Southwest Ohio's Pheasant Hunting Destination!

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Welcome to Cherrybend Pheasant Farm! Our farm has been in operation as a pheasant hunting preserve since September 1, 1954. We have 640 acres in the preserve that provides plenty of space for even our busiest day. We offer pheasant hunting as well as chukar and quail.

 

Cherrybend is family owned and operated by Matt & Beth Ellis and Scott & Melissa Ellis--a long time Clinton County farm family. The Ellis family has a long history farming on Cherrybend Road, since the mid-1800's, and is dedicated to keeping the farm an Ohio pheasant hunting destination. Our farm is fully operational and includes corn, soybeans, wheat, and the cover crops of sorghum and sunflowers.

 

We really enjoy having folks come out and hunt our farm.  Seeing the returning faces again and again really fuels the feeling of community and history on the Farm.  So, come out to our slice of America and experience our farm and enjoy country life!

 

Why visit Cherrybend?

 

Open October 1- March 31

Private Fields.

Half Day hunts (3-4hrs.) make it your field --no "pushing".

640 acres to hunt.

Friendly staff and family.

Full service-bird cleaning, packaging,smoked pheasant, Browning gear.

Outstanding professional guides and amazing dogs.

Always a hot woodstove and coffee to get warm.

No bag limit.

Event space for meetings or outings.

 

And...that feeling that you just arrived where time stands still.

 

Come find yourself at Cherrybend...

 

 

We officially open October 1st for daily office hours OR when the weather cools down and we can hunt.

 

Monday--Closed   We follow the rest of the local area outdoor stores and close for admin.

Tuesday- 9am-4:30pm

Wednesday-- 9am-4:30pm

Thursday- 9am-4:30pm

Friday-- 9am-4:30pm

Saturday-- 8am-4:30pm

Sunday-- 8am-4:30pmpm  (last bird cleaning call at 3:30pm)

 

Hunting Times: Half day hunts OCTOBER-MARCH

9am-12pm

1:30am-4:30pm

 

Please understand that if it is a foul weather day and all our hunts cancel, we will send our staff home for some time off. Therefore, if you want to stop by please give us a call first. 

The video below highlights the work we have done since 2014 in Veteran outreach. We invite veteran applicants to the Farm for a weeklong retreat with hunting, fishing, skydiving, and amazing music with Nashville songwriters.

Click the Operation Cherrybend tab to learn more about our veteran non-profit or visit www.operationcherrybend.org for more info!

Click Here to Register Online for Rick Smith Seminars

 

Beginning in 2023, Rick Smith will offer the Foundation Seminar in September and the Advanced Seminar in February. Please visit www.huntsmith.com for information on their schedules and training techniques. 

 

 

**UPDATES**

 

Follow us on Facebook for real-time updates.

 

 

 

 

August 31,2023-- Early Bird Bonus Memberships must be postmarked today to get the bonus credit. 

Crops are about 2 weeks behind this year due to late plant. Unless we get early frosts, we expect hunt conditions to improve early October. We can't hunt until the combines roll and get the crop off the fields. Also, the sorghum needs to burn back. Heat units down in the cover will make it dangerous for dogs until then. 

2023-24 NWS winter forcast is calling for above average temperatures and wet. My bones tell me its going to be a wet and or snowy winter. Take that for what you will. Just remember, we are here no matter what and hunt in all conditions but lightening or torrential sustained rain. Snow is the holy grail of pheasant hunting. If you're lucky, it will snow during your hunt. Just nothing better than that!

 

Make your Thanksgiving bookings NOW. We will book up the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas. We do not overbook. But, we sure release alot of birds on those weeks. Best time to hunt!

Y'all enjoy the rest of the summer. Brush up on your shooting skills so those cock birds don't cackle at you as they fly away.  :)

 

 

August 1st, 2023---It's Membership Time! Member renewals are in the mail. Watch for the invitation to our Member Appreciation party August 26. We really enjoy getting our Members together to talk dogs, hunting, and sharing stories. Please RSVP by 8/15.  

 

We anticipate hunting to being in October this year. We will need 3 hard frosts to burn the sorghum and cover back to offer optimal hunt conditions. You may book hunts early season, but we do advise on conditions. 

 

Book your Thanksgiving hunts NOW. Last year it was book several weeks out. Don't miss your annual hunt! Email today!

 

March 31, 2023--Season ended! We will now plant crops and cover in the fields. We will clean out and disinfect all of the barns. Our chick will arrive in May. 

Big thanks to our Crew that worked so hard for us this year. These folks keep the wheels turning on a very hard industry. Caring for livestock, maintaining clays, maintaining buildings and repairs and equipment--the list goes on. 

Thank you for choosing to come to our Farm. We work hard to provide a great environment for you to visit. See you in October!

 

March 08, 2023-- Folks, we are winding down to the end of our Season! Some quick reminders:

• Members--Book the last of your credit now. We only guaranteed your birds until 2/15. At this point, it is what we have left to book. We will not hold birds until the last day. We have plenty of chukar as well. 
• Non-Members--We are keeping track of what is left to book in the barns. Book NOW as we will soon be closing the scheduling. We have about 2000 birds left, but most have been booked. Call to check availability of the pheasant and chukar. 

Every year it is our goal to empty the barns by 4/1. We are right on track to finish strong! 

 

For those interested in Membership for 2023-24, please watch FB and our website for updates in July. That is when we start accepting Memberships. 

 

January 17, 2023--Happy New Year! We have been super busy getting folks out into the fields. We would advise scheduling in advance if you do not have a flexible scheduling option. We only have 11 more weekends left in the season, and that limits the availability. 

We do have several Corporate events on Fridays. Be advised these will generally book our guides. Having corporate events is great as they usually release alot of birds! Please call ahead to book.

 

We have had some problems with our email system. Please call if you havent received a response. Also, the volume of calls has been tremendous. Please be patient. At times, we wait to hear back from guides on their availability for your hunt before calling to confirm your booking. If you havent heard back from us in 48 hrs, call to confirm. Remember, we are just a small farm with only one person at the desk at a time. And, closed on Mondays. 

 

No Show/No Call--  Folks, we staff the farm to be able to accommodate our customers. If we have short cancels, no shows or significant changes without notice, it really can effect our operations. Please be courteous. There are many folks we have to turn away once our fields are booked. If you dont show up or short cancel and we cant fill it, the field remains empty with no hunters and that is income that we do not get for the day and staff we have to send home. We are limited on time and space as our season ends 3/31. Just communicate and make it right. We usually have a waiting list for people trying to get in. If you in fact don't show and don't call at all, we have long memories.  :) The next time you book will be a full pre-pay. We hate to go to that, but if we contiue to get burned we will have to for all hunts. Again, just trying to get everyone out in the fields and our barns empty by 3/31!

 

December 27, 2022--Ole Mother Nature sure got a good one over on us. What should have been the busiest week of the year turned into hugging the woodstove after tending to livestock as tempertures hit -34 degrees! Alot of hunts cancelled, which is lousy. We always look forward to this time of year and our annual visitors.

January and February are looking good! Be sure to book your reservation with a deposit to secure your spot. Weekends are popular! After deer and waterfowl go out of season, we are it!

 

 

November 25, 2023--Whoooohooo! We sure have had some good bird hunting this week! Conditions have been optimal and customers have just loved it! 

We are in the Holiday season which is a great thing! There are lots of residual birds out there!

 

We have smoked pheasant avavilable for sale for $35 each--fully cooked and ready to eat. 

 

If you are planning a Christmas holiday hunt excursion, now is the time to book! For sure, we will fill up on those days around Christmas and New Years. 

 

Remember when booking, we need to take a $100 Reservation Deposit to secure your spot. (this will be applied towards your hunt on the day you hunt)  We must do this as we have been burnt in the past with folks not showing up. We have to make sure we optimize our field space as we DO NOT overbook the Farm. We only have 8 private hunt zone. When you are assigned a field, it is yours for the half day. We want you to feel safe and have space to roam!

 

 

 

September 23, 2022 --The late spring plant has slowed us up a bit this fall.  Combines will likely start rolling next week to get the crops off. We have not had a frost yet and the cover is still very green. The heat units in the thick cover can be deadly to dogs and heat exhaustion is a real problem. We are accepting booking hunts in October with the contingent to follow up as we get closer to those dates to update field conditions. We want our Guided hunts to be succesful and live up to the standards that we set here at Cherrybend. Please follow our advice. Watch for 3 good frosts and temps in the 40-50s in the mornings for better hunt conditions! Believe me, we want you hunting as well! We just want it to be optimal conditions for everyone. 

 

We encourage you to book you Holiday hunts NOW. Last year we were booked solid and only had openings where we had cancellations. Don't delay!

 

August 30, 2022--We are officially in the Dog Days of summer! Hot, dry and waiting for cooler weather. 

Upcoming Events:

Sept.4, Labor Day Sunday--The Wilder Blue band from Texas Hill Country returns to Cherrybend!  Folks, dont miss this chance to see some of the best live music we have had at this farm. Legit. Bring your entire family. (kids free) It's meant to be a great place to gather and relax. Lawn seating and BYOB. Also, Werner's food truck will be here so you dont even have to cook supper!

Click the ticket link below or go to Calendar of Events tab for more info:

Discount Tix to The Wilder Blue

 

Sept 24-25--Rick Smith Training Seminar. Click the link above here on the home page to register. 

July 25, 2022--Y'all its Membership drive time! It is time to renew or join!

Membership is best for anyone that hunts MORE than 3 times a year or likes to bring friends OR has their own dog. The discounted pricing is extended to your guests. 

The BIGGEST perk of membership, is the ability to be allowed to hunt "scratch" or residual birds without a release (after you have used your credit). Also, September is a Members only Training month with a discounted rate for bird in a box. Its usually just too darn hot and green to really hunt, but some tuning up with your dogs is allowed 

 

Click the Membership Page for more information. 

Current Members...Our Annual Member Party is 8/27/22. Mark your calendars and watch for your invitation in the mail next week!

 

June 01, 2022--  Happy Summer! It's here!

We have the farm planted even though the rain has been epic. Crops are up. 

We have our first batch of chicks which are one week old. They are doing great and already have feathers developing. 

 

Our Clays course is open. The wet weather has made maintenance a whole lot of fun. This year we have had ants building nests inside the remotes/receivers and shorting them out. (no kidding). Always something on a farm!

 

The Clays course is available to Pre-Paid Discount Card Holders 7 days a week. Please note that it is closed during the NSCA Shoots. Next shoots are June 4, July 2, and Oct 15. 

 

For individual round shooters, you will be limited to open office hours:   Sat & Sun 9a-2pm. Please check the Clays tab for more info. You can call to schedule an appointment if you would like to buy a card outside of Open Office Hours.

 

Farmer's League: We will begin Farmer's League next Wednesday, June 8th. We will have a staff member here from 5-8pm. 

Farmer's League is OPEN to all shooters. $30 for 50 shots. Includes $5 towards Lewis Class Payout. 

 

 

 

 

APRIL​ 02, 2022-- Hunting has ended for the spring! We will be working on setting up our clays course for the next two weeks or so. Please be patient. 

Help support a veteran cause with our season opener...Operation Cherrybend Veteran Clays fundraiser on April 23rd. Click the link below to register and donate! You can sponsor a Veteran team, participate in a team(4), Sponsor a station or sponsor a Veteran.

 

Operation Cherrybend Clays Fundraiser Registration Link

 

We had an amazing season and are grateful to all of you for visiting our Farm! The tractors are already rolling to prep the farm for the crops to go in. The barns are being cleaned out and readied for chicks. 

Stay tuned for updates and summer events!! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

 

 

 

 

February 21, 2022 Wow is this Ohio weather fun! 60 degrees one day, sleet freezing rain the next, snow, torrential rain...fun! 

 

FYI--the end of the season is rapidly approaching of 3/31! However, be advised that at this time we are booked on Saturdays and most Sundays! Its a great "problem" to have!! Thank you to everyone enjoying their time on our farm. We appreciate that. 

 

Remember...first come first serve on the pheasant! There are a set amount of birds that we have each year and NO WAY to calculate the demand or weather events. Some years we have more birds in the spring because of a hard winter. Some years we have great weather and birds are scarce. We cant just hatch more. They only are raised in the summer. They are wild game and on that schedule. 

 

We are limited on how many hunts we can book from here on out. The very best thing to do is get on our waiting list for mid-March. If we get a bunch of cancellations or the weather is crappy on a weekend, we could have extra birds to be booked. 

 

For anyone disappointed that they missed their chance, I sure wish we could  have you out as well! Please stay tuned and get on that waiting list! Lots of people cancel due to covid and fair weather hunters. It's possible we could slip a small hunt in. 

 

Happy New Year!--We have started the new year with a BANG! Please be advised that January and February Saturdays are almost already booked. Please call and make your reservation and deposit to secure your date and time! 

 

**COVID**  FYI--we will operate no matter what. We can always do a parking lot check-in.  The great outdoors is a great place to socially distance.

 

We take deposits due to our fields being booked full every weekend. When someone backs out or doesnt show with short notice we have an empty field and guide without a hunt. You must contact us 24 hours before the hunt to let us know. Your deposit will then be moved to your rebooked date. If you contact less than 24hrs, you will not get the deposit returned or moved. 

 

*Members* Remember that your credit will not roll to next season. Your credit birds must be booked by 2/15/22. 

 

While we have plenty of birds, we have already had preserves calling us to buy birds. We will not be selling wholesale at this time. We will use what we have here for hunts on the farm. Book your hunts asap to secure your hunts. We will only hold birds for booked reservations. 

 

Season ends March 31st.

 

 

Merry Christmas!!  We have had an AMAZING amount of hunting in December! Book your holiday hunts now as the schedule is filling.  We do NOT overbook the Farm so it never feels cramped. Gift certificates are available. 

 

December 10, 2021--Book your Holiday hunting NOW! We are already filling the spots the two weeks around Christmas! Order Smoked pheasant or Gift Certificates for those hard to buy for folks!

 

Thanksgiving Day--Happy Thanksgiving! We are grateful for all of our blessings! That includes our awesome customers that come out to enjoy the farm. It also includes our amazing staff the put in 100% to make it happen for our customers. Thank you to everyone for being part of our Farms history. 

 

October 19, 2021-- The 5-Stand is set up and operational. It is best to make an appointment by calling or emailing. We are outside a good bit of the day and may not answer immediatley, so plan ahead and/or leave a message so we can get back to you. If you do stop by short notice and we arent in the office, good chance we are up at the bird barns. Look for an orange Kubota.

It is $7.50 per round of 25 shots. Shooters card targets may be used. 

 

October 11,2021-- The Sporting Clays Course in the Hickory Grove is closed. As we are booking hunts around the Hickory Grove, it is time to pull the traps in and set up the 5-Stand. We will do maintenance on the machines then assemble the 5-Stand near the house. We will post when it is open and ready to roll!

 

We are booking hunts based on availability and field conditions. The heat seems to be holding on but next week is looking a little better. We still need some frost before we upgrade the field conditions. Currently, we are calling it Difficult hunt conditions. Which means it is tough on the dogs to work the fields. Best areas are corn stubble and edges of sorghum and fencerows. Once we get some frost on the sorghum and it gets burnt back, we will hunt in those strips. 

 

If you are looking to book around the Holidays , you need to make your reservation ASAP! We will not overbook the Farm and it will definitely fill!

 

Changes for 2021-2022 Hunt Season: 

 

SCHEDULE: We will be closed on Mondays in line with all the local gun & archery shops. We absolutely need a day to clean, restock, bank, and rest. Thank you for understanding. 

 

BOOKED HUNTS:  You need to confirm your hunt 24hrs in advance. After that, we will not make changes to the SIZE of the hunt packages. It has become an issue with folks the day of their hunt reducing by a hunter and the full packages being released without us being informed of the change in group size. We just can't take losses like that. We will charge full package price once the birds have been released.   During Peak hunt season, we have your hunt released and ready to go before you arrive. It is your responsibilty to inform us of changes to your group size or find a replacement/backup hunter for your package when they cancel on you! 

 

CHECK-IN CHANGES:  Adding birds to hunt packages at the time of check-in will be done only if caught birds are available. When you book 12 pheasant package then show up ready to hunt and want to change it to all chukar, we will not  have those birds caught. We only catch what is scheduled to be released. This causes a ruckus as we have to then send someone to catch the requested birds. Thats when the wheels fall off the bus. We try to have extra caught for these instances, but if those are gone you will need to hunt your scheduled package. Simply remember to call or email 24hrs BEFORE your hunt to change it and its not a problem. Thank you for helping us stay on track. 

 

COVID and staffing issues have spawned several changes so that we can always provide the high level of service that is expected from this historic preserve. Communication is a key part of that. Please know what hunt you want and schedule appropriately at the time of booking. 

 

 

 

September 20, 2021--  The heat has held on so far through September. Maybe we will get a little relief this week. The rain is predicted to set in with an estimated 3" to come down. This will slow down the implementation of Harvest. Combines can't roll in the mud. :).  We are thankful for your patience as we live our Farm life and wait for Mother Nature to cooperate.  The crops will be harvested very soon!

We are booking non-member hunts for October. Hopefully, we will get some frost and conditions improve. Three good frosts will burn back the green undergrowth which holds heat and limits scent. Once it turn brown we are looking at good conditions!We really want successful and enjoyable hunts--we will be patient and wait for those conditions. 

 

Book your Holiday hunts NOW. We will not overbook the Farm. The holiday weeks do have a minimum bird release of 12 pheasant minimum per field. Get a group together to get out there and make some memories. 

 

The 12 Station Clays course will be closed mid-October. We will move those traps up to the house and assemble the 5-Stand for the winter months. 

 

Something to remember--If its hot and we aren't hunting, we don't just sit in the office. There is so much to be done outside and on the Farm. If you stop by and we aren't around, just call the office number 937-584-4269. We are somewhere on the farm being productive! 

 

 

August 1, 2021--Membership renewals have been sent to existing members. Please contact us by email if you did not receive yours! We can always email you the info. Visit the Membership page if you are interested in becoming a New Member. The New Member enrollment form is at the bottom of that page. Corporate Membership info is on the Corporate page. 

 

Rick Smith will be here September 25-29 for the Foundation and Intermediate Seminars. Please click the documents above, print, and send to us with a check to Rick Smith to secure your spot. Its an amazing course with your dog and one-on-one time and training with Rick!

 

 

June 28, 2021--  We have been busy this summer. Our first batch of chicks has been awesome! Super strong and healthy birds. The will be released into the outdoor flight pens this weekend. 

The wheat has been harvested and the sorghum--which is our hunting cover--will be planted this week as well. This is all part of the habitat management program we have here to keep the birds on the Farm throughout the season. 

 

A lot goes into operating a farm and preserve! Bird raising and optimal health, cover management, noxious weed management,  maintenance and repairs to flight pens, and so many other every day chores. We are mostly outside this time of year working in the barns and on the Farm. If you leave a voicemail, be patient until we can sit at the desk. 

 

The Clays course is open 7 days a week for folks with their own Shooters Card. These can be purchased during office hours Sat & Sun 10a-2p.  If you need to come outside those hours, call or email to set up an appointment. 

 

Thanks for coming out to our Farm to enjoy the great outdoors!

 

*MEMBERSHIP*

Membership info will be available for 2021 by July 20th. All current members will get an invitation in the snail mail to our annual Member Appreciation BBQ on  August 28, 2021.  The day begins at 3:30 with complimentary clays, then dinner and live music. 

Don't forget to renew by Aug.31st to get the Early Bird Bonus!! It's more bang for your buck!

 

We will continue to offer Traditional hunting privileges (residual hunting) as part of our Membership. This may be done during specific days/hours. Weekdays any time or Weekends after 3:30 are great for going after the "ones that got away" at $15 per pheasant bagged. ONLY members can do this once their credit is gone! It's hunting like the old days. This is what the Membership Fee is for and why its important to renew. 

 

May 25, 2021-- Summer is here! We have so much planned! Don't miss the Texas band Zane Williams and The Wilder Blue on June 6th! This is a huge treat to get a band of this caliber at the Farm! Go to the Calendar of Events page to access the pre-sale discount ticket link. You may buy tickets at the gate, just an upcharge. Bring lawn chairs, coolers, kids(free) and your two-stepping boots! Will be an amazing, relaxing Sunday evening on the Farm.

 

Also look at the Calendar of Events for our NSCA shoot schedule. Register early and help us make these events a success!

 

Membership renewals will go out in mid-July. If you would like to become a Member, email us with the subject line: NEW MEMBER and we will send you the information. 

 

Have a great summer! Enjoy the beautiful weather and the lifting of the mandates. Woohoo!

 

April 5, 2021--  Hunting has ended for the Season! We are so grateful to all who came and enjoyed their time in the outdoors during the pandemic. We were successful in keeping our employees and customers safe by modifying our procedures. Thank you for being part of our biggest year ever!

 

The 5-Stand is now closed and we are assembling the full 12 Station Clays Course. We have some work to do to ready the course and anticipate it opening on April 17th. 

 

We are also selling Pre-Paid Discount Shooting cards as we did last year. You may also add to your personal Cherrybend card. 

Pricing for a New Card loaded with 500 targets (minimum) is $192.37. The cards are yours to keep and protect.

For current card holders an additional 500 targets may be added (minimum) for $170+ $12.33tax= $182.33

The Cards give you the ability to come at your leisure. 

 

We will see you soon!

 

February 09,2021-- We got a big snow today--near 9"!   We have had an unusually high volume of hunts since November. This time of year we start counting what we have left in our barns to book. 

At this time we are only booking Member Credit hunts. Members must use their credit (have it booked) by February 15th or forfeit it. Usually, we have some extras to get us through to the end of the Season. This year, most preserves are almost out or completely out of birds due to the increase in outdoor activities due to COVID! We are glad that we still have several thousand birds on hand, however at this time are reserving them for Members and those hunts already booked. 

 

If you would like to be placed on a waiting list if there are cancellations and we have more birds on hand, then please EMAIL us with the Subject line saying "Waiting List #date" and the date. I will be able to search by this. 

If you call and the mailbox is full, that is the indicator of how many phonecalls we are getting! Emailing is a better option at this time!

 

Members--get your final credit hunts booked by 02/15. While we usually don't have to enact the deadline, this year we will have to.  (The last time we had to was 2011.) Getting on the books is very important! We appreciate your help with this! If you have used your credit, you may schedule residual hunts for yourself. We will not be scheduling extra birds until we know what we have on hand. 

 

January 6th, 2021-- Happy New Year!  We have started with a bang! We continue to have great hunt conditions and the cover has held up well. 

Please look at the Calendar of Events page and notice the European Hunts that are scheduled. There is only one Open Towershoot for individual sign-ups to join in and that is on 01/30/21. All through Feb. the Towershoots are booked with private groups on Saturday afternoons. Regular hunts may be booked in the morning of those days. 

 

We are accepting reservations to the end of the season on March 31st. 

 

December 28, 2020--Wow! We have had some amazing hunt conditions and awesome customers this holiday season! We have been running full tilt.

 

Thank you for everyone who helps us implement our COVID parking lot check-in! It has been working great. Just remember to mask up if needing to come into the house for anything. 

 

We are planning to hunt up through to March 31st. Hunting reservations have increased this year. Please schedule ahead to secure a reservation. We generally keep a couple of fields on stand-by for short notice bookings--so its always worth a chance to call if needing a next-day field. 

 

Thank you to all of our staff for working so hard through the holidays. It has been an incredibly busy time. Super proud of the staff and Guides for hanging tough. Not to mention our four legged friends who have got it done in the fields!

 

 

 

December 03/2020-- The hunt conditions have been outstanding!! We released a tremendous amount of birds over the Thanksgiving holiday. The fields are well seeded with residuals. 

We scheduled a European Hunt for Saturday 12/19/20. This special event is the best bang for the buck on the farm! Click the registration link on the left sidebar or Calendar of Events tab for more info. Limited spots are available, register today!

 

Book your holiday hunt in advance and place a deposit to secure your hunt. We are fully operational with our COVID policy parking lot check-in. Thank you for helping us keep our employees safe and healthy by following our protocol. We will get you out to the field and hunting after you register in the parking lot. Should you need to come inside, just wear a mask!

 

Come out and enjoy the great outdoors and fresh air adventures. The best way to social distance and put food on the table!

 

 

 

November 17, 2020--  Woot woot! Hunt conditions have been great! We are booking Thanksgiving week hunts.  Call today to get your reservation in as the Farm will fill and we don't overbook it. We have Guides available during the weekdays and weekends to go out with you and your friends/family. 

We are implementing our COVID check-in:

• Remain at your vehicle and we will bring the waivers out for check-in and pair you with your guide. 
• Verify group and hunt size.
• Safety talks with your guide will be outside at your vehicle(s)
• Please wear a mask/gator if you enter the building. 
• You may request outside check-out if you choose--please let the staff or guide know. 

Join us in socially distancing during the holidays! We can clearly remain 6 feet apart in the great outdoors!

 

October 12, 2020-- The Farm has been harvested! We are booking hunts, however be advised that conditions are still challenging and difficult hunting for birds. We have NOT had a frost yet! All cover, sorghum and fencerows are green still but slowly dying back. Once we have about 3 frosts and temps in the 40's, conditions will be ideal.  Lots of members are coming out to train their dogs during this time. The cornstalks are working great for this early season time. 

 

Book your Holiday hunts NOW. We have already seen an increase in demand this year. Don't miss out. Short booking may be difficult this year. A $100 deposit is required at the time of booking. You can do that by phone or on the Make a Reservation tab.

 

Remember--we will NOT overbook the Farm. Limited slots available. Members may always choose to do a residual walk-up afternoon hunt as the field empty (if their credit is gone) during our busy time. 

 

**Sporting Clays Update**   The 12 Station Clay course will be closed for the hunting season as of Friday Oct.16th at 8pm.  All of the traps will be brought in and fully maintenanced then assembled for the 5-Stand.

We anticipate the 5 Stand to be open by 10/24/20. Check-in will shift over to the House at that time. 

 

September 23, 2020--  **Schedule Change This Weekend for Sporting Clays**

CLOSED Clays Course

Sunday 09/27/20  12:30pm-6pm

 

We are having an outdoor, social distancing lawn concert on Sunday. The Course will be CLOSED from 12:30pm to 6pm UNLESS  you buy a ticket to the concert. There will be shooting during the "closed" hours for those attending the concert who are interested  $25 for 50 shots. 

 

(Again, folks with a Pre-Paid shooters card will need to have a concert tix during the listed closed hours. )

 

September 14,2020  --  **SCHEDULE CHANGES THIS WEEK FOR SPORTING CLAYS**

All Clays will be closed temporarily this week due as listed below due to our Operation Cherrybend Veteran event. (Clays and Wobble closed)

Card Holder Sign-In during the week will be at the House on the table in the Garage

CLOSED- Friday 9/18 starting at 1pm

CLOSED- Saturday 9/19 ALL DAY

ReOpen Sunday 7am Sign-In Station will be at the House garage

 

September 4, 2020--It looks like we will be open for hunting in late September/early October. The cover and crops are still green from a late spring and the temperatures are still high. We need 3 HARD FROSTS to develop improved hunt conditions. You can schedule hunts, but we will advise you that you will have a difficult hunt or the dogs may not be able to withstand the heat. Please take our advice. We will not refund your money if the hunt is difficult. It's acutally harder for us to do early season hunts like this! We will legit tell you when the fields are in good condition and ready to hunt!! We want you out there having a great time!

 

August 31, 2020--Today is the deadline to get your check in the mail for the Early Bird Bonus for membership.

 

Hunting--While we technically are "Open" September 1st, the reality is it was a late spring plant and it is too hot, the crops are still in the fields, and the cover and underbrush are still green. I will post when we get some frost here that will burn back that hot, green cover. While you can hunt edges, train on the laneways etc, you will only get one shot at your target before it will disappear into the cover/crops. 

 

We are strongly advising to wait and book your hunts for October unless the weather takes a drastic turn and gets cool. But, it is 2020...so a blizzard is possible in September. 

 

Guided hunts will be determined based on the guides confidence in the weather conditions and the safety of his dogs. Heat exhaustion can kill a well conditioned hunting dog in thick, green cover in 20 minutes and an air temperature over 50 degrees.  

Again, Guided Hunts are comfortably being booked for mid-October and beyond. 

 

Call and book your Thanksgiving hunts asap. We will not overbook the farm. A 12 bird minimum release is required for the Holiday weeks. Members may residual hunt late afternoons if requested and credit is gone.