2016 River Falls Area Ducks Unlimited Banquet

Saturday evening was spent with the good folks of the River Falls Ducks Unlimited Chapter. The event was held at Kilkarney Hills outside of River Falls, Wisconsin. I'd never been to one of these events before, and thought it'd be fun to share what we observed, and experienced.

Upon arriving and signing in, the three of us obtained a beautifully camouflaged RF DU can koozie! We picked up our raffle tickets, were welcomed by a number of committee members, and made our way into the dining hall.

General raffle prizes were displayed on a collection of tables in the center. Silent and live auction items were lined along the west wall. Games were being played in the corners, as well as a state raffle station. Towards the main stage were the firearms to be awarded at the evening's end.

There was quite a bit of activity happening at every turn. Old friends seemed to reunite, and new friends were made. Everyone was quite friendly. Many patiently explained how the various games and events played out.

Dinner was a wonderful meal of prime rib, all the fixings, chicken marsala, fresh green beans, garlic mashed potatoes, and cookies for dessert. If anybody left hungry that night, it was their own fault.

First items given went to the Greenwings. My youngest took home a nice single reed mallard call, and was all smiles. He of course proceeded to practice his feeding call the entire drive home.

A number of general raffle items were given, including a Yeti cooler, several slotted decoy bags, boxes of shells, and more! Alas, I was coming up empty.

The Mrs. came up big though, and won $200 of additional raffle tickets.

As the night continued, the chapter auctioned off a number of great prizes. The guided hunt in Canada would have been a dream! The neighbors at our table donated one of their labrador retriever pups for the cause. Kathy and Larry Strong of Yellow River Game Farm Piddle Creek Kennels were so friendly. Kathy sensed my son getting restless, and offered him a little side cash to walk the puppies. If ever I'm to look for another hunting buddy (not any time soon Calvin), I'll be sure to give them a ring.

The evening ended with the final guns given away. Alas, I will still be shooting my Remington 11-87 this season (happily). I did come home with a couple bottles of wine, and a mosquito contraption which is supposed to provide a 15 foot mosquito free radius! Most importantly, I came home with happy campers who were excited about raising money to protect and enhance that duck habitat we all enjoy.

If you haven't been to a banquet before, it's a great time. Excellent food, good company, and a great cause. If interested, you can check out events in your neck of the woods by going to www.ducks.org/events

I've sent an email to the local chapter to find out how much was raised, and will share that information when I hear back.

You can follow my adventures on facebook and twitter. Thank you and hope you enjoy Western Wisconsin Wings and Water!