Highlights from our most recent days spent outdoors with our veterans.
At Longbow, we believe that getting outdoors is critical to finding clarity and purpose. From hunts across globe, to fishing on the water, to range days and hog hunting at Lindhaven — we empower combat veterans to find purpose through adventure.
Want to know what it’s like to spend a day with the Longbow Foundation crew? Check out this great video.
In June 2026, we welcomed a soon-to-retire U.S. Army Special Forces veteran to Charleston for a few days in the Lowcountry. Day one was a nearshore trip for bull redfish with RedFin Fishing Charters, but the sharks had other plans. We fought them most of the day before landing a couple of big bull reds. The next morning we fished the inshore creeks and marshes in good weather with fish biting, the kind of day on the water you don’t want to end.
That evening we headed inland to Lindhaven Farm for a night-vision hog hunt in the swampy woods, and it was a successful one. The last day was slower: riding the property, sighting in rifles, and scouting for an alligator that stayed hidden. Between the water, the woods and a lot of easy conversation, we built a real friendship and learned what matters to him as he prepares for life beyond the military.
Earlier this year, we took a Special Forces veteran to Brays Island, for three days in the field. Over sporting clays, morning and afternoon quail hunts, a day on the water chasing redfish, and a night-vision hog hunt (finished with late-night pancakes at Huddle House), he spent time with an entrepreneur in finance, a real estate developer, and a retired general turned business leader. The conversations ranged from financial planning and career advice to identity, purpose, and what it really takes to leave the military behind.
The hunting and fishing were great, but the real work happened in between. Away from everyday distractions, the conversations got deeper, and honest talk, shared experiences and plenty of laughter broke down barriers. By the end of the trip, we had a much clearer picture of this veteran’s goals and of how to best support him.
The Longbow crew headed west to Angel Fire, New Mexico, for six days of hunting mule deer, elk and mountain lion with a soon-to-retire Command Sergeant Major of U.S. Army Special Forces. He loves the outdoors and hopes to become a hunting guide in his next chapter, which made the trip especially fitting. We stayed at a private mountain lodge with home-cooked meals and a talented local guide, glassing mountainsides before sunrise and chasing a herd with two big blonde bulls. Persistence paid off on day four with a mule deer at daybreak, but the elk stayed one step ahead to the very last evening, when we watched them in the distance under a rising supermoon.
The elk won this round, but that’s hunting. The long hours glassing, the stories around the dinner table and the talks about what it takes to guide gave us a real friendship and a clear picture of the next chapter he wants to build. We left New Mexico with mule deer in the cooler and a relationship that will last well beyond the hunt.
Thanks to the generosity of one of our supporters, the Longbow crew headed north to Manitoba, Canada, for a five-day backcountry bowhunt with two U.S. Army veterans. One was already retired, and the other was an Apache pilot preparing for retirement. The days went to scouting, hiking miles of woods and long sits in tree stands, with snowmobile rides and walleye fishing that seemed like it would never slow down. The highlight came when a 500-pound black bear stepped in to 20 yards for a clean shot with a bow.
Some of the best moments came during the downtime, around the lodge and on the water, when the talk turned to life after the military. One veteran had a fairly clear picture of his next chapter, and the other was still working his out. Being at different points in that transition gave them a lot to share with each other. What started as a bear hunt ended with real friendships and some clarity about what comes next.
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