Mike de Young on a previous year's successful hunt

It's time to start planning the 2023 hunting season! We hope you are as excited as we are for another year of accessible hunting with Outdoor Buddies! Hunt requests for deer, elk, and antelope hunting are now live on our website. To make sure the selection process goes as smoothly as possible, please remember the following before you apply:

1. All hunters must have a permit to shoot from a vehicle to participate in any Outdoor Buddies mobility impaired hunt. Please click here for more information if you do not yet have this permit.
2. Hunters must be willing to travel to their hunt, which may be anywhere in the state of Colorado (or Wyoming, if you select a Wyoming antelope hunt). Due to limited hunt slots available, locations will be randomly assigned.
3. If you are selected for a hunt and decline, you will be ineligible to be selected for a hunt in 2024. Exceptions will be made for legitimate health issues or emergencies.
4. Hunting applications need to be completed by 2.28.23 your best chance at being selected.

These rules are in place to get as many folks with mobility impairments as possible out hunting. Our all-volunteer staff works hard to put these hunts together, and we are all very excited to hunt with you in this upcoming year!



The Outdoor Buddies annual raffle is now live, and tickets are available for purchase! We have some great prizes that you can win this year, and the proceeds of this fundraiser raffle enable Outdoor Buddies to continue to fulfill its mission of getting mobility impaired hunters the opportunity to go on outdoor adventures. As an all-volunteer non-profit organization, Outdoor Buddies relies on folks like you to support our programs and make the dreams of mobility impaired outdoorsmen come true.

Please have a look at the fabulous prizes below, and get your raffle tickets soon! Don't forget to share this email with your friends!

All prizes will be drawn at the annual Clay Shoot fundraiser, which will take place on August 5th, 2023. Do not need to be present to win.

Call for Tickets:

Terry Gleason

303-868-2579



Walker shares his exciting Colorado antelope hunting adventure

Sharel (mom) Walker (hunter) Rob (dad) Willow (sister)

I was excited to get an antelope tag to hunt with Outdoor Buddies near Carr, Colorado. I haven't drawn an antelope tag the last couple of years, and I was looking forward to the season. It's usually just my dad and me out hunting, but the timing worked for my mom and sister to go along on this trip.

On a day in mid-November, we met Nick Filler and Larry Sanford at the property just after sunrise. The temperatures were hovering below 0, and there was fresh snow from the night before covering the ground. Nick jumped in the pickup with us and we drove out slowly, all of us glassing as we went. We got glimpses of a few antelope in the distance, and kept heading in their direction.

As we came around a bend, we could see about 30 antelope, walking up the next hill. We decided to get out of the pickup and try to put a stalk on them. We crawled across the cold snow cover until we could get close enough to just see over the hill. We spotted a buck.

We kept scooting up until I could get the buck in my scope from a prone position. I set up, my dad ranged it at 130 yards, and Nick asked if I was good to take the shot. I pulled the trigger, and the buck jumped and ran. The herd took off through the draw, including more animals that we couldn't see behind the next rise before.

The buck jumped and ran a little ways before lying down. The shot felt good, and I thought I'd hit him where I wanted, but he was taking longer than expected to expire. Finally he put his head down and we waited a bit before bringing the pickup up. We all walked up to him together. The sheathes on his horns were kind of loose. He was probably close to shedding them for the year.

It was fun to have my whole family along and get pictures of the hunt together.

I had a European mount made of the skull, and was surprised to find that there were small, new sheathes growing underneath last year's.

Photos in this article by Sharel Cameron

It was a really fun day, and I really appreciate the opportunity to go on the Outdoor Buddies hunt.

Thank you again for that whole experience! So appreciated!

-Walker Cameron



This recipe is full of comfort food flavors all in one bowl. Spicy sausage gravy is poured over braised greens and cheesy grits for a filling and flavorful meal!

Ingredients

Sausage:

• 1 lb ground elk (or deer, pronghorn, moose, etc.)
• 1 tbsp paprika
• ½ tbsp onion powder
• ½ tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp cayenne
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp cumin

Sausage Gravy:

• 1 lb elk sausage (see above)
• 3 tbsp pork lard
• 4 tbsp butter, divided
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups wild game stock (or beef stock)
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 tsp paprika (optional, for color)
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Wilted Kale

• 6 cups fresh Siberian kale, cut into 1 inch ribbons (or Tuscan kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, etc.)
• 1 tbsp bacon grease or lard
• ½ cup broth (wild game, chicken, etc.)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Cheesy Grits:

• 1 cup corn grits or polenta
• 3 cups broth (chicken, wild game, etc.)
• 1 cup half and half
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 8 oz shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

Other Ingredients (optional):

• red pepper flakes, for topping
• 6 tbsp fennel fronds or chopped parsley, for topping

Directions

Sausage:

1. Combine all spices in a small bowl. Pour spice mixture over meat. Mix together with your hands until spice mixture is well-distributed in the meat. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours, preferably overnight.

Cheesy Grits:

1. Bring broth, half and half, salt, and pepper to a low boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Once mixture is boiling, slowly add in grits, whisking the mixture as you pour them in. Reduce heat to a low simmer.
3. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Once grits are thickened but still creamy, add in butter and shredded cheese. Stir until melted. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Sausage Gravy:

1. While grits are cooking, prepare sausage gravy. Heat cast iron pan over medium-high heat. I use a 12" pan to fit all of the gravy.
2. Add lard to pan and heat until melted. Add in sausage. Break up meat until it makes a layer on the bottom of the pan. Let it cook for a while (3-5 minutes) before stirring or flipping it.
3. Once the bottom layer of meat has a nice crisp to it, flip the meat and redistribute in the pan. Continue cooking until all meat is browned, about 5 minutes longer.
4. Remove cooked sausage to a bowl. Reduce heat to medium-low. If there is grease left in the pan, you can use less butter for the gravy. You need about 4 tablespoon of fat total. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan if needed and cook until melted.
5. Add in onions and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until onions are translucent, stirring frequently. Add in remaining 3 tablespoon butter and cook until melted.
6. Add in flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Cook until brown and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Stir frequently.
7. Add stock, half and half, paprika, salt, and pepper to pan and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened and reduced a bit, about 3-5 minutes. Stir frequently. It may not thicken as much as you expect but it will thicken as it cools.
8. Add sausage back into gravy and continue cooking until heated through. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Wilted Kale:

1. While gravy and grits are cooking, prepare kale.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in bacon grease or lard. Once melted, add in kale.
3. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until wilted, stirring frequently.
4. Add in broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add in vinegar and stir to combine. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Assembly:

1. Divide grits among bowls. Top with wilted kale. Pour sausage gravy over kale and grits. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, fennel fronds and/or chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Outdoor Buddies Sporting Clays Event at Colorado Clays Shooting Park

*Raffle Drawing*

All day sporting clays shoot and fundraiser event at Colorado Clays LLC 13600 Lanewood Street Brighton, Colorado.

Aug 5

Larry Sanford

(970) 218-5356

popslarrys@gmail.com

Larry Sanford

President

970-218-5356

popslarrys@gmail.com

Nate Lucht

Vice President

(970) 219-8817

nate.lucht@hotmail.com

Christopher Nowak

Treasurer

303-717-7159

christopher_m_nowak@yahoo.com

Terry Gleason

Secretary

303-868-2579

terryjgleason@gmail.com

Kevin Kassner

Director

(303) 946-2502

kevin@asktechnolink.com 

Matt Camilleri

Director

860-930-2389

mcamilleri7@gmail.com

Tony Hodges

Director

303-523-0583

thodgesre21@aol.com

Nicholas Filler

Director

719.359.3641

nicholas.filler@outdoorbuddies.org

Steve Medberry

Director

720-255-9453

stevemedberry@gmail.com

Edgar Munoz

Director

720-261-1857

edgar4jec1268@gmail.com

Jim Piper

Director

303-514-8944

geopros@q.com

Frederick Solheim

Director-Warriors on Cataract

303-818-7600

WarriorsOnCataract@gmail.com 

Non-board members are welcome. Please RSVP in advance.

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

February 7 - Cabela's (Thornton)

March 14 - Cabela's (Lone Tree)

April 11 - Cabela's (Thornton)

May 9 - Cabela's (Lone Tree)

June 13 - Cabela's (Thornton)

July 11 - Cabela's (Lone Tree)

August 1 - Cabela's (Thornton)

September 12 - Cabela's (Lone Tree)

October (no meeting)

November 14 - Sportsman's Warehouse (Thornton)

December 12 - Sportsman's Warehouse (Thornton)