By Steve Weisman

A perfect fall pheasant hunting morning greeted the 17 participants at the Clay County Pheasants Forever Ladies Pheasant Hunt on Saturday, November 2. Chapter member Paul Daniels, who helped organize the hunt, reflects on the day. “It was a great day for the third annual Ladies Hunt, and it was our best turnout yet. The chapter wants to thank Bill Muller for hosting the event, BlackEarth Java, No Limits Outdoors, Round Lake Vineyards & Winery, Marty Eby and all of the volunteers who helped make the outing such a success. As a chapter, we are glad that we can offer this type of in-the-field experience to ladies in our area.”

Although the day centered around pheasant hunting, participants experienced both camaraderie and a wide range of firearm activities. The morning began with coffee and pastries provided by Black Earth Java and a gun safety presentation by Iowa DNR Recreational Safety Officer Marty Eby. To prepare for the pheasant hunting, the participants next headed to the trap range to shoot clay pigeons.

According to Daniels, “Following this, we divided the participants into two groups, with one group heading to the field, while the other group participated in practicing marksmanship with pistols and crossbows at various targets. The two groups then switched activities.”

Vanessa Moore, one of the participants appreciated the effort put into the entire day’s activities. “What I appreciate most about this particular event, that even though it is geared towards women of all shooting skill levels, the men planning the event didn’t make anything ‘easy.’ Even during target practice and skeet shooting, they made it a point to have us shoot small and large calibers, try different stances, and learn how to aim with almost any sighting system. I didn’t feel at any point like a helpless female (which I may have been biased to think this event was about had I not attended). Women who had more experience shooting helped those with less. Tips about choosing guns that fit smaller body sizes was also very helpful. I just love that even though I hunt yearly with my family, I still took away tips from this event. I am glad I was asked to join, because otherwise I may have thought it wasn’t for someone like me. I hope they can grow this event including even more local women next year. Kudos to these guys that work to make this a successful event!”

The pheasant hunt gave the ladies the chance to experience walking through prime upland cover with club mentors providing their dogs for the hunt. Of course, they all experienced the thrill of watching a hard-working dog (unexpectedly) force a gaudy rooster pheasant into flight. A total of six roosters were taken.

Following the morning’s activities, the participants and mentors met back at the lodge for a steak dinner provided by the Clay County Pheasants Forever chapter with refreshments provided by Round Lake Vineyards & Winery.

Daniels noted that the event received positive reviews. “They all expressed their enjoyment of the day. We had a wide range of ages from all walks of life. Some of the gals even mentioned that it would be nice to have a ‘training day’ prior to the Ladies Hunt each year to help prepare them for the actual day.”

Kristy Heisinger, another one of the participants summed up the experience like this. “Thanks so much for inviting us to the Ladies Hunt again this year. It was a great day and a great experience.  While getting outside to enjoy the day and getting the chance to try different firearms was very fun, there’s a few other points that I really appreciated that may have not been the chapter’s intention. As a mom, we spend much of our time taking care of others – this was such a treat to have everything prepared and taken care of for us. It was like a mini retreat for me, so thank you to the chapter for their pampering. Second, it turned out to be a great networking event. I got to meet several other professional women in the area that I may have never had the chance to meet otherwise. We talked about bringing business cards next time to exchange. So, while I believe the chapter’s goal for the day was successfully met, it turned out to be so much more. Thank you so much! Looking forward to next year.”

Daniels concludes, “This is an annual event that the Clay County Pheasants Forever Chapter hopes to continue and expand. We want to see the entire families enjoying the outdoors and taking part in the sport of pheasant hunting, and we hope events like this one will help make that happen. A big thank you goes out to Vanessa Moore from Vertical Marketing + Design for all of the incredible photos. Vanessa captured all of the great things that happened during the outing. We invite people to go to the Clay County Pheasants Forever Facebook page to see all of the photos.”