[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/giving-back-to-our-heroes\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/giving-back-to-our-heroes\/","headline":"Giving Back to our Heroes","name":"Giving Back to our Heroes","description":"Date: 24 Oct 15 Time: 4:00 AM Location: Horicon Marsh Weather: Overcast with a chance of strong rains Mission: Duck...","datePublished":"2015-11-10","dateModified":"2018-12-04","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/author\/hagosto\/#Person","name":"Hector Agosto","url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/author\/hagosto\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7bfedbdc5ef3ed8f8df91eb37e1ffbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7bfedbdc5ef3ed8f8df91eb37e1ffbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Legendary Whitetails","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/logo-legendary-whitetails.png","url":"http:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/logo-legendary-whitetails.png","width":522,"height":226}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Picture1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Picture1.jpg","height":869,"width":1499},"url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/giving-back-to-our-heroes\/","about":["News"],"wordCount":867,"keywords":["News"],"articleBody":"Date: 24 Oct 15Time: 4:00 AMLocation: Horicon MarshWeather: Overcast with a chance of strong rainsMission: Duck Hunt for the VeteransRipping through the shallows of the Horicon Marsh, we came to rest after propelling the camouflaged vessel deep within the concealment of cattails.\u00a0 Although the tactical, pitch black approach may have felt like a Navy SEAL mission for someone who\u2019s never served, this was quite the opposite.\u00a0 In fact, it was a healing mission.What started as a simple idea over a Memorial Day campfire between founders Ryan Voy and Chuck Dodge has long since came to fruition.\u00a0 The two men, both avid outdoorsmen and duck hunters wanted a way to give back and say thanks to our veterans.\u00a0 Thus, they fell back on what they knew best, and Horicon Marsh Wounded Warriors Inc. was born.\u00a0 Now serving in its 6th consecutive year, the annual Horicon duck hunt continues to bring veterans together from across the country for a weekend of duck hunting.Founder, Chuck Dodge, takes a veteran out to one of his secret spots on the Horicon Marsh.By 4:15 am, veterans were filtering out of the bunk houses, campers, and tents, grabbing a hot breakfast, and were beginning to get excited about what the marsh had in store for them today.\u00a0 A fairly warm and humid morning quickly broke loose and the skies began filling the marsh with needed rainfall.\u00a0 We hunkered down in the pitch black boats with our faces pointed towards the deck as the rains steamed over our hoods.\u00a0 Luckily it was a quick moving storm and the rains subsided just as day broke.\u00a0 Bring on the ducks!\u00a0 Or, so we thought\u2026it appears we set up just east of this morning\u2019s main flyway.\u00a0 Nonetheless, we enjoyed the comradery and one U.S. Marine Corps vet., Ryan Baudhuin was able to make good use of his sharpshooting skills on a lone female wood duck.Following the morning\u2019s hunt, Macel Dera, U.S. Marine Corps veteran explained what the hunt meant to him and so many other veterans \u2013\u201cIt\u2019s a relief in many ways. It\u2019s great to know that people appreciate our efforts and put on events like this.\u00a0 It\u2019s great to get back behind the gun and shooting as way to get back into the action.\u00a0 As most veterans will tell you, they miss being in the military and it\u2019s almost like a form of PTSD relief.\u00a0 You feel like you\u2019re back in the zone.\u00a0 I really appreciate it.\u201dAs we worked to capture the hunt and the day\u2019s emotions through the lens of a camera, it was impossible not to be humbled.\u00a0 While we are out enjoying these unbelievable natural places here in the Land of the Free, their brethren continue to serve and protect our freedoms.The morning hunt was not slow to all, as we returned back to the boathouse to a table full of waterfowl.\u00a0 Then again, should this be a surprise?\u00a0 It\u2019s probably a bad day to be a duck when a bunch of professionally trained marksmen are out hunting the country\u2019s largest freshwater marsh.A wide variety of ducks and several geese hit the water during the annual veterans’ hunt.Dodge, one of the founders of the Horicon Marsh Wounded Warrior Inc., spoke for us all when he said,\u201cWe wanted to give something back to our veterans.\u00a0 They\u2019re reason we have places like this because they protect our freedoms.\u00a0 This is their day and we wanted them to experience the marsh.\u201dNow in year six, Voy and Dodge have no plans on slowing down as they\u2019ve already began planning for 2016. \u00a0To learn more or to get involved visit the Horicon Marsh Wounded Warrior, Inc. Facebook Page.50+ veterans joined volunteer guides for the 6th Annual Horicon Marsh Wounded Warriors Inc. duck hunt. "},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Legendary Whitetail's Blog"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/giving-back-to-our-heroes\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Giving Back to our Heroes"}}]}]