Outdoor Buddies is an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff. All of the outdoor experiences, adventures, and memories are the result of the amazing work of the volunteers that make it all possible. The board of directors is made up of everyday volunteers just like you--all ages, walks of life, and skill sets. The one thing they have in common is a passion for the Outdoor Buddies mission, and the desire to bring the outdoor experience to all.

The past few years have been bittersweet. The passing of Dwaine Robey, a pillar of Outdoor Buddies and a good friend to all who knew him, has left big shoes to fill on the board. We also bid a fond farewell to Nick Filler, who will be moving out of state. Although he will still serve on the board from afar, Outdoor Buddies needs more volunteers to step up and keep the mission going for future generations.

If you have a desire to help out, we would love to invite you to join the board of directors. Board members meet once a month to plan events, coordinate hunts, and plan fundraising to support Outdoor Buddies programs. They help direct events such as Family Day and the annual clay shoot, as well as taking participants out on hunts. They make decisions regarding the direction of the organization. Above all, they are simply volunteers wanting to give their time and talents to help others.

Whatever level of commitment you are able to provide; we would be excited to have you on the board!

If you are interested in just volunteering for more events, don't forget to sign up as a volunteer! Signing up as a volunteer here will get you on our list to be contacted when volunteers are needed for events. Contact volunteer coordinator Steve Medberry for more information on how to get involved.

Welcome to the 2021 Outdoor Buddies Raffle! Online sales are now live and tickets are available for purchase!

"Improve the quality of life by providing opportunities through an all-volunteer organization for those who have been deprived of enjoying outdoor experiences. These opportunities are available to all with no additional costs (other than personal expenses) and no discrimination due to race, creed, religion, sex or family status.

Outdoor Buddies is a nonprofit 501c3 organization that was founded in 1984 by representatives of Craig Rehabilitation Hospital and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Originally focused on spinal cord disabilities, Outdoor Buddies programs now assist those disabled from a wide variety of causes. In addition, we also have robust youth, novice hunter and disabled veterans programs."

By purchasing raffle tickets, you not only get a chance at some super prizes, but your donations also allow us to conduct more outdoor adventures for an ever-expanding group of disabled participants! Be assured that as an all-volunteer organization your donations will be used only for program support. We are proud of our ability to deliver memorable outdoor adventures without any compensation to those that so generously provide their time.

Colorado Youth Outdoors is a proud partner and friend of Outdoor Buddies, and this year you can support both CYO and Outdoor Buddies at the Holes & Hops cornhole tourney and brewfest!

Colorado Youth Outdoors hosts one of the largest cornhole tournaments and brewfests in Colorado. You can participate by purchasing a team or you can buy a general admission ticket and join the fun. Enjoy an atmosphere full of laughter, music, brews, food trucks, friends, raffle prizes and more!

Don't miss this fun event and a great opportunity to support two non-profits dedicated to service and the outdoors.

You are invited to the annual Outdoor Buddies Family Day at Swift ponds on Saturday, June 11.

Please bring your family and friends to enjoy the day with Outdoor Buddies! Bring your sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters to make memories and build relationships.

There will be catch and release fishing, archery, and BB gun shooting available. Pending the availability of ammunition, trap shooting may be available as well. Swift Ponds has handicap-accessible fishing docks for those on wheels.

There will be equipment available for each of the activities, but please feel free to bring your own fishing equipment.

We ask that participants please bring their own lunches to enjoy. Light single serve snacks and refreshments will be provided.

We will have on hand the Outdoor Buddies shuttle bus, track chairs, Bad Boy Buggy, Arctic Cat UTV, and ATV with go-getter to help those who need assistance in getting to the different activities.

Come and have a fun filled day with your family and friends!

Directions to Swift Ponds: Take Interstate 25 north to Windsor Exit 262, turn right onto Highway 392. Take Highway 392 east to County Rd. 5, turn left onto County Rd. 5. Take County Rd. 5 north to County Rd. 36 (Ketchter Road). Turn Left onto County Rd. 36, the Swift Ponds gate will be on your left.

For more information, please contact Larry Sanford at (970) 218-5356 [email protected]

Smoked venison jerky may well be the finest expression of this type of food. Lean, meaty, smoky, chewy and a little spicy, this is the Platonic Ideal of jerky. Here’s how to make it yourself.

For starters, this is a regular, i.e., not ground meat, extruded venison jerky — my ground venison jerky recipe is here — and it is a dry cured jerky, not a brine-based one like my chipotle jerky.

You should know that either of those other recipes I just linked to can be made into smoked venison jerky, too. After all, the smoking step is merely an alternative method of drying your venison jerky.

The best meat for venison jerky, in my opinion, are slices from whole muscle roasts from the animal’s hind leg. These will be clean of sinew, and you can easily slice them across the grain, which makes them easier to eat.

It doesn’t matter what animal you are using, either. I’ve made “venison” jerky out of deer, yes, but also antelope, elk, moose, nilgai, bison, etc. And there is no reason you can’t use caribou, wild goat or sheep, or hell, beef. Any red meat works — and yes, that means slices of Canada goose breast work really well, too.

When you are making slices for smoked venison jerky, you will want to only partially thaw your roasts. When they are sort of half-frozen, it is far easier to make nice, even slices. I like them around 1/4 inch thick, which results in a chewy jerky, not a brittle one.

In practical terms, this generally means 12 to 24 hours after you have moved a roast from the freezer to the fridge.

The spice mix I use changes pretty much every time I make smoked venison jerky. But it is always, more or less, like Mexican Tajin, which is a combination of powdered chiles, lime and salt. I almost always add either mashed, pounded fresh garlic or garlic powder. The fresh, mashed garlic will give you a stronger garlic flavor.

For the acidity, you can do one of a few things. You can either wet your venison with vinegar or citrus juice, or you can include citric acid in your spice blend. I do this here, using Fruit Fresh, which you can find in the canning section in your local supermarket.

And remember, there is no shame in simply making smoked venison jerky with salt and black pepper alone.

As for the smoke, remember you are drying the venison here, not really cooking it — although yes, it gets cooked. That means you want your smoker relatively cool; I use a Traeger Timberline, and I keep it at 165°F on full smoke. No matter what you do, you want the smoker under 200°F.

Wood choice is up to you, but here I really do like mesquite, hickory and pecan, which are all assertive woods. Fruit and nut woods are all good choices. I’d avoid alder here, as it’s a little “meh” for smoked venison jerky.

Once made, the jerky will keep for months in the fridge, weeks at room temperature, and until the Second Coming in the freezer.

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