This weekend is the local NWTF Chapter's special hunt for Handicapped/wounded warriors and special youth. Hunters will be coming in today and we'll have a dinner and meet and greet this afternoon. Tomorrow and Sunday we hunt. I was on the scouting and blind team last weekend and we saw and heard a good number of birds. The last two years the weather has been horrible, but the next two days look pretty good. Pray the forecast stays good. Many thanks to Ohio Division Of Forestry for blocking off 2500+ acres and closing access leading up to this hunt. Many thanks to the Ohio Division of Wildlife for authorizing a special season just for this hunt (our youth season is next weekend and general season April 20th) and a generous grant. Many thanks to dozens of volunteers and sponsors. Just some big sponsors are Woodhaven, Quaker Boy, several of the gun companies, Local companies and more. We have 16 hunters participating from all over the USA. All their expenses (except gas) are covered and the State Park Lodges them. Whenever, you think the world is falling apart, things like this tell you there is still much good in the world.
I am honored to be a guide for a hunter and have always had a great time with my assigned hunters. I hope this hunt is one of the best. The event is called Thunder in The Hills in Pike County Ohio. Ohio Clinton County Chapter NWTF.
A special thanks to our own Gobblenut who donated to this event, Thanks Jim.
Thats an awesome thing your involved with, thank you and all the people who help out, wish you a safe and successful hunt Mr. Eggshell, look foreword to some great pictures.
Thank you for volunteering your time and effort to this fine cause. I hope good karma rains down upon you!
Great gesture and devotion to a great cause!!
Thank you for everything you do for the Handicapped/wounded warriors and special youth hunters. I'm sure they all appreciate it.
Safe travel and hunting for everyone. God Bless all the volunteers for making this hunt possible.
Good luck, be safe.
Good luck and safe travels to all.
Good luck!
Good luck. Thank you ODNR.
Good luck and thanks for all the support and devotion to all.
Awesome!!! I don't know whether to thank or congratulate you. Congratulations on your decision to dedicate time and attention to such a wonderful cause and thank you for helping very deserving people. Very generous of you, your hunter is lucky to have someone with such real, earned knowledge. GOOD LUCK !
A short report on the hunt. For once the weather was decent and birds were active everyone heard and saw birds. Four gobblers were killed and one missed. It was a great weekend and chance to give something back. The one miss was the hunter I was guiding. It was just one of those things that happen to all of us. A bird pops up suddenly right on top of you and you gota take the shot fast because he's fixing to leave.
Awesome! Glad the gods were working with the hunt!
I'm glad you guys had a good hunt eggshell. Sounds like you did your part. You know the GOATS would probably be willing to do a roundtable discussion around the campfire for these distinguished guests. When you think about the wisdom and life lessons we could lay out, I am sure it is worth millions. Heck, from the looks of it, those guys over on that Scattered Flock Team are still up all night trying to figure out how we became some awesome.
Good-looking and Platinum level member of the Elitist club
God luck stay blessed
Thanks everyone. I appreciate the compliments, but in comparison to what these people have gone through, my small effort doesn't even compare. However, if all you have to offer is one small moment in their lives, then share it and spread some joy.
I challenge all of the old gobbler teams to take a veteran hunting. I know there are vets on our teams, I think we should honor them and highlight them. Heck I'd add an extra point to every team score for each vet on your team if I could change the rules, even if it cost our team the top spot.
I will share a little tid-bit. The hunters I have guided have all been wounded in action, some multiple times. They are generally very humble and don't talk about it much. I do ask if they want to share and they usually do to an extent, some more detailed and some not so much. I had a poignant moment today has I gave my hunter and another hunter a ride back to their cabin. We had a little mix up where one of the other teams got too close to myself and my hunter when we were working a bird ( not their fault as it happened the bird was on the boundary and drifted back and forth on both our assigned territories). They finally got to close and made me uncomfortable and I made the decision to stop the show and put safety first, so I yelled out "Hunters here", and blew up the chance to get a bird. I think it made the other guide mad, but the vet understood. The hunt director supported me on safety. As we were discussing it in the truck I told them I was super sensitive to the safety issue, because I had been shot and almost died in a turkey hunting accident. Instantly the mood change in the truck. As I told them the story of how I fought for my life and the med flight and all They just nodded and confirmed similar feelings. Suddenly, I was a brother and they knew I know the other side of their story in recovery and life long emotions. Once your inside the protected circle, the strong face comes off you see the pain is always with them. Sure they have mastered it and healed a lot, but there's a part that never leaves. Pat a man on the back and give him a hug and he'll say thank you, but spend a day with him and give him your heart and he'll love you. Sometimes it's just not enough to only say thank you for your service, you got to walk a mile in their shoes'.
Great write up Mr. Eggshell, again thank you and your fellow volunteers for all the work you put into showing our veterans some well-deserved recognition! :thanks: