Volunteer hunters bag birds

The Volunteer Longbeards Chapter of Greeneville, Tenn., held its annual Wheelin' Sportsmen hunt on April 17. Three of the five hunters harvested turkeys.

Hunter Johnny Horton (pictured here) took a big bird with his guide Robert Wilson and a cameraman from Full Draw television.
White Eagle Taxidermy will preserve Horton's bird.

Pennsylvania's Special
Olympians wet a line

On Aug. 16, Gene Alwine of the Whitehorse Mountain Longbeards Chapter in Somerset County, Pa., assisted volunteers with the Pennsylvania Special Olympics Summer Training Camps on an outing at the Quemahoning Recreational Area, where 178 special athletes fished.

Alwine's group of five fishing aides readied 60 rods, reels and accessories for the anxious anglers. The day included a picnic, various yard games and swimming.

Oklahoma's Elk City Strutters
take soldiers hunting

The Elk City Strutters took eight soldiers hunting during their second annual Wheelin' Sportsmen Warrior Hunt. Last season, the group hosted two hunters.

The Strutters pay all expenses and provide each hunter with new camo and a personal camera.

Hog wild in Louisiana

Justin Griffin and David Langley (pictured here with their guides and prizes) killed two hogs each during the Dorcheat Bayou Gobblers' Wheelin' Sportsmen Hunt, hosted by Blue Run Hunting Club in Minden, La.

The October hunt was a first for the chapter, and plans are in the works for next year's event.

Dove hunting in Ohio

Twelve hunters participated in Ohio's Clermont County River Valley Longbeards' dove hunt over Labor Day weekend. The event was at the Ratliff Family farm in Brown County.

Darin the Dare Mascot at the Wheelin Event

Darin, the D.A.R.E. mascot, poses with
happy campers.

Handicapable Camp

The Brandywine Creek and Dogwood Drummers chapters participated in the 36th annual Handicapable Camp, at Bradford Woods in Martinsville, Ind., in September.

The camp helps children with disabilities enjoy the outdoors.

The 116 campers and 75 counselors enjoyed arts and crafts, face painting, boat rides, wall climbing, fishing and more, including visits from Smokey Bear, Trooper Teddy and D.A.R.E. mascot, Darin.
NWTF chapter volunteers handed out wristbands and rulers and provided turkey feathers as souvenirs.

The three-day event included a Friday night dance and a bonfire on Saturday.
— Frank Wyatt

Students construct hunting blinds for Missouri's disabled hunters.

Missouri benefits hunters with disabilities

Representatives from the Waynesville Career Center and the NWTF Clay Howlett Memorial Chapter constructed three accessible hunting blinds for use on conservation areas managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Waynesville Career Center Carpentry Teacher Clinton Jarrett proposed the project. Jarrett, who also serves as vice president of the Clay Howlett Memorial Chapter, secured funds for the project from Bales Construction of Waynesville, who gave $200 to purchase treated lumber at a reduced cost from Lowe's Home Improvement of St.

Robert. Jarrett's students constructed the blinds and assisted staff from the MDC in placing them on Indian Trail Conservation Area and Richard F. Clement Memorial Forest and Wildlife Area in Dent County.

Accessible hunting blinds also were placed on Woodson K. Woods Memorial Conservation Area near Maramec Springs. These blinds are for archery only.

All the blinds are available to holders of a special use permit. To apply, contact the MDC Rolla office at (573) 368-2225 or the Salem office at (573) 729-3182.

Roosters rounded up in South Dakota

The 2010 NWTF Rooster Roundup, a Wheelin' Sportsmen annual pheasant hunt, was canceled when the original location for the event flooded. But it regained new energy when Bill Gibbon and his family agreed to host the hunt at their farm in October.

Rain in the forecast caused a second change of plans, forcing the group to gather for the meals and raffles at the Peace Lutheran Church instead of at the farm's machine shed. Eighteen hunters and five non-hunters participated. Fourteen pheasants were harvested.

After the hunt, while the birds were cleaned and bagged, everyone returned to Peace Lutheran for prize drawings and a wonderful pork loin meal with all the sides provided by Jeff Gamber and his wife. — The Brookings (S.D.) Register

Wheelin' quail hunt
takes flight

Illinois Wheelin' Sportsmen held its first quail hunt in Hillsboro, Sept. 18. Five folks participated at the event held at Cranny Mack's Game Birds.

Volunteers from the Illinois State Chapter and members of the Veterans Assistance Commission of Montgomery County helped with the event. Dave Strowmatt from the VAC donated use of a hunting cart purchased to help disabled veterans get into the field. Cranny Mack's provided dogs and guides. — Patrick Morse