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Advanced bird charge?  “There’s a charge for every bird, with a $500 annual minimum.”

         What is the charge per bird?  “It’s about $27 for a cleaned pheasant or duck and $25 for a cleaned partridge,” said Shawn.  “It depends on the amount of birds released.  We release birds on every day that there’s a hunt going on, with a minimum of 12 birds for a guided hunt.  It’s usually about three birds per hunter.  There’s really no limit, however.  It depends on your checkbook.”

         Shawn said the ducks they release are mainly mallards.  “A full green-head mallard is kind of a prize,” he stated, “and it’s a larger bird, the king of ducks.  It’s a nicer package to send home.  Also, other ducks don’t seem to train as well.”

         So there are typically three to four hunters that go out together?  “Yes,” he replied, “and we have five hunting areas so we can have maybe 20 to 25 hunters out at one time.”

Do hunters come for the whole day?  “The average hunt is two and a half to three hours long,” said Shawn.  “By then they’re ready for a cocktail.”

         Members can also arrange for hunting parties to eat at the lodge.  The cook is Vicky Thaemert, daughter of Bob Swanson, manager of the Marsh Lake Hunting Club from 1970 to 2000.  Shawn is married to Wendy, another daughter of Bob Swanson; they met at the Marsh Lake Hunting Club.

***

         Shawn grew up in Coon Rapids and graduated from Coon Rapids High School.  “I started working out here in 1981,” he said.  “It was a seasonal job.  I was going to college in Crookston and this was my internship.”  Shawn’s associate degree is in Applied Science and Natural Resources.

         “I went full time here at Marsh Lake in 1986 and also married the boss’ daughter in 1986,” he said, adding with a smile, “I figured it’d be good job security.”

         Shawn and Wendy have two sons.  Riley, 21, is graduating from the International Institute of Art in Minneapolis this spring.  Jared, 19, attends the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks and helps his father with the hunts and dog training at Marsh Lake.

         Both the Swanson daughters and families live in private homes at Marsh Lake.  Shawn said his father in law comes back to visit and that his mother in law Karen comes to see her daughters and help cook for the hunters.

         Joe and Amy Reynolds and their young family live on the property, too.  Joe grew up in Chaska and is working his third year as a hunting guide at Marsh Lake.  Bob Schmieg, a single guy, also lives at Marsh Lake; he’s the son of Ben, cousin of Richard, a neighbor on Marsh Lake Road.

         Justin Schweigart, assistant manager who lives in Chanhassen, just got engaged to Dana Larson.  “Justin helps me run the club,” said Shawn.  “He’s been here since ‘99.  He’s a graduate of Detroit Lakes High School and received a four-year degree at Crookston.”

***

         Marsh Lake Road was accustomed to dairy traffic back in the old days, prior to the hunting preserve, when the acreage sustained farmers and cows rather than birds and hunting dogs.

         Norbert Derhaag, 72, of Victoria filled in many of the blanks regarding the history and former owners of the 400 acres in the Marsh Lake Hunting Preserve.

         “My dad had about 200 acres there,” said Norby.  “His name was Henry Derhaag.  He bought it in March of 1952 from Neutgens.  We moved there when I was 15 and I lived there until I got married.  My dad also had that old school house property out there and some junk across the road.”

 

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March 2009

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Hunters’ Paradise Continued