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Great time at WHO of Ohio Youth Hunt

• Bob Hanna: Someday
• October 7, 2020
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The annual Whitetail Heritage Organization of Ohio Youth Hunt was held once again at the Pilgrim Hills Campground near Brinkhaven on Saturday, Oct. 3. “This is why we do what we do,” WHO President Moses Keim said.

Each year WHO selects hunters from applicants who are handicapped or young hunters who want to learn but have limited access to a mentor to experience a guided hunt for deer. This was my third year helping with this event, and I told them that even though we moved to Kentucky, I wanted to help.

Last year was an incredible year as they took 21 hunters out and brought in 18 deer. Now remember this is in one afternoon. This year WHO accepted 25 applicants and took 20 deer, but there is so much more that goes on than just one afternoon.

It takes months of planning by their board members, lots of volunteers, landowners willing to set up hunting sites on their properties and sponsors. Think of this: Each hunter has a personal guide and a camera person to film the hunt. That’s 50 volunteers just to start.

Each hunting site has been baited with a corn pile for weeks ahead and monitored by trail camera. Some of the hunting blinds are permanent elevated structures, and some are ground blinds, depending on the hunter’s abilities. The organization also leases a 220-acre property near Warsaw that it maintains to allow first-time hunters a place to hunt.

One of the sponsors is Ten Point Crossbows. Each year Barb Terry from Ten Point comes; brings a crossbow for each hunter with bolts (arrows), some of which are customized for the handicapped hunters; and teaches them how to use the crossbows. Camouflage clothing and gear for the hunters were donated by Joe Miller of JWL Roofing. The WHO also held a raffle for the hunters.

Eric Long, owner of Drumming Log Wildlife Management, gave the hunters a humorous lesson on shot placement. Byler’s Barbecue also was there to cater the event.

“Each year it’s bigger and better, thanks to the support from our community and the landowners in the Tiverton Center area,” Keim said. “Without them and Barb Terry from Ten Point Crossbows, we couldn’t put this together.”

On the way up on Friday afternoon, Brian Yoder texted me, telling me they needed me to guide again, and that makes it even more special. This is one of the hunter’s stories. Imagine 25 stories.

So on this beautiful October afternoon, I, along with Joe R. Miller of Walnut Creek as our cameraman, had the privilege of guiding for Samuel Schrock, also from Walnut Creek, who uses a motorized wheelchair. Samuel inspired us all last year with his life story of surviving cancer and a traffic crash.

Our blind was not too far from the campground, so at about 2:30, we carried our gear to the ground blind and got set up in a heavily brushed area about 15 yards from the corn pile.

After a while, we’re not exactly sure how close they were, but we had deer come up behind us and “blow” (snort) as they ran away. That gets the adrenaline flowing. After another couple of hours, I told Samuel, “He’ll be here in a bit. He’s running a little late.”

“Who?” he asked.

“I texted the buck, and he texted back that he would be here soon.”

We did have a nice-sized buck raise his head above the brush shortly after that, just long enough for us to see him before he disappeared. That’s hunting. As we waited to see if he would come back, Joe said, “Here comes another buck.”

This was a smaller six-point. As he made his cautious walk to the corn pile, I whispered to Samuel, “Get ready, wait until he turns broadside, right behind the shoulder.”

As he turned, I said, “Take him.”

At the shot, the buck did what we call a “mule kick,” jumping 5 feet in the air.

On the way back to the campground, Samuel said, “You guys are amazing. Thank you for all you do.”

I turned to Samuel and said, “Really, whether you realize it or not, we actually get as much enjoyment from this as you do.”

That’s what it’s about. It’s not really whether or not they get a deer. It’s not about how much time or money we spent. It’s about making a difference in someone’s life — making new friends and sharing the outdoors and God’s creation with others.

If you would like to know more about this hunt or the Whitetail Heritage Organization, go to www.whitetailheritageofohio.org or call Keim at 330-705-0023.