NEW ULM — A dozen bowhunters sat down for a pancake breakfast on Sunday at the home of David and Carol Strenge after a weekend of turkey hunting.

This group has been meeting at the Strenge home for more than six years as part of a group hunt program called Ardent Archers.

Ardent Archers is part of the Ardent Outdoor Group. The group was started by Matt Wilkie, who grew up in the Twin Cities having never been exposed to hunting or fishing. Then one day, a co-worker introduced him to bowhunting and he liked it.

“I thought to myself, others might like this too,” Wilkie said.

From there, he formed the Ardent Outdoor Group. Its mission is to introduce as many in Minnesota to outdoor activities as possible.

The bow hunting program starts in the classroom. In August, participants meet once a week to learn the different aspects of archery. This is taught in and around the Twin Cities area. However, to take program members on actual hunts, Wilkie needed to find hunting land. That’s where the Strenges entered the pictures.

Ardent Archers was originally formed as a program solely for disabled veterans. The majority of Ardent Archers members learned of the organizations through the Wounded Warrior Project.

Several years ago, the Strenges were attending a meeting with Pheasants Forever, who put them in contact with Wounded Warriors and Wilkie’s Ardent Archers.

David Strenge said his father was a WWII veteran and his family has a great respect for U.S. veterans.

“This is our way of giving back,” Strenge said.

Carol Strenge said bow hunting is also a great way for veterans to get together and talk about their experiences. The Strenges said it is a pressure-free experience for vets.

Wilkie said Ardent Archers has since grown to welcome anyone with an interest in bow hunting. They continued to offer special classes for veterans, but said

“We try to alleviate any barriers for those who want to bow hunt,” Wilkie said.

One of the greatest obstacles in learning to bow hunt is finding a place to hunt. As most of the Ardent Archers participants are from the Twin Cities area, it can be difficult to find prime hunting grounds.

For this reason, the Stenges have been a great asset. Their property is located outside of New Ulm and is a perfect location for turkey hunting. There are nine locations on the Strenges’ property setup for turkey hunting.

Wilkie has brought graduates of the Ardent Archers program to the Strenges home for six years. It has proven so popular, several program grades have continued to return for multiple hunting seasons.

Each season the hunting party is led by locals Doyle Johnson and Dale Gersch. Both men have been hunting in the region for decades and are also U.S. veterans. They volunteer their service to help their fellow comrades in arms.

“We like helping our younger veterans,” Johnson said.

“That’s what we are here for,” Gersch said. “To help one another. It is an honor to help fellow veterans.”

The hunting weekend began last Friday. The Ardent Archers arrived on Friday evening and took part in archery practice. Saturday was dedicated to hunting.

Unfortunately, none of the group managed to bag a bird, despite hearing many turkeys.

“Everyone heard a gobble, but no one got a bird,” Johnson said.

“That’s why it’s called hunting and not getting,” Gersch said.

None of the hunters were upset about missing out on a bird. Many were just happy to be among friends and out in nature.

Hunt participant Becky Vonwald praised Saturday’s weather and the experience of being in the woods.

“It is a meditative experience,” Vonwald said. “You can be alone out there in the quiet. But even in the quiet, there is so much noise. You hear the wind, the leaves, and even the birds. I learned a lot.”

Andrea Frey was also impressed with the variety of wildlife they saw and heard.

“It is great downtime to listen and watch nature,” she said. This year she and Vonwald witnessed a male pheasant put on a show to impress the female pheasant. It was nature at its best.

Sunday morning, some went out to hunt again. Most remained at the Strenge home for one last breakfast, swapping jokes and telling stories of the hunt before heading their separate ways.

Wilkie said the next hunt will likely be in deer season.

Those interested in the archer program or other Ardent Outdoor activities can visit https://www.ardentoutdoorgroup.org