Longtime Radio Personality Marv Luten interviews guests, shares community updates, National and Local sports and more. The Marv in the Morning Podcast is a production of O’Quinn Media.
For guest or sponsorship opportunities, email tracy@oquinnmarketing.com or marvinthemorning53@gmail.com
— Automated Transcript —
**Introduction to the Marv in the Morning Podcast**
Marv: Welcome to the Marv in the Morning podcast. Now, here’s Marv.
Welcome to another episode of the Marv in the Morning podcast on the Fort Not Lost in the Woods podcast site, brought to you by Sieger Toyota, the Pulaski County Health Center, STR Glass of St. Robert, the VFW Post 3168 of Lake of the Way, TK’s Pizza, Three Brothers Meat Company, Bales Construction, the Bank of Crocker, Paul’s Furniture, Shelter Insurance Agent Dave Hollard of Richland, and St. Robert Auto Supply.
Well, we’ve made it to September, and the summer heat came with it. Fall does not arrive until the third week of this month, and there’s many, including me, will be happy to see it arrive. Now, it may take a bit to turn us into the autumn clothing to keep us a little warmer. But when that happens, usually the trees are starting to flip over to their fall colors and while nobody is sure what it will look like, the lack of rain we’ve had may have something to do with it.
Last week, I recorded the episode earlier in the week, which we have to do because of busy schedules. While I did not have the time in last week’s episode, this week, I do have some time and will take the time to reflect on one of my favorite artists of all time. As you know, if you’ve listened to this podcast in the past, and how I came into this podcast business, I was in radio for 46 years.
**Remembering Dolly Parton**
Last week when I left the studio after getting the episode done, I saw on my phone and eventually saw it on TV, the passing of Dolly Parton at 80 years old after a short battle with cancer. Accolades came pouring in from all over the world, from those in the music business to the governments. Even our president ordered the flag to be flown at half-staff for a civilian, which is not usual, but then Trump does many things that are not usual. But this is one of the most I probably agreed with.
I saw a clip from singer Jelly Roll, who said Dolly Parton was probably the only person on earth that everybody liked. She was the Queen of Country Music, an icon beyond any others, a philanthropist, songwriter extraordinaire, a living angel who now has her wings. And I could go on and on and many have.
Over the last week, we heard clips of her most famous songs, Coat of Many Colors, Jolene, 9 to 5, I Will Always Love You, were the most played on all the specials and the stories we heard about Dolly. I’ve said this before, and will always hold this thought: My favorite all-time song that Dolly sang came at the CMA Awards show in, I think it was 1989. She came on stage in a white gown and performed a song titled He’s Alive.
The orchestration was great, the backup choir was second to none, and while others have performed this song, nobody did it like Dolly. I always played this song on my radio show at about 8:55 in the morning on Good Friday, and it brought chills to the body and gave me goosebumps. Still does today. Google Dolly Parton, He’s Alive. And if you have not heard it, give it a listen.
Religious or not, it’s well worth the time, and now she’s singing it beyond the pearly gates. The networks have never done more for one artist than they did for the Queen of Country.
**Upcoming 9/11 Remembrance**
This coming week we’ll remember 9/11, a day we’ll never forget. It’s the 25th anniversary. There will be many remembrances around the nation, including one at VFW Post 3168 in Lake Way. They are serving up a memorial breakfast starting at 7:00 in the morning exclusively for first responders in our neck of the woods and their families.
The breakfast is free, and for the purpose of remembering, honoring, and uniting all of us. Uniting is one thing we all need right now. This exclusive breakfast is for all area first responders and their families. Again, it is free, starts at 7:00 in the morning at Lake Way VFW Post 3168 at Exit 150 off I-44 at Highway 7. And again, this reminder, the bridge over I-44 is closed to traffic at Highway 7. So allow for a little extra time, because you might have to go ’round Robin Hood’s barn to get there.
**National Wild Turkey Federation Event**
Today on the podcast we highlight a big event coming up in St. Robert mid-month that generates thousands upon thousands of dollars for the National Wild Turkey Federation, promoting turkey hunting in the state of Missouri. It’s the annual Pulaski County Fundraising Banquet at the St. Robert Community Center, and the Chapter President, Dave Hollard, joins us next and fills us in on the happenings. And this is also an invite by the way to join us.
**WIC Program**
WIC is here to help your growing family thrive. WIC is a supplemental nutrition program providing healthy foods, free nutrition education, and community referrals. If you are pregnant or have a child under the age of five, you or your child may be eligible for WIC. With a card to use at the store and more fruit and vegetable dollars, it’s a great time to be on WIC. Call the Pulaski County Health Center at 573-774-3115 to learn more. That’s 573-774-3115. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
**STR Glass Advertisement**
In these days of texting and emails, words, phrases and names are shortened to letters. It doesn’t change anything, it just makes things easier. That’s the case of STR Glass, a St. Robert establishment since the 60s. Still the same great service when it comes to auto glass, windows, shower doors and anything to do with glass. And when it comes to fixing chips in your windshield to prevent cracking, there’s none better. They’re still in the same location on VFW Memorial Drive and still have the same phone number, 336-4122. They’ve just shortened their name from St. Robert Glass to STR Glass, but will never shorten their services to you, the customer.
**Paul’s Furniture Advertisement**
Plan to enjoy more family time and comfort this summer on your new furniture from Paul’s Furniture. They have two massive showrooms stocked full of today’s hottest brands at the guaranteed lowest prices. Brands like Lazy Boy, Flexsteel and Ashley. Paul’s Furniture even offers 12-months same as cash financing. So with the guaranteed lowest prices and free delivery, your home for more comfort is Paul’s Furniture in Rolla and St. Robert.
**National Wild Turkey Federation Interview**
Marv: Today on the podcast, we have another visitor who has been here before, because it’s about that time of the year when the National Wild Turkey Federation’s annual fundraising banquet is coming up, and this year again, it is going to be at the St. Robert Community Center, and this year again, we have Dave Hollard, President of the Clay Hollard Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation here in Pulaski County. My little brother from another mother, hello, David.
David: Well, hello Marvin. I guess it’s, uh, technically it is good morning here, even though I don’t know when this, whenever you listen to the podcast, it isn’t necessarily morning or afternoon or whenever, it could be overnight. But anyway, good morning ’cause technically right now I’m recording this, it is in the morning.
Marv: Yes it is. And we have a big event, one of the biggest events in Pulaski County that generates usually two to three hundred people, uh, in a building, and, um, a good time had by all. What is coming up with this year’s banquet, and when is it?
David: Well, again, it’s the, uh, you know, it’s the annual Super Fund Banquet of the National Wild Turkey Federation. And of course, you know, the way their banquet model is just like Ducks Unlimited or Quail Forever. Uh, there’s, there’s several conservation organizations that work out with this way, but it’s the, it’s the banquet model where you basically once a year have a big banquet that you raise all these funds that goes into what’s called a Super Fund that, um, then all that money takes care of we do a lot of, um, habitat projects in Missouri with it. Um, a lot of projects for whether it be getting, um, any person into the outdoors, whether it be a kid, a man, a woman, a handicapped person. We do tons of projects in those, uh, those areas as far as you know, our youth hunt we do right here in Pulaski County, but we also, uh, do other things around the state. And also a lot of, uh, the big thing we do is a lot of habitat modification, which is doing a lot of timber stain improvement, controlled burns all throughout the state of Missouri to increase habitat, not just for turkeys, but for everything that, uh, benefits from that, because it’s that extra money that, uh, that’s why these banquet models come about, because everyone relies on so-called, you know, governments to take care of everything. When in fact, uh, you know, it’s not a bottomless pit of money and the governments do what they can, but not necessarily always do what’s needed. And so that’s where these extra funds come in that, uh, with the, whether it be Ducks Unlimited or National Wild Turkey Federation or White Tail Unlimited, you know, here’s extra money to either do this project or fund this study, for example, we’re funding a study right now in Missouri to really find out what’s going on with the turkey population in the state of Missouri. And of course, the state of Missouri conservation department wasn’t going to do it unless we threw all these funds out to make it happen, so to speak.
Marv: Sounds like the government.
David: Well, I mean, like, you know, it’s…
Marv: We’re going to, we’re going to do a little bit but we’re not going to do everything.
David: Yeah, if you back up and like, like say DU for example, I mean, you know, right now the wood duck would be an endangered species if it wasn’t for Ducks Unlimited just because, you know, governments wasn’t doing enough to protect, uh, duck habitat and those things. And therefore again, you had a grassroots organization that banded together and started buying all this, uh, um, duck habitat up to make sure that the species can survive. And of course, now through their efforts, uh, you know, ducks are more numerous than they ever have been, and geese.
Marv: Is there any duck prettier than a wood duck?
David: Not much. I mean, there’s a harlequin duck. I mean, there’s several ducks out there. I mean, a lot of them are too pretty to to shoot so to speak, but, you know, everybody loves to duck hunt and it’s a good thing and, and of course, you know, through different organizations they protect, uh, you know, they protect what they do. You know, the DU protects a lot of the water fowl and, and, and all the things that go along with that too, but, you know, the National Wild Turkey Federation isn’t just turkeys. I mean, a lot of the activities that we do of is good for everything out there too. Quail, turkeys, deer, ducks, I mean, you name it, and a lot of invertebrates. It’s basically just overall habitat management that’s not just geared toward one species, it’s geared toward, you know, basically everything.
Marv: Before we get to the, uh, banquet, what does the turkey population here in Missouri look like?
David: You know, it’s, that’s what it’s, it’s crashed, you know, back from, you know, the high was over a million birds back there at the, uh, you know, the turn of the century. If you remember right there in the 2000s, we was up there about a million turkeys, you know, you turkeys were everywhere and that was the big, the big heyday. You know, now of course they’re saying they’re somewhere in the, you know, the 400,000, you know, the three to 400,000 range, which is a huge drop in the turkey population. And of course, that’s what the big, uh, the big question has been, you know, what is this? You know, back in the day, it was always, oh, the weather was bad, we had bad rains and therefore we had bad hatches, but then of course, we’d have great hatches when you had bad rains. Or, or terrible hatches when you had no rains. And so it wasn’t making any sense and that’s where this come through was, you know, is it, um, is it too many furbearers out there, the nest, predators? Is it not enough habitat? Is it, uh, uh, several factors that they’re looking at and that’s what this study is designed to do, which is in, in progress right now as we speak.
Marv: So really, there’s, there’s several factors, is it one, uh, who knows until all this study’s done to really put a number on it to really, uh, for they can make any kind of judgments about what’s going on? But still, you know, we got a healthy turkey population and if you look at the hatch this year, you know, my observations have been that it’s been a good hatch just for my observations because I’ve seen lots of turkeys with, uh, lots of babies and I’m getting a lot of reports of people saying, saying the same thing, but that’s just my observation. That’s not necessarily what the whole state’s looking like.
David: Well, add me to that because, uh, in my, my neck of the woods at the farm, up at Lurchers Farm, when I’m driving down the road, I see plenty of turkeys crossing the road and a lot of them have poults running right behind them. And I, you know, one thing that probably had a lot to do with that is that, you know, the rains, uh, you know, held off a lot of farmers, um, hay in their fields and, you know, there’s usually a lot of, uh, nest loss, uh, during the time when you know, that, that peak hay season, it’s also, you know, the nesting season as well too. So, you know, when the, when the, uh, folks are out there, and I know at our farm too, the same thing, if we’re, if we’re haying right there at the first part of June, you’re usually hitting, you know, some turkey nests as well. So you do have some loss there. Uh, but when you have per se, we had a lot of rains with in the, the beginning of the season, uh, where a lot of those creek bottoms flooded and all that. So any turkeys that were nesting down there, they probably lost all those nests. And, uh, all the stuff on the high ground probably did okay. And again, did better because the, the rains delayed the, the hay season this year to allow a lot of those turkeys to get out of that field before the hay was harvested. So that, that’s a plus as well too. That’s probably helped some.
Marv: Certainly has. And of course, uh, this year, um, we, you can see still hay in the field right now, because there’s some, there’s some farmers that…
David: It’s been tough.
Marv: Yeah, it has been very, very tough. And I just got, uh, the last of my hay in as we are, uh, recording this and we’re doing this, uh, in the mid part of August. So coming back to the banquet, it’s coming up, uh, on what, uh…
David: September 12th.
Marv: September 12th.
David: At the St. Robert Community Center. And of course, you know, it’s one of our, um, you know, we’re one of the biggest chapters in the state, one of the top 10, I do believe. And of course, you know, just last year we surpassed, uh, a million dollars raised that we’ve raised for conservation. So that makes, you know, that puts the Clay Holett Chapter, you know, where I think we’re the 13th chapter to have ever done that in the state of Missouri. And so that puts us up there in that, that top echelon. So we are a, you know, a pretty good-sized chapter. We and, and that, that boils down to a, the, the committee and then the, and the the event that we put on, but also boils down to the, to the people that come to the banquets in, in our area that really, um, you know, they’re conservation-minded, love to hunt, love to fish, love the outdoors. And of course, they also, uh, you know, they vote with their pocketbook, so to speak. And so they’re, they’re willing to donate money, uh, to the good cause of habitat preservation in Missouri and Pulaski County in general.
Marv: Well, hopefully, uh, the money will flow this year, uh, like it has in the past. You have a lot of things at this banquet, uh, that is going to be worth the time to go see and put some bucks on.
David: Yeah, one thing about our banquet that we’ve really strived to do is, is to get a lot of rare stuff that, uh, is not really easy to get. But also it’s a lot of stuff that you love to have that you wouldn’t actually go buy yourself, uh, because you’ve got a per se a firearm that, that fits that niche, but you don’t want to spend a thousand bucks or fifteen hundred dollars, whatever it costs, you know, this gun. But you’d be glad to spend fifty bucks trying to win it. Um, you know, those kind of things. And so we, you see lots of, we got lots of firearms. They’re like seventeen hornets and, uh, I’ve got, uh, twenty gauge, twenty eight gauge side by sides for example, one game that we’re gonna have. And it’s great that I can talk about this because we’re not on a federally regulated channels here so I can talk about a raffle now, can I?
Marv: Yes, you can.
David: The chains have been broken off here, that’s good. You know, in radio days we had to…
Marv: Yeah, we couldn’t, we couldn’t…
David: We had to say it in disguise, you know.
Marv: Yeah, you had to disguise raffle somehow, some way.
David: But, uh, but yeah, in this case, you know, we’re, we’re, you know, we’re raising money, so that’s how you do it. You go in there and there’s lots of, uh, lots of different stations on different games you can play to win tickets to, uh, maybe hopefully win, uh, some of the merchandise that we have in there. And, and, you know, Mike Hartley, he was, uh, you know, one of our founding fathers back in, uh, 94 when the first banquet was. And of course, you know, Mike passed away a few years ago and, and I put a game in honor of him. I call it the Hartley, you know, the Hartley Memorial game. And this year I’ve got two, uh, two side-by-side shotguns. And one’s a side-by-side twenty gauge and the other’s a side-by-side twenty-eight gauge. Uh, you know, very nice, uh, you know, you know, expensive shotguns. And the winner, you get both of those. Not just, you know, you don’t just get one, you get both. So I try to make it special on the Mike Hartley game where, uh, you win the whole thing.
Marv: How rare is a 28 gauge?
David: They’re getting more in fashion because, you know, they were rare at one time because the manufacturers just wasn’t making them much because the demand wasn’t there. It was a really good quail and pheasant gun, uh, so to speak. But now that the, uh, Tungsten Super Shot has come out, which has negated the use of any twelve gauge for turkey hunting and a lot of other things, you know, it’s, it’s not a, uh, Tungsten Super Shot is very expensive. So it’s not something you’re going to take dove hunting, you know, and shoot three boxes of shells ’cause it’s gonna cost you a fortune. But turkey hunting when you’re shooting one or two, three shots a year, um, then that Tungsten Super Shot, even though it is ten dollars a pop, um, it’s worth it. And so you can, uh, you can, you can go down to a, uh, you know, pellet size of like nine and ten, that still have the same energy as, as number five and six pellets. And so, um, you can have a twenty-eight gauge that packs as many pellets as a three and a half inch twelve gauge. And so it negates the use of carrying around that twelve gauge. So you’re seeing pretty well every manufacturer out there start offering twenty-eight gauges and even the subgauges, more into the four tens too, because it turns a four ten into a forty yard turkey gun. And so great for kids, great for people that don’t want to pack around a big gun. And of course, I like, you know, I like to carry the biggest stick feasible, and, uh, I do carry a four ten just to be different sometimes, but my, my, my turkey gun of choice now is a twenty-eight gauge three inch and TSS, ’cause it’s throwing a lot of pellets out there and, and it, it lays them down just as good as any twelve gauge ever would. So why pack the big cannon with you when you can pack something smaller?
Marv: When you’re talking ten bucks, you’re not talking ten bucks a box.
David: No, ten bucks a shot. And that’s just on the twenty-eight gauge, you know. So people that are shooting, I mean, imagine what, uh, I couldn’t even imagine, you know, packing this in the woods, but imagine, you know, packing a twelve gauge three and a half inch full of number ten super shot. And there’s people that do this. But you’re throwing out there, you know, you know, several, how many pellet, what the pellet count would be, but it’s got to be close to a thousand pellets that you’re spitting out there that, you know, it’d be a heck of a gauntlet for a turkey to try to, it’s kind of overkill. It’s kind of like taking a cannon just to, to harvest a quail, uh, when you don’t really need that big a gun, so to speak. And so you’re seeing more people scale down. And it’s been great for the kids, because, you know, the kids don’t have to pack that big gun around. They’re, they’re packing a four ten or a twenty-eight gauge and it’s, and it’s, uh, a, the recoil’s lighter and plus it’s a smaller gun and more handily, uh, accessible for them. And so you’re seeing more of this. It’s not as rare. So you’re seeing more sixteen gauges now too. But, um, so you’re going to see stuff like that. I’ve got some, uh, you know, a Winchester 93 and 357, the, a couple years ago that was my call auction gun, but actually I’m gonna have that on a game this year to give, you know, the whole, uh, you know, the crowd, you know, everyone a chance to win that didn’t want to bid on a, on a box call. And, uh, my call auction gun, which is, what we do is, we have a featured gun that basically you gotta buy the box call off the auction to have a chance at it. And this year I’ve got a Springfield M1A, uh, 308, which that’s the, uh, you know, that was kind of the, the military rifle that was briefly between the M1 Grand and the AR-15. That’s very a highly sought after, uh, rifle that collectors love to have, and usually Springfield spits them out in a limited quantities. But I was able to grab one of those, um, and have it on hand for the call auction this year. So there’ll be a Springfield M1A with a walnut stock, uh, very nice, uh, very nice rifle. They’re a collector gun that’s going to be the featured gun for the call auction this year.
Marv: How do you go about getting all these guns?
David: Well, I have to thank Dan over at Post Pond and, uh, Tom. Uh, those guys, I mean, literally, when my banquet’s over, I mean, the next week, I’m back at it. We’re, we’re buying guns and looking for guns, and I’m telling them, hey, let’s look at this this year, because I’m, it’s, you really got to be creative and try to find out, you know, the, the really, you know, find stuff that’s really gonna flip people’s trigger, you know? If I had a, a, a, a synthetic stock pump shotgun on a game, you know, a lot of people just aren’t going to go for that, just because they’ve got two or three of them and it’s like, well, I’ll spend five bucks to try to win it, maybe, you know, kind of a thing. But it doesn’t excite anybody. So I’m always trying to think of what’s that merchandise, whether it be a firearm or, or just some kind of merchandise that’s really going to get people excited. And, uh, that’s going to, that’s going to want to play chances to try to win that thing. And so that’s the struggle I’m in is what I can find and what I can think of. And so, yeah, this year it’ll be a lot of different calibers out there. I got some, uh, twenty-two Creedmoor, uh, that was going to be there, which everyone’s wanting the new, the, the, the twenty-two Creedmoor is the new rage right now in the, uh, bolt action rifles. I’m going to have, uh, the sponsor guns. If you do happen to be a sponsor this year, you’re going to have a chance to win a, uh, a twenty-two, uh, ARC, uh, bolt action mini action. It’s a Howa mini action is what it’s called, and it’s a very tiny, uh, bolt action rifle, but it’s in twenty-two ARC, which is the hot new short action twenty-two round, uh, because it’s, uh, basically analogous to about a twenty-two two-fifty, all in a little tiny, little two and a half inch package, or two inch package, and a, and a lot more smaller action and, uh, plus you can shoot, uh, faster twist, you can shoot heavier bullets than you could with a twenty-two two-fifty.
Marv: So, all this is going to be at this banquet coming up on the twelfth.
David: Oh yeah. And the Gun of the Year, uh, is a Benelli, uh, Super Black Eagle, Rob Roberts Edition, which is a, you know, it’s a Cerakoted, got Rob Roberts custom chokes. I think if you look on Benelli’s website, it’s like a twenty, I think it’s like a twenty-eight hundred dollar shotgun, something like that.
Marv: I was going to say, Benelli’s are not cheap.
David: And that’s going to be our Gun of the Year that you’ll have, you know, anyone there that’s coming into the banquet’s got a chance to win that. And of course, we have this what’s called, I have a huge sportsman’s raffle, which it’s basically a lot of guns on it, a lot of hunting merchandise, optics, uh, rangefinders, uh, you name it, will be on this thing. And basically what you do is you buy this big pack of raffle tickets, and you just walk around and you just put the tickets in the, in the bucket of the type of merchandise you want to win. And of course, I got a section, which is all the guns that are featured on the sportsman’s raffle, and your color-coded tickets for the guns. And again, you put the tickets in the buckets of the guns that you would like to win. And so it’s a little more, uh, selective, so to speak, so you can get excited about different things, you know, because you got to stuff and you can, you know, some people are like, well, I got most of this, and I want to, you know, I want to win this, I’m gonna put half my tickets in it, ’cause I really want a chance to win this featured item here.
David: You know, there is an auction too, of, of limited merchandise that’s strictly NWTF or, or some rare stuff you can’t just go buy, um, that’s, uh, going to be on the auction. Plus I had, uh, uh, Walmart had, uh, donated me a, uh, kayak this year. And that was kind of out of the blue, Debbie, Debbie Thomas over there at, um, at Walmart, I guess, uh, they had a, it was a display item or something and, and, uh, she thought of us and when she called Amy Braden and said, hey, um, got a kayak here for you guys in your banquet coming up. And so I went and picked it up. So yeah, on the, on the auction, we’re gonna have a, uh, it’s about a seven hundred dollar kayak, twelve foot kayak, really nice kayak. It’s gonna be on the auction, you know, someone’s gonna have a chance to get that too.
Marv: So that’ll be something new.
David: Oh yeah, new, and that’s, you know, when you get, you know, when, when the community supports you too, when you get out of the blue, you get phone calls, hey, I want to donate this, because, you know, you know a lot of people care about what we’re doing. And so that makes you feel good about your efforts as well.
Marv: Do you ever get any binoculars?
David: Oh yeah, I’ll have some, but I actually this year I’ve got several sets of binoculars that are going to be on there. Got several scopes that are going to be on there. I’ve even got, because, you know, I try to pick things, I, I mimic myself in, in what, you know, I’m always, you know, I’m always the, the test animal out there in the woods of what works, what don’t work. And I, and I try to kind of gear because, you know, as far as the new merchandise that’s coming out, but, uh, I did get a set of, uh, you know, what everybody likes, you know, anymore when they’re, when they’re shooting is the, um, uh, is the little micro ear buds. Um, instead of putting on earmuffs or sticking in the little foam things. They got these, they’re little, uh, basically like an earbud set that also double up as a, as a, um, as ear protection. So when, when gunfire goes off, they electronically shut down, um, any loud noise. But you, they literally come in a little case and you, just like a little set of, um, you know, iPod or, you know, the little earbud things you can get. They similar thing, but they’re made for ear protection. So they’re, you can just stick them in your ear and they plus enhance hearing, but plus when the, when the gun goes off, it, it shuts that loud noise down. And so you, you can hear just fine with them on, because if you put on earmuffs or you put the little foam things in your, any kind of most hearing protection, everything’s muffled, you can’t hardly hear anybody saying. And so with these electronic earbuds, you can hear just fine. In fact, hear better, but also when, when, when gunfire goes off, it doesn’t harm your ears, because it’s electronically, uh, blocking those decibels.
Marv: And they don’t hook into your iPhone or anything like that.
David: Ah, these I can’t remember. I gotta look back. They may also have a Bluetooth feature on there where you can listen to your, your cell phone and your podcast. And most of them have that. I can’t remember if this one has that feature or not. It’s the only ones I could get available that time, so I got them and I was, I didn’t get a chance to read everything. But for the price, I’m assuming they’re probably going to be Bluetooth as well too. But, uh, that’s a few things. And then, you know, a lot of people like the long range AR, uh, um, you know, AR-50 steel targets because, you know, what’s, you know, your metal targets more, you know, shooting paper gets a little boring after a while. You like shooting a long way and hearing that, that gong sound, you know, that, okay, that’s a little more fun than, you know, not knowing what you hit ’til you get up there and look at your grouping. You know, you can just sit there and shoot a steel plate. But a lot of steel, you know, you poke holes in it and then it, that lasts for good, but that new AR-50 stuff is, uh, really durable and, uh, you, you can’t destroy the stuff pretty well at any, at, you know, anything out a hundred yards and past, it’s going to take it, no matter what you shoot at it. And, uh, so I’m gonna have some of those target type things out there. Plus this year, I know one, one new feature we’re gonna have is the, uh, is all the, uh, all the tables. I did, I do have a, we have a package of a, of a, uh, it’s eight pistols with suppressor certificates that, you know, basically, you know, the table can buck their funds up, basically twenty bucks a person, and the whole table has a chance of winning, you know, basically eight guns with, uh, suppressor certificates.
Marv: And what kind of pistols are these?
David: It’s, it’s a small, you know, polymer frame twenty-two long rifle pistol, but plus it’ll come with a suppressor certificate to get a twenty-two suppressor or any suppressor you want to get. ‘Cause it’s a certificate for X amount of dollars, I think it’s three hundred forty-five dollars toward, uh, that suppressor or any suppressor that you want to buy through Silencer Central. And so it acts as a, you can buy that twenty-two suppressor or any suppressor that you want. But, uh, anyway, it’s a, it’s a new feature I’m doing this year where, uh, basically all the tables, you know, if they want to do this, it’s basically a table raffle where, you know, everybody at the table’s going to win, win a gun, basically.
Marv: So it’s kind of neat.
David: And this is something that people would just would not go out and buy.
Marv: No, lot, ’cause you’re talking it’s, uh, you know, it’s one of those things where, you know, and plus it, it’s a lot, it’s a lot of fun. You, you show somebody a, a good time. And if they’re excited about it, you know, people are going to spend money to have a good time. So everything is, you know, that’s why I want everything to be exciting because everything that’s on a raffle, it’s usually something that’s gonna be really exciting to win. And so, you know, pretty well everyone’s going to play a chance on it, whether it’s going to be they’re going to play the smallest chance or a big chance or whatever. But still, every time we’re in when the game’s coming up, you’re, you know, you’re all, you know, pretty well excited that, oh, I got a chance, you know, I got, I got something in this, you know, and I may win this thing. And, uh, so, you know, pretty well the whole night, you know, once, you know, we have usually a, a two hour social period where everyone’s running around, playing all the games, talking, everyone’s visiting because it’s a, you know, it’s, it’s like family too. A lot of people that’s where they see each other for the year. And, and a lot of people, you know, that’s their big social event as well too. So a lot of that going on, but then, you know, after the dinner, um, then all it is, just start giving away stuff. So it’s, uh, pretty exciting, you know, to, uh, to sit through all that and knowing you got a chance to win this kind of stuff. And again, it’s not, uh, you know, when you’re, when you’re playing, you know, forty dollars to win a, on a, on a game to win a, you know, basically a, a sixteen hundred dollar gun, you know, that’s, that’s a good, that’s a good odds, because at the banquet, you know, we don’t sell tickets outside of the banquet, you know, any, any, if you’re there at the banquet, the only people that have a chance to win any of that stuff or take it home is someone at the banquet. And so the chances are really good you can win something. So it builds up a lot of excitement.
Marv: And of course, prints, you’re going to have, uh, prints, uh…
David: There’s some, you know, the prints thing is kind of, you know, that’s, the print…
Marv: I remember years ago…
David: There was a lot of prints.
Marv: There was a lot of prints.
David: But, you know, the print game is, you know, everyone’s kind of, you know, me, example, I always use, I, I could side my house in NWTF and DU prints. And pretty well I’ve got to the point now, and a lot of people have too, where I’m donating them back to the chapter and either putting them on the auction to raise a hundred, hundred fifty bucks or putting them on the silent auctions. I got so many, you got them under the bed, you got them in the closet, you got them stuffed everywhere. And, you know, you just get tired of holding on to them. And, and of course, you know, with my office, I got a lot of stuff in there too, but, you know, you still have extra. So I, you, usually donate stuff back. Uh, but yeah, there’s always, there’s always a few prints there, but it’s not real print heavy. Uh, more the merchandise we’re gonna have on the auction is more stuff you can use that’s more, you know, more kind of a really interesting type items that you’re really just not going to find anywhere. That’s what, uh, that’s what we focus on and, and of course, you know, it’s, it’s a scaled down type version of what you might have seen it back in the day where it was, you know, twenty prints and then, you know, ten or fifteen other items. This is going to be mainly, you know, two or three prints with a lot of other type items, more. There might be some, um, I can’t remember the, the core pack, the core package, go back in there. We usually is, there’s always some kind of a, a piece of furniture, whether it be some kind of table that hides a gun or a, or a big wooden, you know, flag display that hides a gun in there. But I do know that, uh, you know, Chase Foster that has Row and Roots, you know, does all that custom woodworking stuff. He’s donating a, uh, I haven’t seen it yet, but it’s usually it’s, it’s a, he makes all this custom wood stuff. And he’s got something he makes, I don’t know, I don’t know if it’s a coffee table, or if this one’s going to be something you hang on the wall that looks like a print thing, or it looks like an American flag. But, you know, it’s got a little hidden button that you push, and behind it is, is, uh, you know, you can put a gun in there, whether your, you know, a pistol or a rifle or whatever’s big enough to hide in there. And, uh, and he’s going to be, uh, raffling that off that he’s going to be, he’s making it right now, and it’ll be available at the banquet that night too. So he’s going to be talking about, also featuring all the different custom stuff that he does, because they do a lot of really neat woodworking stuff. But the piece he’s making is actually going to be a raffle part, and not be on the auction.
Marv: We’re gonna take a break, and we’re gonna come back and get all the, uh, ifs, ands, and whats, and the price, and of course, talk about the food. When we come back, in a moment.
**Ruby’s Landing Advertisement**
A haunting experience, filled with a little fright and a whole lot of fun, awaits you and your friends and family at Ruby’s Landing between Waynesville and Crocker on Highway 17 with their annual Haunted River Float. It’s the last two Saturdays in September, the first two Saturdays in October, and then Friday and Saturday, October 16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th, 30th, and 31st, culminating on Halloween night. The Spookclusive gets you the Axe Throw, Escape Rooms, Zombie Paintball, the half-mile river float, loaded with haunting surprises, Haunted Maze, Haunted Forest, and Haunted House. Do it all or choose among the options. At Ruby’s Landing, they have cabins that sleep 2-12, RV spots and tent camping. There’s a bathhouse, laundry facility, camp store, and a whole lot more. They are pet-friendly, ATV and golf cart-friendly, so make a weekend of it. There’s also a Bed & Breakfast in the works, and they’re needing a manager. Call or go to their website. Go to RubysLanding.com. Call 573-855-9567. Turn on Restful Lane on Highway 17 and get ready for a haunting good time.
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**TK’s Pizza Advertisement**
TK’s Pizza in St. Robert, home of the original hand-tossed king has been throwing dough in Pulaski County for over 40 years. Although a lot has changed in that time, TK’s delicious hand-tossed pizza has not. Taste our iconic pizza, our delicious toasted subs, mouth-watering calzones, huge fresh salads, gooey cheese bread, and more. At the same little spot we’ve been throwing dough for decades. 743 Missouri Avenue in St. Robert. Call 573-336-FAST or order online at 336fast.com. We’ll have it ready when you get here. Come on, taste the TK’s tradition.
**National Wild Turkey Federation Interview (Part 2)**
Marv: We’re back with Dave Hollard, who is the president of the Clay Hollard Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation here in Pulaski County. Also your Shelter Insurance agent over in Richland, one of my fine sponsors, and I thank you for that. We have to give you…
David: That’s how I get on the program, right?
Marv: That’s how you get on the program, buddy.
David: If I wasn’t gonna get a phone call, would I?
Marv: Yeah, you would. Like I said, you’re, we’ve, we’ve come a long way together, buddy.
David: Oh yeah, you’re my brother.
Marv: So, um, how much is the cost of this banquet?
David: We have, you know, we’ve always kept our cost, tried to keep it, you know, we don’t try to raise it too much. Of course, as time goes on, you gotta start charging a little more. We’re still holding on to the same prices as we have been for the past two or three years. So, you know, basically to get in the door, you’re looking at forty-five dollars if you’re just coming as a single person that wants to, that wants to participate. And everyone that comes to the door is a member, so you will get a magazine for the National Wild Turkey Federation. If you’re a couple, then it’s sixty dollars a couple. And then we have the, the Jakes, which are, uh, basically the kids, it’s anybody that’s seventeen and down, they’re fifteen dollars. Of course, this all includes your meal as well too. And then of course, the Jakes get a, depending on the age, they get a, a Jakes membership, one, depending if they’re younger, they get a magazine geared toward more younger kids. And if you’re an older kid, then you get a magazine geared toward more the, the older, uh, the older kids. And, um, and then if you want to sponsor, a sponsor is two-seventy. And of course, the sponsorships, you know, that’s kind of the backbone of our fundraising. The sponsors are the ones that they may be coming as a couple, but they’re kicking in that extra money to really, really fund the National Wild Turkey Federation. And those are the sponsors are the ones that really do, um, are the big backbone of the, of the fundraising efforts initially, you know, even before the banquet even starts, because those are the ones that’s kicking out the big funds. And we do appreciate all our sponsors. And usually we have, you know, fifty or better sponsors. And what I do with the sponsors is we do a, a sponsor gun drawing. And, uh, I try to keep it to like a one in seven ratios. Like sponsor guns are actually, uh, um, the, uh, Howa Mini, uh, twenty-two ARC, uh, bolt action rifles, which are about a, I don’t know, what, seven hundred dollar rifle, six hundred, seven hundred dollar rifle, that, uh, you’re going to have a one in, all the sponsors will have a one in seven chance to win that.
Marv: So what time does this all kick off? I know you got a social hour to begin with.
David: Yeah, the doors open at 5:00, and, uh, and like I said, there’s about, you know, you know, and of course, not everybody flows in right at 5:00. You know, there’s a, there’s a period, there are people are coming in, so it’s, uh, basically 5:00 to about 7:00 is that, uh, is when the dinner starts. So that 5:00 to 7:00 is pretty well that two hour get in there, get your head around everything, see what you’re going to play, you know, participate in everything. Uh, visit with everybody. And, and then 7:00 starts the dinner. And of course, then after the dinner, uh, we start all the, all the basically just start, it’s just a cavalcade of drawing winners. And it’s a lot of fun.
Marv: So who is doing the cooking this year? Are you taking…
David: Still Rick and Chick’s. You know, Rick and Chick’s does a heck of a job. You know, Rick has been smoking meat for a long time. And, uh, very good at it. And of course, you know, back when they started their catering business, you got the whole family, you know, so they call it Rick and Chick’s. It’s Rick and Rick and Donna and their daughters that all, that all join in and help out. And of course, this year, you know, we’ve kind of focused on the same thing. We changed a few things here and there, but still basically it’s going to be brisket, which is an expensive meal. And so it’s gonna be that smoked brisket. Of course, you got a chance, we’re gonna be some chicken for the folks that don’t want to, have maybe have alpha that can’t have it. So there is gonna be a chicken option as well too, smoked chicken. And then we’ll also have a pork option as well too. So usually have those three different meats available. Mainly brisket, but if you want, there’s some, there’s, you know, chicken and pork loin as well too. And then all the, all the fixings, uh, your drinks and everything, it’s gonna be a heck of a meal. There’s never been a problem. Everyone’s like, you know, it’s worth the meal just coming there because it’s, it’s such a good meal.
Marv: Yeah, it always has been a good meal when Rick Brissier and his family cook it. So, uh, big event coming up again, September the 12th at the St. Robert Community Center. And…
David: And we are sponsored by Budweiser too. So there’ll be, uh, you know, we’ll have lots of, uh, lots of drinks there for those that are, that are old enough to participate in that. So we will have, because Budweiser, uh, you know, Missouri Eagle there in Lebanon, they do sponsor our event too and supply us with with the drinks.
Marv: So again, don’t miss it, folks. September 12th at the St. Robert Community Center. Hopefully, uh, this doesn’t get too much bigger because you’ve had to move this thing several different times.
David: You know, there’s gotta be, you know, we can’t get any bigger because the, the, you know, there’s no bigger venue in Pulaski County. And I mean, there probably is on Fort Leonard Wood, there might be a, with the, uh, what, the field house out there. Another field house, but, uh, you know, you gotta get on Fort Wood to be able to do it. So that’s kind of not feasible getting on the Fort Wood. So, but in the confines of Pulaski County, the community center is the biggest place to do a banquet. And we’re about maxed out. So I can’t really get any bigger. And of course, you know, you’re crossing your fingers sometimes that you got, that you don’t have too many people to do chairs, you know. So it’s always kind of a guessing game for me. But, uh, that’s the, that’s the, that’s the stress you get organizing these kind of things. But yeah, we try to keep it right there at about three hundred, no more, because we just can’t seat everybody.
Marv: Well, you haven’t had a problem, uh, in the past.
David: There was a couple, there’s a couple years I had to, I had to close the doors because we were getting there was nowhere to sit. I mean, I was begging people for chairs. And I had a few people bring chairs just so we had enough. And it got to the point, I was like, okay, we gotta shut the doors because I can’t get, you know, we there’s nowhere else to sit. And so I, you know, so I, I basically had to, had to close them down. So, and I don’t think we had anybody else come in that I knew of. But still, it was, it was, it was close.
Marv: You’re right there at the edge, you’re like, okay. We can’t have any more people. September the 12th at the St. Robert Community Center. Doors open at 5:00. Dinner is served at 7:00. It’s the, what year is it? How many years?
David: This is the thirty, it’s thirty-second, I do believe. Thirty-second annual. Um, oh, and I forgot to mention too, the, uh, you know, we are going to do a, we’ve kind of got back to doing, because I want the kids to have, you know, I want every kid to get something. And so what I’ve done this year is I did a Jakes Gun of the Year, which I did a really, really, really nice, uh, Henry Golden Boy NWTF edition and, uh, that every kid in the building is gonna have a chance to win that. But then also every kid is going to get a custom box call, uh, from the Clay Hall Chapter that I had made. And I’ve got those all made and ready to go too. So every kid’s gonna get something when they come in the door. So, so I kind of changed things around this year where every kid gets something. So that’s always molded a little bit here and there. But, uh, but yes, this year’s going to be a Jakes Gun of the Year, and every kid gets a box call.
Marv: All right, Dave. Thanks a lot. Keep, keep mom and dad awake at midnight, right?
David: There you go.
Marv: Oh, I bet you, yeah.
David: Where’s that boy of yours?
Marv: Yeah. I’m going to make sure he has at least two or three of these, uh, because I think mama said, it’s payback time with the grandson.
David: And if you need a phone number to call me, if you, if anyone has any questions, you can call me at 573-512-1058.
Marv: All right, there you go. 512-1058. And again, September the 12th, St. Robert Community Center. Doors open at 5:00 for the Clay Hall Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation Super Fund Banquet. Dave, thanks a lot.
David: Thanks, Marvin.
Marv: Back in a minute.
**NAPA Auto Parts Advertisement**
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**Sports Update**
Time for sports, brought to you by Three Brothers Meat Company at Lynn Creek. Late last week, the high school sports season started up, and it was a full weekend schedule this past week, including the Frisco League Softball Tournament this week that’s going on in Crocker. Fall baseball in the Frisco League is also in full swing at the end of this week. That tournament is in Plato.
The Waynesville Tigers opened up their football season. Week one is complete. They put up 21 points against Willard, but it was not enough and the Tigers lost 34-21. Week two is tonight, and in this Central Ozark Conference, nothing is easy. The Tigers travel to Web City to meet the Cardinals, who demolished Glendale last week 42-6. Web City has been a powerhouse as long as anyone can remember. The Tigers return home next week to host Neosho.
Checked in to the Little League World Series from Williamsport, Pennsylvania last Sunday and saw the Caribbean nation of Curaçao defeat Nevada from the US 11-2 for the title. The distance from the pitcher’s mound to home plate is 46 feet in Little League, and the champs had a closer who threw 75 miles an hour, which equates into about 100 miles an hour if you’re in the Major Leagues. And speaking of the majors, per capita, this small little country in the Caribbean, Curaçao, has more Major Leaguers from their country in the Bigs. I think I saw 17 from this small Caribbean country, which is a bunch.
St. Louis Cardinals, after winning five series in a row, have dropped their last three series to Philly, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh, find themselves falling further behind that last wildcard spot in the National League. We are into the last month of the Major League Baseball season, and it will take a small miracle and a long winning streak by St. Louis, and some losing streaks for three of the teams ahead of them to get the Cardinals in the playoffs. The Royals are still in the cellar of the AL Central, but they have won eight of their last ten. Unfortunately, the hole they dug themselves from earlier in the season may be too much to climb out of. They still have seven teams to jump to get a wildcard spot in the American League.
The Chiefs open up their regular season next Monday night, the 14th, at home. They welcome in division foe Denver. The return of quarterback Patrick Mahomes to the starting lineup seems to be a done deal. And after the preseason games, it should be welcomed by Chiefs Kingdom. I don’t believe the Chiefs scored a touchdown in all three preseason games. Their last was a 2012 loss to the LA Rams, picked to win the Super Bowl this year, by the way. And they have just added former Ram defensive great Aaron Donald back to the roster as he came out of retirement. Rams fans are rejoicing. The rest of the league is not. That’s Sports, brought to you by Three Brothers Meat Company at Lynn Creek. We’re back after this.
**Three Brothers Meat Company Advertisement**
Need to fill your freezer and save some serious money? Well, that’s a problem Three Brothers Meat Company is happy to fix. We’re talking whole beef bundles, quarter beef bundles, and the Mighty Freezer Buster, stacked with beef, chicken, and pork. So good, you might start inviting yourself to your own house for dinner. These bundles are perfect for grilling, family dinners, or just beating grocery store prices with much better quality food. Check them all out on our Facebook page. They’re pinned right there at the top of the page. Call 573-334-6233 or just swing by and see us. 2179 State Highway A in Montreal.
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When you’ve been in business since 1939 and when you do the math that’s 85 years you’re doing something right. Bales Construction in Waynesville has been doing things right for a long time and that continues today. Bales Construction has rapidly grown from being Pulaski and neighboring county’s top residential builder to one of Missouri’s largest commercial general contractors. Today they specialize in construction of educational and healthcare facilities but their excellence in building does not stop there, completing an extensive number of projects such as banking, retail, industrial, civil, multi-family, food service, hospitality, transportation and municipal projects. Their offices in Waynesville and Springfield Missouri allows Bales Construction to cover a large portion of Central and Southwest Missouri. Explore their website and see what Bales can build for you.
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**Conclusion**
Marv: Again, thanks to my sponsors: Sieger Toyota, the Pulaski County Health Center, STR Glass of St. Robert, VFW Post 3168 of Lake Way, TK’s Pizza, Three Brothers Meat Company in Lynn Creek, Bales Construction, the Bank of Crocker, Paul’s Furniture, Shelter Insurance Agent Dave Hollard of Richland, and St. Robert Auto Supply. Thanks to my producer, Tracy, for putting this together, and thanks to you, my podcast faithful, for letting me into your lives for this short period of time. If you’re enjoying the Marv in the Morning podcast, we invite you to leave a review on whatever app you’re listening on. We would also love for you to share the episode with family and friends on your social media accounts. Be sure to follow our podcast on Facebook, on the Marv in the Morning podcast page, and you’re also invited to join us on Facebook on the Fort Not Lost in the Woods podcast group. This podcast is a production of O’Quinn Media. Join me next week when we take a trip to North Waynesville and jump into the Gasconade River for a Haunted River Float at Ruby’s Landing. As owner Doug Tillet joins us to talk about all the fun that awaits you, your family, and your friends. Until then, later.