We lean toward families. We like to see a father or mother bring their children and hunt. They are guaranteed to be in birds all of the time. They are not walking around hoping to fi nd some. That's what makes it nice. - Everett Harding family switches their focus to improving the habitat. When a group books their hunt they are asked how many and what type of birds they want. Early in the morning the birds are spotted in the proper fi eld, where they hold in native grasses that are cut in strips to give the hunters easy access while providing cover for the birds. They are charged only for the birds: 10 or more pheasants are $18 each; $10 each for 20 or more quails and $13 each for 15 or more chukars. There are no per-person charges or gun fees. And they have the fi eld to themselves for the entire day, so they can hunt at their own pace. " We lean toward families, " Everett says of their clients. " We like to see a father or mother bring their children and hunt. They are guaranteed to be in birds all of the time. They are not walking around hoping to fi nd some. That's what makes it nice. " Adds Marvin: " We've got a lot of good guides who can take people who don't have their own dogs. And we have a lot of people come to train a dog. They don't have to walk all day to shoot twice. " Already every chukar has been claimed by hunters on this season's calendar. Becky says chukars are the most popular birds because they are considered the best to eat. There's more than birds to hunt at this game farm though. The worst kept secret among deer hunters is that north Missouri is one of the best places to hunt for trophy deer. That's especially true at the Harding farm. Deer hunts here are booked years in advance, with many hunters returning year after year. The same holds true for turkey hunting. " It blends in with our farming operation, " Everett says. " We do it because we have the deer and turkey. We have a Top: Janie Harding checks the progress of eggs placed in one of the four hatchers on the farm. This year 80,000 chicks - pheasants, quails and chukars - were hatched. Center: To ensure they are fertilized, Janie candles eggs that will be shipped to other game farms for hatching. Bottom: Sometimes she has to help chicks fi nd their way out of their shells. The hatching starts in the spring and continues until the season starts in late summer. NOVEMBER 2023 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP 21http://www.RURALMISSOURI.COOP