United Foundation For Disabled Archers

UFFDA MAIL BOX



Thank To the Camp Wilderness Crew

We cannot say thank you enough. You do wonderful things for special people. Everyone we came in contact with was extremely nice. Thank you for allowing us to become a part of it. Hope to see you again next year.  Thanks Ron and Dawn Peterson.



Ranger Andy Scores on a Bear

Dear UFFDA - Had a good night tonight.  I'd been hunting bear off and on for a week with sporadic hits on my bait but no consistency. I talked with Gary Tank at the UFFDA hunt this weekend about it.  Gary owns and operates a bear hunting guide service. He gave me a suggestion of a commercial scent that he uses with great success and I put some out tonight.  About 40 minutes prior to the end of hunting I could hear something large shuffling through the woods behind me, but I couldn't see it  (this was the direction that the wind was blowing the scent Gary suggested). Then the sounds went away and I figured it was a big deer or some large squirrels running around. Just at the edge of legal shooting this 225 pound boar came into my bait. I took it at about 15 yards with a 12 gauge slug through the heart. It went about 30 yards and piled up. Looks like bear chili is back on the menu!  Andy Keitzman – Camp Wilderness

A Wonderful UFFDA Email Exchange

          Deby - I have a package in the mail for your wonderful son "Dan" who came forward to gut my spike buck during the main (Banquet) event and hauled it to get butchered down at the shed. It was a great time spent there with the old and new members and thanks for the cold slaw and all the other fine things you do to make this event so memorable.   Leon Holmin  

          Coleen - Emails like this mean so much.  I have a feeling that the package is a new knife for Dan.  His broke splitting the pelvic bone when he was dressing Leon’s deer.  That knife was given to Dan by Russ when he shot his first deer.  Deby Kalk

          Deby - Awh!  That is so nice.  Everyone was so kind and thankful there.  It’s really uplifting to be around that many people and have so much good spirit in one place!  We are in for sure next year.  After telling Rich all about our trip, he said maybe we could even come up as a family and all get involved.  Thanks again for giving Richie and I the opportunity to participate!  It was extremely rewarding for both of us! – Coleen Reisdorf

Thanks from the “Cookie Queen”

Dear UFFDA – Thank you so much for the fabulous wedding gift; I absolutely love my new Kitchenaid mixer.  I can make cookies like crazy now. Dozens and dozens in not time.  My hope it that one year soon, I can come up to Camp Wilderness and deliver the cookies in person and meet everyone, but in the meantime I will continue to live vicariously through my mother’s stories and the feedback she provides.  Thanks again for your overwhelming generosity and all that you do to support the disabled bowhunters.  Happy hunting!  Jerri Eull-Kuchenmeister

Report for the Site of the UFFDA Buffalo County Hunt

Dan - This deer was shot just east of my property line by my neighbor who is pictured. Even better news, however, is that we shot two bucks that may be a bit larger than this one on my property this fall already.  Our two, and this one, look like they are brothers, are basic 8 pointers with short kickers, have good mass, and we think they are at least 4 and 1/2 to 5 and 1/2 years of age.  One of the deer on my land was taken with the bow by one of my hunters, and the other was shot yesterday by the 14 year old grandson of the other hunter in the early youth gun hunt.  All three died within a quarter mile of each other? I have pictures of the two that were shot on my land, but I don't know how to transfer them to this machine and send them out via email?  Anyway, the hunters who plan to show up for our hunt should get this news Dan. Paul Jagielski

Jim Moore Passes Away

Dan - Jim Moore died yesterday, October 22, 2011. I believe in his sleep. He was found unresponsive early morning.  I was in CA at the time. I came back last night.  Jim and I planned to have a cremation and his ashes will be forwarded to Ohio for burial next to his wife's grave.  The funeral service will be held in Ohio with his family.  There is no MN service planned at this time.

Please keep him in your prayers and thoughts.  We appreciated your friendship and all the great hunting trips you guys planned. He really enjoyed this and showed off the beautiful albums you made for him.  Thank you for being such a good friend. If you are ever in the area, feel free to stop by.

Mary Breuer

Dano - I am not sure if I knew James Moore or not.  Sir Hendricks my friend, you have chosen a lifelong infinitely rewarding endeavor in UFFDA that obviously has the inevitable downside.

It is heart breaking to lose friends. The knowing as reality of the eventuality for many of our family members, (not to mention the rest of us), does not soften the blow, I know.  But I choose to believe that Dan Hendricks and all the rest of the UFFDA volunteers and benefactors were steered on this course for a reason. The occasional wrenching of our souls is a small price to pay for all that we receive in return. Farewell to a friend, welcome to the hearth energy that we create with our continued positive attitudes and deeds.  Grieve, all of you souls of love. Mourn as a reward that you have enabled your heart to feel with a capacity unbound.  Your compassion and love are the foundation for you to build your resolve to embrace life along with the self evident recycling of our flesh.  I am isolated by 1000 miles of separation, but my friendship with you and UFFDA has always been and will always be the happiest memories of my life. I know this is no less true for all members of the UFFDA family.  Randy Archer

Greg Waite Passes Away

Dan - I heard Greg Waite passed away.  I got an invite to a celebration of life on the 29^th.  I may be where Greg would want me to be; in a treestand in the woods hunting deer with a bow. If I'm not there I think he would understand. If I am in town I will stop by. I saw Greg this fall up at the UFFDA hunt in Park Rapids. Little did I know that it would be the last time I would see him. Time for all of us is like sands in an hour glass. Eventually the sands run out and we must move onto another place. Greg’s spirit lives on in that other place. May his soul find peace where ever he may be.  Karl Anderson

UFFDA Rocks! 

Hi Dan - I never got a chance the closing night of the UFFDA Camp Wilderness hunt to give proper thanks. Went to load my deer into my truck after the Sat. night celebration and by the time I got back the lodge and dining hall were dark. I found John Swanson in front of the lodge and he said you had gone to bed. So a couple months later here goes--- UFFDA ROCKS!  Another wonderful event, it just seems to be getting better and better every year and I have to give a very sincere thank you to all involved! All the time and effort everyone volunteers to make this a great success that is much appreciated. All the hours the cooking crew gives to making sure all us hunters are fed. The food is wonderful. To the guide crew, I noticed there is a tremendous amount of organizing, timing, communication and effort is involved. Kudos to the archery range crew in all the effort and patience they exhibit in helping all the hunters that may be having difficulties. And last but not least…Dan, I want to give a big thank you as the head organizer. Without you and your generosity none of this would be a possibility. So to everyone a big heartfelt Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!! If I forgot to mention anyone, my apologies! Sincerely - Terry Schwartz

Jim Kapelke Passes Away In WI

Hi Dan - Not sure if you remember me or not, but my father and I started to come to the Rhinelander hunt the last year that you were there.  We always hunted on Billy's land, off of the actual camp property.
          Anyways, I know my mom mailed in some information to you, but I figured it would be best to send an email to you as well, even if it is a little late.  My father passed away on Nov. 13, 2011.  As you know he had the back injury which had him in pain for the last 26 years.  The last year or so, he has been battling pneumonia, spending a week here and a week there in the hospital, but always getting sent home.  It seemed as though he would get sent home before it was actually gone.  The Friday night before he passed, he had a really bad episode of distressed breathing.  When that finally calmed, he had a ridiculous fever and we took him to the hospital again on Saturday morning.  Sunday night, he had another episode and as they finally got him to calm his breathing, he went into cardiac arrest and was not able to pull out of it. 
          He absolutely loved you guys!!!! He was able to go hunting with me for the first time and even got his first deer in 19 years.  We came to 4 more hunts after that first one and he was able to get a deer in two more of them.  I can't stress enough how much you guys brightened his spirits and helped him get through the tough times.  He would be preparing arrows and gear almost the entire year in anticipation of the hunt. 
          In the obituary, we included, "In lieu of flowers, memorials to UFFDA (United Foundation for Disabled Archers) would be appreciated."  As I mentioned before, my mom mailed in a few of these memorials and I am sure that a few may have come straight to you guys.  I am also interested in possibly donating one of his crossbows to you guys if you are in need of something like that?
          There are a few people that were very special to my dad - Roy, Pat, Gary and you.  Would you please give me their phone numbers or emails so that I can personally inform them? Also, if you know Billy's phone number, the guy whose land we hunt on?  That would be greatly appreciated.
          Again, I thank you for all the hard work you guys do every year.  In his eyes, you were all miracle workers. Thanks, Joshua Kapelke -WI