This came to us from Mike Arnold of Cross Trail Outfitters.  It's a great story!

Record Buck Ranch gives back to hunting
By Joey Jelenc

There comes a time in life when you realize what is truly important.

That time came after an unexpected meeting with a stranger, which led to my weekend with eight young men out to make a difference in their own lives.
Allow me to back track a bit.
The Dallas Safari Club International Expo was an amazing experience. I traveled through aisle after aisle of Outfitters from Alaska to Australia.
Big game hunts, exotics, fishing lodges, waterfowl, white-tail, taxidermy, you name it, you could hunt it, a real hunters paradise.
I met many people and set up many future dates for stories that day.
When I returned home one man kept coming to mind.
Jim Fejes, general manager for Record Buck Ranch, told me he had a story for me.
Little did I know, at the time, how that weekend on Record Buck Ranch would remind me that the true gift in life is not what you have, but is what you can give back.
Record Buck Ranch, located in Utopia, Texas, is a highly managed 23,000+ acre ranch that offers some of the finest deer hunting in Texas. The ranch also breeds and maintains over 30 different species of exotic animals.
Record Buck is owned by Thomas J. Hammond, founder, in 1987, of Financial Savings and Loan.
As we drove through the ranch Jim pointed out a Black Buck as it crossed the road, two large Elk wandered into a clearing, their spread would be scored about 290.
Stunned, I asked Jim to tell me what animals he had on the place.
“Water Buffalo, American Bison, Thompson Gazelle, Fallow Deer…… that’s a Mouflon….Scimitar Oryx, Aoudad, Axis Deer……we’ve got to check the Elk…..Whitetail Deer, Addax,” Jim smiled and said, “I feel kind of like Forrest Gump naming off shrimp.”  
“Spring Turkey, Elands, Kudu…….” And so on.
There are several lodges, each one breath taking in design and comfortable in accommodations. Jim made sure the fireplace was always lit and the guests, including several gentlemen from Australia, were never wanting. Record Buck even has its own Chef on staff, Raul, who made skipping a meal impossible.
The Australian boys and I enjoyed several beers together by the fire and they taught me some good Aussie slang.
The guest rooms were spacious and each holds its own private shower.
A game room is available with a big screen television, pool tables and card tables, with a back deck that overlooks a beautiful stream.
Cross Trails Outfitters (CTO), a Christian based organization for boys and young men who love the outdoors, was scheduled to arrive at 7:00 p.m.
I could write a book on Record Buck Ranch, but the boys that arrived that evening were my story.
After dinner, I was invited by Mike Arnold, founder and president of CTO, to join him, his staff of volunteers and the boys in a “campfire”. I listened as each young man, ranging in age from 7 to 23, talk about personnel experiences.
One boys mother passed away three months ago, one boy lost both his parents in a car crash this past year, one boy is having trouble in school, I don’t know all of their story, but what I heard from every one of them, was that they were there for a reason, on their own accord. No one made them come; they came to change something in their lives, to become better people.
They came to meet their problems head on and take responsibility, to make them better men.
Good men.
Mike Arnold said that CTO is a youth hunting and fishing club that helps young men become grounded and gives them the support and the company of adult men. A lot of their participants come from single mother homes that don’t have good male role models.
Membership to CTO is $100 per year and outings like Record Buck Ranch only cost the boys $25 for members to participate, which covers the hard cost and the liability insurance for the organization. Non-members can participate as well; their cost per outing is approximately $40.
But Arnold said that no kid is ever turned away, if there are financial issues then there are scholarships available.
CTO provides any outfit items needed, including a weapon, if the participant does not have their own
We took the boys out hunting early the next morning. Raul provided cold cereal, granola bars, fruit and deliciously hot coffee with the promise of a hot breakfast on our return.
We drove deep into the ranch and were dropped off three to a blind, two boys and one adult volunteer, or one boy, one adult volunteer and one girl reporter.
The cold drizzle and low clouds held off the approaching daylight. We watched and waited. The boys were to help manage the white-tail herd by taking only spikes that morning.
As hunting generally goes, we saw everything under the moon except a spike.
There were does a plenty, beautiful big bucks with racks to die for, a Black Buck hung out with us all morning, several Oryx wandered by, but not a spike.
The deer were plentiful, and were not tame as many have squawked about high fence hunting. These animals were cautious and alert, the sound of a distant gun blast sent them heading for the hills.
My young friend talked with Mr. Earl, the adult volunteer from CTO, they spoke about school and family and hunting. Then as the morning got colder and wetter, the conversation turned to Raul and breakfast.
Three spikes and two hogs were taken that morning, the excitement was intense. One boy, who was 19, shot his first deer, another young boy, tried to tell me about his deer, he was shivering from the cold and his teeth were chattering, but his cheeks were ablaze with life, and his eyes told the story of success.
After breakfast, the boys cleaned their kill, with the veteran CTO members helping and teaching the new comers.
Everyone has something wonderful to share, maybe a lesson they have learned along the way.
When we share something positive and inspiring then we make a difference.
Thomas J. Hammond, owner of Record Buck Ranch, did not charge CTO a dime for the boys to come for the weekend, and several additional outings are planned.
Fejes said that Hammond is adamant about providing a place for under privileged organizations, disabled vets and non-profit groups to come and enjoy the outdoors.
On a ranch such as Record Buck, where high dollar hunting is available, where maintaining the animals requires over 100 tons of feed a week, making a profit is not the motivation.
Tom Hammond, Jim Fejes and Trophy Buck Ranch give back to the community, and give back to hunting in general.
Mike Arnold and CTO are making a difference.
Trophy Buck Ranch is making a difference.
For more information on Cross Trail Outfitters go to their website at www.teamcto.org.
For more information on Trophy Buck Ranch call Jim Fejes at 830-279-2101 or go to their website at www.recordbuck.com.
joey@mytexasnews.com