Outdoor Buddies is an all-volunteer non-profit organization. None of our volunteers are paid a dime, and no member has to pay a dime to participate in our programs. We rely on donations from members just like you to keep the Outdoor Buddies mission alive and open the outdoors to all!

We have some incredible prizes lined up for our 2024 annual raffle fundraiser. Thank you for supporting Outdoor Buddies!

Outdoor Buddies and Colorado Youth Outdoors will host a pheasant hunt, scheduled for Saturday, March 23, 2024 to be held at Drake Land Farms near Goodrich, Colorado from 9:00am to 3:00pm. We request that hunters show up promptly at 9:00am but not before. This gives Outdoor Buddies Volunteers time to prepare for the event.

Drake Land Farms is a hunting club that was established in 1980. The property includes 867 acres with 1.5 miles of the South Platte River. It is ideal habitat for this hunt.

This event is being coordinated by Larry Sanford and Christopher Nowak who is Outdoor Buddies Treasurer and a member/owner of the Drake Land Farms hunting club.

This event promises to provide a lot of harvest opportunity because we are planning to plant 200 pheasants.

Shooting is reserved for disabled members and youth hunters.

Outdoor Buddies will provide some adaptive equipment for disabled hunters who may need a little help getting around for their hunt. We will have our “Go-Getter” ATV device as well as three Action Track chairs.

This will be an all-day event starting at 9:00am. Lunch will be served.

At the end of the hunt harvested birds will be cleaned and divided with participants who want them.

Participants need to register in advance.

If you would like to bring a dog to help with the hunt, you MUST contact Larry first.

To volunteer or participate:

Register Here

Directions to Drake Land Farms

Take Interstate 76 toward Wiggins

Take Exit 66A onto CO Hwy 39 going north

Go approximately 6 miles (If you cross the South Platte River you have gone too far.)

Watch for Outdoor Buddies sign

Exit to the West into Drake Land Farms

Braising tough parts of any animal is the best way to enjoy them: They remain whole, more or less, but are cooked slow and low in a broth until meltingly tender. The only thing braised duck, or really any braise, asks of you is time. You need a few hours to make this recipe. 

Unless you decide to pressure cook the duck legs, in which case you can make this braised duck via Instant Pot in less than an hour. After the sauté steps, put the duck in with everything except the smoked sausage and set it to manual high pressure for 25 to 30 minutes — 30 minutes is best for wild duck. Let it naturally release pressure. 

You can also braise duck in a slow cooker. Again, after the sauté steps, put everything in a slow cooker on high for about 6 to 8 hours. This way, you could get your braised duck going before work and it will be ready when you come home. Don’t worry if it cooks an extra hour or two; this recipe is forgiving. 

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 pounds duck or goose legs and/or wings
• 2 tablespoons duck fat, lard or vegetable oil
• 3 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 small onion, sliced thin from root to tip
• 3 medium carrots, sliced thin
• 1 28 ounce jar of sauerkraut
• 1 cup white wine (Riesling would be good)
• 1 cup chicken, duck or other stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cloves
• 1 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
• 10 juniper berries, mashed but whole
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 2 smoked sausages, such as kielbasa or red bratwurst
• Salt
• Freshly chopped chives for garnish

Directions

• Heat the duck fat in a large, lidded pot like a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Brown the duck or goose legs well, especially on the skin side. Salt the legs as they are cooking. Once each leg browns well, remove it to a plate for now. The whole process may take 10 to 15 minutes.
• When the duck has all been browned, add the onion, cabbage and carrot and sauté until the vegetables get just a little browning on the edges, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sauerkraut, wine, stock, herbs and spices. (Leave out the sausages for now.)
• Nestle the duck or goose legs into the kraut mixture and baste with a little of the liquid. Cover the pot and simmer very gently over low heat until the meat yields easily to the tip of a knife. How long? Anywhere from about 90 minutes for store-bought ducks to 3 1/2 hours for an old goose.
• About 15 minutes before you think the goose or duck legs will be done -- you need not be precise, as the legs are pretty forgiving in terms of overcooking them -- slice the sausages and nestle them into the pot, too. Cover and heat through. You don't want to cook the sausages too long or all the fat will drain out and they will be dry and unpleasant.
• When you're ready to serve, add salt to taste and sprinkle the chives over the dish. Serve with good rye bread, potatoes in some form (mashed, boiled, roasted, etc) or with dumplings. I particularly like the bread dumplings in my venison roast recipe.

Larry Sanford

President

970-218-5356

popslarrys@gmail.com

Nate Lucht

Vice President

(970) 219-8817

nate.lucht@hotmail.com

Christopher Nowak

Treasurer

303-717-7159

christopher_m_nowak@yahoo.com

Terry Gleason

Secretary

303-868-2579

terryjgleason@gmail.com

Kevin Kassner

Director

(303) 946-2502

kevin@asktechnolink.com 

Matt Camilleri

Director

860-930-2389

mcamilleri7@gmail.com

Tony Hodges

Director

303-523-0583

thodgesre21@aol.com

Steve Medberry

Director

720-255-9453

stevemedberry@gmail.com

Edgar Munoz

Director

720-261-1857

edgar4jec1268@gmail.com

Jim Piper

Director

303-514-8944

geopros@q.com

Frederick Solheim

Director-Warriors on Cataract

303-818-7600

WarriorsOnCataract@gmail.com 

Non-board members are welcome. Please RSVP in advance.

Meetings are held from 6:30pm-8:30pm at the locations and dates below.

March 12 - Lone Tree Cabela's

April 9 - Thornton Cabela's

May 14 - Lone Tree Cabela's

June 11 - Thornton Cabela's

July 9 - Lone Tree Cabela's

July 30 - Thornton Cabela's

September 10 - Lone Tree Cabela's

October - No Meeting

November 12 - Thornton Sportsman's Warehouse

December 10 - Thornton Sportsman's Warehouse