A Decade of Healing: NWTF Arkansas Celebrates 10 Years of the Disabled Veterans Hunt

Where the Vision Began 

The roots of the event stretch back eleven years, when former NWTF Arkansas State Chapter President Terry Thompson joined Bill Holiman, then director of the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission (ANHC), and AGFC Southeast Region Chief Biologist Mark Hooks on a tour of Warren Prairie Wildlife Management Area. The group had already been working together on habitat enhancement for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, whose open pine habitat requirements aligned perfectly with those of wild turkeys. 

“We had the place,” Thompson recalled. “The property had been limited in hunting access for many years. We had the backing of the AGFC, and we had already seen great success from our collaborative habitat work. It felt like everything was lining up.” 

Soon after, they met with Jared Cartwright, founder of Freedom Defender Outdoors, at Mack’s Prairie Wings in Stuttgart. The vision took full form: a dedicated three-day deer hunt for disabled veterans, hosted on Warren Prairie WMA just two weeks prior to the general opening of Arkansas’ deer season. 

“Before I knew it, Mark Hooks had set up a special veterans hunt through the AGFC Commissioners,” Thompson said. “Bill Holliman had approval through the ANHC, Jared had plenty of vets eager to participate, and NWTF had the funds, volunteers and event insurance needed to make this happen.” 

A Weekend Built on Service 

What emerged was more than a hunt; it was a weekend of service, fellowship and emotional renewal. Veterans arrived on Friday evening to a warm meal, camaraderie and a chance to settle in. Saturday and Sunday followed the rhythm of breakfast at dawn, time in the stand, lunch, an afternoon hunt and a home-cooked supper shared around the table. 

This three-day event is made possible through many partnerships, such as Freedom Defender Outdoors who helps underwrite lodging and provides top-quality gear to participants thanks to generous sponsors. NWTF, AGFC and a group of volunteers, many of whom travel from across Arkansas and Texas, handle the meals, guiding, hosting and logistics. 

“We have both past vets and volunteers who sit with each vet during the hunt to listen and help in any way they can,” Thompson said. “For this one weekend, they do not lift a finger if they wish, and we each give back to them what we can to show our appreciation. Harvest is normally exceptional.” 

Due to its success after the first year, the ANHC opened two additional south Arkansas properties for special disabled veterans hunts, and AGFC threw its full support behind expanding opportunities. 

By year three, the event moved to Freddy Black Choctaw Island WMA near Arkansas City, a whitetail experimental unit with improved facilities and premier hunting grounds. The AGFC regional staff embraced the event with unmatched dedication and are committed to keeping this event going year after year. 

“I cannot express my thanks to each of them for what they do for these veterans,” Thompson said. "I have no doubt this event has saved several lives, but with the death rate of nearly 18 per day due to depression among American veterans, much more needs to be done.” 

Stories From The Veterans 

Year after year, volunteers witness the profound emotional impact on those who attend. For many veterans, the hunt offers something they haven’t felt in a long time: connection, calm and a renewed sense of belonging. 

For veteran participant Steven McCormack, this year’s hunt brought a moment he will never forget. 

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude for all involved in this hunt,” McCormack said. “This hunt was especially special. It was the first time I have got the honor to sit in a deer stand with my daughter. It was just special to me just to sit and talk to her. That afternoon I got the privilege to sit with a man everyone called Mouth — if y’all ever met him, you would understand. We got out on stand, and I could tell this meant a lot to him just being able to sit with me, and it was also an honor for me just to be around this many people who really care about the veteran community.  

McCormack had never participated in a veteran-specific event before this one. 

“This one hunt was so special for myself that I’m going to try and get over there to help in the future hunts,” he said. “This hunt is about more than hunting; it was truly about fellowship and camaraderie, and I truly appreciate everyone’s efforts.” 

For Will Kennedy, U.S. Army retired, the weekend stirred memories he hadn’t felt since returning from Iraq in 2004. 

“I recently had the privilege of being chosen to attend the veterans hunt with Freedom Defender Outdoors,” Kennedy said. “This was an absolutely amazing and humbling experience. It brought me back to the very first time someone said, ‘thank you for your service.’ It was Feb. 1, 2004. I was deployed to Iraq and had the chance to come home on R&R for two weeks. We landed at Baltimore International Airport at about 7 a.m. As I made my way out of the international terminal, a set of glass doors opened. All I could think about was making my next flight to get home. But when the doors opened, there were no less than 100 people there welcoming troops home. Every deployed troop that was coming home had to go through those doors, and these people took time out of their day to welcome us home and thank us for our service. The same feeling came over me when we had opening remarks at the hunt.” 

Kennedy was overwhelmed by the effort poured into hosting this year’s five veterans. 

 “To see all the time, effort and resources that had been put in for just five veterans was overwhelming,” he said. “Again, these total strangers took time from their families to come serve us. Jared's commitment to putting this event together is unmatched as well. It is truly humbling to see a fellow brother in arms giving so much back to soldiers he served alongside of. I cannot say enough about the volunteers and the AGFC staff. I will never forget this hunt, and it will go down as one of my absolute favorite hunts ever.” 

For Trent Pettis, the experience rekindled something he thought he had lost. 

“Veteran hunts are an opportunity to either start or enhance the healing process, and these gatherings create a setting which is based on camaraderie, trust, understanding and an unexplainable sense of purpose,” Pettis said. “Much like going to boot camp, they often start with subdued tension, uncertainty and the moderate stress of the unknown. One common denominator is that they always end the same, with a new sense of purpose, friendships, thankfulness and appreciation. They are truly amazing to watch unfold in real time. Watching this brotherhood unfold again, after 20 years of my exit from military service, rekindled my desire and commitment to ensure the espirt de corps doesn’t stop after discharge.” 

A Tradition That Changes Everyone Involved 

Stories like these, of healing, reconnection and hope, are what drive the volunteers, organizers and partners who give their time year after year. Those involved remain humbled by how deeply the event touches those who attend and by how much it has changed them personally. 

“This event has changed me and many other lives over the past 10 years,” Thompson said. “There is a great need across this entire country for events like this, not only for the veterans but for their children who have lost a mother or father and are left with a single parent. Even after 10 years, my heart is heavy every time we hold an event and see what many have and are still going through. We do not realize what each of these men and women have given to our great country, but each of us need to stop and understand that the freedoms we enjoy come at a high price to many. Take time from your day at every opportunity to just stop and tell a veteran you appreciate their service. It means a lot to them.” 

As NWTF Arkansas looks toward the next decade, one thing remains certain: this hunt is not just an event. It is a tradition rooted in gratitude, strengthened by partnership and fueled by the unwavering commitment of volunteers determined to give back to those who gave so much.