November 04, 2016

Veteran Adventures Deer Camp set for Dec. 9-11

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The third annual Veteran Adventures Deer Camp is slated for Dec. 9-11 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Touch of Nature Environmental Center. All of the region’s student veterans, active duty military personnel, post-9/11 veterans and members of the National Guard, Reserves and ROTC are welcome to participate.

Media Advisory

Reporters, photographers and news crews are welcome to cover the Veteran Adventures Deer Camp. The best time to obtain good interviews, photographs and video footage is from 5 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 10 as hunters return from the field and participate in a deer processing demonstration near Freeburg Dining Hall in Camp 2. Touch of Nature will be closed to the public during the hunt weekend as a safety precaution so any members of the media who plan to cover the hunt should call 618/453-1121 or email shanebrady6@siu.edu before 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 9 to schedule a visit.

Touch of Nature’s 3,100 acres, located along Little Grassy Lake about eight miles south of Carbondale on Giant City Road, serve as the site for the archery white-tail deer hunt. In addition to actually hunting for deer, the participating veterans will enjoy a variety of guest speakers discussing trapping, wildlife management, field-dressing and butchering, food preparation, hunting and other relevant topics of interest.

The cost of Veteran Adventures Deer Camp is $100 and that price is all-inclusive, covering food, lodging, guides, gear, deer stands and anything else veterans will need for the hunt. The deadline to register is Dec. 2. Additional information and online registration is available at http://www.veteranadventures.siu.edu/. Or, contact Shane Brady at 618/453-1122, ext. 220 or by emailing shanebrady6@siu.edu.  

SIU’s Touch of Nature Environmental Center and Veterans Services collaboratively sponsor Veteran Adventures and the archery deer hunt weekend. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is also assisting with the deer camp.

As a safety precaution, Touch of Nature will be closed to the public during the deer camp.