A Shared Moment with President Grant Carrolan and Vice President Chase Baker
As we reflect on our 2025 event February 21st and 22nd at The Comfort Suites in Effingham, Illinois, we ask that our association come further together for the sake of unity, understanding and for our continuation as a strong association. Looking ahead, we encourage and greatly need full member participation and willingness to assist when help and support are needed, not only at events but in other areas as well. We express sincere thanks to everyone who has helped in the past and for those who plan to help with future endeavors.
At our recent event we had our best online McClung auction ever, raising approximately $30,000. We are very grateful for that, and for the 80 or so participants who came and enjoyed a Friday night pizza dinner sponsored by Baker Whitetails, and a catered lunch on Saturday sponsored by Springfield Whitetails. Raffle ticket sales through our “Making Noise in Illinois” chair game, also raised $7,000. Each chair had approximately $1,000 worth of valuable items under it. Winners received guns, deer, cash and other useful and valuable things. Raffle ticket winners won items such as a semen tank, a Nelson waterer and even St. Louis Cardinals baseball tickets. These activities were definitely two of the highlights of the event.
We also enjoyed having our antler and photo contest, dart gun and corn hole competitions as well as our informative guest speaker from the USDA Illinois office. As we venture further into 2025, we both perceive the market as staying strong. More and more deer farmers are breeding for resistance and doing well raising both breeding and stocker bucks. Let’s take a stand together Illinois, get more association members and hope that this year and in the future, we can still hold fast to what we love so much – our deer businesses. Thank you!
ILLINOIS