Deer Hunters Association holds banquet

The Minnesota Deer Hunters Association’s (MDHA) sixteenth annual banquet took place the evening of Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Sweet-Sommers VFW. Funds raised by the event will be used to promote youth outdoor education, scholarships, local habitat projects and local and regional trap shooting teams.

 

Tim Collins, president of the Waseca MDHA, indicated a line of fundraising activities that included a drawing with a hunting knife as a prize and a “booze raffle,”  then mentioned something new, a “During the hunt” basket has been added for the ladies who stay home. Collins explained, “When the guys go out to the hunting shack, you know the ladies will have their wine or candle baskets. We also have a couple of baking baskets and a Cabela’s Camp Coffee basket, you know, for the ladies.” One of the silent auction items was a Ruger Wrangler .22, 8-shooter. Next to it on the silent auction block was a mahogany ammo box with a few boxes of ammo already inside. Other items included a variety of soaps, a Crown Royal basket, expensive sunglasses, Ranch Road Apple Brandy, blankets for the winter months, deer salt licks and liquid salt, a fire kit for the cabin.

 

There was a baseball donated by Minnesota Twins player Bailey Ober, grilling seasoning, a honey basket, bourbon, double chili and AR 15 magazines. Also donated were a tabletop griddle and a stand up griddle, said President Collins, “Cabela’s really came through for us this year.”

 

The kitchen opened at 5 p.m., David Orfei and his son Armand, 12, were eating cheeseburgers and finishing their fries. Said David, “I’m a member of the MDHA, I was hoping to win a gun tonight, but we’ll see.” Armand had a little more time to think about the question and said about the gun he might like to win for deer hunting, “If we go hunting in Wisconsin it would be a rifle, but here I would probably use a shotgun.” Armand was also quick to point out about his ability to shoot, “I’m on the clay target team for Owatonna.”