“I am literally begging my friends and family to share this. With 22 veterans committing suicide every day, the vet you reach may be the one that gives life one more chance and comes to our hunt where he can open up about his situation and meet a network of people willing to help.”
These are the words of Coffee County resident David McSwain who has joined forces with another Georgia resident to establish an outlet for struggling veterans to engage with others battling similar circumstances.
Southeastern Veterans Hunt is an organization that focuses on giving back to military veterans and servicemen by providing a setting to get out do a little hunting, a little networking, and socializing.
“What the organization really boils down to is one man and his passion to give back,” McSwain says.
Robby Amerson of Martinez, Ga. officially started offering hunting opportunities to veterans three years ago, but it was far from his first hunting trip with a veteran. His passion was finally realized with his 1st Annual Southeastern Veterans Deer Hunt at Yuchi Wild Life Management Area.
“This hunt is where I met Robby,” McSwain states. “At first all I saw was a tired man running around trying to get people in stands and make sure everyone had eaten. Later I would be able to peel back the layers and find out who he really was. Robby, like everyone in America, was deeply affected by 9/11 and, like most men in America, he felt a call to sign the dotted line and help fight these terrorists. One problem prevented him from fulfilling those desires; Robby had recently lost a leg in a muzzleloader accident. Although he was not able to join, he never lost that sense of needing to give back. He turned this call into a passion of giving back to veterans.”
Through the use of public lands, Robby offers veterans a place to hunt, network, and, most importantly, fellowship.
McSwain adds, “When a veteran comes to one of these hunts, all he really needs to worry about is hunting and fellowshipping.”
The public hunting lands are pre-scouted, and participants are taught how to use them to their best potential. The are three deer hunting trips planned for the upcoming year at Clarks Hill WMA (Sept 23-25), Tuckahoe WMA (Nov 3-5), and Dilane WMA (Nov 10-12). Tuckahoe will be the biggest hunt, and veterans, family, and friends are all invited.
Anyone who would like get involved can contact Robby Amerson at (706) 993-0897 or David McSwain at (912) 850-7947. Learn more about Southeastern Veterans Hunt here.
Southeastern Veterans Hunt founder Robby Amerson and family.