Hunters hoping to bag a big buck will soon be flocking to Butler County as the Fort Dale Academy Booster Club sponsors its 13^th annual deer hunt.

And while hunters from around the southeast, and even as far away as California, are hunting for a monster buck, the FDA booster club is hunting for dollars to help offset the school’s operating expenses.

“This is huge fundraiser for the school,” FDA Booster Club President Drew Gaston said. “We use the money to purchase different items that the school needs for both academics and athletics.”

According to Gaston, the two-day hunt, scheduled for Jan. 13-14, typically raises in the neighborhood of $30,000. In the past that money has been used to help purchase smart boards for classrooms and bleachers and an air conditioning unit for the gymnasium, as well as helping to pay for the construction of the school’s new baseball and softball fields.

“How it works is we field requests from the athletics department and the school’s board of directors, and we try to purchase as many of those items as we can,” Gaston said.

According to Gaston, there are currently 45 hunters signed up to take part in this year’s hunt. The Booster Club is hoping to reach 50 hunters before the hunt kicks off.

The cost for participating in the hunt is $700. That fee includes two full days of hunting with local guides on private land in Butler County, as well as lunch and dinner both days.

“This really is a great deal,” Gaston said. “Anytime I talk to someone about the hunt they are surprised the cost is so low, and I tell that we aren’t trying to turn a big profit on this thing. We just want to raise money for the school, so we do our best to keep the cost at a level that is attractive to hunters who want to come down here and hunt a part of the state that has some of the best deer around. We work hard at making sure this is an enjoyable hunt for everyone involved.”

For more information email info@fortdaledeerhunt.com.