Pheasant Tower Shoot Available To Veterans

Time is running out for current or former armed service members to participate in a pheasant tower shoot on Saturday, Dec. 9 in Columbia County. To be entered into a random drawing, participants must apply by Sunday, Dec. 3.

The Fallen Outdoors (TFO) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help get veterans get outdoors through a variety of hunting and fishing trips and events.

TFO is partnering with Falling Feathers to host the upcoming tower pheasant hunt this month. Any current or former service member can sign up this event through The Fallen Outdoor’s Facebook. If not chosen for this event, veterans can still be entered in other events and trips hosted by TFO.

“Last year we put on over 1,000 events for veterans, with over 60 of them being right here in Georgia, ” said Kyle McCloud, a pro-staffer for the Georgia chapter of TFO, and a veteran himself.

TFO has 39 chapters nationally, and they host kayak fishing trips, fishing tournaments, banquets, hunting and even concerts, all for veterans and current service members.

Through donations and money raised through fundraisers, these events are made possible with the help of private landowners and hunting clubs that offer land and time for hunts hosted by TFO. This nonprofit organization is run completely by volunteers who donate their time to help such an important cause. All money donated and raised stays within the state and is used to put on events and trips for those involved with the organization. Donations can be made to the organization through PayPal and will go toward funding more events like this for veterans across the United States.

 “The Georgia team recently expanded. It started in the Columbia (County) area and signed on six or seven new pro-staffers,” said Kyle. “This also expanded the options in the state of Georgia for veterans to go hunting and fishing.”

Something that Kyle really stressed was how much TFO really means to its veterans, and that the organization is so much more than just a sponsor for fishing and hunting events. Through the events, veterans establish connections with people they can relate to. By participating in these events, present and former service members can cope with problems or stress they may be experiencing.

“Our events end up being little to do with killing anything or catching fish, and more to do with regaining a little bit of the camaraderie we might have lost when leaving the service. That—and I’m no doctor—but sometimes just being outside can help folks heal a little bit,” Kyle said.

To learn more about TFO, contact the team at TheFallenOutdoorsGeorgia@gmail.com, visit their website at http://thefallenoutdoors.com, or view their Facebook page.