WHAT'S HAPPENED

Since the last newsletter, spring passed us by. Suddenly it was July, and HOT summer weather. Now August is disappearing very quickly (lots of garden left to care for) and the favorite season is almost here....HUNTING SEASON!!! We pulled out the hunting vests today to get them cleaned up, and were immediately surrounded by dogs. They just knew the pheasants were still in there somewhere.

Viking Valley was a busy place during the "off season." Sporting clays leagues started in May and will finish by the end of August. Fishermen came early and spent many days on the lakes at the club and the many other lakes in the area. Customers held meetings, retreats, reunions and bachelor parties. Les and Bette took off a week in early June to fish in Canada with member and friend Mick McMillin from Ohio, had a great time and caught lots of fish. Then we plowed and planted, cleaned, mowed, painted, mowed, built and repaired, mowed, and actually got away to do some camping and fishing 'up north' from time to time. It really was a great summer, and we're looking forward to a fantastic fall.

The sporting clay shooters remained enthusiastic in the face of rising prices for transportation and ammunition. Our sincere thanks to the league shooters . . .  they continued to support the club in greater numbers than ever, and we appreciate having them spend their recreational time at Viking Valley. We'll continue to change and improve the shooting course in the hope that you'll continue to enjoy the challenge and the competition!

Les continues to work with legislative issues concerning our business and our environment. He's worked closely this summer with Sportsmen for Change on the campaign to pass the constitutional amendment to dedicate 3/8 of one percent sales tax to protect Minnesota's natural resources. This will appear on your ballot in November, and we urge you to visit the Sportsmen Vote Yes website for information and VOTE YES with us this fall.

WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN

Well, it's about time for your fall tune-up Where's your orange vest? Where's your dog's hunting collar? What kind of shape are your boots in? Your hat, where's your favorite orange hat? Shotgun shells, you're going to need LOTS of shotgun shells, both lead and steel. You're singing the hymn of fall. . . . "Cabela's loves me, this I know." At least, that's how it is at our house!

The phone's been ringing a lot in the last couple of weeks, everyone's making hunting plans. Our guides are checking in, our members are making their reservations, we're talking about Christmas and New Year's parties. Are you planning a hunt or two at Viking Valley? Call early for the best availability of the dates you want! We're waiting to hear from you.

We are (always) in the process of finding fun new things for members to do when they visit. This summer we installed a large backstop net and pad for practicing your golf swing, so bring your clubs to check out the practice area and some of our beautiful local golf courses. We also just finished two new practice bunkers on the south side of the parking area for rifle and handgun enthusiasts. Targets will be available for sale in the Pro Shop, and we hope you'll enjoy the "plinking."

We had great summer weather and adequate rain through the season, so the hunting fields are in new perfect shape going into the fall. When you make your reservations for early-season hunting, think about starting early in the morning or late in the afternoon when it's a bit cooler for men and dogs. We're fortunate to have most of our fields near lakes or ponds for cooling off dogs, but the cover is always very heavy in the early season which makes finding those birds very hard work for your dogs and ours.

We're kicking off the fall hunting season September 1st, as promised, with a big hunt on Labor Day. The nice, cool nights (and occasional cool days) are already promising good hunting weather for the early season. We always look forward to seeing our hunting friends and getting in the fields again. Thanks for hunting and shooting with us at Viking Valley Hunt Club!