Northern Great Plains Region
March/April 2008
Brandon Mason , MDF Regional Director
In my last write up I mentioned that the Teddy Roosevelt Chapter of the MDF was going to have their first banquet on December 8, 2007. What a banquet it was! With only a few tickets pre-sold the week before the banquet, we were a little worried about what kind of attendance we would have. The two days leading up to the banquet helped ease our minds as tickets were being sold rapidly. We had 112 people attend the first ever banquet in Dickinson, N.D., and everyone seemed to have a great time. We were able to raise around $6,000 for mule deer projects in North Dakota and across the country.
In late December I made a trip to Billings, Mont., Sheridan, Wyo., and Gillette, Wyo. In Billings, Big Sky Chapter Chair John Wilson, Big Sky Chapter Committee Member Matt Wagner and I met with several employees from the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the BLM offices in Billings. We wanted to introduce ourselves and see what some of the most challenging issues facing mule deer populations are today and how MDF can help in the best possible manner. It was a great meeting and a great opportunity to brainstorm with these agencies on how we can collaborate on projects in eastern Montana.
In Sheridan I met with Chad Franklin and his brother Ryan to see how they could help the Big Horn Chapter succeed in 2008. We talked about the future of the Big Horn Chapter and about possible banquet dates in 2008. We are tentatively looking at Aug. 9, 2008, at the Best Western in Sheridan for the first annual banquet for the Big Horn Chapter.
The next evening found me in Gillette talking to six different individuals about starting a chapter. I had met with several people over the course of this past year that have shown a passion for mule deer and for helping a local MDF chapter succeed in the Gillette area. Well, on the night of the 19th of December, the Gillette Chapter of the MDF was born! Thanks to Dan and Kim Hansel for their willingness to lead so that we could sign the chapter charter application. Others in attendance were Tim and Tyler Huus, Laura Phagan and Bob Marostica. We are looking at having a banquet possibly in April in Gillette. For more information, call Kim Hansel at 307-689-2506.
After the Christmas season and hunting season were over, there was a lot of work to be done and lots of great things happening in the spring of ’08. The Big Sky Chapter set up a booth at the Great Rockies Sport Show in Billings over the weekend of Jan. 18-20. They signed up 25 new members and sold over $800 in MDF merchandise and raffle tickets.
At the same time the Northern Badlands Chapter had a booth at the Mandan Gun Show in Mandan, N.D., and was able to sell around $1,000 in raffle tickets and sold tickets to their banquet on Feb. 23 in Bismarck, N.D. The Northern Badlands Chapter also had a booth at the Bismarck Tribune Sports Show the weekend of the 25-27 which allowed them to further promote their banquet and sell around $1,500 worth of raffle tickets. All of the proceeds from this raffle will stay in North Dakota for mule deer projects. The drawing for this is on April 5, 2008. Only 2,000 tickets will be sold, so get in on the drawing before it’s too late. Prizes are a North Dakota Statewide Mule Deer Tag, Weatherby Vanguard (caliber of choice), Ruger Mark II 7mm Win. Short Mag., Mossberg Silver Reserve 12 ga. Over and Under, Howa M1500 .243 Youth Rifle, and a Crooked Horn Outfitters Pack. For more information, contact Ryan Krapp at 701-471-8788.