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Elk Ridge Game Farm is owned and
operated by Dennis and Terri Courtad
of Bucyrus, Ohio. After graduating from Ohio State University in
1978 with a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Management, Dennis has been
associated with the game bird industry. He is a member of the
North American Gamebird Association.
Elk Ridge has been in
operation as a game farm since 1981,
starting small and expanding every year because of raising a top
quality bird. Current annual production is 75,000 pheasants.
These birds are sold throughout the Midwest to other hunt clubs, field
trials and sportsmen clubs and individuals for hunting and stocking.
In 2001, Dennis and Terri decided to provide upland bird hunting as
well by purchasing an adjacent farm to their current one and leasing
another. All told, over 400 acres of excellent hunting habitat
are provided. This consists of a mixture of big and little
bluestem, indian grass, switchgrass and food plots of sorghum. A
mixture of hardwoods and windbreaks separates the hunting areas.
This is ideal for pheasant, hungarian partridge and chukar partridge
hunting. Other birds can be available by reserving far enough
ahead of the hunt date.
Elk Ridge Game Farm provides guided hunts or you are welcome to bring your own
dogs. With guided hunts, a guide and dogs are furnished to
ensure you have a quality hunt every time.
After the hunt, take some
time to relax and unwind in the 38 foot by 48 foot Clubhouse. If
requested, light lunches are available (donation only). Birds can also be
cleaned and bagged for the trip home upon request.
Dennis is also President of the local Crawford County
Pheasants Forever
chapter. Pheasants Forever works with local landowners to
restore natural habitat by taking care of the cost of the seed for
special nesting grasses and planting the seed. The local
Pheasants Forever chapter also hosts a number of events and sponsors
an annual
Youth Pheasant Hunt at Elk
Ridge.
There are no membership fees and all hunts are booked on a
daily basis. The Elk Ridge hunting season runs from September 1st to
April 1st, 7 days a week. There are two hunts each day; a
morning hunt (8:30 AM - 12:00 noon) and an afternoon hunt (1:00 PM -
4:30 PM).
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