Soldiers hunt for pheasants at MWR event

By Spc. Michael Adams, 3rd ID Public AffairsMarch 9, 2011

Hunt
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT STEWART, Ga. - Soldiers and civilians from the Fort Stewart area had an opportunity to brush up on their hunting skills during a Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Continental Pheasant Shoot March 5, at Fort Stewart.

Participants shot at the live birds from fixed positions as the game was released.

"It's a good opportunity to get Soldiers from 3rd Infantry Division and the surrounding community out here to have a good safe hunting experience," said Chase Howell, director of outdoor recreation for Hunter Army Airfield.

Howell added that pheasants aren't in this area, so FMWR paid for a company to bring pheasants to the area to hunt.

"With all the deployments that we've seen here in the past, this is just a really fun, relaxing day to come out," he said. "It brings everyone together... improves morale... good for spirit-de-corps, and we're proud to put it on for them."

"It's going to be a great hunt," he said. "Pheasants are slower moving, they're bigger."

The hunters emphasized safety as they gathered around barriers that formed a circle. They rotated from position to position, as the birds came out of the center of the circle. When the birds came close to potential shooters, they fired on them.

After the hunt, the game was divided up evenly among all of the hunters.