David's Flock

Tricia Spaulding

David Donaldson has 700 acres of high fence hunting ground where farmers are guaranteed a hunt. He has 5 elk, 5 buffalo and more than 60 deer in the high fence hunting area.

Donaldson spreads feed for wild deer on his 1600 acres of farm land. Hunters can choose to hunt on the high fence land or the open farm land.

Donaldson spends more than $12,000 on feed for the deer, elk and buffalo on his property. Maintaining a high fence hunting ground is expensive, but he says showing people a good time is important to him.

In order to have deer in his 700 acre high fence hunting ground, Donaldson must tranquilize the deer to tage their ear.

Donaldson and Stafford put up a new stand next to a high traffic deer path next to a creek on his farm. Most hunters use these stands when hunting on his farm.

After a doe was killed, Stafford and Donaldson load the deer in the truck to take it over to the farm to skin it.

Donaldson skins the animals that hunters kill on his property. Elvis Pate (right) killed a 230 pound buffalo on Donaldson's 700 acre high fence ground.

Donaldson (right) and Stafford wait for the hunters to return from their evening hunt. Dinner is served at night thirty every evening in the lodge.

Donaldson and his wife Kim joke and tell stories on the front porch of the lodge. Kim prepares dinner for the hunters when they are in town.

The Donaldson family prepares and eats dinner with hunters that come in and stay at the lodge on their property. Hunting stories and jokes are popular subjects at the dinner table.

Each October Dave Donaldson, a third-generation corn and bean farmer, sells about 20,000 bushels of corn to Tyson chicken's feed plant. He can haul only 1,000 bushels at a time, which means 20 trips to the plant.

Mike Stafford from NewYork comes to the Double D Hunting Ranch and spends five weeks every fall helping the Donaldsons out with the ranch. He has been a long time hunter and friend on the Donaldsons.

Bowling is a popular activity around Madisonville. Marilyn Brown, an employee of 25 years, says leagues and birthday parties are really popular at the alley.