Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors O/T A Thank You to all of our Servicemen

This weekend our community hosted its annual "Big Hunt" for our wounded servicemen from the surrounding areas. Some are from hospitals, and some in other various stages of recovery. We start off on Friday at noon with a banquet for everyone, and then we are assigned our hunters. It is such an honor and privilege to hunt these young (and sometimes older) men. You never leave the banquet without feeling such a sense of gratitude for what these men have given for our country.

Right after the Iraq War started, three Viet Nam vets sitting under a shed after they had been out deer hunting, had the idea to go around to some of the ranchers in our area, and see if they would like to host a wounded veteran for a deer hunt the next season. I was lucky enough to be one of those asked. They asked me if I could set up a handicapped stand for a bow hunter. I was hooked !! This has been the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my Life. Sometimes this will put tears in your eyes. We starting getting excited in the Fall and can't wait till January to see who our hunter will be. The "banquet" started under an awning at one of the original vets house, and now has morphed into a true community gathering at our hall in town. This year there was no parking, and the building was PACKED !! It's truly amazing how people want to come and thank our vets.

Decided that next year, my hunter will be using a Savage to get his deer :):):) Should give ya'll something to look forward to. In the meantime, take a vet out hunting or fishing. It'll make you feel good.

(pics next)

What a GREAT thing to do! Thanks to You for helping with this! & ALL our Vets for there service!

Thanks for posting. That's a great undertaking. David

Enough cannot be done for those who have served or are serving.

Thanks!!!

In a lot of ways, monetarily, services, appreciation.

Just got a count on hunters and kills. We had 49 hunters and they took 107 deer :):):) We were supposed to get 5 from Oklahoma, and wound up with 9 --- how great !!

The weather did less than cooperate, as we had 9 degrees the first night, and it warmed to a balmy 27 Saturday morning. These guys are tougher than a nut !!!

There is no way for me to put into words how proud I am of our little community. We have about 2500 people here, and when you ask them to join in, they step up to the plate. Even some of the hard cases wind up showing their soft side.

I am already laying plans for next year. Am going to heat my barn for skinning and dressing, and build another wheelchair accessible stand here at this place. Will be ready for our young men come January.

Great for you guys,happy those vets got out to do some hunting, thanks all involved.

That is SO cool -- thanks for sharing!!!

This spring, my wife and I will join a team of anglers/boat owners who will host injured servicemen and women for a day of fishing. We're looking forward to that too.

Thanks to all who served, and for your sharing this.

Old No7

Yes, this is fantastic! So much better than writing an anonymous check and forgetting about it.