This wonderful hunt was possible because of Paradice Hunt Club owner Mike Malik and his manager Doug Roberts. The preparations started with Bass Pro Shop completely outfitting our special hunters. They both practiced marksmanship well before coming to the hunt. By the morning of October 3rd when we checked zero on their rifles, both Steve and Garrett proved their shooting ability by being spot on.
At Paradice, John acted as Garrett’s guide and Steven’s guide was Ralph. Also helping out on the hunt were SCI-Detroit current President Dave Dawson, and past President Tom Pardo, Board Member Tim Turner handling the photography and video, and the author representing the Humanitarian Services Committee. Garrett’s father Rick and Steven’s father Keith also accompanied their sons on this dream hunt.
After sighting in, we settled in at the comfortable lodge to prepare for the afternoon hunt. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and considerable camaraderie. Following our lunch, the hunters made their way to the blinds with their dads and guides in search of trophy bucks. After passing on several bucks in the first hour, Garrett harvested a beautiful 10-point buck with one shot! His father was both jealous and very excited for his son. The smile on Garrett’s face was only surpassed by his father’s proud smile of the wonderful buck his son had taken. About the same time in a different blind Steven also dropped an equally good 10-point buck with one shot. The smiles on Steven and his father's faces were a true Kodak moment and a lifetime memory for both of them.
Professional photographer and video producer Tim Turner hurried to get all the photos he needed in the fading light of the afternoon. We gathered around to admire the trophies the boys had harvested while the deer were prepared. This was followed by hours relaxing in the lodge listening to our special hunters recalling every detail of how they collected their trophies.
What a wonderful experience this project is! As Chairman of the Chapter Humanitarian Services, I wish to thank all members for their continued support of this program. In addition, special thanks to Paradice Ranch, Lombardo Taxidermy, Bass Pro Shops, and Cattail Productions for all their generous support on this project.
