HCWA 2022 Hunting Season a Hit Among Youth, Veterans
With deer hunting season in Georgia ending in early January, the HCWA Cubihatcha Outdoor Education Center and Land Management Department personnel were able to look back on another successful Hunting Season at the Authority in 2022.
The HCWA hosted three successful public hunts this past fall – two Youth Hunts on Oct. 22 and Nov. 5, followed by a Veteran’s Hunt on Nov. 19. These hunts took place on the Authority’s Walnut Creek Land Application System (LAS) property, where nearly 1,000 acres are used for the spray irrigation of treated wastewater. This protected land provides an ideal habitat for deer and other wildlife.
The HCWA hosts Youth Hunts annually for kids 10 to 17 years old, while the Veteran’s Hunt is open to all military veterans who have been honorably discharged or to those who are active duty or reservists. Each hunter, however, must be a Henry County resident, property owner, or HCWA customer. Participants are selected via a lottery or blind draw among applicants for the three respective hunts. Hunters also must attend an orientation and safety briefing prior to participating.
Hayley Farmer, a Lieutenant who has enjoyed these events as both a Youth Hunt participant and as a volunteer for the Veteran’s Hunt, has a unique perspective on the value of the HCWA Hunting Season to the community.
“I’ve been attending these hunts for more than five years now, and it started as a way for me to spend time with my parents, as well as get to see healthy harvests and share hunting stories,” says Second Lieutenant Hayley Farmer, whose father David works for the HCWA. “Now that I’m active duty, I look forward to these annual veterans hunts because they provide an opportunity to get all the old vets’ stories from down range. They’re always eager to share their experiences and wisdom with a new lieutenant like me.”
Farmer adds that the HCWA Veterans Hunt are not only fun, but therapeutic for lots of veterans as well.
“In many ways and in most circumstances, veterans are not surrounded by people who understand their lingo on the day to day. So, for Authority to host these events and bring members of the service together to bond and talk shop again, it’s refreshing, and it shows an immense amount of support for veterans. This event brings the past, present, and future together in a field environment without the strict military rules, which makes it relaxing, while fostering camaraderie most soldiers long for, like they had before.”
The response from youth, adults, and veterans who were selected to participate in one of the three HCWA Hunts during the 2022 Season was overwhelmingly positive.
“This is the best hunt I’ve ever done, because they (the HCWA staff) take so such good care of these kids,” says Robert Harper, who joined his grandson Jaxon on the first Youth Hunt.
Authority officials say they could not host such successful hunts without the help of sponsors. This year, those contributors included Southside Sportsman Association, Hilsman’s Deer Cooler, and Smurfette’s Creations.
The HCWA Land Management Office oversees more than 8,000 acres of protected green space throughout Henry County, included the Wanut Creek LAS site where the HCWA Hunts are held. The Authority’s public hunts help to manage a healthy deer population, with oversight provided by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
For a photo gallery from the first Youth Hunt of the 2022 HCWA Hunting Season, please visit this link to our photo gallery.
Captions for photos (top to bottom):
Participants in the first Youth Hunt of the 2022 HCWA Hunting Season enjoyed the day outdoors hunting on the Authority’s Walnut Creek LAS property. In all, the HCWA hosted three successful hunts for the public.
The HCWA staff provided lunch and refreshments for the participants in each of the three hunts during the 2022 season.
Steven Cole (right) and Harrison Court (left) enjoy a game of corn hole during a break between the morning and afternoon periods of the first HCWA Youth Hunt of 2022.
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Media Contact: Chris Wood, Ph.D.
P: 770-757-1681
E: chris@jwapr.com or john.wood@gcsu.edu