Events dates and contacts as well as hunt information and contacts are announced in the free monthly newsletter which can be downloaded at left.
To sign up for a newsletter to be sent to you electronically, join Outdoor Buddies by filling out the registration form at left.
Handi-buddies should download the hunt request form at left to request a hunt.
Events
Annual Events.
• Family Day at Swift Ponds.
Every summer an Outdoor Buddies Family Day is held at Swift Ponds north of Windsor in Northern Colorado. There is no charge for this event. Hot dogs, burgers, chips, etc. are provided – also free of charge! This is an event for the whole family!
Activities in prior years have included: catch and release fishing (no license is necessary); trap shooting; a GPS cache course with GPS units and GPS units and instruction provided by the U S Geological Service: bird dog demonstrations; fly casting demonstrations and instructions: turkey calling demonstrations; fun.
• Banquet
Early each year, Outdoor Buddies holds a banquet which is our most important fund raising event. For the last 3 years, the banquet has been held at the Wildlife Experience in southern metro Denver. Attendees are access to all of the exhibits with no additional charge beyond the price of the dinner. Come early to allow time to visit the wonderful exhibits. Activities at the Annual Banquet include guest speakers, live and silent auctions of donated items as well as raffles of donated firearms.
Speakers include a representative from the Colorado Division of Wildlife. At the 2010 banquet, Tom Remington, Director of the Colorado Division of Wildlife gave a talk about the how the economic downturn has affected the Division of Wildlife.At the 2009 dinner, Tyler Baskfield, Colorado Division of Wildlife, gave us a talk about the mounting problem of human contact with coyotes in the Front Range of Colorado cities. In 2008, Mark Cousins, Colorado Division of Wildlife, gave a presentation on the Divisions efforts to feed deer who were in danger because massive snowfalls near Gunnison as well as other locations in Colorado.
• International Sportsmen's Expo
Each year Outdoor Buddies' volunteers man a booth at the International Sportsmen's Expo held in January at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.
• Golf Tournament
Each year Outdoor Buddies holds a golf tournament at various venues near Denver. This event is a fund raiser as well as a fun outing for members and is open to all interested persons.
Deer, Elk, and Pronghorn Hunts
Many landowners located throughout Colorado allow Outdoor Buddies to hunt on their properties. In 2008 hunts were scheduled for fifty-two handi-buddies with a 76% success rate. One handi-buddy bagged a black bear while on an Elk hunt. In 2008, the hunts were held in several Colorado locations including Custer, Douglas, Larimer, Moffat, Montezuma, Park and Routt counties.
The main goal of these hunts is to provide an enjoyable outdoor experience for the participants. Outdoor Buddies is not in the business of providing trophy hunts! However, some Outood Buddies hav harvested very nice trophies. Outfitters can be found who specialize in guiding disabled trophy hunters but the price tag ranges from $1,000 to $10,000.
In some cases, it is necessary to use adaptive equipment to allow severely disabled persons to hunt. Over the years, we have had support from Craig Hospital in locating the equipment and techniques necessary to allow handi-buddies to hunt. One example is a high powered rifle mounted on a wheel chair. The gun and its scope are supported on a platform and are manipulated and fired by battery powered servo motors. The gun can also be aimed and fired with mouth acuated controls.
It is necessary to apply specifically for elk and deer hunts. Click here to download Big Game Application Forms in PDF format.
For Pronghorn hunting, contact Dwaine Robey (719.783.9044.)
Turkey and Waterfowl Hunts
Turkey and Waterfowl hunts are held during the applicable Colorado seasons. Outdoor Buddies has permission to hunt at several locations. See the newsletter for more specific information.
Upland Bird Hunts
Outdoor Buddies schedules chukar hunts at various times. No license is necessary as these are farm raised birds rather than wild birds. Trained pointing and reteiving dogs and their handler accompany the hunters who usually ride a Go-Getter such as shown below. Backup hunters accompany the disabled hunter in an attempt to insure that the birds don't escape.
The hunter in the above photo is Nikko Landro, the Berthoud High School wrestler who lost his legs in an auto accident.
Fishing Trips
During 2008, ten fishing trips were organized including fly fishing on the Arkansas River, flies and lures on the Cache la Poudre River, trolling at Tarryall Reservoir and Chatfield Reservoir, ice fishing at Lake Granby, and bait and lures at private lakes near Warren Air Force Base near Cheyenne, Wyoming. So far in 2009, there has been an ice fishing trip to Tarryall Reservoir, and a fly fishing trip on the the Arkansas River. Planned is an outing at Chatfield Reservoir.
Outdoor Buddies boat inaugural voyage at Tarryall Reservoir.
The catch from the inaugural voyage.
Tarryall State Wildlife Area Campground
The closed-to-the public campground adjacent to Tarryall Reservoir can be reserved for group camping by youth and church organizations. Many of the groups in past years have been disadvantaged youth organizations that allow these kids to experience the outdoors sometimes for the first time.
The view from the campsite at Tarryall State Wildlife Area. Looking west towards the Mosquito Range.