Fair Board's 2023 Blaine County Fur Fest a "huge success"
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Mari Anne Skoyen
The "Small Dog" winners, sponsored by Gordon Cattle Company, were Team "Merle the Pearl". On the team was Merle Young, Todd Alisch, Austin Ouellette, and Cory Brothers. The "Small Dog" weighed in at 17.16 lbs.
This year's Blaine County Fur Fest Coyote Hunt was sponsored for the first time by the Blaine County Fair Foundation. The event was held the first weekend of December and was deemed a huge success. Fair Board/Foundation member Shandel Fouts, who was very involved in the planning, promotion and carrying out of the event, reported "It was the first time the Fair Foundation sponsored the hunt and it was a huge success." One hundred fifty-nine hunters, organized in to fifty teams, participated. They harvested a total of 400 animals, including 308 coyotes.
Fouts gave a "big thanks" to all the businesses and organizations, both nearby and far, local clubs and individuals who provided prizes and financial support for the event. She added, "More than $18,000 was paid out in prizes to hunters who participated." The prize money came from registration fees, a portion of the Calcutta funds and "a lot of individual donations from local ranchers and farmers who wanted to see the coyote population thinned because of the destruction they can cause to agriculture." She also noted, "Raffle ticket sales for the custom built 6mm Creedmoor rifle donated by Collision Repair and built by local gunsmith Mike Johnson, made a significant contribution to the prize money that was available." The rifle was in memory of Dick Preputin.
Mari Anne Skoyen
The "Big Dog" winners, sponsored by the Blaine County Journal and Secret Sun Travel, were Team "Rocky". On the team was Bubba Skoyen, Jill Barta, Payton Peterson, and Shelby Woods. The "Big Dog" weighed in at 41.06 lbs.
Fouts, herself a Blaine County Fair Board Member, explained the purpose of the Fur Fest was to raise money for a specific project at the fairgrounds: replacing the seats at the west end of the grandstand near the beer garden. She said time and weather had taken their toll on that section of seating and the estimated cost to replace the seating is $65,000. She said the income from this year's Fur Fest is estimated to take care of about one quarter of the cost to replace the affected seating. The Foundation is also looking for funding available through relevant grants and gift programs.
The Foundation also sent out a thank you to the North Chinook Boosters 4-H club that hosted a free will donation supper on Friday night and a breakfast on Sunday. Debbie Ramburg, Barb Skoyen, Rhue Skoyen, Arlis Williams and Tracy Throstead prepared a lasagna dinner on Sunday, at the conclusion of the hunt, for all the hunters.
