Gone but it will never be forgotten
Dec 22, 2020 15:53:27 GMT -5
Woody Williams, duff, and 6 more like this
Post by featherduster on Dec 22, 2020 15:53:27 GMT -5
When I graduated from high school in 1969 I got a great paying job as an apprentice electrician in the steel mills of Gary, Indiana.
That next fall I took some of that big money and bought a membership in the GUMZ DUCK CLUB located in North Judson, Indiana.
That year was a big learning lesson for me because I met and hunted with real hardcore duck hunters and we killed birds like there would be no tomorrow.
I hunted there till 1972 when I was chosen to attend the Indiana State Police academy which of all things started on the opening day of the 1972 duck season. I missed that entire season but I made up for it the next year which was my last year at the GUMZ DUCK CLUB.
In 1974 I met the farmer who farmed a big farm on SR.8 just west of the KANKAKEE Game Preserve and this was the beginning of many years of building and hunting my own private duck club.
In the beginning there were 9 of us all good men with special talents as well as excellent duck hunters, we flooded approx. 200 acres of the 660 acre farm this also included about 40 acres of timber.
All was wonderful until 1978 when the owner died and the farm was put up for sale, with a well over one a million dollar price tag the farmer who had farmed that ground for over 49 years was to old to buy this farm so he retired and we moved....
We as a group had purchased a 20" diesel driven pump with a 4 cylinder Cummins engine and power take off.
We also bought a 10" electric powered pump with motor plus we built and owned ditch culverts with guillotine gates an assortment of pipes goose pits.
We also owned a 40' mobile home which was real nice with running water showers kitchen bedrooms and a mud room.
By the fall of 1978 we had relocated to the Northeast corner of SR8 & SR39 kiddy-corner from the KANKAKEE GAME PRESERVE we were now BIG TIME.
We had to sit down with the farm owners attorney and hash out the details for the lease.
It took a couple weeks to install our pumps, pits and the trailer.
LISTEN UP---- you want to talk about the woes of leasing try telling a farmer you want to flood 150-200 acres of corn ground so you can kill ducks.
We as a club had member changes because of divorces, deaths loss of desire and a loss of ducks migrating to that area.
In 1998 the club fired it's last shot and went quite.
I drove by there the other day and I got to tell ya it brings tears to my eyes to see that everything is now gone but the good times will never be forgotten.
In addition to fantastic duck and goose hunting we killed many a deer as well as pheasants and rabbits.
SO LONG TWIN RIVERS DUCK CLUB!
The farm has changed hands and is undergoing a major renovation.
That next fall I took some of that big money and bought a membership in the GUMZ DUCK CLUB located in North Judson, Indiana.
That year was a big learning lesson for me because I met and hunted with real hardcore duck hunters and we killed birds like there would be no tomorrow.
I hunted there till 1972 when I was chosen to attend the Indiana State Police academy which of all things started on the opening day of the 1972 duck season. I missed that entire season but I made up for it the next year which was my last year at the GUMZ DUCK CLUB.
In 1974 I met the farmer who farmed a big farm on SR.8 just west of the KANKAKEE Game Preserve and this was the beginning of many years of building and hunting my own private duck club.
In the beginning there were 9 of us all good men with special talents as well as excellent duck hunters, we flooded approx. 200 acres of the 660 acre farm this also included about 40 acres of timber.
All was wonderful until 1978 when the owner died and the farm was put up for sale, with a well over one a million dollar price tag the farmer who had farmed that ground for over 49 years was to old to buy this farm so he retired and we moved....
We as a group had purchased a 20" diesel driven pump with a 4 cylinder Cummins engine and power take off.
We also bought a 10" electric powered pump with motor plus we built and owned ditch culverts with guillotine gates an assortment of pipes goose pits.
We also owned a 40' mobile home which was real nice with running water showers kitchen bedrooms and a mud room.
By the fall of 1978 we had relocated to the Northeast corner of SR8 & SR39 kiddy-corner from the KANKAKEE GAME PRESERVE we were now BIG TIME.
We had to sit down with the farm owners attorney and hash out the details for the lease.
It took a couple weeks to install our pumps, pits and the trailer.
LISTEN UP---- you want to talk about the woes of leasing try telling a farmer you want to flood 150-200 acres of corn ground so you can kill ducks.
We as a club had member changes because of divorces, deaths loss of desire and a loss of ducks migrating to that area.
In 1998 the club fired it's last shot and went quite.
I drove by there the other day and I got to tell ya it brings tears to my eyes to see that everything is now gone but the good times will never be forgotten.
In addition to fantastic duck and goose hunting we killed many a deer as well as pheasants and rabbits.
SO LONG TWIN RIVERS DUCK CLUB!
The farm has changed hands and is undergoing a major renovation.
