The Fallen Outdoors Hosts Pheasant Shoot

Falling Feathers at Whitaker Farm in Harlem hosted the Georgia chapter of The Fallen Outdoors for a veteran’s pheasant shoot on Saturday, Nov. 28.

The Fallen Outdoors is a national volunteer 501c3 nonprofit organization comprised of active duty and veteran military who use the outdoors as a means of therapy, and to help other active duty and veterans cope with daily stressors and PTSD, as well as introduce members to activities such as hunting and fishing.

On this cool, damp Saturday morning, 40 veterans, service members and a handful of their children gathered in the gorgeous barn venue at Whitaker Farms for the morning safety brief and coffee. This event marked a milestone for team Georgia of The Fallen Outdoors. This event put the team over their goal of 200 members participating in outdoor events in 2020, despite COVID related fundraising setbacks. These events are usually at little to no cost to the members, as long as they have proper licenses.

At 9 a.m., the 40 members took their places around 20 shooting stations, each with a poster of an individual or business who donated to The Fallen Outdoors so this event could take place. In the center was a large tower where the birds were released. For the next several hours, there were laughs, high fives and lots and lots of rounds shot off with feathers flying and birds dropping. Volunteers were positioned every few shooting stations with retrievers that brought the harvests back to their handlers. Patrick Wagner of Falling Feathers and his son rode around the stations collecting the harvested pheasant and ensuring all the members were taken care of throughout the day.

Once the final bird had been released, the downed pheasants were picked up and the shooting stations were cleaned, the members of The Fallen Outdoors gathered back at the barn for a BBQ lunch catered by Whitaker Farm, as more volunteers cleaned the birds and packaged the pheasant for the members to take home.

The Fallen Outdoors’ Georgia Team lead Andrew Eyerly, who was the primary organizer of the event, raffled off two firearms to the members which had been donated by Harry’s Saw Shop in Martinez. At the end of the day, the members of The Fallen Outdoors went home with full bellies, a bag of pheasant, some tired kids — and memories to last a lifetime.

The Fallen Outdoors Georgia Team would like to thank their sponsors and supporters, which includes Patrick Wagner and family at Falling Weathers at Whitaker Farm, Harry’s Saw Shop in Martinez, Southern Bred Clothing Company, Adel Outfitters, Bulldog Chiropractic in Commerce, Back Paddle Brewery, El Griton in Gainesville, Skunk Ape Tree Stands, Liberty Pressure Washing, Milton Ruben Toyota, Modern Mobility Solutions, SGT. Godbouts Beverage, Augusta RV, NWTF CSRA Chapter, and many more.

To find out more about The Fallen Outdoors, to help sponsor, or to just get involved, check them out on Facebook or at their website www.thefallenoutdoors.com, or email [email protected]

For venue or hunt information, visit the Falling Feathers at Whitaker Farm Facebook page, or call 706.699.1020.