November 08, 2018

Media Advisory – Touch of Nature Special Hunts

Touch of Nature Environmental Center, Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s experiential learning facility, is offering several hunting opportunities to special population groups in coming weeks and media are welcome to cover the hunts.

Reporters, photographers and news crews will find appealing stories, video and photographs during a series of deer, turkey and pheasant hunts. Members of the media must schedule their coverage with Touch of Nature in advance.

Most of the hunts will all take place among Touch of Nature’s 3,100-acre site about eight miles south of Carbondale on Giant City Road. The hunts offer participants from special populations, either persons with disabilities or veterans, the chance to enjoy camaraderie with their peers while hunting. Touch of Nature staff will offer assistance as needed.

Two hunts for people with disabilities

The hunt schedule includes two hunts for people with disabilities of various kinds:

  • 9-11 – National Wild Turkey Federation Hunt, co-sponsored by the National Wild Turkey Federation and Illinois Wheelin’ Sportsman.
  • 23-25 – Illinois Department of Natural Resources Deer Hunt, co-sponsored by the IDNR and the Illinois chapter of the Safari Club.

The best time to secure good interviews, photos and video take place the second and third day of each hunt between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. To schedule a visit or for more information, contact Vicki Lang Mendenhall at 618/453-1121.

Veterans can hunt pheasant or deer

Touch of Nature’s Veteran Adventures program is sponsoring two hunts in December and media are welcome. The hunts are free and open to all veterans, current service personnel and members of the National Guard/Reserves and ROTC. The schedule includes:

  • 1 – Veteran Adventures will hold its third annual controlled pheasant hunt at Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park. Local sportsmen will provide the dogs and hunters can harvest two pheasants each. A shuttle will leave from Touch of Nature at 6:30 a.m. to transport veterans to the hunt site and the maximum number of 10 participants have already signed up.
  • 7-9 – Veteran Adventures Deer Camp takes place at Touch of Nature. This fifth annual event, sponsored by Touch of Nature and its Veteran Services along with IDNR, features guest speakers discussing a variety of relevant topics, including hunting, trapping, wildlife management, field dressing and butchering and food preparation. Veterans will participate in an archery hunt as well and the program provides all food, lodging, guides, gear, deer stands and anything else needed for the hunt. Hunters can register through Nov. 30. Hunters from all over Illinois and into Missouri and as far away as Pennsylvania have already registered. The most opportune time for media to visit is between 5 and 7 p.m. on Dec. 8, as participants will be returning to the camp from their hunts and participating in a processing demonstration in the area of Camp 2’s Freeberg Dining Hall.

For more information about any of the Veteran Adventures Program hunts, or to schedule a media visit for either camp, call 618/453-1121 or email eriko@siu.edu. Contact Touch of Nature by 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 30 regarding covering the pheasant hunt and no later than 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 7 to cover the deer hunt.

Touch of Nature is closed to the public during the hunts for safety reasons.