After using Grassy Lake Hunting Club for our home base for the first two weeks, UCCEO was able to sit down and meet with Collin Cain, owner of the hunting club. Collin discussed the need for a business to change and grow over time and to never remain stagnate. He also talked about how the end of goose hunting, which was a large tourist attraction in the area, affected more than just the hunting club. It also affected many different businesses in our community including, hotels, restaurants, gas stations, etc. as fewer tourists were coming to the area.

AJCHS student and UCCEO team member Chesnee Marks had some great takeaways from our visit:

“We spent our Thursday morning with Mr. Collin Cain at Grassy Lake Hunting Club. I was excited for this visit, solely because we had spent a lot of time there during team meetings at the beginning of the year. Mr. Cain had many stories to tell us, and I found something to take away from each one!

One of the most important things that I took away from Mr. Cain, was that the ability to pivot is crucial to succeeding as a business. Mr. Cain explained how previously, Grassy Lake was a very well known spot for goose hunting. However, that all changed with the change in geese migrations. Presently, the hunting club does not hold any goose hunts since they no longer migrate to the area.

After hearing Mr. Cain explain this, I really saw just how important it is to be able to change paths, even if the one you were going down was previously amazing.”

Collin and his father, Gerald Cain, were instrumental in bringing the CEO program to Union County by providing a significant portion of the initial start up cost. Gerald passed away a few years ago but Collin has continued to not only invest in the UCCEO program but also continues the legacy of giving back to his community in other ways, one of which is a Wounded Warrior hunt each year!

You can see in the following pictures of our visit and of the walls at the club, how much history, love and friendship has been experienced there as well as the beauty of the land! Thank you Collin, for sharing your stories and your club with us, the Duckmobile experience, and your gracious and generous support of UCCEO! 🦆🚜🪿🌽❤️