The Annual Winter Dove Retreat (south zone) will be held on Wednesday, 12/31/03 through Saturday, 1/3/04 at Lee Ewald’s properties near Dilley. Although the retreat officially starts on 12/31/03, you can arrive before the start date or stay after the stop date and hunt. The hunt cost is $25.00 per hunter per day. FCS membership is required in order to hunt during FCS Retreat dates. Current members whose memberships expire in 1/04 will need to renew their memberships. Guests will either need to join the Club and pay a one year membership due ($12.00) or donate $12.00 to the Club's treasury if they do not wish to join the Club. If you hunt outside of the hunt dates you'll need to pay Mr. Ewald directly. Your female relatives and wife or significant other are welcome at the retreat. There is an enclosed restroom located in the barn for everyone’s use. Bring your tents, Pop-up trailers, or RV’s to camp in. You also may be able to find a motel in Dilley or Pearsall. The Retreat will feature a Bible Study on Thursday night and a Bible Study on Friday night. Our primary focus is, and always will be, safety. Hunters will be required to sign in on the retreat log sheet and sign a liability waver before they are allowed to hunt on the properties. Over the years we have killed several rattlesnakes. Snake boots or leggings are recommended. Mr. Ewald was attacked by Killer Bees in 2003 while moving a deer blind that had fallen over with a bull dozer. If you encounter a swarm of bees experts recommend that you run.
FCS Dove Retreat Camp Rules
Shotguns in camp must be unloaded.
Pick up your trash at camp and in the field.
Pick up your empty shotgun shell hulls in the field.
If you clean your dove at camp put the waste in the trash bags that will be secured by the water faucets so Mr. Ewald's dogs will not get into it (dove waste in the field does not have to be bagged).
Alcohol and illegal drugs are prohibited at FCS events.
Rifles and handguns will only be allowed to be shot if conditions (safety) permit as determined by the Club Officers.
Game Law Clarifications
Each hunter is allowed 12 dove a day in the south zone. It is not legal to shoot a limit of dove in the morning, eat them for lunch or give them away, and then shoot another limit in the evening.
It is not legal for you to purchase a hunting license for your wife or significant other or relative and then you shoot a limit of dove a day for you and a limit of dove a day for him, her, or them.
It is not legal to waste harvested game (i.e. leave dead dove lying on the ground). If you don't like to eat dove give them to someone else (provided State game laws are followed). Hunters are required to make a reasonable effort to find a downed dove.
TP&W requires you to separate your birds from your friends and write your name and the date on the bag that they are in. Possession limit for the South Zone is 24 birds (if you shoot 12 on Friday and 12 on Saturday you will have to either eat 12 or give away 12 in order to shoot 12 on Sunday).
It is not legal to shoot across a county road or even break the vertical plane of a county road with your shot.
The retreat officers have the authority to educate and rebuke safety, game law, and retreat rule violators including the power to terminate violators hunting privileges for a specific hunt or expel the violator(s) from the lease. I, Randy Rowley, Club President, will be in overall charge of the retreat.
Directions to Lee Ewald’s Ranch
From Austin, take IH 35 South.
Continue on IH 35 through San Antonio.
Go about 50 miles south of San Antonio to Dilley (about 15 miles south of Pearsall).
Take the Carrizo Springs, Hwy 85 West exit. Turn right onto Hwy 85 West.
Go approximately 8 miles.
Look for the Cober Chapel Cemetery (on both sides of the road). Turn right immediately past the cemetery onto County Road 4843 (Urban Road). We will put out a FCS sign on Hwy 85 before the intersection.
Go ½ mile down the dirt road and look for Lee Ewald’s name on his fence on the right side of the road (the first cattle guard on the right). We will put out a FCS sign by his gate.
Drive back to the brick house. We will be camping there.
My cell phone number is 512-963-0003.
Derrich Pollock’s, North Austin Chapter Vice President, cell phone number is 512-517-5343.
Lee Ewald’s phone number is 830-378-5463 (call only if you cannot reach Randy or Derrich).
Contact me for more information at 512-963-0003.