RGS Membership Question?

[Neighbor_guy]

How many here are members of Ruffed Grouse Society?

I got a membership last year just to see what it was all about and just got the invite to the "annual banquet" from the Rum River Chapter. Just wondering if I should go to the dinner or not? Having never been there and not knowing anyone else who is a member.

Suggesions, ideas, members?

[Neighbor_guy]

Well, I guess that answeres that.....

[setterguy]

I am a member, and have been for about 10 years but to be honest I have never attended a banquet. I've always meant to but you know how that goes....I've heard they are a good time. Lots of door prizes, raffles for guns ect.

[Tom7227]

A number of years ago I used to go hunting up near Grand Rapids and the RGS was having their national grouse convention/shoot/whatever. There were some pretty high priced guys at that thing - like the $5,000 double was on the low end of the list. They seemed a bit stand offish, but I was with duck hunters who obviously are a lower class of people. I've heard from others that there's a certain snoot factor at this event, which is held yearly I believe. Don't know anything about local chapters.

[setterguy]

That private guided hunt is for the biggest donors to the RGS. Most of them are from out east. So there might be a bit of that with wealthy east coast guys that have L.L bean from head to toe.

[puddleduck]

I have been a memeber for about 20 years up here in Cass County and I go to the Deep Portage Chapter banquet which gets sold out each year. I am also a duck hunter. I really enjoy the RGS banquet and find nice items for raffle and silent auction and live auction. A lot of items that you do not see at a DU banquet. However, I go there too.

Good luck this fall. Numbers are supposed to be up. However, I have not seen many yet in my ventures in the woods.

[Matt Breuer]

I've been seeing birds all over the place. We had a nice male strutting on our driveway up at the cabin on LOW in July, and I've had the itch ever since!

I've been a member off and on since I was 18. The banquets are like any other banquet, and of course you can win or buy things aside from grouse paraphenalia there as well. Some neat stuff at them usually though, cool paintings, mugs, etc...

[Point_and_Shoot]

I think you should look into the organization and see where the money goes. Does it benefit grouse and hunting in your area? The Deep Portage Chapter puts a lot of its money into a upland bird camp at Deep Portage.

[Shack]

I got a membership last year just to see what it was all about and just got the invite to the "annual banquet" from the Rum River Chapter. Just wondering if I should go to the dinner or not? Having never been there and not knowing anyone else who is a member.

Suggesions, ideas, members?

Heck I would go. I think Rum River Chapter had some kind of fair thing in Princeton last year also, with speakers, seminars, kids stuff and other things.

[brittman]

More importantly RGS continues to lobby Congres that clear-cuts are beneficial to wildlife. Too much of US owned forest land is becoming older growth. Select cutting does not benefit grouse and whitetails the way clear-cuts do.

If RGS can be successful with just this effort, it will impact the quality of MN grouse hunting more than land acquisition or small RGS support projects ever will.

[Neighbor_guy]

I chose not to go to the banquet. Still up in the air as to renewing my membership or not. It's "only" $25 or $30, but in my economic world right now that's two boxes of shells and a couple rounds at the skeet field. We will see, I have till october to renew, so.......

[fishnhooks]

Neighbor_guy,

Is/Was that held at spectacular events?

"hooks"

[Neighbor_guy]

Neighbor_guy,

Is/Was that held at spectacular events?

"hooks"

Yes, I beleive it was, sometime in mid to late august. It was a spendy little event to. $50.00 for the meal and a membership renewal, $35.00 for a "guest" dinner. Many of the other clubs, like DU and Phesants Forever are holding thier banquets there this year as well. They must be giving the legion a run for hall rental price.

Cut backs at work are taking thier toll on my "other" catagory in the budget. I could not afford to go and take someone else along, so I stayed home. Finding space in the budget for licence fee's this year is going to be tough enough.