Page 146 - Erath

Clarissa writes, “I had so much fun on the hunting trip. As we sat inside the deer blind, several did appear. Then I got one. I almost cried I was so excited. My two guides, Tommy & Court, were so proud of me. This was the frst deer hunt I’d ever been on and it was a success! I didn’t come back empty-handed. One of my guides gave me some antlers that I’ll treasure forever. He also gave me the rife shell I’d shot. I want to thank them all so much for such an adventure.” A couple of the young guests went hunting for wild hogs. Some got to ride around in Jeeps. The group hunted the whole weekend – taking breaks only to eat or sleep – no games or no Xbox, no TV. James remained stirred up after his frst kill. When they got back to camp he said, “Ricky, if we aren’t going to do anything, let’s go back out there hunting.”

Fourteen-year-old Ashley bubbled, “The trip! It was amazing. You get to bond with all the guides. I’ll never forget when Shane and Chance (my two guides) and I were sitting in our deer stand. Shane and I got bored just sitting there, so we played thumb war and the ABC game. Then fnally, several deer showed up. I took aim and waited until my guide said “Now.” I pulled the trigger…fur few and she dropped! I was so excited, I was shaking. I scrambled out of the deer blind and ran to it. I was so proud and so were my guides!”

“I wouldn’t trade anything for seeing the smiles on their faces,” Colby said. Fifteen adults served as weekend guides: Ricky Caudle, Micah Butler, David Bragg, Chance Pack, Colby Pack, Cody Kinsey, Joel Bulla, Court Cole, Tommy Pack, Jay Presti, Leigh Ann Taylor, Neil Culpepper, Jordan Peterson, R.D. Feemster, Jason Nitschke, and Shane Freels. Conrad, Henry, and Sherry Welge generously shared use of their game ranch. The kids looked like superstars in hunting jackets supplied by Walls Industries. Coyote Designs monogrammed the children’s names and a sponsor’s name on the sides. “The kids loved the jackets!” Colby told me. Christina, 17, said, “I had the best time ever. I even got a deer on my frst shot. It felt great. I had a lot of laughs and learned new things I never knew before. I got to meet really cool people. I got to see how long I could sit, look for deer, and be very quiet. I can’t wait to go again.”

Cody, a 14-year-old young man confded, “I was extremely excited when I heard I was going to be on the show about hunting. The excitement kept me from sleeping the night before I left. I made lots of great memories like hanging around the fre drinking Dr. Pepper. Most of all I had the opportunity to shoot the biggest deer. I was so excited when I shot it. I’m thankful for having such a great opportunity and hope to go again.” Guides and children exchanged email addresses, handshakes, and a few hugs then headed back to