On November 11-13 the Tennessee Valley Chapter partnered with numerous sponsors and volunteers to host 14 veterans for the first Purple Heart Hunts for Warriors in north Georgia.  The hunt was held at Wes Hixon's Outdoor Adventures, North Point Hunt Club near Trenton, GA.  On Veterans Day, Friday November 11, the veterans gathered with the volunteers to get acquainted during an afternoon of clay targets, sighting in their rifles, great bluegrass music from The Possum Hunters and a delicious meal of venison steaks. Saturday and Sunday were spent hunting and enjoying the freedoms for which these heroes sacrificed on the battlefield.
The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of the Armed Forces who was wounded or killed while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after April 5, 1917.
Each hunter could take two does and one buck during the two-day event.  The hunt yielded four bucks and 19 does. This helped the hunt club meet its management goal of reducing the doe population. Marvin, our oldest hunter, a 75-year-old Vietnam veteran, harvested his second buck ever.  Mike, a 70-year-old Vietnam veteran, participated in his first hunting experience and harvested a large mature doe.  Alexander, a 37-year-old veteran, harvested his first deer.
Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division partnered with SCI for the event.   North Point Hunt Club members, GDNR and SCI TN Valley acted as partners for each of the hunters, assisting as needed.  Mike Rogers, Jr., host of Outdoor Channel’s Expedition Safari, guided and filmed. The event will air on his show sometime in December.
There were many great prizes donated for a drawing for the warriors.  The grand prize was a Glock pistol.  Thank you to all donors. Sincere appreciation and thanks go to the Lynda Norman Foundation whose generous donation made this hunt possible.
Visit www.TNValleySCI.org for a slide show of the event.
