Yes, even though summer is here, hunting season preparedness is in full motion at Wingshots Hunting Club. The crops are doing nicely, food plots for all game species are thriving. As of right now, we are expecting one of the best seasons on record, so if you do not have a place to hunt this year, you might want to get with us immediately. We do have a couple spots that have opened up, but they are generally filled before the season begins. Call or email us for more information.
Oh my, what crappy weather we have had here in Wilmington. First it was hurricane Florence, then here comes the cold and ZERO snow, but dang some sure-fire rain monsoon events. This year is the wettest year on record for our area, shattering the record set over 140 years ago…. So far we are at 8 FEET of rain for the year, about to break 100 inches of rain in a calendar year. (Our average is 57 Inches Annually)
BUT LET ME TELL YOU THIS……. Wingshots Hunting Club is rolling. We are out there, no matter the weather. Rain Sleet Snow, we are there. Check out these photos from this past weekend where it rained for 3 straight days and 36-39 degrees. We are OPEN and our members are having a blast… mother nature beware, there is no stopping us!
We had one of our famous Pheasant Tower Shoots and boy it was fun. The birds were active and the food and fellowship was awesome. The 2nd Duck Season opens back up on Saturday. We are going! We are looking forward to seeing everyone and let’s hope this cold “ducky” weather has sent them down our way! Don’t forget your shells!
Dove Season also reopened this week and will run through January. Yes, we will be setting up for some Dove Hunting also, so stay tuned to your email box.
At Wingshots, WE GET ER DONE… No sleet, No rain, No cold is going to keep us from getting outdoors and enjoying our sport of hunting. Thanks to everyone we see at the club. It is your club, enjoy it!
Wow, what a year for our area. Rain Rain Rain, then some really nice weather making everything look beautiful, and then……… well you know, FLORENCE. Florence arrived on our doorsteps and while she looked like a bear, she dropped in strength and we all breathed a sigh of relief. Turns out that relief was unfounded as Florence lasted for days pummeling our area with wind and rain. The rain built up and simply unleashed hell in the river basins, thus destroying everything in its path. All the rivers exploded beyond their banks. Whole towns were wiped out. People simply lost everything..
Wingshots Hunting Club did not fair well, but what we lost in the form of crops, machines and equipment, pales in comparison to the good people of North Carolina that lost family members, their homes, and their way of life. We continue to pray for those still battling with recovery efforts. Our property went underwater by the equipment barn and we lost all three tractors, two Rhinos, gravely mower, Godwin Pump, bush hogs, pro mower, chain saws, blowers, weed eaters, parts, tools, battery chargers, air compressors, generators, and skeet throwers. But we survived, we always do!
To bring everyone up to speed on Wingshots Hunting Club, YES, we had a mess. But thanks to a great group of members and helpers, we managed to get everything cleaned up just in time for Opening Day Duck Season and Deer Season. The corn in the impoundments drowned, but it hasn’t seemed to affect the duck populations. We had about 3000 ducks in there just before opening day. We were pretty fired up about that, but guess what…. We forgot the migration patterns and weather changes haha. Mother Nature decided it was time for those ducks to move south a day or two before opening day, so our 3000 ducks dwindled to 1000 in that time frame. However, opening day was a huge success as we still whacked em and had a great time. We did check around the duck reports in the area, and all the reports came in NO DUCKS. They all moved so Wingshots held the only ducks in the area!
Today, the weather has turned again, but this time it’s for the better. Cold snaps push ducks south, and we expect to see droves of new ducks coming down the flyway in the next couple days and weeks to come. We are excited. We expect to begin seeing lots of improvements in the duck populations and hunting season is on. We are open for business so come on and let’s hunt!
We will keep everyone posted as we get all our equipment back on line, and many thanks to all the great folks that have helped us to get back on our feet. We love you guys and gals!
Also, we’d like to say thanks to FEMA for continuing to clean up the battered areas, they are doing a fantastic job clearing the debris from the roadways. It is not a day goes by that those people aren’t working to bring our area back up to speed. If you notice, the debris is slowing disappearing.
The Opening Day Crew
Greetings from the farm, NO, we have not drowned yet, lol…….. and actually the last 2 days the weather is renewing my attitude that we may actually get to do something productive soon!
UPDATE: As many of you know, Wilmington has had constant rain for 16 days straight. I have never seen anything like it. The area has exceeded its annual rainfall totals on record in the first 7 months of the year……. Yes, you heard that right, our area’s total annual rainfall has been exceeded in 7 months, with 5 more months to go before we can stop counting rainfall levels…. arrgghhhhh – Never before in this area’s history has this happened, even when hosting hurricane events……. it is crazy bizzare, right? Here is a link to the local news report… Wilmington surpasses annual rainfall totals.
What does this weather event mean for the Wingshots Hunting Club because I am certain everyone knows we raise crops out here right? Well here is the skinny and low down:
Yes, we got loads of rain on the farm. This has really messed with the corn crop and kept us from planting those lovely sunflowers that bloom so fast. We had the impoundment get stopped up and flooded due to a turtle clogging the drain. However, we stayed on top of it and only had to replant 1 corn field. Unfortunately though, with all this water, it has diluted the minerals in the ground thus some of our crops are struggling. If we can just get some hot baking sun, we feel like we will be okay though so no worries. Again, if we can get some hot baking days, all should be well.
What does this mean for the upcoming dove season opening in 3 weeks time?
Well it’s bad but not all bad ok. We will have corn to cut but it may be select rows because it is not mature yet and probably will not be mature by opening day. We may have to cut it with the Rhino for all I know, but I sure hope not. We also have a nearby farm that has millet planted that we might be able to grab some birds off of. The bad news at this time is that the birds are not here. These are migratory birds and we can only assume the weather has not induced them to migrate here yet. This occasionally happens and the farm has no control of this. In talks with other landowners, no one has seen the birds yet. No one all the way to I95 has seen much activity.
The good news is that the birds may show up just in time but again, we are not the bird whisperers and they don’t tell us when they are coming. The better news is that if they do come, Wingshots Hunting Club will be ready! We will be prepared whether the birds arrive or not, and we will have fun either way for opening day. Let me repeat….. We will open for opening day! As time grows closer, we will be updating you with the activities and menus for a full day of fun and fellowship. We will be shooting opening day so go ahead and make your plans to be here. Remember, this is a family event and prepare yourself and your family for the heat of dove hunting. DOVE SEASON OPENS SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 1st.
More to follow soon….
Boy we have had a lot of rain lately, summer storms, monsoons, whatever you want to call it. It has kept the grounds wet for sure. Anyway, we finally got a break from it and the Skeet n Eat this month was a success. We had a bunch of fun and a nice grilled dinner afterwards. We also had some great skeet shooting trainers out there so never feel like you don’t have enough experience to shoot. As a matter of fact, you should all try and shoot at the skeet n eat events for practice and to get to know your club and how it works. The club is there for you right? Someone is always willing to assist you I can assure you.
We will have another one soon and keep you posted on things as we go. Hunting season is right around the corner! Wingshots Hunting Club
With the end of Turkey Season, we take 1 week off and its back to work preparing the club for the 2018-19 Hunting Season. Time to clean up, time to do some planning, and time to do some planting. Yes, right now is the time to get the feed into the ground. Thanks to everyone that is so helpful in assisting us with the daily work routine necessary to keep Wingshots Hunting Club the premier hunting facility surrounding the Wilmington area.
Don’t forget the skeet club…….. the skeet fields are always open for members. As a matter of fact, we have a skeet and eat May 24th so bring your family and friends to enjoy the club.
We have a great many new things coming down the pipeline at Wingshots Hunting Club. Stay tuned to this channel as things are finalized. The old farm house is under way for renovation and refitting for another social gathering location. As plans develop and work progresses, we will let you know what’s coming.
Stay tuned, Wingshots Hunting Club is busy as can be preparing for next season. If you have any questions about the club or membership information, please call Jay Burney at 910-471-9436.
Wingshots Hunting Club is available for private parties, weddings, events, and numerous other activities beginning this year. To host an event or to obtain event information, please contact our event coordinator, Duayne “Ducky” Garner at 910-200-4668.
See everyone at the Skeet n Eat Thursday night!
Happy Memorial Day!
Russ Lane with his Gobbler on Opening Day
Opening Day was a success as usual for the Turkey season at Wingshots Hunting Club. We had the Turkey’s come into 2 areas. Member Russ Lane (pictured above) nailed his Turkey while another member watched his turkey walk away. There is lots of activity and a short season so get it while the getting is good people!
In other news, the Skeet n Eat is set for the first week of May. The club will be cooking for everyone so show up for the fellowship and fun. We look forward to seeing you there!
Congratulations to Brock Morton, son of member Corey Morton, on his first Turkey kill. For all you members, the Turkey strutted along the Ridge Road blind. It is the first turkey of the year for the Club and was taken during the early youth days. The regular season opens up this Saturday for all hunters. Make sure you reserve your spot, the Turkeys are gobbling!
Youth Hunt day number 1 was a huge success! All the little guys and gals got to see some ducks and pull the trigger. It is so awesome to see a sport passed from one generation to another, and to see the excitement on that younger generation and the pride of mom and dad looking on. Wow is all I can say.
We are going again this Saturday, last YOUTH DAY! Bring the boys and girls out!!!
Today is Groundhog Day, and darn, Phil saw his shadow so 6 more weeks of winter. But hey, that’s good for the Youth Duck Hunts for the next 2 weeks right??? We have the first of the YOUTH Hunts tomorrow, BRING THE KIDS OUT and show em what it is all about! We are ready, are you?
Wing Shots Hunting Club News 