2011 Darden Dove Shoot Raises $10,000

Ron Hess (right), of Buckhead, and Jack Meyer, 15, of Madison, shot four birds at the Darden Dove Shoot. Ron coaches Jack on the Lake Oconee Shotgun Team.

The Darden Dove Shoot in Taliaferro County raised $10,000 for SEEDS at its Sept. 17 shoot. This was the sixth consecutive year Claibourne Darden, a public-opinion pollster from Atlanta, has hosted the annual dove shoot on his field. The shoot continues to fund SEEDS, the youth arm of the GONetwork.

The shoot is very popular among wing-shooters, and many of the same faces from previous years showed up for this year’s shoot.

John McBurney, of Alpharetta, has been on five Darden dove shoots. This year’s Darden shoot was one of the more special ones to date because it was a first-ever hunting experience for John’s 5-year-old son, John-John.

“This was my fifth Darden Dove Shoot, and once again, it was all about making memories,” said John McBurney, of Alpharetta. “My first hunt was with my dad back in 1968, and I can remember it like it was yesterday. My daughters have been to the Darden shoots with me, as well as my longtime friend John Scruggs, who was at this year’s shoot. This was my 5-year-old son John-John’s first hunt with me, and we had a blast. I left the field with three doves and memories that will last me a lifetime. I am grateful for the contributions and hard work by the Darden family and the team at GON.”

The young shooters seem to get just as much out of the shoot.

“I had a great time shooting at the Darden Dove Shoot,” said Jack Meyer, 15, of Madison. “It was a fun and exciting experience. Once the birds started coming in, it was a blast.”

Before the shoot, a barbecue lunch was served to a crowd of about 100. The delicious feast was prepared by Fat Matt’s Rib Shack at 1811 Piedmont Road in Atlanta.

Fat Matt’s offers catering and can be reached at www.fatmattsribshack.com or (404) 607-1622.

For more information on the GONetwork, contact Steve Burch at (800) 438-4663.

Tommy Ferrell, of Tucker, brought his two sons, Joseph (right), 11, and Garrison, 11, to their first-ever Darden Dove Shoot. Joseph won a raffled-off shotgun and shot with it that same afternoon.