Rio Brazos->BRAVO!

It is not often that I am surprised, anymore. Not often that I see something that I have not seen before. Not often do I hear something I have not heard before. But...but....when I heard someone converted a GOLF course into a SPORTING CLAYS COURSE <---he said what?

Yep, it has happened...the beginning of the end for golfers...sell those golf memberships now before prices fall. Sell those homes "right on the green", quickly.....that sound you hear in the near distance is the sound of gunfire, friends, and it's coming your way.....and oh, oh Tiger, a word to the wise, might want to consider a more traditional name. On our course, screaming the name "TIGER!" will not bring the same sort of adulation and applause you have become so accustomed to, it will turn to lead...hee, hee, hee.

Since my wife is a golf fanantic, I have always kidded her about the huge waste of all that beautiful green rolling earth surrounded by all that water she hated... and those sand traps she feared....opps, "bunkers", sorry. I can dig that word bunker...yeah, give me a good BUNKER SHOT anytime.... WELCOME TO THE RIO BRAZOS HUNTING PRESERVE!!!

It was a bit of a map challenge, since they do not publicize the physical address for GPS users...in fact, after my interview with ROBERT YOUNG, the manager of the 1600+ acres, they don't even do marketing.  " Why?" responded Robert,"we are sold out, a year in advance." Yeah, well, that's the best reason I can think of NOT to advertize....and since it is a PRIVATE CLUB they do not even have a brochure! Hell, Robert didn't even have a business card!!

Have I been in CaLEFTornia toooo long? Come on, NO business card...no brochure...no marketing program....ok, I did see a computer in the office---> whew! By the way, THAT IS THE OFFICE---> yep, not wasting any money on that either. But the staff was excellent. Smooth check-in! Sorry I missed you CONNIE, I wanted to thank you personally for going that extra mile for me. The fact that they had photos of fish on the walls and a skin of a Bobcat, did throw me off a little....

In fact, as I tour around the country, I do consider the Profit & Loss on the different ranges. But here, I sort of figured out that these owners are not worried too much about profit or loss. The money was being spent on equipment and personnel. A modest pavillion, that will seat a few hundred people in the shade, seemed like the most recent addition. Good clay target machines, well maintained grounds and a strong privacy rule. Whoever said, " build it and they will come"... this proves the statement.

Rumor has it, the owners were somehow involved or had something to do with selling a tobacco company??? But hey, I am not CHRIS WALLACE, I was not there to get into their personal business....I came to verify the rumor that this area was designed for golf and became the best kept secret in SPORTING CLAYS! A quick tour of the stations provided the answer. Beautiful...just beautiful.

Robert did promise to give me a tour of the property if I came back later in the week, when things settled back down. It seems...so I am told, that the real business here is Bird Hunting & Fishing in the FIFTEEN----> that's one - five...ponds! But of course, if you think about it, any good golf course has ponds. For this shoot, there were 13 stations laid out around the waters' edge. I watched the swirl of fish finning along the surface...the trees were magnificent....the possible presentations----> varied, challenging and endless. Machines were easily hidden behind thick brush, over a slope or across the pond. If I were a course setter, this would be my dream course.

MR CHOO set the traps, and remained as far from MY RADIO INTERVIEW snare as he could...not the microphone type, I was told. An Engineer by trade, Mr. Choo designed the course with very precise and defined flight patterns. As far as I could remember, this was my first CHOO shoot! I saw Mr. Choo a couple of times on the trails, leading to the stations. He remained polite and agreed to sit for an interview but....well, I did see him swing by once, as I was interviewing MR. RANDY WRIGHT, the founder and owner of ABLE AMMO....or ABLEAMMO.COM. Randy was just telling me about the 80 million hits a month he gets on his website, when Mr. Choo walked over to the table. I motioned him to sit next to me...but, before he sat down, he was called away by the two-way... that was the last time I saw MR. CHOO.

It was a ONE DAY SHOOT...A FUNDRAISER SPONSORED BY MR. RANDY WRIGHT, of course, for the "INTREPID FALLEN HEROS FUND". Randy explained the fund in the radio interview. The short version for those who do not know----> THE FUND HAS SO FAR PROVIDED 60 MILLION DOLLARS IN SUPPORT FOR THE FAMILIES OF MILITARY PERSONNEL LOST IN THE SERVICE TO OUR NATION -----> THANX RANDY! and thanX for giving all of us the opportunity to help!

9AM: SQUAD FORMS ON STATION 10.....

Well, seems my squad was a little short of squad members. I had checked the night before and seen how CONNIE McELROY of SHOOTING PROMOTIONS.COM, had paired me up with TONY RIVERA. That was perfect, I had some exciting news to share with TONY about the TONY RIVERA "LATIN AMERICAN" INVITATIONAL....yeah, yeah, I will tell you more about that at a later date....

Anyway, seems TONY had a truck problem so he missed the first flight....so, after I arrived at station # 10, I found only two men...I struck up a conversation with RON ALLEN, because he was standing there as if to shoot. But RON was part of the RIO BRAZOS staff, and actually there to pull traps. It was MR. RUDY PESEK who walked up and turned out to be my only squad member.

But that was ok, because, it was more like shooting with a buddy. RUDY was classified as a C shooter but shot like a MASTER CLASS shooter. Young guy, grad of Texas A & M, working in the Oil Field, traveling around the world taming oil field problems and living the life we all envy, at the right age to do it.....We did have alot in common. I also worked in the "Oil Patch"---> ZAPATA DRILLING, a George Bush,Sr. company. I loved it...started as a roust-a-bout and.....oh well, we came to shoot, righ?..sorry. Back to the competition.

As we went from station to station, I was plagued by a ,"your behind it" thing...at one point even RANDY WRIGHT came up from behind me and said, "shoot at the left edge". He was right, even though I just chipped it on the last target, I realized Mr. Choo was playing a game with us...or my mind was playing a game with me. Just could not keep from looking at the end of the barrel on many shots. A true sign of a lack of confidence in my ability. But that is another story.... BUT BIG RUDY PESEK shot well, and shot soooo well, won his class!!! Being the gracious guy that he is, he also made a large cash donation to the FUND, before leaving. Now that's the kind of guy who you want to keep in Sporting Clays. ThanX for the tips along the way RUDY, they did help. RUDY is leaving for Boston in a day or so, to solve more oil field problems.------> TAKE THE GUN, RUDY! There are plenty of good ranges up there to stay tuned up. We will see RUDY at the NATIONALS in October. By then, I expect he will be in A class...thankfully. At least I will not have him to worry about in my class! lol..lol..

Hey, remember if you want a copy of a photo, just click on it..and print it on good photo paper!

Oh, hey, George Ball was there...good to see you George. You shot well at BRISTER and did well here!

Probably the most impressive group were the three young men who shot with their coaches. AUSTIN HAMMETT, ZACH POTTER and TRAVIS MELVIN. Well, I should correct that... the young guns were actually shooting with their fathers...and one of the fathers, JEFF HAMMETT, wore a shirt that really said "Coach". But everyone was helping everyone on that squad. There was a definite bonding going on...

Before I go, I would like to point out to you shooters that, RANDY WRIGHT might just be the guy you want to shoot with next time...I know I would. In this last photo, I caught my pal, CORKY WAUL, picking Randy's mind. A wealth of information, RANDY is very adament about the Second Amendment, but worries we may not be active enough to save our own rights as gun owners and hunters....he's right! If you're NOT a member of the NRA, remember, it is the NRA who works 24/7 to protect your right to keep and bear arms while, we, as sportsmen, are out here in the field... DOING IT----> JOIN NOW!

Ok, I am off to the Texas State shoot, c u there!

BREAKING NEWS------BREAKING NEWS--------BREAKING NEWS

MR. GEORGE DIGWEED HAS JUST BEEN PRESENTED THE HIGHEST CIVILIAN AWARD BY THE QUEEN....NOW, HE WILL BE REFERRED TO AS, MR. GEORGE DIGWEED, MBE <-----MEMBER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE...HOORAY, GEORGE!

MORE BREAKING NEWS---MORE BREAKING NEWS

BOBBY FOWLER, JR WILL BE INDUCTED INTO THE "HALL OF FAME", ON SATURDAY, JUNE 28TH,  AT THE TEXAS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!