EDITOR’S NOTE: The Baptist Homes began its 2023 hunting season at the Arcadia Valley campus in Ironton, Mo. Read more here.
OZARK – The Baptist Homes and Healthcare Ministries’ (BHHM) hunting initiative has garnered attention from Bass Pro Shops, as well as from wildlife publications and podcasts.
IRONTON – Longtime wildlife writer and podcast host Bill Cooper, a member of Deer Creek Baptist Church, Cuba, joined the 2023 hunt at the Baptist Homes’ Arcadia Valley campus here, with plans to produce a podcast and write an article about the hunt.
At the end of August, Bass Pro Shops released a video about the hunt that took place at the BHHM’s Ozark campus last fall. (To watch the video, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtNiDV2CQPw.)
Also in August, the Missouri Conservationist ran a six-page spread about the hunt, featuring an article and several photos from the event. (Access the articles and photos online here: https://mdc.mo.gov/magazines/missouri-conservationist/2023-08/seniors-afield.)
But this isn’t all. The BHHM hunting initiative was also featured in the Fall 2022 print edition of the Quality Whitetails Magazine, published by the National Deer Association (NDA). (Access the article online here: https://deerassociation.com/senior-field-to-fork-hunt/).
Longtime wildlife writer and podcast host Bill Cooper also wrote an article about the hunting initiative for the Nov.-Dec. 2022 print edition of Outdoor Guide. In the article, NDA Deer Outreach Specialist Cheyne Matzenbacher said the BHHM initiative “may be the first organized deer hunt for residents of a nursing home facility in the country.” (Access the article online here: https://deerassociation.com/senior-field-to-fork-hunt/.)
Cooper also featured an episode last September about the initiative on his podcast, Living the Dream Outdoors. (Listen here: https://audioboom.com/posts/8164927-baptist-home-national-deer-association-senior-crossbow-hunt.)
A member of Deer Creek Baptist Church, Cuba, Cooper participated as a mentor for the 2023 hunt at the BHHM’s Arcadia Valley campus in Ironton. His podcast about the 2023 hunt, he said, is expected to release on most social media platforms, Oct. 25. (Stay tuned to his podcasts here: https://audioboom.com/channels/5040838-living-the-dream-outdoors.)
JEFFERSON CITY – The August 2023 issue of the Missouri Conservationist features a six-page spread, with an article and photos, about the deer hunting initiative organized by the Baptist Homes and Healthcare Ministries. (Screenshot)