Pheasants Fly, Vets Thanked

Volunteers and sponsors who made the special hunt possible joined vets for photos after a pheasant tower shoot at High Point Quail.

Thank you and job well done — those were common words during a special tower pheasant hunt, and it was going both ways. Veterans were being thanked for their service, and organizers and volunteers were being thanked for putting on a great wingshooting event.

High Point Quail, a shooting preserve near Locust Grove, hosted the pheasant shoot for veterans who had been wounded while serving their country. Pheasants were released from a center tower with hunters stationed around the perimeter. Hunters rotated stands, and at the end of the hunt birds were divided among the hunters.

Bill Ward, owner of High Point Quail, said a moment that demonstrated the quality of people involved was when it came time to clean birds and so many stepped up to work side by side.

“I had one of the vets say, ‘I can’t believe you guys would do something like this for us.’ I just looked at him, and I was like, “You’ve got to be kidding — after what you guys have done for your country?” Bill said.

Guest-shooter spots helped pay part of the cost for the event. Guests shot side-by-side with veterans. The event included a Friday-evening steak dinner, a clay-bird shoot and a meet-and-greet with the soldiers.

Sponsors included Bass Pro Shop, Kroger, Polywad, Comfort Suites in Locust Grove, Z&Z Package and Service for Service. For info on High Point Quail, contact Bill Ward at (770) 231-7921.