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Email Us
Pine Shadows, Inc
14752 Three Mile Rd
Brainerd, MN 56401
218.829.4736
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Upland Bird
Camp
Take a Kid
Hunting…
How about
teaching 50 kids---
HOW TO HUNT!
Annually,
since 1991!
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The Bus and 50+ campers arrive at 9 a.m.
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RGS
Biologist Rick Horton beckons all to come along on his Habitat Hike. His
pointer “Belle” has followed this course for 5 years and can lead it with her
eyes closed! She brought the third session group out of the woods early for
lunch – without Rick!
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After
observing the three years of success with the Minnesota Deer
Hunters Association sponsored Forkhorn young hunter education camps, a
committee met to plan for a similar camp to expose young people to upland
bird hunting. The curriculum would be simple, however very extensive: gun
safety, wingshooting, etiquette, tradition, outdoor savvy, game
identification, habitat preferences, conservation, sportsmanship, gun dogs,
hunt area selection, hunt permission seeking, proper dress, first aid and
survival, land stewardship, compass and map reading, game cleaning and
preparation, and more.
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English
Springer Spaniels
Professional
Handling
Gun Dog
Training
Quality
Pet Care
Pheasant
Hunts
Field
Trials
1976 est.
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The
original committee, which begin in 1990, included a visionary group of
hunting enthusiasts, many of whom are still actively involved in the continued success of this
soon to be legacy. From Deep Portage were Mike Naylon and
Joan Peterson, Pheasants Forever was represented by Jay Johnson, the Ruffed
Grouse Society by Mark Johnson, hunting and habitat expertise was represented
by Jerry Lamon and Larry Olson of the Cass County Land Department, and Mark
Haglin of PINE SHADOWS offered hunting dog knowledge and natural resources
education techniques.
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Jay Johnson, Camp Director at Deep Portage,
offers tips for leading the high house target while at station seven. Jay was
assisted at the skeet range by Larry Pierce and Dean Ceminsky.
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JP Martin and his English
Springer Spaniel Kat. Indeed, Kat has three days of rounds at the hospital each
week, but she is a very accomplished pheasant and goose dog, always looking
forward to the Lac Qui Parle and North Dakota hunts. She and JP
demonstrate some of her therapy skills.
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Pheasants
Forever and the Ruffed Grouse Society continue to be the underwriting
sponsors of this annual youth camp which graduates its 600th young
hunter this summer at its home base, The Deep
Portage Conservation Reserve near Hackensack.
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During the
first couple years PINE SHADOWS brought its “road show” to Deep Portage for an
afternoon of gun dog handling and instruction for the campers. In 1993 the Upland Bird Camp
began its annual field day at the PINE SHADOWS farm. Here campers enjoy a
great day of hands on hunting related activities.
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Don and
Nancy Doll of the RGS Drumming Log Chapter annually prepare the noon lunch for the many volunteers who conduct
the field day. Here Don is sharing his homemade lemonade with Jay Johnson of Deep
Portage, Steve Grossman of Little Moran Hunt Club, RGS Regional Director Mike Juhnke and
official photographer Mickey Johnson.
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Steve Grossman of Little Moran Hunt Club has been demonstrating
pointing breeds at the PINE SHADOWS field days since the beginning.
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On
the third Thursday of each July a busload of campers arrives at PINE SHADOWS
and rotates through learning adventures which include Mark Wheeler’s three
centuries of shotguns and Sophie Haglin’s first aid for dogs. JP Martin shows his
springer therapy dogs which are on staff at the St.
Cloud Hospital. Campers
are taught to swing through the targets at the skeet range. Rick Horton, RGS
Biologist, and his pointer Belle, leads campers on a habitat interpretation
hike. And the kids are immersed in gun dog techniques from Steve Grossman and
his English Setters and Morgan Haglin and a
bunch of flushing breeds.
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America needs more
young hunters. What can you do to insure the future of our wingshooting
sports?
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You can bet there’s a bird being held
here.
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Every year Mark
Wheeler brings an armory of shotguns for the campers to handle and discover
their histories. Some of these
firearms are from the 19th century. Have you ever shouldered a
three-barreled gun?
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Sophie
Haglin and Timber of PINE SHADOWS shows campers how to prepare first aid kits
for their dogs and tell about some of the upland perils dogs face such as
porcupines and skunks!
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Morgan Haglin has been helping
with the Upland Bird Camp since its beginning. Today he showed a variety of
springers at different developmental levels. He also handled dogs in the
field and water. Breeds he demonstrated included an American Water Spaniel, Labrador
Retrievers, and English Springer Spaniels. He was assisted by Jack Davies, Larry Britton, Steve Krueger, and Linda
Martin.
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Besides
planning and hosting this great day, Mark kept the classes moving
chauffeuring the PINE SHADOWS limo to and from the Skeet Range.
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