EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The Sun Area Local Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation recently hosted its 10th Annual Wing-Shooting Warriors Pheasant Hunt at Martz Gap View Hunting Preserve, near Dalmatia, Pennsylvania. The event honors veterans and first responders by giving them the opportunity to hunt with a mentor on the preserve, free of charge. This year’s event followed the local chapter’s 30th anniversary celebration.
Leading up to this year’s hunt, the chapter raised about $20,000 to make the day happen for the 120 attendees that registered, more than half of whom were new to the event.
“This year’s event was the largest attendance we’ve ever had,” said John “Jack” Giblin, the event’s co-chair. “There were also 25 volunteers that came to help, not including the 25 dog handlers we had. It has been awesome to see how much this event has grown over the past 10 years. An event like this gives an opportunity to veterans and first responders to reconnect to the outdoors and to each other. My advice to any NWTF members who are veterans is: don’t be shy about participating. Take time for yourselves. We want you to participate, to get outside and enjoy each other’s company.”
To welcome attendees in the morning, the event started with a flag-raising ceremony. Local high schoolers from the Line Mountain High School band played the national anthem and the tribute song for each branch of the military. As everyone ate breakfast, an outline of the day was given and hunt assignments were announced. Half of the participants went on a guided pheasant hunt in the morning, while the other half of the group shot sporting clays. Those groups then rotated.
Thanks to the Martz Gap View staff, harvested birds were processed and cleaned for the participants. Guides and bird dogs were volunteered for the day, and ammunition was donated to participants. The chapter has also borrowed an idea from a local Pheasants Forever chapter and built their own handicap accessible quad chairs — a car seat attached to the front of a side-by-side in a hitch receiver — for disabled attendees. Well-trained bird dogs would go on point and motion for the side-by-side. There is also a platform attached, which allowed the attendee the choice to stand up and flush the birds himself, or remain seated to shoot. This makes the difference between someone being able to participate and not being able to participate.
The NWTF Sun Area Chapter has also hosted and supported several other mission-related activities over the years, including the Snyder County JAKES Youth Field Days, hunter education courses and wild turkey research efforts.
“Everyone enjoys the day,” said Mike Jordan, NWTF Sun Area Chapter vice president. “Everyone wants to have a discussion, and everyone is grateful that we can still include them in the outdoors with their handicaps. We had more volunteers this year than ever before, and next year, we’d love to keep expanding. It’s grown so much compared to the 20 participants we had during our first year. We want to give back to the community; it’s like one big family.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 24 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats and Healthy Harvests for future generations.
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