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     I travel the length and breadth of the country every year to attend shows, give lessons and gun fittings. Over the years I have had the opportunity to visit dozens of Gun Clubs, both public and private. This summer I visited what must be one of the finest clubs in the country, The Huntsman Hunt Club in Dryden, Michigan.
      The Club covers 900 acres of rolling hills and woodlands, where coppices and stone walls frame the numerous hunting fields. The rest of the land is farmed, landscaped and manicured, the exquisite setting for the handsome and welcoming Club House.

      The property belongs to the Tebben family, which has farmed it for three generations. “Matriarch” Nora Tebben, her son Jim, later with the assistance of his wife Mary-Beth, developed the farm into The Huntsman Hunt Club. Today the operation is managed by Craig P. Novotney and Heather Tebben, Jim’s niece.

 The Huntsman offers a full hunting and fishing calendar with the upland hunter’s fare of quail, pheasant and chukkar, as well as authentic and exciting European Pheasant Shoots.

     That most essential and indispensable hunting companion, the dog, is expertly cared for in the superb kennels and training facilities by Craig Novotney and his able staff.
     The Piece d’ Resistance of the Club is the kitchen run by Executive Chef Tom Chappell. His creative and delicious gourmet dishes feature seasonal wild game in a seemingly infinite variety of presentations.
     Every visit we make to The Huntsman is special, however, if timed correctly to coincide with the Summer Lobster Bake, it is an exceptional experience!
    The evening begins with cocktails and appetizers on the Clubhouse grounds, served from cocktail bars built into the back of Land Rovers. Then a fleet, (yes, a fleet!) of John Deere tractors pulling trailers piled high with hay bales, conveys everyone over the meandering paths through the wooded and well-mowed hunting fields to the first dining area.
     Here tables covered with red and white chequered tablecloths are sprinkled across the field and the famous Tebben attention to detail is everywhere! The cutlery is wrapped in gingham napkins, tied with bail twine and fresh flowers adorn each table.