More on MDF’s Livermore-Pleasanton Banquet, Raffle and Auction

We’ve got some great trips to sell next week. Here’s some info.  

If you’re interested in New Zealand red stag hunting, or other animals, here’s a link to our donated hunt to be auctioned on Thursday March 11. http://www.leithenvalley.co.nz/  The donation is for five days of meals, accommodations and hunting including trophy fees for one red stag of silver medal quality. Sue and Alan Stewart are first-rate people and first-rate treatment is guaranteed. 

Here are a couple of likely silver medal stags.

The Holm Ranch youth blacktail hunt has been a great success each season. Here’s a photo of a lucky youngster from several years back. 

We've had 100% success on this hunt for many years running.

For the 6-person, five-day Montana Lodge and fishing expedition, here’s a link to their web site. I met owner, Ross Fratzke at the WHCE and he assured me they will do what it takes to make your trip successful.  Here’s a link.  http://flatironoutfitting.com/

We personally hunt with Matt Bloom of Kennedy Meadows Resort each season and he does a great job for us . For more information about the drop camp hunting or fishing trip with Kennedy Meadows Resort and Pack Station, check out their site at http://www.kennedymeadows.com 

Fernando was our packer on a trip with Kennedy Meadows Resort last summer.

Just in today, a few more items, including three western art framed prints, a couple more big sculptures, a delivered load of base rock and two day use of a skid loader (don’t ask me what that is, but I think it’s for moving dirt – or rock. 

For gardeners and landscapers, we got what you need: 8-15 Sequoia Aptoas Blue (redwood trees I recon), 10-1 gallon Viburnum Spring Bouqet ”In Bloom” (my wife knows what these are), 10-1 gallon Nandina Donmestica, 10-1 galoon Azalea Happy Days, 5-5 gallon Juniper Procumbens Na Na and 5-5 gallon Azalea Girards Fuschia. Check out what these would cost at your local nursery. 

Here’s the scoop on the donor, Village Nurseries. http://www.villagenurseries.com/video.html 

We also accept phone bids. If you’re interested call me at (925)989-4372 and we’ll set it up.

Read Full Post »

New Zealand – Hunting and other Fun Stuff to do

We stayed in the Chalets, lined up on the left of the photo an and ate meals in the building in the background.

Red stags were pretty easy to find. The hunting took place inside a four thousand acre enclosure. I’m not sure what the density of stags was, but there were plenty.

On my second day of hunting, I wounded this stag with my bow and arrow. I was successful with a follow-up shot from the guide’s 7 mm mag and finished him off from 200 yards. I was disappointed that I flubbed the shot, but happy to bring home the trophy. The trophy fee for this silver medal stag was $3,000. Although he may have scored in the gold metal category, the guide told me he was silver before I shot him and he stood by that fee.

Keeping price in mind, I passed up a chance at a chamois and also a fallow deer with trophy fees of $2,000 each and settled for this feral goat which cost only $500. After repairing my bow, I still hunted for this goat and stayed within my budget. I’ll have to find a chamios and fallow deer someplace else. Maybe they’ll be in my budget next year.

The paradise duck is a very common native to New Zealand. These two were resting in the sun at the pond where I fly fished for trout.

During our stay, six of us spend a week in this nearly new Queenstown home. The view of the city and surrounding area was beautiful. The weather was mild and sunny.

Left to right: Our group included Pat and Jerry Lowery, myself and my wife Linda as well as Linda and Hal Stauff. Here we ready oruselves for a jetboat ride up a small river. Linda also parasailed from a nearby mountain.

 In this case, the photo explains more than I can say about the beauty of these mountains, called the New Zealand alps.

Milford Sound is located on the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island and is reachable in one day from Queenstown by small plane or bus. It’s a popular destination for tourists visiting Queenstown or other southern New Zealand resorts.

Although I caught no fish, this pond was a very nice place to fish. Linda took the photo while she observed from shore.

As we had done in Queenstown, we decided to tour the North Island by air. It was worth the cost.

These islands were located on the East Coast of the North Island in and area called The Bay of Islands. We spent a couple days at a bed and breakfast nearby.

Read Full Post »