We were welcomed back to the Bluffs this March for our Ladies Spring Upland Hunt... and it was a BLAST! No pun intended.
I can't say enough about how much I love our Denver Sables -- Sables is a committee within our Denver SCI chapter and it is ran by the most wonderful woman, Mary Predovich. The hunting community is actually a very small tight-knit world... I met Mary's son when I was in college, became acquainted with his now-wife, Marnie, during a friends camping trip, and met Mary when Marnie invited me to hunt at the Bluffs with them, four years ago! Simply put, I went on that one hunt organized by the Sables, and I was hooked! From there, I attended more and more SCI and Sables events, and ultimately ended up on the SCI board. Mary has a way of getting you involved!
We host this event twice a year - once in the Fall and once in Spring. For those of you who don't know, The Bluffs is a coveted, members-only hunt club located in Byers, CO. It is owned and operated by some of the most wonderful people, Dave and Sur MacLennan. Beyond the warm lodge and welcoming clubhouse, the delicious home-cooked meals, and the endless good company, The Bluffs has mastered the art of property and bird management. No matter which field you hunt in, you're guaranteed to have plenty of birds to take a shot at. The chukar and pheasant populations are strong - from bird placement as well as wild growth. The coveys of quail have increased and are entirely wild. This is all thanks to great management of the land and placement of resources.
We max this event out at 16 ladies. This allows us to have four hunting groups and The Bluffs provides each group with an expert guide and bird dogs. As someone with a bird-dog of my own, I was bummed at first not being able to bring Walter along for the hunt, but this event is more than just a typical upland outing. The Denver Sables is constantly striving to build a community of like-minded women who enjoy the outdoors and wish to connect with other ladies who do as well! We spend time getting to know each attendee and work hard to ensure they have a memorable time! Because of this, I have no problem putting my dog-training hat away for the weekend and focus on improving my shot instead.
We always begin each event with safety and shooting practice with Dave. We get comfortable with our guns and work on our accuracy with the clay range behind the clubhouse. Dave has a great eye for finding what could help improve your shot - and your hunt!
After we've all warmed up, we go over Denver Sables initiatives, upcoming events, and ways to get more involved. Attendees receive special gifts and there are games and prizes throughout the evening.
At the dinner table, we spend some time going around and meeting all of our attendees in-depth. Once dessert is devoured, we head into the lodge to change into pajamas, play a game, and enjoy more great conversation.
We have such a great variety of women who attend this event - some are brand new to the outdoors and hunting, while others have traversed the globe completing incredible hunting adventures.
The hunt itself always seems to be magical. There are plenty of opportunities to take shots, and the guides and dogs are simply the best. There is something really rewarding about witnessing a new friend take down her first upland bird. The excitement and support keeps you motivated all morning long! After missing some, shooting some, and laughing constantly, we return to the lodge to rejoin as a larger group and chat over lunch.
This event will never get old for me. The hope is that we continue to pull in new ladies and further strengthen our connections in this solid community. Most gals attend once and then are hooked for life. They step outside of upland hunting and try waterfowl and big game and it's simply the best outcome any of us could ask for.
We need more and more people to get involved and invested with conservation. And don't you worry, the ladies are stepping it up big time!
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