderful dinner for 15 at the Iowa Beef Steakhouse, great, civil dinner table conversation.

Dr. James Van Blaricum from Pratt KS was looking forward to participating but last Wed he slipped on the ice, fell and broke his hand. Surgery was Thurs, when he would have been driving up.

Last year our theme was all gauges where we displayed from 8 to 410. This year it was upland game guns so we displayed light 12's to 28. We had several people ask where they could find a little CHE 28 ga like the one displayed.....well, you know the answer to that one but we said that 28ga Repros could be found. We had several Repros on display and also several other makes, since we gave two seminar presentations with slide show and pass around guns on using classic American side by sides for upland game.

We had good seminar attendance, and Charlie H, Pete Kappes, Mike Koranda, Jeff Christie and I were the presenters. Mike likes to reload and he talked about low recoil loads. Mike and Randy Zahn are the leaders of Woodcock Minnesota and of the Puglisi Shoot, so they encourage people to come to beautiful Duluth MN at the end of July for an evening at Puglisi's and a great shoot. The seminar was well received and when we have people like Carl Beers who are used to speaking before large crowds who say that they enjoyed the presentation and thought we did well, we pay attention to these professionals.

Many thanks to our friends at Pheasants Forever and member like PF professionals Joe Duggan and Brad Heidel and new PF staff members. Omaha in 2011 and Kansas City in 2012.

The fellows from Conn Shotgun Mfg were there with a big display, lots of RBL and the new O/U with hand detachable sidelocks. Very impressive and I understand they are building new Parker barrels for members. Fausti was there, but I looked in vain for the three Fausti sisters. They had a hammer gun made in all gauges, wouldn't a long barrled hammer 28 ga be nice? Rem, Win/Browning, Beretta/Benelli were there. Somehow, our double booth was always busy and people wanted to talk Parkers.

For some who have have not seen the Browning AHE, we displayed it again and many got to pick it up and look at it.

You know, we have this Pheasants Forever upland game thing going and I was just thinking that we have a couple members who are big into duck and goose hunting and go a lot and all over. Wouldn't it be great it they would get together with Ducks Unlimited and haul a bunch of big bore Parkers down to the Nat'l DU convention and display guns, put on seminars......spread the fame of these guns and fly the Parker flag. I don't know if they are thinking about obtaining the famous Buckingham Fox gun but if one of them ends up with that , what a draw that would be for interest in classic American guns for waterfowl hunting.

Here is a partial list of guns displayed:

1879 D grade 16ga Lifter hammer
1889 AH 12/30dam
1904 CHE 20dam
1916 CHE 20 dam
1926 CHE 28 Acme
1926 DHE 20/32
1921 PHE 16/28
19?? AHE 12
19?? Trojan upgrade by George Flame
1910 DHE 20/24
???? VHE 12
???? VHE 16
???? VHE 20
Parker Repro 20ga
AH Fox 16 ga
Win 21 12ga
New Ithaca Double 12ga
NID 16ga
GHE 20ga dam
1910 CHE 16ga Bernard
AHE 20ga
CHE 12ga
Bunch of others I need to recall.

So, here's some photos, I'll put up more later.

[Bruce Day]

Dr. Dick Dow and Pete Kappes. Dick flew in from Orange County, Cal and Pete drove down from way northwest Minnesota, Ada, MN, where it got to 32 below this winter.

At the table. Ed Morgan, consumate salesman, from Galena ILL. Tom Wooden from Mass. who flew in by way of Houston. Tom runs a major northeastern natural gas utilities company and is always there to help. Pete again, kneeling .

All great people who always carry the ball.

Lots of dogs/kennels operators there. Llewellins( big field trail coming up next weekend that a couple of us are running pups in), pointers, setters, GSPs, wirehaireds, all sorts of sporting breeds barking, whining, cuddling, etc.

Had a couple folks ( ret DEA agent and his wife, an FBI supervisor) fly in from Fredericksburg VA next to DC just to look at the exhibits and particularly the guns. They knew we were going to be here and came in to spend some time, spent a long time looking and he said that he collected pre war Brownings but wanted to see Parkers. Thats him above in the PF light blue shirt holding the John Browning AH Parker.

Cabelas is the major corporate sponsor for Pheasants Forever at this event and always is generous in their funding to PF. Without great sponsors like Cabelas, these events don't happen and we in turn always suggest people look at the Cabelas and other websites when they ask where they might find a Parker.

[Bruce Day]

I checked the PF website and it looks like total attendence was 20,230, a bit down from previous years but maybe due to the economy. Sec of Ag Vilsak was there and announced 300,000 acres for CRP and lots of politicians were around to shake hand and meet people.

PF is putting together an initiative to return 20% of the plains to original habitat native grasses for return of prairie grouse, birds I am fanatical about pursuing, nothing better than big rolling grasslands, big skies and sharptails or prairie chickens. Now I know you woods boys like those dense woods and ruffed grouse and that is a lot of fun and they are delicious but those big prairies have a charm for me.

[Dean Romig]

Highest kudos to you gentlemen for the work you did on the PF presentation and the display tables/booth. That represents a tremendous amount of work and personal sacrifice of time and expense to get such an endeavor off the ground and look so effortless.

Three Cheers to you all

[Jim Kucaba]

What a great looking Multi-Colored jacket with pheasants on it ... Where can I buy one like it ?

THANKS ! ... Jim Kucaba ... AriZOOna Cactus Patch ... Email: JimKucaba@aol.com

[Bruce Day]

A damascus folding knife that one of the fellows obtained during Pheasant Fest.

[Mark Robson]

Thanks Bruce for taking time to listen and to show off some truly remarkable guns, I learned a lot ! Mark

[Bruce Day]

Quite welcome, Mark.

Mark is a recent graduate of the Trinidad CO gunsmithing school and has a shop in Ames, Iowa.

[Opening Day]

Wish I could have made it. Great job to all that that helped and maned the booth. Also Bruce who made that great looking knife?

[Bruce Day]

Eric, I am sending you an email, as he makes a very few each year as a hobbiest.