If you’re a big fan of country music singer and songwriter Garth Brooks, you could walk away from an annual fundraising event Oct. 26 with two tickets to his Ducks Unlimited-only concert, plus a two-night stay at Caesar’s Palace, in 2025.

That trip and concert is one of the featured auction items on tap for the fast-approaching New Iberia DU Chapter’s 53rd annual banquet that Thursday night at the Isle of Iberia RV Resort. The highest bidder for that package may leave already making plans to attend the Hall of Famer’s concert two years from now in Las Vegas.

It’ll be part of another night of raising bucks for ducks at a venue the local DU chapter has grown comfortable in since moving the fundraiser there in 2015. The banquet was held there last October and the 62 DU supporters on hand raised more than $58,000.

Veteran New Iberia DU Chapter chairman Jason P. Foster and banquet committee members have been planning the next one for several months. He recently announced the lineup for auction items as well as admission prices to attend Oct. 26.

Louisiana’s 2023 teal season’s success or lack of success will be fresh on everyone’s mind going into the annual event. The special teal season is scheduled to be held Sept. 15-30.

By banquet time, Teche Area duck hunters will be looking ahead to the regular waterfowl hunting season that kicks off Nov. 11 in the West Zone.

Attendees will be contributing to a nonprofit organization with a rich history of conserving, restoring and managing wetlands and associated habitats for waterfowl, DU’s mission statement that also benefits other wildlife and people.

Douglas A. Schoenrock, DU president, pointed out last year that 88 percent of the money raised in 2021 went to wetlands conservation and education.

“Ducks Unlimited’s wetlands conservation mission has always been driven by science to deliver the best possible outcomes for waterfowl, wildlife and people. … DU’s mission brings us together in good times and bad, attracts like-minded people to our cause and delivers results. In fact, we’re accelerating our efforts to ensure that we reach 16 million acres in record time,” Schoenrock said after noting more than 15 million acres have been conserved.

New Iberia DU’s chapter has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars since the first fundraising event here in 1970 held under the tutelage of Gordie White. The banquet quickly evolved into the social event of the year for local outdoorsmen.

Foster and his committee members hope to rekindle that spirit so many weeks from now.

* Green Wing admission is $25, which includes an event ticket and GW membership. A general membership ticket is $50.

* Sponsorship levels are:

* Bronze — $350. Two event tickets, sponsor gift, program advertisement

* Silver — $600. Eight event tickets, sponsor gift, table and program advertisement.

* Gold — $1,000. Eight event tickets, choice of firearm, table and program advertisement.

* Platinum — $2,500. Eight event tickets, choice of firearm, premium advertisement, program front page, table, website event page.

Silent and live auction items will be up for bid.

I can’t wait to see how the area’s vast duck hunting community responds to the cause and raises more bucks for ducks in 2023. After all, more habitat projects are started and finished in Louisiana than any other state along the Mississippi Flyway.

For more information on the banquet call Foster at 356-4977.

DON SHOOPMAN is outdoors editor of The Daily Iberian.