Susie Hughes Nature Photography: April 2009

The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit signed a partnership with Safari Club International (SCI) today, a result of the goal to enhance and expand its existing outdoor programming and youth outreach options through SCI’s expertise and funding capabilities.
At its national convention in January in Reno, the Tucson, Arizona-based SCI Board of Directors voted unanimously to officially adopt a model partnership with The Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division, headquartered in Southfield. Since then, SCI chapters in Michigan have contributed more than $18,000 to The Salvation Army Outdoors, part of The Salvation Army’s youth outreach programming in Michigan.
Most of these funds were used to build a new facility at The Salvation Army Outdoors’ (TSAO) Echo Grove camp in Leonard, which gives youth a safe and exciting introduction to shooting sports, including archery and air rifles. SCI is also providing expertise through instruction at Echo Grove camp. This past summer, SCI volunteers provided certified instructors to help 32 youths earn their Hunter Safety Certification.
In addition, SCI is training leaders in The Salvation Army by providing the opportunity for the nonprofit’s instructors to attend the American Wilderness Leadership School in Jackson, Wyoming.
To solidify the partnership, The Salvation Army’s Central Territory Commissioner Barry Swanson and SCI President Merle Shepard signed an official memorandum of understanding in a ceremony at the Eastern Michigan Division’s Southfield headquarters.
“We live in a world in which children in the outdoors are becoming an extinct species. This new partnership helps us build a new mindset, a new outdoor culture. There is certainly a sense of urgency. This could be our last chance to build an active, motivated generation of outdoor kids,” SCI president Merle Shepard said.
Through camps, sports programs and after-school activities, The Salvation Army Outdoors provides children and their families with a well-rounded view of the outdoors, including wildlife management and education, fishing, boating and hiking from a mind, body and soul perspective. In Michigan, TSAO touches the lives of thousands of children and families.
“Through The Salvation Army Outdoors, each day is a new opportunity to provide a child with an experience they have never had before – learning new skills in the outdoors. This partnership will expand and improve these opportunities, and we are hopeful this model program will be adopted by other divisions and shared throughout The Salvation Army,” Commissioner Swanson said.
Comprised of 190 chapters worldwide, SCI exists to promote outdoor sports and wildlife conservation worldwide, and has dedicated an astounding amount of funding to conservation, wildlife education and humanitarian programs. For more information, visit http://www.safariclub.org/.
Founded by William Booth in London, England in 1865, The Salvation Army is a faith-based, non-profit organization dedicated to serving people in need without discrimination. The Salvation Army uses $.83 of every dollar raised to provide direct services to people in need each and every day of the year. For more information about The Salvation Army please visit http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/.

Having a Blog that highlights hunting is not the same as actually hunting and knowing first hand some of the things that are involved in hunting, I say some with the greatest first hand experience. Hunting is different every time, no matter if it's the same place, hunting the same game. caring the same gun, every time is different.

I have found that to me hunting is truly the experience, friends, nature, excitement, wonder and joy, the actual harvest is a bonus, but no longer a requirement.

I am well aware of my responsibility as a hunter. People a long time ago quit hunting to 'feed the family', with that came more responsibility to the hunter. The population of game still needs to be maintained at a renewable level, while staying within the carrying capacity of the land. Increased outward spread of the population and businesses into the rural areas has placed a strain on available areas for wildlife to live and survive, making my role as a conservationist and sportsmen greater. DNR and scientist are striving to keep the populations at a renewable level by utilizing the sportsmen as their main tool. I have seen this work and here and abroad, I have seen the increase in elephant populations when hunters are used as an incentive to conserve the populations and provide funding for villages and increased conservation programs, and I have seen wildlife thrive when the populations are controlled within the habitat available. I am proud to be a part of the conservation of wildlife thru hunting.

I have hunted from north of the Arctic circle to the cape of South Africa, from South America to , Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. And have hunted a wide variety of animals, Arctic Musk Ox, African Cape Buffalo, Mule Deer, Whitetail, Sand Hill Cranes, snow geese, Nilgai, Warthog, Kudu, Impala, ducks and doves and more.

I have put together a "Brag Book" that I love to show off, so here it is!!

Texas Whitetail Hunt with Flying W Outfitters, Ozona, Texas

More Texas Whitetail,

Colorado Mule Deer with Frank Morningstar

New Mexico Mule Deer with guide Forrest Henderson

I loved Texas hunting even when I got there at 31 degrees and snow and left 5 days later in short sleeves and 80 degrees.

Muy Grande Ranch in northern Michigan, a couple of years after this they were the first ranch in Michigan to have TB in the herd and I went back to work with the DNR and the Dept of Agriculture to prevent the spread of the disease into the cattle herd.

This was a ladies only hunt filmed for the OLN network.

Fun trip with some great ladies.

Texas Rams, lots of cactus needles when I got up.

Texas Wild Boar taken at the King Ranch.

First and last Javalina fro me they stink like a skunk and I hat to pet it before anybody told me, the smell last for days, the meat was given to a local food kitchen that ask for it.

Russian boar from the Smokey Mts of Tennessee, not the same, smell as a Javalina, but close.

A really fun hunt on the King Ranch with Tio Moya Outfitters
The King Ranch, comprises 825,000 acres of pristine wildlife habitat,

they acquired the ranch's first nilgai brood stock late 1920s to help feed their farm workers,

the nilgai have flourishing and now the ranch population is well over 10,000 of these illusive animals.

Wow, a long time ago, 1987. I did some trading for this hunt, I built one of my custom build fishing rods for the owner and this my the trade. An ice storm the day before made this a difficult hunt but this is one of my first trophy animals and one of my favorites.

Ducks, geese and sand hill cranes.

Lots of shooting and lots of fun!!

It started out looking like a medium size bear but kept getting closer and BIGGER,

and closer and BIGGER, it was HUGE when I pulled the trigger.

Weighed 165 pounds but looked like about 800 lbs coming toward me in the blind.

I had the privilege of hunting with a great man JB Hunt from the JB Hunt trucking lines,

He opend his Big Horn Lodge to hunting and invited us to be his first guest and hunters.

JB joined us on this hunt and we all had a great time.

Musk Ox in -68 degree weather, but lots of fun.

Yes that is him majestically guarding the door to our game room, he was the biggest one taken by our group, and anytime I think about hunting in the Arctic again all I have to do is feel the 8" of fur on him to remind me of how cold it was.

Off to the Dark Continent

The first trip was to Zimbabwe, 14 hours by plane and a 4 hour drive to our home away from home for the next 14 days.

All the comforts of home, John seemed relaxed with the loaded rifle within easy reach.

It was easy to tell if leopards or lions had been in camp at night, the guide had swept the sand outside the tent to remove the tracks before you got up. My gun was loaded too.