FALL SEASON & 50TH ANNIVERSARY CLUB NEWSLETTER

Well so far 2020 is proving to be one of the most memorable and remarkable seasons of this decade, not only for having to cope with a Viral Pandemic but because it’s been one of the busiest seasons in the Clubs 50 year history! 

Yes! This year Green Acres Sportsman’s Club celebrates its 50th Anniversary.  Founded back in 1970 by a far sighted group of passionate hunters, led by George Ihkre, the original 300 acres has grown into the current pristine 1,200 acre Hunting preserve, that has become one of America’s most unique destination for the dedicated outdoor enthusiast, offering the complete range of Hunting, Live Wing & Recreational Sporting clay shooting, Gun Dog training services and a Shooting School of unrivalled quality.

To celebrate this anniversary we are pleased to announce the launch of the Clubs new website, which has been the brainchild and work of Chris Rud, Gun Dog Enthusiast and Director of Bureau Gravity.

New Website: https://www.huntgreenacres.com/

Our thanks go out to Chris and his dedicated team for such a brilliant job.

So let’s get underway with all the latest news and updates.

Gun Dog Success Training School

We are sure it won’t come as a great surprise when we tell you that it’s been yet another year of outstanding success for Dan and his superb team of trainers, not only at Hunt Tests but with the developing and expanding GDS Program for the continually increasing numbers of dogs (and their owners) that are coming through the School.

Here are just a couple of Highlights from this Hunt Test season:

1. The Gun Dog Success team went 31/32 at the Muddy Waters Retriever Club hunt test.

Congrats to Bear, Gypsy and Hunter on their new HRCH titles! We had a lot of first time hunt test dogs that showed they were up for the task.

2. HUGE CONGRATS to the GDS team at the 2020 International Grand! It was a long & challenging week but Dan Ihrke and the team are bringing 5 passes home! Congrats to HRCH UH KELSEY’S HAMMERIN’ BOCEPHUS (BO), GRHRCH UH SIR BARKLEY OF RIVERBEND (Barkley), HRCH UH HARVEST GOLD’S TRIPLE PLAY (Tripp), HRCH UH HIGH MEADOWS EAST MISS MOLLY (Molly), HRCH UH GEORGIA’S LIL’ RIVER GYPSY (Gypsy handled by Debbie).

Also this year saw the launch of Gun Dog Success’s own web site https://gundogsuccess.com and its own Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/gundogsuccess/ 

They are both packed full of information, training videos and much more, they are a must for all Gun Dog owners!

If you would like more information on the Gun Dog Success Training program, evaluations or simply to board your dog here at our facility, then call the Club Office and speak with our GM, Jonathan Powers, he will be pleased to discuss the various options and answer any questions you may have.

Gundog Success, takes on the challenge of training any breed of hunting dog, and many non-hunting domestic breed bringing each dog to their maximum potential.

Sporting Clays Winter Season Program

A busy Sporting Clays Summer season ended this year on a real high, when we hosted the Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club Sporting Classic Charity shoot, Seven 4 man teams shot a 100 sporting course and a fast and furious scored driven Flurry.

Next year’s event is already being planned and will be even bigger and better, so start getting your 4 man Team together for next year!

We are pleased to say that the reputation for our Sporting Clays is continually growing, with a constant flow of new shooters coming to enjoy our 12 station sporting course that includes target presentations for all levels of shooter. Stands are colour coded – green, blue, and red – with a posted target menu. This allows shooters an opportunity to choose the types and difficulty level of targets they prefer to shoot. Our wireless target release handsets offer 3 unique target presentations on each stand.   We are an open shoot – everyone is welcome!

Our Winter shoot program is now under way and runs till next April, during winter months we operate our Super Sporting 50 bird 5-stand course, unique rabbit skeet and our famous  fast & Furious Driven bird flurry, 25 shots, unlimited targets!!. So there is plenty to keep any level of shooter entertained regardless of season!

For more details on opening times and prices go to our Sporting Clays Page.

And for Daily up to the minute information got to our Facebook page.

Upland Hunting & American Continental Tower Shoots.

It’s already been a very busy start to this year’s Upland Hunting season, with a record number of introductory hunts being booked and several Corporate Group hunts as well. We have plenty of good cover fields and thanks to the increased number of British Driven shoots there are quite a few free birds out there for scratch hunting, as well our regular stocks of hard flying Pheasants, selected and managed by our excellent game keeper, Tyler Brenner.

Thanksgiving Friday Hunts

Please bear in mind that we are only a few weeks away from the Thanksgiving holiday, with the following FRIDAY always being the busiest day in the Hunt calendar and with perhaps more folk staying at home this year, to avoid disappointment NOW! is the time to book your Hunt & Field, please do not leave it to the very last minute on the day before (i.e emailing the club at 8pm when its closed up for Thanksgiving day) and expect to get the field of your choice or even a field at all, the following day. So some common sense please folks.

It’s always a good thing to remind everyone, now that the season is underway, of Club Rules on some points on SAFETY!

1. Strictly No Guns whatsoever are to be loaded in the Club Car Park,

Guns must not be loaded until you are in your field and ready to Hunt.

2. All Guns must be unloaded and made safe before you leave the designated Hunting area and NO LOADED GUN MUST EVER BE BROUGHT WITHIN A 200 YARD RADIUS of the Clubhouse area!

Also the Club now requires Hunters to retrieve their empty cases from the ground, before moving on after taking the shot. As custodians and users of the countryside, we must all be more conscious of not leaving PLASTIC CASES, which will not degrade, scattered around. If we all talk about Conservation for the sake of continued hunting then we must practice what we preach!

Duck Hunts

As you may be aware two years ago we made the decision to reduce the Duck Hunt season to the months October to December, as it was just impractical to try and keep shooting through the harsh new year Winter months and to maintain a flyable stock of birds in the icy waters.Although this has meant fewer Hunt days, it has been successful in improving the quality of the Ducks and maintaining a constant stock of flight trained birds, which this season, under the watchful eye of game keeper Tyler Brenner, have already proved to be outstanding!

This seasons Blinds are already full and we are running a list of reserve places should we receive any cancellations, if you want to get your name on the list please call John on the Club Office. Also we are already taking bookings for next 21/22 season, so if you want to make sure you have your blind, again call John now!

American Continental Tower Shoot & Upland Hunt Combo.

Our Tower Shoot & Upland Hunt Combo day, has continually grown in popularity, so this season we are kicking off early with our first Shoot & Hunt on Saturday the 14th of November, we already have 6 Places from 12 taken, so if you want to join us on that day, we have plenty of space.

For details of the Shoot & Hunt visit our Continental Tower Shoot page.

And for this season’s scheduled dates go to: https://www.facebook.com/pg/huntgreenacres/events/?ref=page_internal

Don’t forget American Tower Shoots & Hunts can also be booked forPrivate Group and Corporate Hunts Tuesday through to Sunday.

British Style Driven Wing Shooting

As we anticipated this Driven shoot season has already proved to be our busiest since we began this style of wing shooting back in 2015.  We have run our unique “Downton Day” Simulated Driven Shoot every month from April till October. For the video click on:https://www.facebook.com/huntgreenacres/videos/1507579622763192/The live season started with our traditional opening 3 day British Driven Trifecta event and this year it was truly exceptional!  We had an outstanding team of Guns, which we are particularly proud to say incorporated 4 ladies shooting, two of which were on their very first live shoot, and one loading.

The event was 3 days full of great shooting, superb traditional Country House party hospitality, wonderful camaraderie and of course lots of fun and laughter!

We already have 3 pegs reserved from 12 for next year’s event, so if you want to shoot this completely unique Driven Wing shooting event, reserve you peg/s now!

For full details visit our British Driven Shoots page.

For dates of this seasons scheduled events please go to; https://www.facebook.com/pg/huntgreenacres/events/?ref=page_internal

One final point before moving on, I have heard that some folks are put off of coming along on one of these British Style shoots because of the…

“Clothing”!! Well that’s really a bit silly, isn’t it! American Hunters in the past dressed very similar and if you go Quail hunting in the Southern states, you would be expected to dress smartly, just a take a leaf out of good friend and Driven Wing Shooting aficionado, Mark Hinkle’s book and dress in what I refer to as Classic American style, or just Country style like the rest of our regular Guns.

Keith Coyle-Ahead of the Game shooting School

The Shooting School has a constantly growing list of clients with some coming from as far afield as Alaska and even South Africa, as well as a little closer to home, many GA Members have benefitted from spending time getting instruction at the school, for both their Hunting skills and improving their Sporting Clay’s prowess.

Few things are more satisfying than a perfect shot. The skill required is a product of sound basic techniques, perfect practice and smoothly honed reactions but these don’t come overnight. First you must know what it is you need to practice; only then can you do something about it. In shooting, as in other Endeavour’s, ignorance prevents progress

A crowning moment for me was last month when the new Online Video Shooting School “Only Perfect Practice Makes Perfect “ went live on the “Teachable Platform” and became the first and  only online shooting school in the world. 

You can get a free preview of the School and its various courses at: https://onlyperfectpracticemakesperfect.teachable.com/

This is Pupil/Client and now good friend Ray Williams, who recently enjoyed his first Upland Hunt since he was a lad, and what a brilliantly successful hunt he has had! Shooting 27 Pheasants & 5 Quail in two days.
Ray firstly purchased the Fundamental course, and then brought the Sporting Clays & British Driven courses completing the whole series. He then came along for a one to one session and Gun fit review, where after perfecting the right gun mount technique we established the correct stock dimensions for his new Caesar Guerini 20g.
Once the Gun had been altered by friend, colleague and excellent “Stock Man”, Mark Hinkle, Ray came back for a second session, where we focused on how to apply the Instinctive Method when in the Hunting field.
So the combination of correct shooting technique, perfectly fitted gun and practice, has created an Instinctive Skill that has enabled Ray to go out with relaxed confidence, shoot to his very best ability, get maximum enjoyment and perhaps important for some, the best value for the money he has spent on the adventure
 
 

Should you like to subscribe to the School then I am pleased on behalf of myself and Scott Sarver, of Broadleaf Productions, to offer Green Acres Club members a 10% off for GA members through the end of June.  Click on the school link then enter the coupon on the checkout screen just below the course title. The coupon is GA-MEMBER10

When Scott convinced me to undertake the project, which we started in September 2019, I don’t think either of us had any real idea just how big the project would grow and become, and what an amazing job Scott has done, not only with the superb videoing and technical editing but by setting up the Teachable platform for a worldwide audience.

I operate the Shooting School here at G.A. Wednesday through Sunday with lessons arranged by prior appointment; you can email me direct at keith@huntgreenacres.com or call the Club Office.  Regards, Keith.

CLUB MEMBERSHIP 2020-21 SEASON

Club Memberships are still available and full details of the various options can be found at: https://www.huntgreenacres.com/membership/

Why not call GM, Jonathan Powers here at the Club office, he will be pleased to provide further information and answer any questions you may have, he will even organise you a private tour of our great facility!

In signing off

We hope you have found this newsletter of interest and on behalf of Dan, Cindy, Jonathan Powers, Myself and all the team here, may we wish you and your families continued good health in these times and look forward to seeing you all here at some time over the coming weeks and months.

If you have any questions or need further information on any of the Clubs activities, services and events please do not hesitate to contact the office.

The very best regards, Keith Coyle, 

GREEN ACRES IT’S THE PLACE TO BE!