Friday, September 23, 2011

Faces of Freedom - Wounded Veterans' Hunt Gives New Hope


The explosion changed Darrell Rostek’s life in an instant. The Improvised Explosive Device (IED) abruptly ended the Master Corporal’s tour in Afghanistan. He returned to Canada suffering from severe injuries to his head, back and knees. His battle now became personal. He had to find a way to recover, build strength and make a healthy return to society. It wasn’t easy.

“When I first came back, I was in total denial,” says Rostek. “It took a whole year to come out of my shell. The toughest thing was telling myself, ‘Go get some help; you’re not a sissy’.

The long road back for Winnipeg-based Rostek includes participating in the Faces of Freedom - Wounded Veterans’ Hunt September 28 to October 1, 2011. Three Canadian and three American veterans will attend the four-day waterfowl hunt near Minnedosa, Manitoba. The event is hosted by the Manitoba Wildlife Federation (MWF), Delta Waterfowl Foundation and Cabela’s.

Chris Heald, MWF Vice President, says the goal of the hunt is to express gratitude and respect for our soldiers and let them know they are not forgotten. “Bringing Canadian and American veterans together to share in the joy of the outdoors provides an opportunity for friendship, healing and adjustment to civilian life,” says Heald.

MCpl. Rostek, a life-long outdoors enthusiast, says time spent in the outdoors, away from the distractions of the city, is one of the best environments for healing. “There’s something about sitting with other wounded vets, fishing or just enjoying the outdoors. You start talking about what’s so wrong and how to get over it. Many people don’t understand what we go through.”

The Canadian and American veterans will be introduced to waterfowl hunting in Manitoba’s renowned ‘pot hole’ country. It’s a rare opportunity for soldiers from two countries, who fought in the same conflict, to help each other deal with personal challenges back home.

Rob Olson, President of Delta Waterfowl, will be one of several guides helping with the hunt. “I can’t imagine a better thing I’ll do all year,” says Olson. “This is about people making a sacrifice that I can’t even comprehend. I couldn’t have more respect for these guys."

Rostek is considering a new career in social work, aimed at helping wounded veterans make the difficult transition back into society. “Afghanistan is winding up,“ says Rostek. “But for us it never ends.”

The Faces of Freedom - Wounded Veterans’ Hunt itinerary includes four days of hunting, September 28 - October 1; a fundraising dinner hosted by Winnipeg Blue Bombers stars Buck Pierce and Glenn January in Portage la Prairie - September 28; and a pre-game salute to the veterans at the Winnipeg Blue Bombers home game Vs. the Montreal Alouettes, September 30.
Thanks to Delta Waterfowl for this release.  Be sure to visit www.sooutdoors.ca regularly:
For more information contact
Chris Heald
Chair, Faces of Freedom
Vice President, Manitoba Wildlife Federation

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Pre-season Southern Ontario Turkey

The sloppy month of March is half over already and the first signs of spring are in the air. It's time for thoughts to turn to from ice fishing to turkey hunting. Now is a great time to beat the March doldrums by heading out to do some early season scouting. But remember that if you actually locate birds they may not be there at the end of April when our Southern Ontario turkey season opens. Birds often move as much as two to three miles from their winter roosts to mating and nesting habitat.

What you're looking for right now is that prime nesting habitat; don't be as concerned about where the birds are as you are with where they're likely to be at the end of next month. Look for a stand of mature hardwoods that blend with large clearings or open fields. This will provide ideal protection, food, and roosts for spring gobblers. Pay attention to natural and man-made obstacles like creeks, dense undercover, and fences, that are likely to stop even a determined gobbler dead in his tracks.

Take your GPS along and mark all likely setups and obstacles. Later you can transfer that data to a topographical map of the area and get a good idea of the overall lay of the land. If you stumble across a likely looking bush or field try to find the owner and ask permission to hunt his land this spring. If you gain nothing else you'll beat the winter doldrums by getting out in the bush and filling your lungs with some great Southern Ontario fresh air.

©2011 Lloyd Fridenburg – All rights reserved click here for copyright permissions