Sorry so long but I really can't shorten the story any more.
Well we got 5 disabled vets out this year during the various deer seasons. Three were during NE’s rifle season and 2 more during NE’s muzzle season. It was great to be able to give back in some way to those who have given so much to our and their country.
The three rifle season hunters were told they could shoot any buck they wanted but to not shoot a doe as the population in the area they were hunting has low deer densities and we are trying to build numbers. There would be enough bucks coming through Dad and I thought that they would eventually get a shot in the three days they could hunt if they wished. All shot a buck the first day and all saw several does and fawns.
I was not with the rifle hunters but my parents were great hosts and gave all they could to make their experience the greatest it could be. This was not a resort/outfitter setup but just good old fashioned hospitality and comradery. The hunters stayed in local hotels and shared some meals with my parents and a neighbor who was taking one of the vets to his hunting spot for the first morning and then to our place if one of the other vets got a deer opening morning.
One of the hunters got a deer early opening morning and the vet who hadn’t sat on ours that morning went to the blind that vet had sat in that morning. Around noon the other vet that was sitting on ours since opening got a buck, and then a little after 5pm Sat. the third vet got a buck out of the same blind as the first vet to get a deer that morning.
Dad and another neighbor helped bone out the 1st vets deer and then he went home. The second vet got his deer into a cooler and headed on his way, and the third hung his deer and then came back out in the morning and Dad, the neighbor and his dad help the third vet butcher his deer and he then went on his way.
The two muzzle loader hunters arrived at my house Dec. 18. It was a husband/wife team who between them had 46 years of full time service to our country and 4 more in the reserves. The wife is still active but is retiring next year.
I told them they could shoot any deer they wished as at this farm the density is very high (Its in the river antlerless zone to give you an idea) Saturday morning they got to the blind and at 0805 they had several does and fawns go by. Trailing them about 100 yards was a great buck. The wife wasn’t in position for the shot so the husband took the 110 yard shot. He was on the money and he filled his tag. We got it to the house and boned it out and put in fridge. They went back out that evening for the wife’s turn but they saw no deer.
The next morning they went to the same stand and were covered up with deer for a couple hours. They said at least 20. Finally one offered a great shot with less eyes looking their way and she made a great 70 yard shot and we got it out. They just wanted to quarter that one up as that would allow them to get on the road and get home to their kids who were getting home from college. They are going to mount the buck and doe as shoulder mounts in a heart shape. They found this on a taxidermy sight and showed us It is an awesome work of art.
I had the pleasure to meet three of these vets and talked on the phone to one of the other two. All are great people and we feel so blessed to have these people protecting our country.
We are planning to do this again next year. Freedomhunters.org and Patriot Outdoor Adventures were very helpful in finding vets to take hunting.
The pictures appear in the order of the vets getting a deer. The last pic is of one of the vets and my Dad, a Vietnam vet.
Well we got 5 disabled vets out this year during the various deer seasons. Three were during NE’s rifle season and 2 more during NE’s muzzle season. It was great to be able to give back in some way to those who have given so much to our and their country.
The three rifle season hunters were told they could shoot any buck they wanted but to not shoot a doe as the population in the area they were hunting has low deer densities and we are trying to build numbers. There would be enough bucks coming through Dad and I thought that they would eventually get a shot in the three days they could hunt if they wished. All shot a buck the first day and all saw several does and fawns.
I was not with the rifle hunters but my parents were great hosts and gave all they could to make their experience the greatest it could be. This was not a resort/outfitter setup but just good old fashioned hospitality and comradery. The hunters stayed in local hotels and shared some meals with my parents and a neighbor who was taking one of the vets to his hunting spot for the first morning and then to our place if one of the other vets got a deer opening morning.
One of the hunters got a deer early opening morning and the vet who hadn’t sat on ours that morning went to the blind that vet had sat in that morning. Around noon the other vet that was sitting on ours since opening got a buck, and then a little after 5pm Sat. the third vet got a buck out of the same blind as the first vet to get a deer that morning.
Dad and another neighbor helped bone out the 1st vets deer and then he went home. The second vet got his deer into a cooler and headed on his way, and the third hung his deer and then came back out in the morning and Dad, the neighbor and his dad help the third vet butcher his deer and he then went on his way.
The two muzzle loader hunters arrived at my house Dec. 18. It was a husband/wife team who between them had 46 years of full time service to our country and 4 more in the reserves. The wife is still active but is retiring next year.
I told them they could shoot any deer they wished as at this farm the density is very high (Its in the river antlerless zone to give you an idea) Saturday morning they got to the blind and at 0805 they had several does and fawns go by. Trailing them about 100 yards was a great buck. The wife wasn’t in position for the shot so the husband took the 110 yard shot. He was on the money and he filled his tag. We got it to the house and boned it out and put in fridge. They went back out that evening for the wife’s turn but they saw no deer.
The next morning they went to the same stand and were covered up with deer for a couple hours. They said at least 20. Finally one offered a great shot with less eyes looking their way and she made a great 70 yard shot and we got it out. They just wanted to quarter that one up as that would allow them to get on the road and get home to their kids who were getting home from college. They are going to mount the buck and doe as shoulder mounts in a heart shape. They found this on a taxidermy sight and showed us It is an awesome work of art.
I had the pleasure to meet three of these vets and talked on the phone to one of the other two. All are great people and we feel so blessed to have these people protecting our country.
We are planning to do this again next year. Freedomhunters.org and Patriot Outdoor Adventures were very helpful in finding vets to take hunting.
The pictures appear in the order of the vets getting a deer. The last pic is of one of the vets and my Dad, a Vietnam vet.
