The Greene County Gobblers chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation is hosting the annual hunting heritage banquet Friday, Feb. 2. The doors of Clover Hall at the Greene County Fairgrounds in Jefferson will open at 5:30 pm with a meal catered by Lidderdale Country Store to be served at 7 pm.
Advance tickets are available by contacting Fred Long at toast@netins.net or 515-370-0905. Ticket purchases made by Jan. 29 will be entered into an early bird drawing for a Yeti Roadie cooler. Membership in the NWTF is included with the purchase price. Members from other counties are welcome for the $15 purchase price of the meal.
Youth ages 17 and younger are invited to attend at a discounted ticket price of $10. All “Jakes” in attendance will be entered into a special youth drawing with the top prize of a Stoeger P3000 pump shotgun. A parent or guardian must accompany the youth.
A highlight of the event is the live auction of numerous outdoor framed prints featuring Terry Redlin, James Meger, Rosemary Millette and other well-known artists. In addition, there are other outdoor supplies, guns and equipment. A silent auction of similar products always generates plenty of interest.
Several games will test the skills and luck of the participants with a nice selection of prizes awarded. Raffle drawings feature prizes donated by local businesses and outdoor equipment.
The Greene County Gobblers and their counterparts across the state and nation are doing their part to preserve wildlife for the next generation, utilizing the funds generated at the annual banquet. Evidence of that is the $40,000 contribution from NWTF in 2016 towards the purchase of public land in Greene County. That included $5,000 for Snyder Tract (212 acres); $5,000 for Whitver Tract (24 acres); $7,500 for Bedrock Tract (145 acres) and $10,000 for Ruth Hanson Wildlife Area (160 acres.)
Tickets will also be sold at the door but for meal planning purposes, the committee appreciates advance ticket sales.
