Redneck Santa

Many think of us Christians as stuffy with a lack of humor. Here is a post thanks to Ted McKinney to prove that wrong.

Jeremy Herrill's Huge Buck

Jeremy Herrill of Cornerstone Baptist Church helped us start Colonial Outdoors Ministry. We are grateful for his help and guidance to get us going, and as a brother in Christ.

It's only right that we show his trophy buck he harvested in Kansas, one that any of us would be proud to have. This big boy scored 145 4/8, a number that any hunter would like to have.

Jeremy loves the Lord and pours his heart and soul into men's lives through outdoor ministry. He has become a dear friend to Colonial Outdoors and we are so glad God blessed him with this prize deer.

Plagiarized from Heart of a Sportsman directly from Jeremy (this is the link to the original blog):

Today was a good day...No, today was a great day! Today, I hunted with my soul brother Alan Davis on his farm in Kansas - and harvested a monster Kansas buck. The events surrounding this momentus kill are much to detailed to describe here (but, you will surely get tired of me telling them when I get home!).

Every whitetail hunter dreams of killing a deer big enough to get his name in the record book. Today, that dream became a reality for me. I haven't got the deer scored yet but am confident that it surpasses the 125 inches to make the Pope and Young record book. God is so good!


I was thinking today as we talked about the deer making the record book, that God has a record book too. His book is called the Book of Life. His book contains the names of every person who has accepted his gift to us, of His son Jesus. Those whose names are in that book will spend eternity in heaven. Having your name in that book is more important than any record book! It is our prayer that your name is there - in God's book ... Revelations 20:15.

Ted McKinney Gets a Nice One

In one of the earliest posts, I asked for pictures of the hunt or fishing trip. Since Ted sent these photos, up they go.

Here is a nice 6 pointer that Ted got while hunting in Carthage.

From Ted: I shot this buck with my 30-06 on Sat.Nov. 21, morning about 8:30 as he was chasing a doe out into a cut0ver near Carthage, NC. He ran only 20 yds and dropped.
He was about 185-190 lbs. His antlers are 16in. wide outside and 3 1/2 around the bases.

My true trophy was a beautiful 8pt. I shot with my bow. I tracked him for a mile and lost him in a cutover at dark ! Bummer !

Colonial Outdoors Safety Course Produces a Harvest

How do you know if your programs are successful? What lessons are we learning or teaching?

At any Hunter Safety course, they confirm that passing on the tradition of hunting and the love of outdoors to the next generation is of vital importance.

One of the goals of Colonial Outdoors is to reach seekers who have interest in the outdoors. Here is an example of killing 2 birds (deer) with one stone.

We've begun hosting and soon will be teaching Hunter Saftey at Colonial Baptist as part of the Outdoors Ministry.

One of our first graduates shows off the fruits of her labor and was rewarded with a good hunt.

Lauren Sutphin attends Colonial and Wake Christian. As far as we know, this is the first deer taken by one of our female hunter education class graduates. She was in our class last week and had her first deer by Wednesday.

By any scale, this was a success for the ministry and for the hunting tradition.

Way to go Lauren and I hope the lessons you learned about safety and about the Lord are etched in your heart forever.

In the PotHole - When trouble Hits You

There is little that is exciting to an Outdoorsman than the anticipation of the hunt or fishing trip. There isn't enough coffee to describe how awake you are and the pounding of your heartbeat when you hear footsteps, the honking or quacking of your prey or a splash on the water right in front of you. These are the good moments that God provides for you.

There are also the challenges during the hunt just like life. This is one of them.

Ed Strickland describes his Canadian hunt below:

Well I have just returned from my yearly trip to Canada where each year several of us head up to do some waterfowl hunting and just relax and enjoy the beauty of that area and each other company.

This was a special year as well because I had my eighteen-year-old son Dale along with me. It has been five years since he has been to Canada with me. This hunt was a graduation gift from Frances and me. Also an Old Friend Odell Thompson who took me up to Canada for the first time about nine years ago. I was looking forward to hunting with the two of them this trip as well as the other fellows I go with each year.

We headed out before dawn Monday to hunt a pothole that had been scouted by a couple of the guys Sunday evening. It was just perfect conditions for a good duck shoot with tall cattails and bulrush all around. The fog was heavy and you just could see the water.

Just at seven AM official shooting time it just rained ducks, three and four at a time they dropped out of the fog right into the decoys wings cupped and flipping right down in perfect range for us all to get good shots. We ended the morning with six limits in about one hour. WOW! What an awesome start to the week.

Afterwards we headed in to have some breakfast and recap the morning and plan try and figure out how we were going to top that hunt.

Tuesday we went out to the field and set up on some Canada geese we had scouted the day before. Sure enough another great hunt and we got about thirty geese and ten ducks on the morning. Half of the geese were greater or big honkers and we had two weighed that came in about thirteen pounds each. These birds were huge.

Wednesday was a bit slower and we had to scout pretty hard to find some birds to hunt for the rest of the week and we decided to check out that pothole again because we knew we had not hurt the population of ducks and it should have settled down enough to have another crack at them one afternoon. So we decided Thursday after lunch to go get’em.

It was just a beautiful afternoon, to beautiful for ducking, but hey we were hunting so I’m not complaining. Sure enough the ducks were there and we had another good shoot. With darkness quickly closing in we decided it was time to pick up. Karl Blackley and myself headed in to get up the decoys and the days bounty.

This pot hole as beautiful has it was from the outside was a mess on the inside with mush for a bottom that the moment you stopped your feet sank about a foot. Well Karl headed to one side and me the other. I headed out to retrieve a duck that had drifted out toward the middle. The water was about waist deep and about the time I got to the duck I started to loose my balance and down I went. I landed on my knee and immediately started to sink in the muck. Well this was not good and my waders were taking on water fast. It was right then the cold temperature of that water hit me and away went my breath. This water is black as used motor oil and as I was going under I knew if I went down and could not get back up the guy’s would never find me, so as I was headed under I called out to Karl that I was in trouble. At that time I started fighting with all my life to keep my head above water and try and dig my way to the bank. I had forgotten and left on a fleece and neoprene pullover and it was getting heavier by the second, to the point I could not right myself back up so I had to dig with my hands and push with my feet all the while sinking in the muck. Each pull felt like someone was adding weight to my back.

Karl was about fifty yards from me, and with that bottom like it was he could only move toward me but so fast and as he tried he kept yelling for me to get to the bank. “Keep going Ed, Get to the bank, don’t stop!” Dale and the other guys could only watch as I struggled to get in shallow enough water to keep from drowning. As I approached the bank and thought I was there the water started getting deeper as I had picked a spot with a drop off close to the edge, but thank God I made it. This water was cold, it was frozen just a week before and I was out of breath and shaking like crazy and Karl was still trying to get to me all I could do wait. I tried to stand up only to fall back in so I just lay there trying to catch my breath until he could help me up and out.

Well wrapped up and in the truck with the heat on I was safe. All that had just happened shook us all and realized how quick things like this can happen.

As I laid in bed that night thinking about the events of the day, a thought came to my mind, you see earlier that day we asked Dale my son to find a pair of waders that fit him so he could help in the water. He’s a size thirteen and the largest we had were twelve’s and he could not get his feet in any we had. And then it hit me, had those waders fit him that could have been him in that water. That could have been me on the bank watching helplessly as he struggled to safety. It was not the he might not know what to do in that situation, or that he would have handled it any different than I did. I just had that peace that I was the one supposed to be in those waders.

A funny side to this story that came to my mind on the plane ride home as I was thinking back, I never let go of that duck. When Karl was getting closer to me I chunked that duck toward the bank and he asked, “What was that?” I said, “It was that stupid duck I went after”. I don’t know why I held on to it so tight.

Later I thought about a verse in Ecclesiastes. Verse 4-10 talks about one that falls and his friend can help him up, but pity the man that falls and has no one to help him. I was glad God and Karl were there to pick me up.

I try to practice safety whether I’m hunting or fishing and we actually have hunter safety courses at our church. But I came face to face with how quickly things can go wrong and how blessed I was to survive. Another thought came to mind about that day. What if I had drowned in that pothole in Canada? What if that were my last hunt. And I realized how Glad I am that I know Jesus Christ has my Savior. And I don’t have to fear death or dying. Do I want to die? Well sure I don’t, Like Paul says for me to die is gain. I would be in heaven with my Lord. What about you friend? If you found yourself facing death in any situation, do you know what your eternal outcome would be? Could you have the same peace that I did and know you would go to heaven? Or is it possible you could spend eternity in Hell separated from God Forever? Be sure! There is only one way and that way is

through the saving grace of a loving God through the Blood and sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ for us.

If you are not sure and you need some guidance call me anytime, because one day your going to be in some sort of pothole and you want have your friend Christ to help you up.

God Bless

Ed Strickland

919-422-1111

Centershot Ministry Takes Off

Just like the Hunter Safety program that God provided for us as an opportunity to reach out, Centershot Ministry was laid on the heart of Chris Crum.

He spoke to our group and then we prayed for the resources for the training and supplies and the Lord delivered everything, including a full class.

A group went to West Virginia for training and they have begun the ministry which includes Bible study and archery instruction.

Here is an update:

Well, after October 8^th the Centershot Class will be halfway over. It has been great seeing God put this whole thing together and we are looking forward to our next class.

Here is Chris Crum showing the correct nock position.

After only three days of class, we have some real sharp shooters.

Mike Hayes is watching Dirk Steckmann prepare to stick the bullseye.

From left to right Daniel Wood, Maggie Cooley, and Caroline Cearley are emptying their quivers as they practice the 11 steps to archery success.

Yes, God has been good to our fledgling group, but we give him the glory and hope to reach new souls and new hunters.

Colonial Outdoors Holds It's First Hunter Safety Course

Part of our mission at Colonial Outdoors Ministry is to find a way to reach out to others who love the outdoors. God has provided the ability for Colonial to be able to host the Hunter Safety Course at our facility.

Later, we will be able take classes to become instructors as part of the NC Wildlife program.






This week was our first class. In this pictue we have our mother/daughter participants Ann Marie McCarroll and Devon McCarroll along with Steve Wade and daughter Morgan studying the rules and regulations of the Safety rules including proper handling of weapons, shooting and ethical harvesting of game.







Thanks go out to Officers Brent Ward and Kelly Brantley who came to Colonial. Here they are with Ed Strickland who organized it for our group.






We are proud that over 25 people took and graduated the course including Ann Marie and Devon McCarroll show off their official Hunter Safety Cards, They are Our first mother/daughter duo to attend and pass the course.










Stay tuned as we will offer two more classes before the end of the year