Alaska
We know this because we were in Alaska this August when Sgt. Omar “Crispy” Avila – a Purple Heart recipient – went on a Sitka black-tailed deer hunt recently with a few of us from SOG Knives & Tools. We were there when Crispy, who was severely injured in a 2007 incident in Iraq, labored to get up the mountains, vowing to not be the guy who would slow the hunting party down. He wasn’t.
It wasn’t an easy hunt. The climb. The weather. The dense forest that provided the blacktails with plenty of cover. “It was the hardest one I’ve been on by far,” said Avila, one of three hunters being led in the Alaskan backcountry by the team from Alaska Coastal Outfitters. But it was successful. Lessons were learned. Obstacles were overcome. Deer were shot.
"I re-learned that getting away from the media, the news, the internet, and hanging out with your fellow man is good for the soul," said Derek Krogh, who handles social media for SOG and was one of the hunters. "I always forget it, and always re-learn it."
Crispy learned, too. "I learned to take time to think how blessed I am to be alive," he said. Those are powerful words from a man who doctors figured had about a 30 percent chance of survival after sustaining burns to more than 75 percent of his body after his Humvee exploded in Iraq.
"We all come from different backgrounds but we worked together and pushed each other to accomplish the mission," said Crispy of the Alaskan hunt. "For the first time I’ve experienced teamwork outside the military."
You can see the entire story of the teamwork needed to complete this incredible Alaskan hunt. Check out the video below, and experience Crispy's adventure into the uncharted.
