State wide Appleseed weekend 11/20/10

[colycat]

WHAT Don't you know that is the opening day of GUN DEER        

Yes, thats right, opening day of deer season, and this knuckle head wants to have 4 or 5 Appleseeds across the state.  "Even up Nort, No?"  Yes! Even up north.

We are working on a letter to the ranges we have used in the past years and we will see what the say.  Some ranges close for the season, but all?  I can guarantee they will have openings on this weekend.

Lets toss out some promo ideas to take advantage of this historic opportunity. I have 5 or maybe 6 instructors signed up already.

[fepowered]

It is one thing to get ranges and instructors and quite another to get shooters to attend.   This is far from an impossible task but this has to be one of if not the most difficult weekends of the year to fill a shoot.  My question is.....would it be better to focus on getting shooters to a couple of shoots instead of a half dozen shoots with only a couple of shooters at each???

[colycat]

Good question FE.  With some work on this, read promotions, this could be big. 

"OK Honey,  you go up north with your buddies,  me and Lisa are going to an AS and learn how to actually hit what we aim at"

Think of the press we could get out of this,  bucking the trend and all.

I will also through this out,  what if we were allowed to have a one day Appleseed? Would that make it easier to fill the shoots.

Keep the comments and ideas coming

[dragonfly]

It would be nice if we could put a little more effort in the shoots we already have on the schedule        . I'm just saying  .

D-fly

[Mogget]

Could be an interesting day for a Mother-Daughter Day at the range...

Mogs

[dragonfly]

Could be an interesting day for a Mother-Daughter Day at the range...

Mogs

How about Father-Daughter Day at the range... (colycat)

dragonfly

[dragonfly]

It would probably be easier to do this on Christmas Day  . I'm just sayin.

D-fly

[Trisha]

Alright D-fly, it is time to be positive.  I would guess that Coly decided this specific date because it will be a challenge for all of us, to get them on the schedule and to promote it enough to get shooters there.

I say lets take up his challenge and get those shoots on the schedule! Appleseed's numbers aren't doubling this year, which means we need to get more people to shoots, so lets do it Wisconsin!!!

Does anyone know of a range right now that would want us on their schedule? Chaseburg? New Lisbon?...

[dragonfly]

Alright D-fly, it is time to be positive.  I would guess that Coly decided this specific date because it will be a challenge for all of us, to get them on the schedule and to promote it enough to get shooters there.

I say lets take up his challenge and get those shoots on the schedule! Appleseed's numbers aren't doubling this year, which means we need to get more people to shoots, so lets do it Wisconsin!!!

Does anyone know of a range right now that would want us on their schedule? Chaseburg? New Lisbon?...

Sometimes you have to be the front sight  .

D-fly

[Mogget]

Bah!  I don't believe that hunters are a significant source of shooters for us.  I think they all believe that they already know how to shoot.  We shall see, though.  If these shoots average about what our other shoots do then we'll know I'm on the right track.

Mogs

[ACP230]

I'm a hunter from the U.P., and, so far, I've been to shoots in Shiocton, Niagra and Suamico.

Opening day of deer season? That would be a problem.   

[bedford]

Sorry, I'll be hunting 150 yards from my range......

[martin]

  Instructors may be hunters. 

[colycat]

I am not at all concerned about the instructors for this weekend.  Not all states start the GUN DEER on the same weekend.  We wlll bring in the instructors.  And some will hunt after the weekend.  Bamma, you reading this?

Instructors are not going to be a problem.  Having said that, the WI people, who do not hunt, are encouraged to sign up.

BTW,  GUN DEER is ten days.

[Reckless Rick]

I have that weekend free for deer hunting every year,This year working a shoot would be a lot  more fullfilling tell me what ya need

[Trisha]

Here is the letter Coly spoke of in the start of the thread, he along with OG and I came up with this letter, please let us know what you think. If there is anything that needs to be added or taken out please let us know!

We will be sending out the letter on monday, so that there will be plenty of time to get a response from the ranges.

Dear Sirs and Madams

We would like to thank you for hosting Appleseeds'. As you all know the Appleseed Project has a goal of doubling ever year and so far we have exceeded those goals, nation wide.

In addition to our nation wide weekend of 4/19, this year we would like to have a state wide Appleseed weekend on 11/20.  OK, now settle down, we know it's the opening weekend of Gun deer season.

We along with your help are going to BUCK the trend.  Appleseed is really supportive of hunting, we wish everyone would hunt, but not everyone does.

If you will consider hosting an Appleseed on November 20, 2010 please drop the return postcard in the mail ASAP, and we will contact you to finalize the plans.

Here's your chance to be part of the Wisconsin statewide special Appleseed event 2010.

[dragonfly]

Probably should start with;

Dear Ladies and/or Gentleman,
Or how about Deer   Ladies and/or Gentleman,

The only ranges that might work are the ones near big city's ; Hubertus or Bristol and we might want to think about Blaze orange for everyone. Lots of crazies    that weekend. I think this is a serious safety issue . There will be some ranges open, But I know most ranges are next to farm land, so it is going to have to be range with a good berm.

dragonfly

[bedford]

The smart deer have ALWAYS gone to the safety of the rifle ranges during deer season, this may actually increase the deer harvest......

[Fred]

   "BUCK the trend...?"

   

    Yes, we should promo existing AS more. And in a curious way, publicity about the Great Wisconsin Maximum Statewide Appleseed "Celebrate the Opening of Deer Season" Shoot of 2010 might raise the interest of people, stick in their minds more, and fill some of the non-first-day-of-hunting-season Appleseeds.

    I can see it now, Mr. Hunter reading about it, shaking his head, muttering - "too bad, sounds interesting, would like to go - but not on the first day of deer season" - then, reading on, he finds out there are other AS on other dates - and one of these, he can come to...

    But, you got to have the publicity.

     You need to come up with a zinger press release, and send it out to every country newspaper in WI [via email would likely be easiest] - a lot will print it - and since you'll be mentioning the entire WI AS sched in it, in addition to the DEER AS, you'll be promoing EVERY AS event in WI.

    Plus, because more papers will print it - because it sounds like something big, something unique - and best of all, something interesting - we'll get a lot more exposure across the state for AS...

     Plus, I'd send it out to every hunting club and gun range around the state, asking it be "posted at your range" - who cares if they post it - it's more publicity for AS with people who need to learn, understand, and know this program is not gonna go away - that it is gonna be important to their lives, one day.

    Yep, I'd throw in a "Mother-Daughter AS" along with a "Father-Daughter" AS - prob in early Dec when family becomes more important to people - hey, why not a 'family' AS gathering in that time frame.

    Plus, the time between Xmas and New Year's might be worth trying an AS - we may find that after all the Xmas hoopla there's some pent-up demand to 'get out of the house'.

    How about a "Dear Season AS" where husbands bring their wives? That one alone would be intriguing enough to get some interest in the media. You could find yourself going on morning TV to promo that one (Hey, I know we don't want to do stuff like that - but if we have to...)

[endpoint]

Working with Deacon I set up Nov 20 & 21 at Racine County Line Rifle Club.  It's cleared the club, should be in the next newsletter and I'm working on getting it updated on the club's website.  Deacon and I will get it put up on Eventbrite shortly.  I'll pass out some of those shiny new trifolds with an insert about this shoot specifically at the club's deer sight the two weekends before.  This will be in addition to other advertising.  A couple thousand shooters passed through deer sight last year!  I don't think every one of them will be hunting that first weekend    Hope this helps

[JoeZ]

Racine         Nov 20-21
Hubertus      Nov 20


Two shoots is not "state wide". ..........just saying

[Trisha]

True, but we have heard back from at least 2 other clubs, Lodi and Spooner. They both said they can't, but Spooner is willing to have another one, and Lodi said we could have one earlier in November. Even though we haven't gotten many ASs for that specific weekend, we are getting more/planning more for this year, which is definitely a plus. For awhile, Lodi would only allow us to have 3 a year and now we are going to have a 4th! 

[dragonfly]

True, but we have heard back from at least 2 other clubs, Lodi and Spooner. They both said they can't, but Spooner is willing to have another one, and Lodi said we could have one earlier in November. Even though we haven't gotten many ASs for that specific weekend, we are getting more/planning more for this year, which is definitely a plus. For awhile, Lodi would only allow us to have 3 a year and now we are going to have a 4th! 

We need to get some dates set and on the schedule, so we can get promoting. More shoots, GREAT , but what we really need is to get attendance UP  .

D-fly

[Trisha]

True, but we have heard back from at least 2 other clubs, Lodi and Spooner. They both said they can't, but Spooner is willing to have another one, and Lodi said we could have one earlier in November. Even though we haven't gotten many ASs for that specific weekend, we are getting more/planning more for this year, which is definitely a plus. For awhile, Lodi would only allow us to have 3 a year and now we are going to have a 4th! 

We need to get some dates set and on the schedule, so we can get promoting. More shoots, GREAT , but what we really need is to get attendance UP  .

D-fly

I fully agree. I don't know much about the details about those two places, I just read what they wrote in response to the letter. I'll have to ask OG and Coly about it...

[colycat]

We have 2 shoots on the schedule for this weekend and just received another.  Before we list it,  DO I HAVE ANY INSTRUCTORS?

Please post here on this thread in the next couple of days.

[JoeZ]

I'm in.

I'm sure for Hubertus though.......If you were wondering about that.

[colycat]

Joe, 

[russellmn]

I need to check my Guard's schedule, but I can probably border raid a little... 

[Gumballhead]

I can be available for those "Northern" IL shoots

[dragonfly]

I can be available for those "Northern" IL shoots

Nice try Border Raider  . You are welcome to come behind the colby  curtain and Instruct one of our fine WI statewide Appleseed's, But you can't call them Northern IL shoots    . We're watching yoose guys 

D-fly  The Barbarian