30/06/2022
Today is a tough day for us - lots of tears, uncertainty, and if I’m being completely honest - a lot of upset for our little family 💔 The 560 acre property we were so lucky to have leased in Riverside County to run our business on for nearly 40 years was sold a short time ago, and we were informed that we would have to vacate the property. As announced in earlier posts, today, June 30th is the last day we can be on the land. All structures, shooting range, office building, bunkhouses, water tanks, etc. have been removed - it looks like a ghost town now. I cannot walk the property without completely losing it 😭
Here’s the backstory:
Chuck Wagner had leased it from the owner (on a handshake deal back in the early 80s) for several decades, and Charlie (Charles’ son) worked out there for over 35 years, since he was a young boy. Charlie purchased the business from his dad (just a few years ago), and he continued to lease the property from the same landowner to run the business. The land owner passed away recently - we had no idea he had passed, as he lived out of state and we always mailed our rent checks to his office secretary in Nevada. The checks were cashed even after he passed away, so we had no way of knowing that he died. The property was then inherited by his wife, and it was sold right away to a large Riverside County development firm called Highland Fairview.
You’ve all been asking the same question and honestly, we don’t know the answer - we have not been told what the plan is with the property. Maybe there is no plan. We don’t know. I asked as we handed keys to the front gate over, and was told that they “don’t know” and if they did know, they are “not at liberty to discuss what’s going to happen to the property”. I am curious to see what happens to the land that we loved and cared for over the past nearly 40 years. We literally fed and housed our family using this land, and it is extremely sentimental to us. Giving keys to a developer’s agent was surreal, and I could hardly see through my tears, though the guy was very nice. I ended it with an offer to call us if he has any questions about the property, as nobody knows this land like we do. We’ve been out there forever, it seems, so hopefully they know we are genuinely vested in the land and are willing to help if they need it.
Many of you have reached out with words of encouragement, tons of fun memories, and even job offers for us. We appreciate all the support and outpouring of kindness you have all shown us during this transition. Right now we have not made any major decisions, however, a couple of other hunting opportunities have presented themselves. I always say, when God closes one door, he opens another 🙏🏼
That was long, and I’m sorry about that, but stay tuned……you haven’t seen the last of us! We just need some time to reconvene and we’ll be doing something again soon. We are going to take a much needed break and then get back at it, because that’s what we do!
We will post here if and when we start booking for some other hunting opportunities that may be coming down the pipe 🦌🐗🐃🦬🦃
I am keeping the same phone number that we’ve had forever, so y’all - put this in your phone so you don’t forget about us ➡️ 951-202-1722
Much love from our little family to yours 💕
We’ll all be alright 🙏🏼
