Memories for a Lifetime By Avery Pro-Staffer Randy Ryals |
Memories…some are good, some are bad. Some involve family, others friends, and some involve times and others events. Over the dates of February 5-7 of this year, five boys from Big Oak Ranch were treated to the duck hunting trip of a lifetime and while there, hopefully created memories for a lifetime as well. I will never know exactly what the boys will remember most 20 years from now; be it praying in the duck blind on their first morning out, shooting their first bird, spending time with friends, or getting to know Brodie Croyle a little better; but one thing is certain, I feel we will all carry away warm thoughts and memories of time well spent with friends.
The memories began when we met the boys along with John and Tee Croyle in Hamilton for breakfast. While everyone was getting their morning nutrition, memories were already being created. Since this was our 2nd Annual Big Oak Ranch Duck Hunt, we enjoyed getting to know the new duck hunters along with spending time with Mr. John and Tee. While we were there, a Good Samaritan treated all of us to breakfast.
We then loaded up and headed to Robinsonville, MS. We arrived shortly after lunchtime and checked into our hotel rooms for the weekend. After the boys were all checked in and unpacked, we gathered the boys together, along with my 15 year old daughter who was able to go on this trip with me, in the lobby of the hotel where we gave each of them a bag full of donations and gifts that I was able to secure through my affiliation with the Avery Pro-Staff. These bags included a Travel Bag for clothes, a blind bag, duck calls, lanyards, t-shirts, DVD's, and camoflage pants and shirts. As well, Ducks Unlimited provided each boy with an honorary Ducks Unlimited Greenwing membership. These gifts were made possible through the generous support of Avery Outdoors, Rich N Tone Duck Calls, Ducks Unlimited, Central Alabama Hunting Retriever Club, Tuscaloosa Chevrolet, CrimsonTech, Main Street Printing, Mississippi Tourism, and several individual donors.
After giving them each a bag full of hunting gear and them taking it back up to their rooms, we then loaded everyone up and went out to meet Lamar Boyd of Beaver Dam Hunting Services and the Avery Pro-Staff to shoot skeet and to help the boys get their eyes on a moving target. The boys shot a box full of skeet and a case of ammo out in a field and we were pleased to see that many of the boys were very good with shooting moving targets. This created new memories for the boys as they had never shot skeet before and they all had a good time shooting the guns and taking turns throwing the skeet.
We then went back to the hotel where they were treated to another memory. Soon after arriving back at the hotel, Brodie Croyle pulled into the parking lot and informed the boys that he was going to go out and duck hunt with us the next morning. This made the boys’ first duck hunt even more memorable and special having their big brother along for the trip. Everyone had a fun spending time with Brodie and getting to know him better. We had to hurry so that we could go to dinner and get back for bed as the 4 a.m. wakeup call would come early.
The next morning we met up with Lamar Boyd and Mike Boyd of Beaver Dam Hunting Services (who have been featured on ESPN, the Outdoor Channel, as well as numerous magazine articles) for breakfast at the Blue and White Diner. The Blue and White is a local institution in the area where many duck stories and memories have been talked about and reminisced over the years. Mr. Boyd and Lamar gave us the game plan over breakfast and we separated the kids into two groups of three so that we could hunt two separate duck blinds that morning. We then loaded up and headed to the famed Beaver Dam. Beaver Dam was made famous by the historic outdoor writer Nash Buckingham. Mr. Buckingham hunted the lake back in the early 1900's and wrote well over 100 articles about the lake, location, and the magic of the area.
We arrived at the lake and each group took off to their respective blinds. My group hunted in the Brougham blind which was got it s name because it is really a Cadillac of a duck blind. The boys got in the blind, we said a short prayer asking for our safety and the safety of our families and friends back home, and thanking God for a beautiful day in the duckblind. The boys then loaded up and we started working birds. I was not able to be in the other blind, but I can just envision that group doing pretty much the same thing. It was amazing that as soon as we finished saying the prayer and loading up, the first Gadwall dropped straight into the decoys. The boys were in awe seeing the ducks working over the blind and decoys and we were close enough to the other blind to be able to hear them calling and working birds and shooting as well. Through my association with being an Avery Pro-Staffer, I have been privileged to hunt and guide with celebrities, CFL football players and now an NFL player, owners of Fortune 500 companies, as well as my family and friends. I can honestly say that outside of hunting with my own two daughters and seeing them shoot their first birds, hunting with the boys from Big Oak Ranch and Mr. John is by far the most memorable and rewarding experience of my lifetime. I firmly believe in what Mr. John and the Directors and Administration of Big Oak Ranch are doing. To be given the chance to share in making memories for these boys is actually a very humbling experience.
Around noon we all met back on the banks of Beaver Dam to share our hunting stories from the morning. We also took plenty of keepsake photos with the boys, Brodie, and Mr. John. As well, Mike and Lamar Boyd shared in photos with the boys and we all had a good time laughing and enjoying the day. We then left to go take naps, eat, and to get ready for another memorable day back out at Beaver Dam.
The next morning we again met the Boyds at the Blue and White Diner and we decided that we would try and hunt all 5 boys and my daughter out of one blind that the Boyds called the Duce. This blind was constructed this past year and is actually 34 feet long. We again had our morning prayer for safety as well as God’s blessings on our family and friends and then we loaded up. It didnt take long for the first birds to work into the decoys and for the shot to be called. As the kids started shooting, I caught myself looking down the blind and seeing the smiles on their faces when the duck hit the water. I also will never forget that all 6 kids claimed the bird initially, but the grown up way in which 5 of the kids backed up and started saying that one boy actually killed the duck. This boy had not killed a duck the opening morning and to see how mature the kids were in wanting to make memories for the one boy really made me feel good. Twenty years from now, I won’t remember how many birds we actually brought home or who killed what, but I will always remember how all those kids put others feelings ahead of themselves so that everyone could share in the experience.
The hunting trip ended too soon as we had to get on the road back home in time to watch the Super Bowl, but the memories that were created will last a lifetime for all of us. Vince Wanninger, my business partner and friend who helps with the trip each year said; "It’s weekends like this that really make you realize what’s important in life. Words can’t describe how it felt inside to see the boys faces light up when a duck would drop into the decoys, something that I’ve seen hundreds of times but for them was a first. I can’t say enough about John Croyle and Big Oak Ranch and the work they do. It’s one thing to hear John’s story of how God put this vision and desire in his heart to help unwanted kids, but to actually see it working in their lives is another. It was both life changing and an honor to be a part of this. I’m already looking forward to next year." The boys pretty much all summed it up by saying,"I enjoyed spending time with friends and meeting new friends and getting to enjoy great duckhunting." My daughter Kaitlyn said,"I enjoyed getting to go hunting with Mr. John, Brodie, and the boys. I enjoyed Mr. John and Brodie changing my name to “The Hammer” most of all when I shot my first bird. I also enjoyed meeting and spending time with all the boys and getting to know them. “As for me, we kill roughly 600 or so birds a year, but none of them are more memorable or special than the first one shot by these kids. The looks on their faces, the smiles, the memories; nothing else can compare. What John Croyle, the houseparents, and Administration do with these kids and for these kids makes most of what I do day to day seem so trivial. Spending a weekend with them, getting to know them, hearing their stories, and being able to make a positive impact and memory in their lives is an incredible feeling that I will never forget.
I would like to personally thank Mr. John and the Administration of Big Oak Ranch for allowing me to be a part of and to help plan this trip each year. Thanks also to Vince and Jacob Wanninger for helping to chaperone and create memories with the kids, Tom Matthews and Allen Hughes of Avery Outdoors for not only donating items to the boys, but also giving me opportunities to share in what I love to do all over the Southeast and the country, Rob Jepson and Tyson Keller of Avery Outdoors for overseeing the donations and helping to make it all possible. Mike and Lamar Boyd of Beaver Dam Hunting Services for not only all their hard work but also for sharing with each of us the beautiful hunting property that God has blessed them with, Jimbo Ronquest and John Stephens of RNT for their donations to the boys. And last but definitely not least to Jim Alexander and Ducks Unlimited for helping make memories for the boys and all duck hunters everywhere through their work in conserving our nation’s wetlands.
I would encourage anyone and everyone to share and get involved with the Administration and kids from the Big Oak Ranch. I can promise you that you will create memories that will last a lifetime. Perhaps the Boyd’s sum up the success of the hunt, trip, spending time with the boys, and memories best with the comment on their website, "May we never gauge the success of a hunt based solely on the number of dead fowl lying on the floor of the blind. May we appreciate every sunrise and sunset for its unique beauty, every sky for what it holds and every person for their stories. May we appreciate the birds, also the retrievers for their hard work, asking only our approval. Most importantly may we never forget the sacrifice made for all of us by our Savior, for without Him, we have no hope."
So whether we helped to create memories for all these kids or they created memories for us as adults, this trip was truly a duck hunt with Memories for a Lifetime.
