Please be aware that Outdoor Buddies will be following all state and local guidelines for our events. If you have a fever or other flu-like symptoms, have traveled out of state in the past 2 weeks, or have been in close contact with anyone testing positive for COVID-19, please do not attend these events. Furthermore, if you are in a high-risk category, carefully consider your risk before attending.

We will be continuing to update our events and precautions as the situation develops. Thank you for your patience, optimism, and understanding. Hope all is well with you and yours!

Outdoor Buddies has limited hunting opportunities. To request a deer, elk or pronghorn hunt slot please click on one or more of the links below and fill out the requested information.

Requests received by 2/28/22 will have priority over those received after that date.

Participants in Outdoor Buddies sponsored big game hunts must be registered members of Outdoor Buddies. Registration must have been completed prior to being considered for a big game hunt.

Participants are expected to provide their own transportation to/from and during the hunt, unless other arrangements are made in advance, and pay personal expenses including required licenses. Outdoor Buddies will provide a location to hunt and an able-bodied helper/guide.

If you are selected for a hunt with Outdoor Buddies on private property, returning to this property for a future hunt without our approval is strictly prohibited. This action may disqualify you from any future hunts with Outdoor Buddies.

All Outdoor Buddies sponsored big game hunts are “No Smoking” activities.

The Outdoor Buddies Big Game Hunt Committee will review all requests received and you will be notified if you were selected or not via email.

If you are selected for a hunt slot, we will let you know what hunt unit to apply for. If you draw a license from the state we will work with you to schedule the details of the hunt. Please do not apply for a license for your requested hunt until your hunt is confirmed.

If you are selected for, and accept a hunt with Outdoor Buddies and then cancel, you will not be eligible to hunt with Outdoor Buddies the following year. Please note – we will review all cases and will not apply this rule to valid medical or health related issues.

Applicants may designate an area where he/she would prefer to hunt, however it may not be possible to schedule that location due to the limited number of opportunities at each hunt location. Please note - by selecting "no preference" on your hunt location, you will increase your odds of being selected for a hunt.

It's almost that time of year again! The 2022 Outdoor Buddies Annual Raffle fundraiser will begin in the first quarter of the year, details to be announced shortly. Tickets will be available online and at in-person sales locations (to be announced). Winners will be drawn at the annual clay shoot on August 6th in similar fashion to the 2021 raffle.

Thank you for your continued support of Outdoor Buddies and its mission to bring people with mobility impairments into the outdoors. None of these programs, events, memories, and experiences would be possible without you.

Details will be announced in upcoming newsletters.

Outdoor Buddies is hosting an ice fishing day at Wright Reservoir near Florissant, CO on Saturday February 5th! All experience levels are welcome! 

Lunch will be provided by Outdoor Buddies. Bring your own equipment if you have it. Outdoor Buddies will also have loaner gear if needed. Volunteers will be present to assist any who need it. Dress in warm layers and bring suitable boots with good traction. Outdoor Buddies volunteers will be present and ready to get you fishing starting at 7:30 AM. Bathrooms will be present on site.

For the safety of all participants, please exercise caution and common sense and do not attend if you have had recent exposure to covid-19 or are experiencing symptoms. 

Wright Reservoir is a private lake, access has been generously provided by Win Ewbank with Colorado Outdoor Sports. The reservoir is located 11 miles south of Florissant. Take county road 1 heading south from Florissant, then bear right onto county road 11. The reservoir will be on the left side of county road 11, just look for the Outdoor Buddies trailer and signs. 

Registration will be capped at 25 participants so if you'd like to attend, please email Nate Lucht as soon as possible with the following information:

We look forward to seeing you all on the ice!

Outdoor Buddies would like to say thank you to Mary Murphy and Sam Barnes, owners of Agner Mountain Ranch, for donating the elk hunt for last year's annual raffle. The lucky winner, Delvin Lierman, was featured in the December 2021 newsletter.

Outdoor Buddies hunts are made possible by generous donations like yours! Many thanks, and Happy New Year!

Hunting is the only sport that I know; I will forever be a student!

Antelope hunting is always on my “favorites list.” I love the area we get to hunt in. I get to take my camper. The people in camp are the best. Everyone supports each other, and celebrate the success just being there. Laughter is never in short supply.

Again, I get to take my camper!

The first day hunting was great. Although a slow morning, another hunting grouped scared up a doe that literally ran right up to us. We were outside of our truck. She was so preoccupied with the vehicle that sent her up the prairie, she never even noticed us. My husband, looking through his binoculars, was shocked when I said, “Look at this!”

Excited, I was thinking, “looks like an afternoon wrap up!” Which is an insight to an over-inflated ego!

There she stood, 50 yards or so from us, still looking back at that truck behind her. My husband’s only words were “Holy crap!”

We were close to the stock tank, so I tried to steady myself on the rail. I had her dead to rights. I lined it up, took a breath, exhaled, and squeezed off a round. This was an exceptional miss! Not a little one, but one of those misses where that ego you had 4 seconds ago takes a crashing elevator ride into the sub-basement. So, in a multiplying list of excuses,

1)     The barrel rolled on the fence rail.

2)     My scope must be off.

3)     A blade of grass got in my way.

4)     The wind blew.

I decided it couldn’t have been me! Ego restored!

The day was slow for us after that. We did manage to watch other hunters make an extraordinary stalk on a buck. We got to see an amazing recovery of a doe that was hit, but covered some ground before she fell. Not a bad day, but we knew the day’s hunt was closing. Back to camp we went.

The next morning came bright and early, and we headed for the main tent to start the day. The usual group was there, Larry, Penny, other hunters, then Rob Adams stood up. Rob offered to take us on the “guided tour” of the hunt area. We immediately took him up on it! Rob had been with me since my first hunt with Outdoor Buddies; his company is always welcome! It also saved my hubby from the hunt map he spilled coffee on, and could no longer read! Yes, he has taken the same map for 3 years! He spilled coffee on it…on year one! I will forever tease him about that!

We went on a beautiful tour of the ranch. The sunrise was beyond gorgeous, and I truly got to appreciate how hard these two guys were working to make my hunt a successful one. From my vantage point in the back seat, it truly touched my heart. I knew I was lucky to find the people of Outdoor Buddies, and luckier to have a hubby that sacrifices to be able to be with me on my hunts. It just struck me so much more this particular day. The guys were tired, but kept pushing hard to get that doe in my scope. We pushed hard all morning, but didn’t get that opportunity until after lunch.

We were driving along a dirt road and a buck chased a doe right in front of the vehicle. Then, one second later, they were 500+ yards away. We got the chance to glass them for what felt like an hour. The buck had her in a stare down against an outcropping of red rocks, almost like a National Geographic setup. Only, I am an antelope eatin’ fool, and I’m eager to do more than just appreciate the scene.

Rob suddenly said, “We need to make a plan here,” then stated, “I haven’t been on it in years, but I think there is a road up here that will get us closer.”

Then, we were moving! Hooray, the road was still there! We got closer, and that buck had no intention of letting that doe move! Only problem, when Rob ranged her, she was 336 yards away. I am comfortable in the 250-ish yard range. I was not comfortable with my skill at that range. Rob asked what I was shooting. My hubby made sure I remembered my scope was dead on at 200 yards. Suddenly I felt like I had the guys who coached Mark Wahlberg for the movie, “Shooter” in the truck—in a good way! I’m in full student mode! I have always wanted to push my range level. The doe seemed to be almost a “carboard cutout” and the scope markings made for a much larger visual. Both men were then giving their teacher’s comments to give the pupil knowledge and confidence in the shot. Unfortunately, my hubby didn’t have as much experience hunting from a vehicle as Rob, and he kept moving in his seat. We back seat hunters know that this moves my scope. My next comment was one that only a wife can make to a husband. I will not repeat it here, but it was something like, “I love you so much honey!”

Once the truck was still, I took the shot. It was a kill shot! Just not as quick as we would have liked. My ego was not hurt; it was my furthest shot ever! Rob and my hubby went out to dispatch her, and drag her back! I didn’t get pictures up against those red rock outcroppings, but I was sitting in a patch of cactus for the photo, and didn’t even notice! That tells you how excited and happy I was.

It was a wonderful hunt! I look forward to each hunt with you guys!

I was extremely lucky to get the opportunity to hunt near Durango this year. Outdoor Buddies had chosen a number of hunters to fill vacant slots, which were opened up when the chosen hunters declined to go. Brad Harper is in charge of this operation, and he does a wonderful job of coordinating the hunts. The members of his team who were running my hunt were Cody Robertson and Cole Davis, a couple of experienced hunters who knew where to find bucks.

The morning hunt was on private land with vegetation typical of southwest Colorado. Pinion and scrub oak, which deer love, gnarled and twisted western red cedar, and chamisa dominated the vegetation bordering terrain typified by sandstone capped mesas and knobs , and bordered the ravines which dissected shale along drainages.  Our spotters reported a herd of does early, and then located the bucks. After slowly crawling up the road Cole tried to line up a shot on a 4 point buck. Unfortunately the slope of downhill shot was a little steep, and my round traveled above his back, which made him a little uncomfortable. He moved on to a pinion to nibble on nuts. While munching on pinion nuts he kept his butt towards me making a good shot impossible. He turned halfway broadside, but did not display himself for a decent shot, but he did keep my adrenaline up. I did not get another opportunity in the morning.

My buddy “River Rafter” Lew and I picked up some lunch and looked at the geology around Ignacio. Around 3:30 we headed up to a property that Brad recommended, where a blind was set up. After a laborious set up, we waited until the deer approached. Sure enough, a group of does began to ease into the field from the dark margins of the trees and invaded the valley, as the sun went down. The bucks followed the does into the field. I had an opportunity to down a 3 pointer at 12 o’clock, but buck fever interfered. Bigger bucks began inching towards us from 9 o’clock, but the sun was beginning to set, and the end of legal shooting time was quickly approaching. Suddenly, a 2 point buck approached from 12 o’clock, and Cole asked if I wanted to take him. I consulted with Lew, and with a thumb up lined up a shot. My bullet connected, and he went down.

I’d like to thank Brad Harper for setting up the hunt and pointing us to the right properties. Thanks go to Cole and Cody for their effort in guiding and helping me get set up. Without Outdoor Buddies Wounded Warrior’s River Rafter Lew Kleinhans I couldn’t have made the trip.

Thank you all very much for the opportunity to obtain my first Elk on December 17th, 2021. I left my home in Eaton Colorado for Craig Colorado on Thursday the 16th. I had a room at the Best Western Hotel in Craig, where Outdoor had even arranged special rates for us that were well below what I have as a loyalty rewards member.

I watched the weather since I first spoke with Mr. Terry as he said we would have more luck if we got snow to move the animals down to the area we were going to hunt. The forecast didn’t show any snow until the day before I was to leave, and less than 3 inches and on the evening of the 17th, so I was honestly a bit discouraged while hopeful at the same time. While driving up to Craig it started to snow, unexpectedly—YEA! I instantly was even more excited about the upcoming hunt.

The morning of the 17th, we all met at the Best Western with the landowner Mr. Albert and followed him out to the property. While getting some boundaries Mr. Albert drove with Mr. Terry and Mr. Chris. Mr. Tony and I were in Mr. Chris’s truck; we scouted around for a while and saw an abundance of elk around us. Off in the distance there were so many Elk, they appeared as a moving dark spot on the hillside! We split up to try and get the animals to move towards the vehicle I was in and so we could cover more area and help me to get on an animal. We came across a herd that wasn’t to far off and Mr. Chris drove to try and get me out in front of their direction of travel, with success. Mr. Chris stopped the truck and the herd stopped as I got the rifle out the window, then started moving again at a walk. I keep the scope focused on one, got the yardage from Mr. Chris and waited for her to stop, took a breath and fired, heard the boom and the whack and Mr. Chris lit up! I really enjoy hunting with him he gets as excited as if he just got his first animal himself. He was the same way when I got my first whitetail with him and my youngest daughter. I was beside myself and overwhelmed in excitement at my first elk, and success in feeding my family as a disabled person who is unable to work. You don’t realize how majestic and big as these animals are until you are personally next to them, easily three to four times the size of good size deer. Mr. Chris and Mr. Tony helped me and showed me how to field quarter the elk. Mr. Chris is like a machine doing it but takes the time to teach at the same time—thank you sir for that.

After we got the elk all packed up we went back out to find a cow for Mr. Tony, as he had a tag too—two hunts for the price of one. We again split the two trucks to find his animal and again were met with success. Mr. Chris hiked in about a mile to scout out if the elk were on the other side of the hill. It was obvious they were as he was jaunting back—his face told the story. Mr. Tony followed Mr. Chris and shortly after reaching the spot they were headed back, and we were off to get elk number 2 in the truck!!

It was a double success on the first day out, awesome fun and an opportunity. I am grateful to have people like Mr. Terry and Mr. Chris, and I’m sure Mr. Toney is too. I am also grateful for Mr. Albert. Without his openness to allowing us on his property to hunt, we would never have such opportunities to hunt let alone successfully harvest game.

My sincere gratitude to Outdoor Buddies, the Able Buddy volunteers, and the landowners allowing us all access to the opportunities to be out in the wilderness pursuing passions that we thought disability would keep us from ever doing again.

THANK YOU!!

Add everything but the roast to a pot and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and cover, then let it cool to room temperature while covered. This will take a few hours. Meanwhile, trim any silverskin you find off the roast. Leave the fat. Once the brine is cool, find a container just about large enough to hold the roast, place the meat inside and cover with the brine. You might have extra, which you can discard.

Make sure the roast is completely submerged in the brine; I use a clean stone to weigh the meat down. You can also just flip the meat every day. Cover and put in the fridge for 5 to 7 days, depending on the roast's size. A 2-pound roast might only need 4 days. The longer you soak, the saltier it will get -- but you want the salt and nitrate to work its way to the center of the roast, and that takes time. Err on extra days, not fewer days.

After the alloted time has passed, you have corned venison. To cook and eat, rinse off the meat, then put the roast in a pot just large enough to hold it and cover with fresh water. You don't want too large a pot or the fresh water will leach out too much flavor from the meat -- it's an osmosis thing. partially cover the pot and simmer gently -- don't boil -- for at least 3 hours and up to 5 hours. The meat itself will be cooked in an hour or less, but you want the sinews and connective tissue in the roast to soften and that takes time.

Eat hot or cold. It is absolutely fantastic with good mustard and some sauerkraut on a sandwich.

One final tip: When you are done with the corned venison, leave it in the cooking broth. Store that in the fridge. Why? The broth keeps the venison moist. Without fat, if you leave it out of the brine it can get very dry and even crumbly.

Meetings are held from 6:30pm-8:30pm at the locations and dates below.