Second Chances for A Second-Chance Boy
By Randy Nutt

When I was twelve, I met a lanky kid named Mike Stevener. We became fast friends, and growing up we pretty much stayed in trouble. When I got married, he stood up as a groomsman, and after my wife, Sherrie, and I introduced him to Martha, a young teacher she worked with, I stood up with him to return the favor. But, this story isn’t about us, it’s about a young man who now calls Mike “Dad."

Click here for full story!

Texas Trophy Hunters Association Launches New Website!

Trophy Hunters Association (TTHA) is proud to announce the launch of its new website at www.ttha.com. The new website is a comprehensive destination for outdoor-related resources and information. Visitors can obtain hunting regulations from around the U.S., weather reports, topographical maps, and moon phase information, and the all-new site hosts the latest news and information for the outdoors industry and Texas Trophy Hunters Association. Plus, a new “Members Only” section has been developed, where members have the ability to post videos, photos, and hunting reports, as well as submit their stories for possible inclusion in our flagship magazine, The Journal of The Texas Trophy Hunters. Visitors can also post or search for guides, outfitters, hunting leases and land for sale.

“The launch of the new website culminates almost two years of planning and development,” said Joe Betar, TTHA’s Chief Operating Officer. “This site was developed based on member recommendations, and it is a truly interactive experience.”

Visitors to the new TTHA website can join or renew memberships, find all of the latest TTHA gear, enter contests, and more! Visit www.ttha.com today!

TTHA Provides Summer Camp Scholarship

Summer is the time of year when many kids head off to camp for a few days. And summer camp means getting out of the house, meeting new friends, and creating memories that will last a lifetime. Not all kids have that opportunity, though.

Fortunately, there is hope, and now Walker Jackson won’t be one of those kids sitting on the couch this summer. Thanks to the Christian Outdoor Alliance (COA), COA Outfitters, 700 Springs Ranch, and Texas Trophy Hunters Association (TTHA), he is headed to COA’s Texas Safari Camp. TTHA has granted the scholarship for Walker, while COA will provide the experience as Walker pursues an outdoor education, a big axis buck, and, most importantly, the opportunity to witness God’s glory in a unique setting.

Click here for full press release.

TTHA Announces 2008 Youth Hunt Essay Contest

Two of the goals of the Texas Trophy Hunters Association (TTHA) are to promote the education of youth in securing the future of the hunting tradition and to extend the goodwill of members through community outreach. In 2008, that goodwill is going to reach one lucky youth in the form of a free whitetail buck hunt in the Texas Hill Country. In addition, the winner will be awarded a membership in the Texas Trophy Hunters Association and their hunt will be featured on the Journal of the American Trophy Hunters television show.

Click here for more information.

Taylor County, Texas, Commissioners Back Feral Hog Control

Taylor County commissioners took aim at feral hogs Tuesday [July 8] by supporting a proposal to increase funding to fight predators across the state. Specifically, commissioners voiced their support of a resolution to earmark $2 on every hunting license to go to predator control. Whether the $2 would be added to current hunting license fees or would be carved out of the current fees remains to be determined, said County Judge George Newman.

The decision would be made by the next Legislature, which meets in 2009, he noted. Currently, Taylor County allocates $18,000 a year to pay for a trapper’s services, with landowners supplementing that amount. If the state were to resume picking up part of the tab, as it did several years ago, the county wouldn’t necessarily withdraw its funding, Newman said.

Funds raised by the proposed $2 hunting license fee could go to current control efforts such as hunting and trapping, and to applied research and its implementation. Newman said he hopes that research at Texas A&M University to create an effective contraceptive for feral hogs will bear fruit. These creatures have displaced coyotes as the No. 1 predator problem in this area, he said.

As a farmer-rancher with places in Taylor and Callahan counties, Newman said he’s seen up close the devastation feral hogs can wreak.

He once thought someone had plowed his land by mistake, only to discover that feral hogs had done the damage. The hogs love to wallow in wet fields after a rain, destroying crops in the process.

“They tear up fences they’re just like little bulldozers,” he said.—Courtesy Jerry Daniel Reed, The Abilene Reporter-News

Boy and Deer Collide

It may sound like something out of a cartoon, but when Eddie Coughlin was playing “manhunt” and collided with a deer, it was no joking matter.

Eddie, 13, of Freehold Township, [New Jersey] was playing the game (a variation of hide-and seek that is played in the dark) with his sister, Kelsey, 15, and some friends on Koster Drive, the block he lives on, at 9 p.m. July 7, when a deer ran across the street. Eddie happened to be running down the dark street at the same time, and apparently neither the deer nor Eddie saw each other. The deer hit Eddie on the left side of his jaw and they both fell down.

“I saw a beige flash in my face and then I was on the ground,” Eddie said. “I didn’t know what hit me. I was in lots of pain after. When I heard it was a deer, I was surprised.” It is believed that the deer was grazing behind some bushes where the children were playing and became frightened and ran out into the street.

Kelsey witnessed the aftermath of the incident. She said, “I was running up the hill and my brother was chasing me. I heard a giant smack, and when I turned around, Eddie was on the floor and the deer had fallen down and was getting up. It ran away into the woods. I ran to my brother. He was screaming and couldn’t move. Me and my friends picked him up and we called my mom. We carried him to a neighbor’s house, and he spit out blood. His face was all scratched.”

The children’s mother, Amy Coughlin, did not know what to expect when she ran out into the street after receiving the call. Coughlin said, “Kelsey called and said, ‘Mom, Eddie got hit and he’s screaming.’ I thought it was a car that had hit him. When I heard it was a deer, I couldn’t believe it, but I was still worried. After all the damage that deer do to cars when they hit them, it was amazing that Eddie wasn’t hurt worse. I’m so lucky to have him alive.”

According to Coughlin, Eddie ended up with a broken jaw on the left side of his face and several scratches. “It hurt him everywhere,” she said. “His head and face were really in pain. I needed to get him to calm down because I was afraid his asthma would kick in. We applied ice but the right side of his face started to swell up, and about 10:30 p.m. we went to the emergency room at CentraState Medical Center.”

Even though Eddie was hit on the left side of the face, he hit the ground with his right side. The doctors took a CAT scan and an X-ray of the boy’s jaw line and told the Coughlins that a tooth was loose on Eddie’s right side. The doctors did not initially believe any bones were broken, but the next day a specialist read the films and called the Coughlins to report that Eddie’s jaw was broken.

Coughlin said she took Eddie to see Dr. Hamlet Garabedian, an oral surgeon in Freehold Township, who told Eddie that if he keeps the movement of his jaw down to a minimum, he will not have to have his jaw wired shut. The boy is currently on a soft diet and has to avoid all activity for six weeks.

“Eddie can’t do anything for six weeks,” his mother explained. “No exercise, no pool, no sports. He must hold his chin up so it doesn’t move too much. Right now it’s just a fracture, but if it cracks, an infection can get in and it won’t heal right. Eddie’s being a really good sport about it. He’s still sore.”

Eddie, who will be starting the eighth grade at the Eisenhower Middle School in September, said, “I’m feeling good, but I’m doing nothing. I just play video games and drink a lot of milkshakes.”

His dad, Ed, and his sisters, Kayla, 19, Katie, 21, and Kelsey try to keep him occupied when they have time.

“We all think it’s a weird accident,” said Kelsey. “I’m glad my brother’s OK. I was so worried.”

His mom added with a chuckle, “Everyone keeps singing, ‘Eddie Got Run Over by a Reindeer.’—Courtesy Amy Rosen, Staff Writer, News Transcript

FREE MEMBERSHIP!
with purchase of a 3-Day Pass to the Hunters Extravaganza

We’re celebrating this year’s final Hunters Extravaganza in Ft. Worth with a very special membership drive! Purchase a 3-day pass, and you’ll receive a FREE 1-year membership to Texas Trophy Hunters Association! That’s right, you pay only $30, receive a full weekend pass, and a FREE MEMBERSHIP! That’s a $64.95 value for only $30.00!

Planning on attending the Extravaganza for only one day? Purchase a 1-year TTHA membership at the door for only $30 and receive a FREE 1-day pass! That’s a savings of almost $15! Plus, you’ll receive your bonus gifts right at the show!

These are your Bonus Gifts!

Limited Edition Membership Hat: full cloth, low crown comfort fit and Velcro closure. Embroidered skull logo on front and “Official Member” on back. ($14.99 value)

4-inch TTHA Liner Lock Knife: tough stainless steel, partially serrated blade with thumb-assist for single-handed operation. Polymer handle is virtually indestructible for years of use. Stainless belt clip ($9.99 value).

Newly Designed TTHA Member Decal: the same look and feel as in the past, but with “MEMBER” proudly displayed in clear block letters. This decal is ONLY available through membership offers, so there will be no doubt to anyone that you are a genuine supporter.

PLUS!
The first 100 people to sign up as new members of Texas Trophy Hunters Association at the 2008 Ft. Worth Hunters Extravaganza will receive a free $25 Nikon gift card that can be used towards purchase of any Nikon ProGear at www.nikonprogear.com. So make sure and attend this year’s final Hunters Extravaganza in Ft. Worth, August 15–17, to take advantage of this great offer! See below for more information on these shows.

(Note: The Nikon gift card offer applies only to the first 100 new members to sign up for membership in the Texas Trophy Hunters Association at the Ft. Worth Hunters Extravaganza. Once 100 new memberships are processed, this offer will be concluded.)

Covering All Bases

Tired of wearing a hole through your seat driving to and from your lease? Why not spruce up your truck’s interior with SuperHides seat covers from Marathon Seat Covers. Constructed using 100% waterproof nylon fabric, they’re custom-fitted to your truck or SUV seats —no wrinkling or sagging. Installation is fast and secure. Their rugged, durable, 500-denier Cordura nylon protects your seats from hunting dogs and hunting buddies. Available in 12 different camouflage patterns, including Mossy Oak Break Up, and 10 solid colors. Console covers, armrest covers, and headrest covers are also available. Made in the USA. Contact Marathon Seat Covers, 800-735-2769;
www.marathonseatcovers.com.

First Take Media wants you on TV!
Here’s your chance to be seen on TV!
TTHA has thousands of members throughout the United States, and now we want you to tell us why you’re a member. Come see us at the Hunters Extravaganza in Fort Worth at the Will Rogers Center August 15-17 and give us a great testimonial or tell us your best hunting story!

If our producers like what you have to say, we’ll put you on the TV Show or on the new TTHA website! So come by our booth, “The Voice of Texas Hunting,” and tell us what’s what!

The Journal of the American Trophy Hunters TV Show is produced by First Take Media, producing award winning outdoor television for over a decade.

www.firsttakemedia.com

Forth Worth, TX: August 15-17 Will Rogers Center

New Hours:
Fridays: 3 p.m. - 9 p.m.; Saturdays: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Sundays: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m

Guides, Outfitters, Blinds, Feeders, ATVs, UTVs, and more … It’s the Hunter’s Supermarket!

• Nikon presents the Annual Deer Competition and the TrailCam Contest!
• Bring your mount and trail cam pictures!
• Enter the Score the Buck contest sponsored by Samson’s Ridge!
• Register to win the GMC TTHA Truck Giveaway Sweepstakes!
• Kids, Catch a fish at the Kidfish tank or shoot a bow at the LSBA Youth Archery Range!
• Check out Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Laser Shot and Exhibits!
• See Joe Martin’s Snakes of Texas!
• Shoot a bow at the Bowtech Archery Trailer!
• Attend the All New Trophy Hunters University, sponsored by XXXL Blinds!
  • Speakers include Westin & Jodi Clark, Dr. James Kroll, and many more!

More reasons than EVER to attend this All New Show!
Go to www.ttha.com for more info or call 800-800-3207.

CLICK HERE to visit our online store!

AVOID THE RUSH PICK UP YOUR TTHA BIRD HUNTING GEAR EARLY!

• Jewelry
• Apparel
• Leather Products
• Artwork
• Decals
• Home Decor
• Truck Accessories
• And More!