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| '08
Celebrities & Heroes November
23-24, Glen Elder, KS. In 1998, KDWP and the Waconda Lake Association organized a special pheasant hunt for youth hunters. In 1999, Davide Segui (1st baseman for the Baltimore Orioles) and other professional athletes joined the hunt "to do something for youth in Kansas." A trap shoot and banquet were added to the festivities. In 2001, a special women's pheasant hunt was included in the event. In 2002, Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters became involved with several "littles" participating. Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors became a sponsor of the event in 2007. 2007 was also the first year we welcomed our "Hero" celebrities, soldiers who had served our country in the War on Terror. This year's line-up of Celebrities and Heroes included:
All three Heroes from the Warrior Transition Unit at Ft. Riley are currently recovering from injuries received in IED attacks while stationed in Iraq. The Heroes from the KS Army National Guard all returned from duty in Iraq within the last year. We thank all of these fine gentlemen for their service to our country. 44 hunters took to the fields on Saturday with 42 hunting on Sunday. Over the 2-days hunt, we took 40 pheasants! The weather was fantastic, the hunters were all safe, and everyone had a great time. In the slideshow, you'll see lots of smiling faces and happy hunters. As with any hunt, there are always special stories to tell. This year was no exception. On Sunday, with temperatures in the 30's to start the morning, we had one of our Heroes, Sgt. Larry Wilson, show why these guys are so special. Hunting with as many new hunters as we were, blockers were not used. Instead, where possible, we would walk the fields towards the lake, using the natural barriers to keep the birds from running. As you might expect, some of the birds fell in the water. For the groups hunting with labs, that was no problem as the labs did just what they always do...jump in the water and retrieve the birds. One group didn't have the luxury of having labs with them that morning. And sure enough, one of the birds fell about 15 yards off-shore in the chilly waters of Lake Waconda. Sgt. Wilson didn't hesitate. He stripped off his vest and shirt and went in after the bird. Claiming he had done this kind of thing before when duck hunting, the cold and wet didn't deter him in the least. Sgt. Wilson swam out and brought the bird back to shore. And we have the pictures to prove it! Heroes step up and do the exceptional...and Sgt. Wilson did just that!
Click here for a slideshow with all the smiling faces! Wayne Hubbard, host of the "Urban American Outdoors" TV show joined us for the hunt again this year. As soon as video from the hunt is available, we'll post it for your viewing pleasure. A special thanks goes out to Mike Nyhoff, KDWP, whose efforts have single-handedly made this event a great time for all. We also want to thank all of the sponsors of the event, without whose support this event wouldn't be possible:
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