2011 NAFA Meet in Vernal, Utah
Registration for the 2011 NAFA Meet in Vernal, Utah is now available. You may register online or you can fill out the registration form and mail it in. Go to the Meets page on the NAFA website for the announcement from Mark Holmes, Meet Chairman and follow the links to register. There will also be a registration form in your April Hawk Chalk that you should be recieving shortly.
Hotel Rates Are Tough All Over . . . .
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Originally Posted by
ukroper
I understand that the double room rate for the meet hotel is $89..is this right?..
Does anyone even try to get a special rate anymore???..confusedd
Well, believe it or not, this is my 40th NAFA Meet in the last 45 years. The first one I attended in 1966 was in Centerville, SD. Fellow IN falconer Bob Buskirk and I stayed at Ma Henning's Boarding House - - - for $4 ea./night. For that you got fresh baked homemade pastries and hot tea or coffee plus came home each evening to fresh (ironed!) bed linens. A more sumptuous breakfast (more than you could eat) could be had for less than $1.00 at the Koffee Kup Kafe. A steak dinner with all the trimmings, apple pie ala mode for desert and tip set you back about $2. Hunting license??? Uh, nothing for rabbits and I recall $5 for upland game/waterfowl.
Now for Vernal, and other hotels in the plains and mountain west, we are on the end of one of two "sharp sticks" when it comes to rates. Vernal and some other places in the West have a steady stream of energy exploration/production related people staying there that are keeping the occupancy up, and hence room rates as well. I can assure you NAFA negotiated the best rate we could get for a facility that can handle our size crowd. You want to see unhappy? Try a hotel that CAN'T handle us.
In some of the rural great plains states occupancy is down and they have to get a better rate to keep their doors open. Per head costs go down of course with shared rooms. RVs and tent camping are about the only thing left that's "cheap". Oh, and don't ignore that "bed bug report" site if you choose a "lesser" hotel :D.
Vernal is a spectacular place to hold the Meet and well worth the drive. It's 1,380 miles for me and a "Oh, Lord, I hope it doesn't snow!" hike over the Rockies. Lots of neat places to go and see, like Dinosaur National Monument, nearby.
As one of the chairs of the 1979 Meet in Lebanon, IN,I know that those of you who'd like a Meet in the East have a few challenges before you. Foremost is the lack of jacks and lots of wide open public and private land. You'll need to be able to offer good waterfowl, and maybe quail, opportunities for the longwingers, lots of bunnies and squirrels for the shortwingers, and do a ton of landowner relations work. And, while I'm gritting my teeth saying this, even some quality put and take pheasants wouldn't be a bad thing if wild ones aren't available.
Now I have a question. Does anyone know how many days before you arrive that your health certificate is good, and likewise, how long once you are there? I know, I'm a NAFA DAL and should know this, but as I type this, I don't! Hope to see LOTS of all you good NAFEX people there like I did in Dodge City last year!
Ridges are for Ruffles . . . . 'er Good jack hawking
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Originally Posted by
frootdog
I can't wait. Got the pre-registration done. Plans seem to be firming up. Looks like I will be spending 10 days hunting in Vernal. The scenery is unreal in Vernal, but it's some of the toughest terrain I have ever hawked in. You will get a real work out walking up and down all the ridges.
You're right on the ridges giving you a real workout, but I love how, properly worked, they let you get some great jack slips.
Jacks sneaking ahead of you and over the ridge in front of you usually don't go too far down the other side (thinking they are safe because they can't see you).
If you approach the crest of the ridge as noiselessly as possible sometimes you get a surprisingly close, downhill slip where you also get a great view of the action!