by Dan Burden, content specialist, AgMRC, Iowa State University, djburden@iastate.edu 
 

Operation

Doc's Hunt Club, Adel, Iowa, is a bird-hunting club that has private memberships and is open to the public by reservation. The club also has a clay target range and offers trap, sporting clays, and "5-stand" shotgun-sport opportunities. The game bird hunting experience may include pheasant, quail or chukar partridge, or combinations of these species. The hunting operation runs from September 1 through March 31. Clay target shooting, corporate- and nature-retreat activities are available year-around by reservation.
 

Business Development

The hunting operation is primarily oriented to the needs of individuals who purchase sustaining yearly memberships, many of which belong to competitive pointing-dog field-trial competitors, breeders or handlers who pay the yearly membership fee to work their dogs over live birds. Several different one-half or full-day packages are available to non-members. Although there is no set bag limit, usually a given number of birds are planted per hunter several hours before the hunt to ensure a bird presence within that group's active area of the club's grounds. Additional birds can be planted or harvested at a set rate. For individuals or hunting parties who do not have their own dog, the services of several professional handlers and their dogs are available by arrangement. Bird cleaning and packaging is available for a small fee.

The habitat holds a large number of released birds from previous hunts and prior seasons, as well as natural-reproduction wild pheasants and quail. From a sporting perspective, although this is a private preserve, the hunting experience differs little from the "early-season" bird hunting typical of most of the Midwestern Plains States, where "young of the year" roosters are most likely to be taken in the first week or so of the regular hunting season. Encounters with "wild-flushing" "experienced" birds, well-versed in escape and evasion, is as common a part of the experience as is hunting in most regular-season field situations.

The 450 acres of rolling short-grass and tall-grass prairie immediately adjacent to Iowa's Raccoon River is professionally managed to provide near perfect upland bird-hunting habitat. Native prairie is interspersed with food plots of various grain species. This habitat holds a variety of game- and non-game birds and other wildlife and offers ample opportunities to see deer, hawks, any number of different song bird species and the occasional osprey or eagle.

The office and clubhouse building has restrooms and changing facilities as well as an area to meet and to relax. A full-service lodge is available for overnight guests, business meetings, family or group gatherings. The lodge has four private bedrooms, fireplace, TV, kitchen and a large private deck for grilling and entertaining. It is well suited to overnight parties of eight individuals and to day-use conference and dining groups of up to sixteen individuals.

Corporate entertaining and similar arranged outings are available. These hunts or outings are tailored for businesses or individuals wishing to sponsor a pleasurable outing or team-building activity for customers, employees or friends. For example, a day's activities could involve a morning sporting clays shoot, a noon barbeque, an afternoon pheasant hunt or non-hunting nature outing, and finally dinner and an overnight stay in the lodge. The staff can arrange off-site connections to area golf courses, tours of the scenic and historic covered-bridges of Madison County, trips to Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino, as well as to various Des Moines restaurants and nightclubs. A toll-free number is available for booking corporate and special-event shoots.

The sporting clays course at Doc’s Hunt Club was designed by European Singles Sporting Clay Champion and British Olympic Shooting Team member John Wooley. John Wolley is considered one of the world’s premier course designers. The course winds its way around a pond and through massive oak trees. The design provides a very scenic, private and challenging sporting clay experience. All target throwers on the course are controlled using state-of-the-art radio-remote units. There are 12 unique shooting stations that range from ground-bounce targets to those thrown from 40-foot target towers to stations where targets are engaged over water. These include the "teal" and "rabbit" stations enjoyed by most avid clay shooters. Beginner, intermediate, advanced or master level courses can be configured by arrangement. Organized league and open-registration public shooting events are regularly scheduled.

At one time, the Doc’s Hunt Club business was know as Doc's Kennels. The Doc's Kennels breeding and training program was one of the most famous and respected in North America. Shorthair and wirehair pointers were regularly featured in Gun Dog Magazine, The Pointing Dog Journal and in several nationally syndicated TV programs. Doc's is no longer in the dog business; however, they are affiliated with Boone Valley Kennel (German Shorthair pointing dogs), New Virginia, Iowa; Red Baron Wirehairs (German Wirehair pointing dogs), Adel, Iowa; and several other respected dog breeders and handlers.


Barriers to Success and Unexpected Problems

During the early part of the last century, for-fee hunting operations evolved as a convenient outlet for wealthier individuals interested in a day in the "sporting field" but not willing to invest the time and expense to train and maintain hunting dogs, gain access to private land, etc. Over time, this changed to where the operations were primarily oriented to the needs of individuals, usually men having yearly memberships, who were competitive pointing-dog field-trial competitors, breeders or handlers.

Today, the hunt club serves a role to alleviate the strain of population pressure on public hunting grounds, by offering extended seasons and days in the field where no other hunting parties will be encountered. These operations also are playing an important role in the transitioning of young and first-timer hunters, increasingly women, in a somewhat more controlled environment. In many states, hunting clubs are regular centers for Youth in the Outdoors, Becoming an Outdoor Woman and similar outdoor-education and outdoor-experience programs.

The American hunting tradition traces its roots to the historic "long-hunter" explorer fontiersman. Americans, born and bred in the last century where traditional open-access to most public and private lands associate a wild "freedom" with a day in the field. Although the thought of hunting on a "preserve" or a "game farm" is anathema to many, particularly working-class hunters, who are traditionally unwilling to pay for access to land, this attitude is changing. Private land is increasingly difficult to access, and public land is increasingly congested due to burgeoning urban encroachment and rural housing development.

Unlike North America, Europe and most of the rest of the world has always had some sort of managed hunting and it is a respected part of their cultural traditions. For centuries, only available to the elite, hunting was on private estates where game managers policed the grounds, managed habitat, and supplemented game populations with reared animals. Hunts were (and still are) conducted under the control of a ghillie, JaegerMeister "hunt-master," or similar professional manager or guide. In most parts of the world, access by individuals for hunting (or fishing) is available only on private property for a fee and by arrangement.

In my conversation with Russ Brown, manager of Doc's Hunt Club, the reality that America was progressing toward the European model, because of habitat loss and urban encroachment, due to population pressure was underscored. Russ stressed that hunting is an American tradition for many families, and a resurgent interest among young people and older women, is opening increasing opportunities for hunt clubs to transition from offering a hunting experience to an outdoor experience. Most clubs now offer hunting as one aspect of their operation. Most are some combination of bed & breakfast, lodge or retreat, small sporting goods retailer, game-bird farm for flight-ready birds (for release) or specialty meat production, and shotgun-sport center for sporting clays, 5-stand, trap or skeet shooting.

Doc's Hunt Club is the second permutation of this business. The original operation, Doc's Kennels, was owned and operated by a local medical doctor. This individual focused his attention primarily on dog breeding and training programs, and although it became one of the most famous and respected in North America, this business focus ultimately led to the failure of the operation. For the last several years, the business has been successfully and profitably owned by three partners who emphasize a quality outdoor experience, whether hunting, clay-target competition or a corporate retreat.

For a farmer interested in diversifying his or her agricultural operation to incorporate a game-farm or hunt-club type of operation, it is important to consider several things. First of all, develop a realistic business plan that outlines the phased development of the new venture. This would outline realistic goals for the operation at 1-year, 2-years, 5-years, etc. An integral component of any outdoor-oriented tourism business plan is to develop comprehensive habitat and client management plans. It is extremely important to concentrate on developing a quality experience for participants; this must include procedures for dealing with clients, client relations, and any necessary employee training. This type of business also requires a thorough understanding of all applicable permit, lease, insurance and liability law requirements and issues.


See Also

Agritourism
AgMRC profile on agritourism. Agritourism describes the act of visiting a working farm or any agricultural, horticultural or agribusiness operation to enjoy, be educated or be involved in activities.

Game Birds
AgMRC profile on game birds. Game birds are those birds that have traditionally been wild or hunted, but have been raised commercially for release in hunting reserves, for meat or for egg production. Commonly raised game birds include pheasants, partridges, guinea fowl, quail or squab (a young pigeon), wild turkeys, swans, pigeons and doves, peacocks, and some ducks, such as mallards or wood ducks. Game birds are also raised for exhibit or for hobby purposes.

Hunting Leases
AgMRC background paper on the issues related to leasing private land for hunting and outdoor activities.

Doc's Hunt Club, http://www.docshuntclub.com 
Doc's Hunt Club, 2947 Prospect Circle, Adel, Iowa, 50003; 800-993-3711; docshuntclub@aol.com

Becoming an Outdoor Woman (BOW) Program,  http://www.safariclubfoundation.org/ 
Safari Club International (SCI) along with the Archery Trade Assoc., Bass Pro Shops, Browning, Cabela's, Ducks Unlimited. Federal Cartridge Co., Leupold, National Shooting Sports Foundation, National Wildlife Federation, National Rifle Association, Pope & Young Club, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Safari Club International, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, UWSP College of Natural Resources sponsor the BOW program across the United States. Links to various educational weekends at participating hunting clubs and related outdoor educational retreats. Safari Club International; Education Department of SCIF, 4800 West Gates Pass Road, Tucson, Arizona  85745-9490; dhudson@safariclub.org; 520- 620-1220 ext. 231.

Boon Valley Kennel, German Shorthair pointing dogs.
New Virginia, Iowa; 515-238-1983; bvkennel@docsdogs.com

Hunt Club Directory, http://hunting.about.com/od/orgs/
Directory of hunting clubs and preserves from About.com.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources, http://www.iowadnr.com 
Iowa Department of Natural Resources web page. The site contains various listings for hunting regulations and seasons, as well as the state's Becoming and Outdoor Woman program. A state listing of  "Controlled Hunting Clubs" (hunt clubs) and state-specific management regulations are posted on the site at http://www.iowadnr.com/wildlife/pdfs/iapreserves.pdf.

Red Baron Wirehairs, http://www.redbaronwirehairs.com
German Wirehair pointing dogs. Adel, Iowa; 515-993-5792; info@redbaronwirehairs.com

Sporting Clays Magazine, http://www.sportingclays.net
Official publication of NSCA offers directories for facilities and tournaments and shoots, shotgun enthusiast expert advice, industry updates, product previews, test reports, tips, conservation and legislation trends, and results. Sporting Clays magazine, National Sporting Clays Association, 5931 Roft Rd., San Antonio, TX 78253-9261; 800-877-5338, 210-688-3371.

WomenHunters, http://www.womenhunters.com/
WomenHunters is a tax-exempt group that promotes the active participation of women in all outdoor and hunting sports. While other organizations do promote women in outdoor and hunting sports, WomenHunters fills its own unique niche with its Internet presence, WomenHunters Club, Bulletin Board and other features. The site lists hunt club and outdoor educational events for women. WomenHunters, 8268 Old Jefferson Highway, Kershaw, South Carolina, 29067.