Somewhat of a solitary beast, buying gifts for other people has become quite a task. The upcoming banquets do need a certain number of items and I am the official "BUYER". You see, remembering back to another part of my life, we had no reason to have banquets to raise money to make more game! The only money problem we had then were raising babies, paying on used washers and trying to keep the old heap running. Seems at times I forgot about campfires, autumn days, and toting that old single barrel. The game was always there, it was just that other things were more important. If my father were still alive he would say "I told you so". He did. Now that my babies have babies, the campfires have taken on a much more important meaning. Having time and money today aren’t my problem. Seeing game is. Am I too late? Not yet I hope. I want my grandchildren to be able to hunt. Whether they wish to or not is their choice, but Id like them to have that choice.

Back to the gift buying. The year's banquets are going to be even better than last year's! Everyone last year that attended can verify the fun had by all. This year we will have over 50 raffle items and over 50 auction items. We will also have the collection of custom guns like last year that had people amazed. Our door prize is a coffee table, done in myrtlewood with a quail scene. A chance at this is worth the price of a ticket Also this year we have acquired a rare pistol. It is a Colt Python, 357 magnum, Colorado State Patrol. Only 235 were made and we have the first, yes, serial #001! We are raffling the at $20 per ticket with a maximum of 200 tickets. These raffle tickets can be bought at the door or you can request them by mail Yon need nor be present to win.

Let me say in closing that the membership and supporters of HUNTER'S ALERT! have been a super group to work with. We need many more letters from our statewide membership because we are going to start publishing these letters. Let us hear your good and bad and don't hold back on the tall tales and humor. Also we'd like you to send us a picture of you with your hunting trophies. Don't be bashful for we are going to devote a complete page to your pictures. Maybe these two ideas will bring a lighter note to our newsletter and get more of yon, the membership invoked. I hope to see all of you at either our Las Vegas or Elko banquets. Please come up and shake hands.