Ham and Bacon Shoot September 25, 2016

Sunday was the last Ham and Bacon Shoot of 2016 for the Western Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors. It was held at the California Hill Gun Club. We all had a great day and I would like to thank all of the participants and volunteers who came out to make the shoot fantastic.

Although I did not win any of the shoots, I did manage to come in second place a few times. The shotgun, sip n puff trigger and mount, all worked out great to provide a steady shooting platform.

Rainbow Trout Mount

It's been awhile since I posted, and just wanted to check in with everyone.  My friend Chad delivered my rainbow trout this week (21 inches, 5 pounds). I think the taxidermy turned out fantastic and it will look great on my wall.

This trout was caught at the pond in 84 Pa on the Western Pennsylvania Wounded Warrior property. At their 1st annual fishing day, I would like to thank everyone involved and who helped me catch and land this beautiful trout.

McDonald Sportsmen's Association Pheasant Hunt 2015

Yesterday was the second annual McDonald's Sportsmens Association pheasant hunt for the Western Pennsylvania wounded warriors. It was a fantastic day and everyone had a great day out hunting.

The morning started off with donuts, juice and coffee at the safety meeting. It was great seeing all of the McDonald members from last year. The volunteers are so nice and thoughtful, they really make this event first class.

My friend Terry from the Western Pennsylvania wounded warriors delivered my spring turkey mount.  I will be getting this gobbler on my wall sometime later today.

We all loaded up on trailers, golf carts and side-by-side's to start the day's pheasant hunt. Handlers and sporting dogs accompanied each hunter. There's something about hunting with a well trained dog, that makes the whole experience that much better.

I was able to put three pheasants in my game bag. I am always so thankful that I have the opportunity to be out hunting, bagging a bird is just a bonus. It's hard to believe that last week I was in the hospital having my big toe amputated.

I did have to wear a protective foam boot. But with a little creativity and some camouflage cloth, it all worked out fantastic.

After the morning field hunt we all assembled for lunch. McDonald had the lunch catered and let me tell you, it was the best. I had a perfectly grilled steak, fried cod fillet and a side salad. A raffle was held following lunch and each hunter was given a prize. My friend Tom won a new 12 gauge shotgun! No one was left out and we were all surprised by the raffle (I won a sweet NRA folding knife).

After lunch we all went back out for a Continental pheasant shoot. Although it rained off and on throughout the day it could not put a damper on our enthusiasm.  I am already looking forward to next year's event. Thank you to all the volunteers who made this hunt possible. I know we will all be talking about it for a long time.

Ham and Bacon Shoot

Yesterday was the ham and bacon shoot sponsored by the Western Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors at the California Hill Gun Club.  The weather was beautiful and we had a good group of shooters come out to support a great organization.

I shot six rounds really well but did not win any bacon or ham. My groups were tight and consistent but I just could not get closest to the X with a single BB. That's the great part of shooting in a ham and bacon contest. Anyone can win with a little luck.

One thing I would like to mention is winning is not always about the prize. And let's not get confused, this is not about handing out participation trophies to children in athletics. Everyone who participated in yesterday's event, able bodied or disabled was a winner. Several of the shooters had significant disabilities and they were still able to compete and win.

We all support each other and share in each others success. One particular young man is new to shooting. Several of us offered encouragement, let him use our shotguns and cheered for him to win. Unfortunately he did not win a prize but I think he took away something much more valuable. A feeling that he was part of a group, a feeling that he could accomplish his goals, and a sense of belonging.

It's amazing what can happen with the right group of people. When we encourage and support each other we all win.

Washington Sportsmen Show

My friend Ed and I were recently at The Washington Sportsmen Show, volunteering at the Western Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors booth.  I look forward to the show every year, It's an opportunity to help raise money for local Wounded Warriors .

It's also a great time to check out local sportsman and the products or businesses they are promoting. It's always fun to catch up from last year and see what they are into. Whip Em Baits is a local fishing lure manufacture.  Henry is the Whip Em Baits owner. I attended his last two fishing tournaments. He had some exciting new baits created, and is now selling them all the way in Australia.

McDonald's sportsman we're also in attendance. They put on a fantastic pheasant hunt last year for the Western PA Wounded Warriors,  I spoke with them and they indicated they would be doing another pheasant hunt this year. I'm certainly looking forward to that. 

I also talked with them about producing some hunting braces. These braces would enable wheelchair users the opportunity to shoot again. Having local Boy Scouts who are going for their Eagle Scout or other young people complete the Manufacturing. It's just an idea but hopefully it gets completed this year.