Well it is that time of year when the banquets and dinners beckon you to come and spend your money for a good cause and to get the average sportsman fired up about the upcoming hunting season. The Picayune Chapter of Ducks Unlimited is asking for your attendance Thursday, September 18 at 6:00 and I promise you good food, fun and to get you fired up for hunting season.

I have always advocated finding an organization to join that will make a true difference and one that you can see work being done in your state. With any organization you decide to support, it is important to know that monies are going to come back to your state for projects and conservation of your local resources. DU along with their partners has performed more than $34 million worth of conservation work in Mississippi that has impacted over 288,000 acres.

DU has proudly worked on nearly every public land managed for waterfowl in Mississippi. The vast majority of these projects are open to public hunting, including, but not limited to, O’Keefe WMA, Charlie Capps WMA, Panther Swamp NWR, Morgan Brake NWR, Coldwater NWR, Howard Miller WMA, Twin Oaks WMA, Mahannah WMA, Trimcane WMA, Noxubee NWR, and Hillside NWR.

The Picayune banquet will begin at 6:00 located at the Knights of Columbus (KC) Hall, behind Dockside Seafood. The event will be catered by the guys and gals of Dockside and it promises to be great as always. Tickets for the event can be purchased on line at http://www.ducks.org/mississippi/events/34825/picayune-dinner-picayune-ms or at the door for $65 per couple or $50 single. Corporate sponsors start at only $350 and include1 Bronze Sponsor membership recognition, 9 regular memberships with 10 dinnertickets.

Not only will you get great food, fun and fellowship but you will have the chance to bid on limited edition prints, limited edition firearms and specialty items only available at Ducks Unlimited banquets. The live auction is always fun for me and hopefully for all the attendees that came to bid. I look forward to auctioneering this year’s event, and I hope that you take the time out of your busy schedule and join us.

Don’t forget Thursday September 18 at 6:00pm located at the Knights of Columbus (KC) Hall behind Dockside Seafood. For more information or to purchase tickets, call Mike Cummings at 601-273-1593 or Booty Cancienne at 504-913-4798. I look forward to seeing you so please come up and tell me hello.

By Mark Wallace