January 21, 2018
Location: RMS Gear, Wheat Ridge, CO
Hosted By: River Deep and SCI HOP
Participants: Craig Hospital, Operation TBI Freedom and Soldiers from Ft Carson WTB 

Archery instruction and a gourmet Italian lunch
Last Sunday, we had a great group of people all ready for some top notch Archery instruction from the staff at RMS Gear in Wheat Ridge. We used both compound and recurve bows. The instruction started with the fundamentals and then on to more advanced techniques. Everyone had a smile on their face, the instructors were great and all the participants were enthusiastic. We had a special treat for lunch. The Ranch at West 40 in Lakewood provided a variety of Italian dishes including salads, and cream puffs for dessert. The owner, Hardi, delivered the gourmet spread himself…what a day!  

A big thanks to Tom Clum and his staff at RMS Gear, all the volunteers and The Ranch at West 40. 

Bob Adwar 
SCI, VP/Humanitarian Chairman
River Deep, President

January 19-20, 2018
Location: Nebrado Farms, Holyoke, CO
Hosted By: River Deep and SCI HOP
Participants: Operation TBI Freedom and Soldiers from Ft Carson WTB

Pheasant Hunt and Nebrado Farms 
This past weekend River Deep and SCI HOP, along with Allen Strong and Rudy Haynes, hosted Veterans from Operation TBI Freedom and Soldiers from Ft Carson Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB), on the Eastern Plains of Colorado, in farm country. Beginning Friday morning, hosts Allen Strong and Rudy Haynes took the group of Veterans and hunting dogs to walk the tall grass. 
  
The group conducted a combo upland & waterfowl hunt. Day one consisted of the upland portion where several pheasants were jumped, and the group were able to harvest two great birds. The weather was pleasant, but not in their favor. They spent some good time and covered hours of great pheasant habitat. Everyone had a engaging time and were happy to be in the field and seeing animals. The group wrapped up day one with a feast at Happy Jack’s Barbecue in Holyoke, CO. No one left hungry. Day two was waterfowl day. Their pit blind was spacious and came with a heater, a chef (our gracious guide Allen) and a delicious breakfast. The Canadian geese were thick on the river less than three quarters of a mile away, but again the weather was pleasant but unhelpful. Two flocks of snow geese came within range and they were able to harvest one goose. 

Everyone agreed that the nice weather, great meal and camaraderie made it a successful day. On this outing, one veteran was able to take his first pheasant and enjoy his first round of waterfowling. Allen was knowledgeable and engaged guide and everyone had a blast. It’s been a great couple of days and a wonderful time for everyone. A big thanks to all of our Holyoke Friends.

Captain Justin Nopolitano

Bob Adwar 
SCI, VP/Humanitarian Chairman
River Deep, President

January 5 - 8, 2018
Location: El Capitan Ranch, NM
Hosted By: River Deep and SCI HOP
Participants: Veterans from different branches of the United States Military

Elk Hunt at El Capitan Ranch  

The first weekend of the year commenced with an exciting four-day hunting event for River Deep, SCI HOP and six well deserving Veterans from different branches of the United States Military. The four-day hunt was hosted by El Capitan Ranch, near Roswell New Mexico. El Capitan Ranch is home to one of the healthiest elk herds in New Mexico. To address the issue of population management, the extremely knowledgeable ranch manager, Tony Dickerson, organized the opportunity for SCI HOP to connect Veterans with the unique opportunity to participate in a once in a life time, four-day hunting event for conservation efforts. The trip proved to be overwhelmingly successful as all six veterans were able to not only harvest six cow elks, but also get hands on experience with processing all six elk. 

The six-man team came together and fully processed six cow elk. The team shared experiences and most importantly, had an absolutely wonderful time. While the hunt itself was the showcase, the opportunity to come together in a safe and calm environment with such wonderful people has a value that is unmeasurable. This event has created bonds and ensured the future of the program should El Capitan Ranch require further herd management.

A big thanks to El Capitan Ranch, Tony Dickerson and Staff Sergeant Scott Huyvaert.

Bob Adwar 
SCI, VP/Humanitarian Chairman
River Deep, President