OCR Text |
Show i I I Uintah Basin Standard Basin LIFE Page 13 November 12, 2002 PLEASANT VALLEY'S "HICKENS CHICKENS" i ;9 Two families gambled when conventional farming failed ByPhil Johnson Phil and son Keith Hicken, and their families, attract bird hunters from around the world to their Pleasant Valley Hunting Preserve. These hunters bring new money into the Basin with their love for shooting game birds. The Hickena, with wives Linda and Nerissa, are of the preserve. Everybody works full old time, including Keiths son Andy and Nerissas brother Pabling, to make the operation go. There are also eight local guides with their dogs who help out during the Sept. 1 to March 31 season. The preserve, located about 12 miles south of Roosevelt, covers about 2000 acres. The Hickens own 700, and lease the rest from neighboring landowners. They plant sorghum and kosher weed to provide cover and food forpheasants they release. Flight pens 18-ye- ar neseman, flies his jet around the country to bring in business associates. Companies like Midwest Flooring, Phillips 66, Black and Decker, and BMC West bring their employees who have earned special awards. They like it better than a trip to Vegas, says Phil. The majority of hunters drive over from the Wasatch Front.. We are one of the biggest pheasant hunting preserves in the country. There is only one other preserve in Utah where the owners make their living from pheasants. According to Keith, there are about 75 hobby" or part-tim- e preserves in the state. Their owners must have additional employment to make ends meet. Keith describes Pictured left to WASATCH FRONTIIlNThRS PROVE (KX)DSllOTS (iuidc Leonard Wilson. Keith tight: Duane Lundcll. Bob I lardinun. Bill Davis, and Mike Johnson display some of the J6 birds bugged Nov. 6. how he and his dad got started. We were starving to death do-- ' ' American Legion Dinner will be a Duchesne American i) ' V ., V s - hosting turkey dinner buffet on Legion Saturday. Nov. 16 from 7 p.m. at the Legion hall 256 E. 1005., Duchesne. Veterans and widows eat free. The public is invited toattend Proceeds from the meal go to various children and youth projects. The 4-- m 'A'1 I i , v IVY in Father and son, Phil (left) and Keith llic ken began their Pleasant Valley Hunting Preserve in 1987. It took them ten long, hard years to make the business profitable. T1 IE PROUD OWNERS ing conventional farming so we looked intoapublication on ahemative fanning. That led them, in 1987, to a Kansas convention on the subject. There were boothson everything from raising flowers to ostriches, related Keith. But a booth on using farm land for bird hunting preserves caught their attention. They decided to try the concept in Pleasant Valley and it worked. But it took ten long years before the operation could fully support the two families. Pleasant Valley Hunting Preserve H iHLa tin &Z. f 'M&v Bill Ertel (picON THE ALERT tured left) and Keith Johnson watch the dogs. 1 fthe dogs come to a point, shotguns swing to the ready posii tion. for holding adult birds stretch across 16 acres. It's tough work to keep an operation like this going," Keith explains. Disease, late snow, high winds, and thieves can take their toll. The work beginseaihr in Mqy when the Hickens travel to Green River, Utah where they purchase about 30,000 chicks from Royd Halt. He is their supplier of choice because he hatches birds of purs blood lines stretching back to The chicks are held in brooders enclosed round tin structures roughly five feet across that are heated B y it. hosts about 3,500 guests a year. What makes it so popular? Keith says its the quality of the hunting and the birds. We provide a totally natural birds, setting and hardy, fast-flyin- g Keith describes. Phil chimes in, And, we provide total customer service. We are friendly end we oflbr amenities that make the hunters feel good. Thqy are smiling when they leave, even if they haven't harvested a bird. Hunter order a given number of s SEE HICKENS on page 20 Members and those interested in the Relletristics Book Club are invited to the homeofSanna Rae Draper on Thursday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Sariuh Hillam will be presenting a program on China. For directions and information call Sanna Rue at 722-291- 8. VFW Meeting Post 4519. Fort Duchesne, will meet Wednesday, Veterans of Foreign Wars. Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. in the Senior Center at Fort Duchesne. Catholic Church Bazaar There will be a church bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 16 from 9 a.m. the Catholic Church hall in Roosevelt. - 3 p.m. at Special Roundtable Meeting Elder Don Butler, an area aut horitv seventy, has requested that the King's Peak District of the Utah National Parks Council invite all adult Scout leaders to attend a speciul Roundtable meet ing to be held in Myton on Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m.. This is adult lenders of ull Scout age groups. fr MS vl Help Out With a Thanksgiving Dinner! The Roosevelt Brownie T roop is gathering food for ten families who would otherwise be unable to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner. They are asking for donations of laundry baskets (to place the dinner ingredients in for delivery) along with turkeys, hums, dinner rolls, stuffing. potatoes, pies, yams, etc. Please drop ofYyour food donation to the Century 21 office in Roosevelt and at the Uintah Basin Standard by Nov. 18. If you have 3 or Tammy Owen at perishable items contact Angel McRae at 725-037- 725-350- : EHlSSi : f-- . 0. Veterans Seeking Donations Unit 64 Members of the American donut ions legion Auxiliary to be sent to the V A. hospital in Salt City, when- - hospitalized veterans will be allowed to shop for free" for Christmas gifts for their families. The deadline for donations is Tuesday, Nov. 19, und they may be dropped offut Bev and Millies. 68 South 200 East, Roosevelt. For mure information or a suggested donation list, contact Beverly Hansen at g A, 722-341- 1. gift Young Single Adult Activities Ai H: in the urea are invited to particiiate in the Young single adults, age at the Institute at 7 p.m.. Max and following activities: Nov. 17, Joanne Riding sieakiiig; Nov. 24. 7 p.m. at the Institute, Diirwin and Merrilli McKee sjieaking. 18-3- 0, tit fin-sid- e fin-sid- e rf; Country Western Dance Fifteen years ago the Hickens researched There will beacountry western dunivaltheCrosanuidsCotn on Tuesday. Nov. 19 from Midnight Cowboys. alternative farming methods ... after hard work, they turned an Idea into a thriving reality. for six by propane for warmth weeks. Then they are released into netted flight pens to large open-arecontinue their growth until the hunt opens. A strict regime of feeding, first high in protein, is followed. The birds must not be too fat or they wont fly. Roughly 10,000 pheasants are wholesaled to other hobby preserves. Twenty thousand are harvested by guests to the preserve who come from throughout Utah and the United States. It ia not unusual for hunters to fly to the Duchesne City Airport in Leer jets, and arrange transportation to Pleasant Valley. The Hickens have even had one guest come from China. Hunters stay overnight at Falcons Ledge Lodge and taka meals at local restaurants except for lunch, which ia served at the Hicken'sdny lodge where their kitchen offers a full menu. John Lindquist, an Ogden buai-- Are You A Book Buff? 0 inunily t'eiiu-- r p.m. Live dunce music will he provided by Volunteers Wanted! Give the gift, that lasts allyeur long.. ,b come a volunteer at the Ifintah Basin Medical Center. Volunteers are needed for shifts in the new rink Shop in 3 for the evenings and on Saturdays. Contact Brenda Uimb ut 722-616- details. a, Post 22 Meeting Post 22 and Auxiliuiy will be held The regular meeting for American on the second Tuesday of each month ut 7 p. m. in their respective meeting halls. All members are encouraged to attend. n Library Fun! Children are invited to share Clifford Goes to Hie Carnival at the library Story Hour on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 11:15 a.m. The KL'ED Duchesne County Library Reading Marathon continues from now until Nov. 22. Participate and join the fun. Free Forum on Drug Abuse The Community of Caring will present to the public a free forum on drug abuse (including and prescription drugs) on Thursday i 4 Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at Union High. Cull the high school at with questions. er THE GUIDE PACKS THE LOAD Leonard Wilson carries the birds he and hisdogs flushed for their hunting party to bag. Wilson trains some of the dogs used to aid hunters at the preserve. 722-247- |