Most Recent Shoot

 Vintagers:

Thursday afternoon by 1:30 p.m., I was sitting on the patio of Spur Outfitters’ Elk Hollow Lodge. The sound of the North Platte accented by the buzz and tweets of the horde of hummingbirds quickly alleviated all of the stresses of hard weeks at work. About 3 o’clock Bob Pettus, a long-time friend and Carolina Vintager, arrived after a trip from Charlotte, and soon after the Thursday evening crowd arrived. Dave Sturm, our host at Spur arrived and introduced us to Cathy and her grand daughter Rianne who would ensure that we had everything we needed – and then some. Dave informed us of the plans for the following day and soon we sat down for a delicious, hearty dinner highlighted by the congenial conversation that may be the reason we have all been Vintagers for so long. Conversation topics varied greatly, covering topics as varied as the backgrounds of our colorful Vintagers themselves. Talk continued until late at night, as it would for the duration of our visit.

Friday morning began at around daylight as a day on the river begins early. Fishing was the order of the day, a few Vintagers choosing to fish some of the public waters or some of the smaller streams near the lodge. Four of us chose to float the North Platte river from Bennett Peak back downstream to the lodge, an all-day float that covered 12 river miles. While I can’t report on the others successes, I can tell you that the float was breathtaking, traveling through deep canyons, forests and plains, revealing the abundant Wyoming wildlife and uncovering enough cooperative trout to keep the fishermen happy. Upon arrival back at the lodge, Donnie, our guide, told Dave Sturm that he had enjoyed the Tom and Bob (Pettus) show, so it was pretty obvious that we had had a great time. Friday night brought Spur Ranch ribeye steaks cooked to perfection and more Vintagers with more conversation - a perfect cap to the day.

Saturday morning was a bit more relaxed as there were no plans until the shoot that began at 1pm. Some chose to fish, some shot skeet or sporting clays, some went sightseeing. At around 12:30 we had a buffet lunch and then moved on to the sporting clays range at 1:00. Dave provided us with a challenging course, though probably a bit softer than last year’s course. A few of our Vintagers did talk about having “cleaned” a station. A few members left after the shoot while a number of us spent another fun-filled night at the lodge, complete with another of Cathy’s spectacular meals.

During the stay, our Vintagers’ group was paid a couple of wonderful compliments. Cathy told us we were the best group she’d ever had, and she said it in a manner that everyone believed. Our hostess for last year, Lisa, left a very difficult group and came over to our lodge to visit with us – telling us how much she had enjoyed our group last year and that she missed having us at Hanging Bull Lodge this year.

Over and over the same sorts of comments were heard throughout the event – “I’m going to have to bring my family here in (insert timeframe here).” Without question, this is the most expensive trip we do in any year, but I don’t believe you would talk to anyone who attended this year that the price tag was too high for what you get. As well, there’s a very broad menu of activities, so you can tailor your trip to fit your budget. Last year’s event was spectacular, but the setting this year raised this event to a new pinnacle. Please, think about attending next year. You won’t regret it.

Tom Bryant, 
Master of the Hunt