WAUPACA, Wis. — Often an afterthought, deer hides from harvested animals will help provide the hunt of a lifetime to Purple Heart veterans, thanks to Dave Hintz and his Hides for Heroes volunteers.
Starting with just one other partner, he collected about 260 hides in his first attempt.
“Here we are twelve years later and over $160,000 raised. It’s been a good run for us,” said Hintz.
From late October to early January, Wisconsin hunters can place their unwanted hides in collection boxes in Waupaca and beyond.
In spring, the hides will be sold and eventually made into gloves and more.
“The deer tails are what’s worth money for bucktails for musky lures. I just found that out last year. Everyone was like, hey don’t lose the tail, we want the tail,” said Hintz.
It isn’t glamorous work, but every dollar counts.
“Our money stays in Wisconsin. It supports a camp up in Phillips, Wisconsin, called Camp Hackett,” said Hintz.
Camp Hackett is the oldest mission base for the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation, started by retired Army Lieutenant Colonel John McDaniel.
“Can you imagine going off and fighting in a war or conflict someplace on foreign soil and then coming back to America and being discharged from your service branch based on your wounds and then integrating back into society after you’ve lost everything that you hoped and dreamed of having?” said McDaniel.
Each year, the foundation provides about 200 wounded veterans with an all-expense paid outdoor hunting and fishing adventure across the country.
“Getting up to northern Wisconsin and hunting whitetail, ruffed grouse, woodcock, fishing for musky, plus this connective tissue with their peers and no pressure on them whatsoever is designed to express how important what they did is to us,” explained McDaniel.
It’s time-consuming but gratifying work for Hides for Heroes volunteers. Most hold full-time jobs but make time to drive and empty collection boxes.
“A few of the hazards with collecting deer hides are deer and wood ticks. Some days I’ll pick two, some days I’ll pick a dozen off me,” laughed Hintz.
The group also must preserve the hides before they spoil.
“They’re out there salting deer hides in the freezing sleet. That’s grunt work, but they’re doing it,” said McDaniel.
Hintz enlists volunteers, including high school FFA members. Through Miron Construction, he set up a $2,000 scholarship program for students in the area.
“When we have a couple thousand hides to salt, they’ll all jump in the truck. It will be cold and rainy, but they all come and show up,” said Hintz.
Waupaca’s Neville Motors supplies the group with a pickup truck for three months. Hintz sells sponsorship space on the truck and uses the funds for gas money.
The work of Hintz and others recently helped improve Camp Hackett to become ADA-compliant, opening the door for veterans with mobility issues to take part.
“There’s a special place in heaven for that man. He works his tail off and has the heart of a lion,” said McDaniel.
The local community in Phillips has stepped up too.
“We got guys up there in the Northwoods of Wisconsin who are grooming their properties and not allowing anybody to hunt but our heroes. Can you imagine that? And they work on it year-round,” said Hintz.
Hintz’s son and others donated their bear tags to the group, which took them nine years to earn based on Wisconsin’s preference point system.
“We harvested three black bears this year. We got volunteers. They’ll stay up all night processing these bears so the hero can go home with this meat and feed his family,” said McDaniel.
The mental health impact on veterans was substantial.
McDaniel reported zero suicides by participants since he started the program in 2005, which goes against the national trend.
“Not one in 17 years. And at the same time, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 22 veterans a day are taking their lives by suicide,” said McDaniel. “We don’t have that as an issue, and I think our population is more vulnerable because they’re the actual combat-wounded guys and gals.”
McDaniel said he believes the camaraderie among former service members goes a long way, as does the efforts of the group’s 6,000 volunteers across the country.
“It’s a feeling I think they have of being accepted, and this idea of what they did for our country is valued,” said McDaniel.
Hintz and other Hides for Heroes members also give to the local veterans around Waupaca through a golf outing.
They’d like to generate more money for Camp Hackett and are on the lookout for volunteers to drive, collect, and/or salt hides.
From often discarded hides to a hunt of a lifetime, Hides for Heroes provides gratitude to many Purple Heart veterans.