Wicked Outfitters in Kansas is a place that we call a second home… We have spent a lot of good times with great friends and owners Clint and Whitney deer hunting, but we headed down there this past week for something different…. The WORLD TURKEY HUNTING CHAMPIONSHIP. Mr. Bobby Pinson, singer and songwriter from Nashville, took it upon himself to put this event on to bring people together and help some of our Nation’s true heroes and wounded warriors continue to pursue their passion for the outdoors.
Anyone is welcome to participate in this event. It is comprised of fifty “2 man teams,” competing for the ultimate cash grand prize. There were several unbelievable events and concerts put on throughout the week, including a performance by Montgomery Gentry, and a benefit dinner to support the Hunting for Heroes Program.
Founder of the WTHC Bobby Pinson putting on a little concert!
Clint and Whitney, owners of Wicked Outfitters, and host of the WTHC have become great friends of ours over the last few years, and are truly great people. Thank you for hosting such an incredible event.
One of the coolest parts of the whole deal, was that we were surrounded by so many great people. From all of the heroes, to singers and songwriters from Nashville, to outdoor celebrities, everybody was there coming together for our sport and to support the people who make it possible to do what we love everyday.
Having fun with our good friends from Wildgame Innovations Big Bill and Matt Busbice. You always have to watch you’re back when these two are around.
Outdoor Channel’s, Steve Bowman, looking for turkeys. Steve sat out with us and captured some pretty awesome photos of a couple big toms checking out our Primos hen decoy!
We had the great privilege of meeting and hunting with one of the most inspirational people that we have ever met, Mike Lose. Mike is a police officer in Des Moines, IA. One day he was off duty and witnessed a very dangerous situation. At that point he had two choices, to act, or not to act. Again, Mike was off duty that day, but he acted! It was not about his line of work or his duty… it was about holding a higher standard of responsibility and trying to do all he could to save a life and ensure that people, like you and I, are safe. Unfortunately, while he was acting, Mike was shot several times. Eventually the situation was controlled and the danger was put to rest thanks to the actions of a truly brave man, Mr. Lose. Thankfully, Mike survived and is here today to continue pursuing his passion for the outdoors. Teamed up with Hunting for Heroes, Mike was able to receive an Action Track Wheelchair to let him still get out in the great outdoors and do what he truly loves to do….
Sitting in the blind, that afternoon, we had a few birds gobbling off in the distance. It seemed like it wasn’t long at all and Pat spotted red heads coming through the woods. They spotted that Primos hen decoy and bee-lined in full strut right at us. As those birds strutted their stuff right in front of us, you could hear Mike’s heart beating faster and faster. When one finally cleared, Mike shot and made a perfect shot on the one big tom! What a rush!
Mike Lose
Mike Lose is truly a hero and an inspiration. Everybody in this world has problems, and hard times, but for a guy like Mike, he never gives up. What happened to him is terrible and unfortunate to say the least, but he doesn’t let that get him down. He doesn’t roll over and give up, he keeps pushing everyday and makes the most out of life. Sitting in the blind with him and hearing his stories and experiencing his positive attitude is life changing for us. Congratulations Mike, and thank you. Thank you for showing us and everybody out there what life is really about!
The World Turkey Hunting Championship is an absolutely amazing event. It is not just about hunting, it is about more than that… it’s about what life is about and coming together to really enjoy what we have the opportunity to do. We all have a choice how we live our lives and how we deal with things that happen in our lives. Getting to meet people like Mike Lose and all the other people that we were fortunate enough to meet, give us the drive to do what we do. These people are truly inspirational and push all of us to live life with a more positive attitude!
Special thank you to Bobby Pinson, and everybody involved in the WTHC for putting on this life changing event. Also thank you to Clint and Whitney at Wicked Outfitters for hosting this event and also Hunting 4 Heroes for all you do to help make the dreams of our country’s true heroes possible.
If you want to learn more and get involved in the World Turkey Hunting Championship, go to http://nationalturkeyhuntingchampionship.com/wthc.html to learn more. Also checkout http://huntingforheroes.org/ to learn more about some of the inspirational people that love to hunt just like you and what you can do to help!
On another note, while the turkeys were falling in Kansas, one of our other team members Darren Martin was having a little luck of his own in Iowa.
Congratulations on an awesome bird!