With Spring finally here, we loaded up and headed to Wicked Outfitters in Kansas for the annual World Turkey Hunting Championship. The event consists of two man teams all competing to be named the World Turkey Hunting Champion. The competition is just one small aspect of whole deal. It also benefits an organization called “Hunting for Heroes” or “H4H.” H4H provides recreational therapy and counseling for law enforcement officers severly injured in the line of duty.
We were lucky enough to have the privilege to meet some of the heroes and great people associated with H4H. We did not participate in the actual competition, but instead got to take out a H4H hero, Mark Bradley, on his first turkey hunt.
Mark is an officer from West Virginia that was severely injured in the line of duty when another fellow officer fell asleep behind the wheel and his cruiser crossed the center line and hit Mark’s. He was told that he wouldn’t make it to the hospital, but against all odds, Mark survived, and not only did he just survive, he has battled back and was able to attend the World Turkey Hunting Championship, and try to harvest his first turkey!
It was so refreshing to see the excitement in Mark’s eyes when we met up with him the first morning. The turkeys were a little tight-lipped right off the bat, so we decided to switch up spots. We walked into a new pasture and Pat yelped a few times. A gobbler lit up right away! We scrambled to setup the blind and get the decoys setup. Just as we crawled into the blind, you could see the gobbler’s red head crest the hill. He came pretty much on a dead run and pounded our Avian X decoy! Pat was talking Mark through it the whole time. I don’t know who was more nervous! Mark got his nerves settled and as soon as the gobbler cleared the decoys, Mark drilled him!
Mark’s first turkey!
Congratulations Mark on your turkey! It was truly an honor to share this experience with you. Thank you for your service and for teaching all of us to never give up, and never stop fighting. You are truly an inspiration!
For more information on the “Hunting for Heroes” program, go to www.huntingforheroes.com.
Special thanks to Bobby Pinson and everybody at the World Turkey Hunting Championship for putting on such an incredible event, and also to Clint Walker and Whitney Fouts at Wicked Outfitters for hosting.
World Turkey Hunting Championship
http://nationalturkeyhuntingchampionship.com/wthc.html