2012 Twist of Fate physically challenged hunt

[harvey lee]

Well, it's less than a week away and I will be guiding I believe my 13th year for this hunt.

We invite 12-20 archers every fall for a 4 day hunt. The hunters have to get to the location at thier own expense and after that, everything is supplied for them. Thats food, sleeping, license and clothing and bow if needed. We also have a butcher there to cut and wrap all the hunters deer for them.

Each hunter has thier own guide and last year was our first year where we had a 100% kill. Most years it runs about 80-90%.

I have to give a HUGE thanks to Scoot on the forums here and his brother Rod and buddy Jake for all the help they gave me this past month.

Scoot and the gang went out, got the blind ready, which Scoot donated a few years back, hauled in the corn for the bait and then sprayed all the weeds from the blind to the area the deer will hopefully be harvested. Lots of other brush clean up and Scoot set a few trail cameras out so we have some idea what we are seeing by this blind.

They saved me hundreds of miles of driving and alot of work so again, Thanks guys for all you did in the past and this season to help me with this hunt to hopefully have my hunter harvest a deer.

My hunter this year is from Vergas, MN and is a Vietnam vet who was injured in Nam.

Hopefully if the Man upstairs is looking down on us, I will have one very happy hunter before the hunt is over.

In the last 7 years, we have even had 2 hunters who were yes, blind but they both harvested a deer.

This is honestly the highlight of my hunting season each fall. It's great when one can give back to others who have been less fortunate or were injured fighting for our Country. God bless them all.

This is a hunt where one can see many guides with tears in thier eyes when thier hunter harvests a animal. It is honestly about the best feeling one can have helping another enjoy what many times we take for granted.

Approx 6 years ago I had a hunter by the name of Owen from Wisconsin. Owen was terminally ill and said everyone in his family had shot a deer but himself and before he passed, he wanted to harvest a deer, that was his dream. Well, 2 days later Owen's dream came through when he harvested a nice doe. I know the Man was looking down on us that evening. Owen passed 3 months later.

If you know someone who would love to go archery deer hunting but physically they cannot go by themselves, have them contact Marlo in the Contact us link in the link I have posted for Twist of Fate or have them contact myself for an application. If they have never hunter deer before, that is ok as we will take all who would love to come and enjoy the outdoors deer hunting. This would be for the 2013 hunt or another year.

Here is a link to the Twist of Fate HSOforum.

http://www.twistoffatend.org/

[DonBo]

WTG Tom! It's a great thing you're doing. Good luck to you and your hunter!

[Jason_Gundersen]

That is awesome... That is a great thing you're doing I'm sure the big guy will smile on you

[mainbutter]

What an awesome thing you do, keep it up!

[Musky Buck]

You've got my "man or men of the year" vote ! :)Awesome.

[Scott K]

WTG, and good luck to them!

[nbadger23]

This is great Harvey and Scoot! I don't see anywhere on the web site to send donations if a person isn't able to volunteer to help. Do you take donations at all?

[harvey lee]

Many people donate on the Saturday night that we have the hog roast and the banquet. I could get another address to donate or you could send the donation directly to me.

This hunt is run off of total donations annually. There are staff who collect and solicit donation throughout the year to put the hunt on for these physically challenged hunters.

If you are interested in making any type donation, either in a cash donation or a item that could be placed on our silent auction or live auction at the banquet at the end of the hunt next week, please e-mail me at

[email protected]

Tom Hatlestad

101 West Shamrock drive

Arlington, MN 55307

1-507-964-2773

1-320-510-1650

I would be more than happy to take the donation to the hunt and you would also recieve a reciept for tax purposes for that donation.

Thanks for the thanks to Scoot. He and his brother and buddy Jake went out of thier way to help me with my hunter this fall and it is greatly appreciated. It's great to know that there are others out there willing to give a helping hand.

Takes many people and tons of man hours to set up camp, get the hunting spots ready and all the cooks and staff to make sure each participant has the hunt of thier life.

[monstermoose78]

thank you for helping people out!

[Boar]

Tom I feel your getting a standing ovation from all of us, think the manupstairs has a speacial stand set aside just for you.

[harvey lee]

All I can say is I love to help the people who cannot otherwise enjoy the outdoors. If you could see the smiles on thier faces when they harvest a deer, that would explain it all.

[harvey lee]

nbadger23

Thank you so very much from the whole Twist of Fate group for your generous donation to the hunt. It's people who are willing to step forward and make these donations that help make this hunt happen. All the staff who help are needed but without any donations, this annual hunt for the physically challenged would not happen.

I built a new custom fishing rod to be auctioned off at the banquet the last evening of the hunt while we have the annual hog roast.

I have to give a big thanks to Bill at Midwest Rod & Reel and Chad or Unfrozen right here on HSO for the component donations to build this rod. The red cedar handle and fore grip are awesome and I am sure will bring more money for the rod.

God Bless you all for how you have helped out.

I will post a pic of my hunter Loren's deer if we are so fortunate to harvest one. If will can harvest a deer, we will harvest one. Won't be till Monday though.

[Scoot]

Hi Tom,

I'm finally back from MT and just saw this thread. This is a wonderful cause and effort and I'm happy to be able to chip in a little bit on it. Hopefully all will be set up and ready for you and it'll all come together for you and your hunter. Good luck this weekend!!!

[harvey lee]

Well, we had another great hunt with our phycially challenged friends.

My hunter Loren shot a yearling doe and overall the hunters went 11 for 12.

One hunter had to shoot his compound sideways and he used his teeth to draw the bow back set at 60 pounds. I can say this, he can out shoot myself and most people that I know who shoot with a bow.

We had great weather, great deer hunting and overall, many new life long friendships were made.

The custom fishing rod I made and donated to the hunt sold for $400 at the banquet auction so I was very happy with that also.

I will see if I can get up some photos as I lost the sd card for my digital camera and have not found it yet.

[Scoot]

Atta boy, Tom!!! Congrats to you and your hunter! That Twist of Fate hunt is such a cool thing! Good for you for donating your time end efforts! By the shounds of it your hunter was smiling from ear to ear- awesome!

[nbadger23]

Great work Tom! Congrats on such a successful hunt and what was likely a weekend filled with a lot of smiles :-)