Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

I have recently joined up with a long standing local club that has lost many members through attrition over the years and was reduced to only a dozen members. My buddy and I joined up with his brother and two of our mutual friends already belong. This is a LONG standing club (early 60's) that the old timers worked VERY hard to keep going and they actually saved money long enough to build a very respectable cabin on 15 acres of their own property that has literally thousands of acres of state land within a 15 minute radius. The roots of the club run deep and the older members have done a tremendous amount of good for local hunting and fishing with their limited means. As I sit here and type this they are short on two things.......the first is energy, the older guys simply don't have the get up and go like they once did and they are very happy to have some young blood (us) infused into the club for new ideas and to ease the workload of caring for the land and cabin........the second is money, they get by just fine and the bills get paid but there is not much left over. Stuff gets done slowly and some not at all due to limited funds.

What I need from you guys is some ideas for fund raising that have worked well for clubs you are in. It is a great club of long time hunters and fishermen with excellent potential to be even better. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

If you want to make some decent money,rent that cabin out during hunting season for a season or two

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

bump

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

Your area is probably saturated with other Bowhunters and shooters. Perhaps the "old guard" initimidated those that were looking to join. You should have an open house. Maybe set up a 3d range or target shoot and welcome the public to see what is offered along with seeing the trend towards new memebers. A very modest fee and maybe a pot-luck dinner for all who partake in the festivities. This will generate intrest and raise a few coins.

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

Another big thing especially during lent would be a nice Friday Fish Fry...Our local club does huge numbers with this type of thing.

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

Put off a $10, 3-numberticket once a year. If you sell all 1000 tickets, you'll pull in $10,000. Give a $6000 payout, and pocket the remaining $4K, which should be enough to put a new roof on, or handle a few minor construction jobs. If you have 15 guys, that's 67 tickets each. You could unload that many on here in a day.

Like somebody else mentioned - you can rent out the place, too.

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

The "old guard" is definitely a double edge sword. On one hand they scratched and clawed for the last 30 years to stay afloat and keep the club alive and well......they have busted their buns for decades as dedicated advocates for hunting and fishing. They have done an unbelievable amount of good for the outdoors and our sport with what they had to work with...............but they are also set it their ways BIG TIME. That needs to change if we are going to beef up the bank account. They fear a massive influx of members because they have always been small and I think they are afraid it could start to get away from them (control) so to speak........but at the same time they are begging for "new blood" to give the club a boost. A couple more members is possible but I think they would balk at a huge population increase.

We are having a party/raffle/beer/band event in a few weeks that usually provides the most cash flow for the year.

I like the 3D idea but the cost of 30 targets is prohibitive at this time.

Thanks for the input..........I will run the open house thing by them.

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

I LOVE that idea!!.........that is great, and it never crossed my mind. I kept thinking chicken BBQ maybe but their is a HUGE population of catholics around here and that could really be something good for us.

Thanks again.

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

Well......for starters.....

How about dues?

If you want to do a 3D shoot.....have each member donate a target (he could take it home after the shoot).

Raffleoff a bow.....some cash.....ANYTHING.

Our shop owner has a swap meet (anything hunting-related) once a year.....and incorporates a 3D shoot. It's his biggest day of the year. Incorporate a raffle during this event......and you're on your way.

Start charging the members a small fee for each stay.

The problem w/ "old blood" vs. "new blood" is likely that the "old blood" is tight with their own money. If you want something nice......you have to understand that nice things cost $$ (I've seen this happen with old members vs. new members at golf courses).

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

Thanks Quick...........I was just discussing this with my wife this morning but I was unsure of the details. This is VERY plausible IMO and my only thoughts are how to distribute the $6,000. It comes out to $200/day but straight cash is boring IMO. I was thinking more of like $50 cash for a bunch of days and then use more of the money to buy some guns, stands, bows, and accessories for "special" prize days and when your number hits you get whatever is designated for that day.

How does that sound??

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

Check with your local archery shops or sporting goods stores. There are a couple around here that rent out 3D targets to local clubs that don't want to buy 40 of them. You just have to make sure enough people show up to shoot to cover the cost plus some for the club. Hope you can make it work, sounds like a neat club.

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

you can also bring some good hunters/archers to give some nice intersting seminars and charge attendees a modest fee...make a raffle too!!

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

Have a car wash and have some nice eye candy washing the cars with nice twins laying on the windshield in soapy water. Works like a charm.

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

A club i used to belong to had an 8' bear attached to a pulley and cable. they would release it down a valley and the archer would try and shoot a white spot on it as it was moving. i believe it was five dollars a shot and when someone would hit the spot they would get half the pot, and the club kept the other half.
another club holds a shoot that i still attend, seperate from the normal 3-d coarse they have 10-15 targets set up with some unbevable shot angles and distances. you pay to enter and are only allowed one arrow. I believe winner gets a portion of the pot as well, I have never made it thru.

mabey hold a kids day for fun, to try and draw in some interested parents.

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

I attended a few local 3D shots at some of the local clubs. In addition to the 3D shoot they also had what they called novelty shoots. every shooter is charged a dollar or 2 for one shot. The winner gets half the pot.

Sometimes the target was just a small 1 inch diameter sticker placed on a target. The distanceof shot would be different each time there was a new round. Distances where anywhere from 60 to 90 yds. Closest to the center of the sticker won.

The other I aways liked was a small balloon placed on a 3D deer target. We would shoot across a small pond to the target on the other side. Distance was about 80 yds. It was very hard judging distance across that water for some reason.Each shooter would pay a dollar to shoot one shot. The pot would build and build until someone broke the balloon. The winner would get half the pot also. Then you would just start over with the peg moved to a different location.

I also heard of nite time 3D shoots. They would put thosetacks with reflective tape in the eyes of the deer targets to make them glow.The groups of shooters would have one guy hold the flashlight while others shot. I always thought it promoted poaching and never went but some of my buddies thought they were fun and like that it made shooting funner after being bored with regular 3D shoots.

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

That sounds like the SURVIVER COURSE a 3D shoot I used to go to had. They set up 10 3D targets in some real thick brush. And did no trimming, you scored same as regular 3D. But you could only take one arrow with you. You shot until you lost it, broke it or made it thru. If you lost or broke your arrow and found another one you could use it too. High score won half of the money.

You wouldn't need many animals to run one of these, and it is a lot of fun too. Just be careful not to break any limbs when you retrieve your arrows. It only makes it easier for the next shooter.

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

Is your club a 501(c)(3) organization? You gotta be careful with fund raisers such as raffles if you aren't. I've done a lot of fundraising for groups and the quick money is in raffles. Go to a local gun dealer and see if he will donate a rifle or shotgun (scoped rifles really sell tickets around here) or at least give you a good price break. Iapproached one gun store owner and he not only donated a .270 with a Leupold but he sold a lot of tickets right at his gun counter and threw in $250 at the end of the raffle. We made a killing (no pun intended) on that one. One tip on raffles....sell them for so much apiece but give a price break for buying groups of 5 or 10. Instead of selling a lot of single tickets, you'll sell them in handfuls.
As far as the old timers in your group, they are just reacting to the realization that they are on the downhill slide and ain't liking it too much....but they are smart enough to allow new members. I'd just butter them up and let them know their value to the club, seek their advice often, and look to the future. You have something there that many aren't fortunate to have. Ray

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

yeah, they called this one the smoker round it was very fun.

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

Atlas, I have two thoughts on this ...

#1 - If your club is not allowing non-club members to come and shoot for a fee, there is one possible avenue for $ ... charge $5.00 an hour. This might require you guys to expand your range or upgrade it a bit.

#2 - We have a place 1/2 an hour from me that has an awesome outdoor 3D set up through the woods .... targets at unknown distances, and lots of 'em. I know you said the monies needed to fund that wouldn't be available, but this course has paid for itself 100 times over ... again, the key is to allow non-members to shoot for a fee .

Good luck Bro ...

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

Selling guns in pairs???............me likey ;)

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

Sounds like a plan...........thanks.

I'd say that is pretty much dead accurate. I hope I didn't give the wrong impression and make it sound like these guys are holding us back because they may be stuck in their ways but they brought us in for just that reason and their blood, sweat, and tears over the last 30 years got this place to where it is today.............now we want to take it to the next level FOR them........not in spite of them.

RE: Help out a small bowhunting club (need some ideas)
 

I probably should have set the stage a little better..........we have a nice cabin on 15 acres of property with a shed built in the back.........that's about it. There is no range, there are no frills and the location is not what I would consider ideal for a 3D shoot. I think the shoot idea is a good one but just not for us at this time.


Thanks Preach