Search Results

Check out our latest issue!!

Sunday, August 16th Cody Krepline, veteran in Brillion, Wisconsin stayed up all night to ensure that the Pig was cooking well over night in preparation for the big PIG ROAST FUNDRASER at Braun's Deer Run in Brillion Wisconsin. Glenn Braun, owner of Deer Run had originally planned on donating 50% of the Green's fees for the day, to House in the Woods for their 1st annual Sturgeon spearing retreat in 2022, but in the early morning hours he announced that 100% of the green fees would be donated. What a generous donation! We're still tallying the funds raised that day but what a turnout, what beautiful weather, and what an amazing way to honor the service and sacrifice for our American Heroes! THANK YOU to all who came out to support our veterans and House in the Woods! https://www.facebook.com/BraunsDeerRunGolfCourseAndRestaurant

ASKING FOR YOUR HELP, for a Veteran in need: **PLEASE SHARE!!** We have a Veteran who is deeply in need of some words of encouragement and also good jokes. We aren't able to share personal details but this veteran was going to join us for the Bear Retreat, and is no longer able to, despite his desperate need for camaraderie and healing. SPECIAL REQUEST: Please take a moment to write a note, put it in an envelope, or write out a card, and say hello, tell a joke, send something nice, simply as a way to lift spirits, remind that veteran that he is NOT ALONE. People love him, think of him, and pray for him... We've all felt alone at one time or another and he needs us now. Please take a minute to write that note, and send direct to House in the Woods, to the attn of: SPECIAL REQUEST. We'll collect them all and send out to him once a week so keep those cards coming and we'll keep sending. SEND TO: HOUSE IN THE WOODS ATTN: SPECIAL REQUEST 217 SKUNK HILL ROAD LEE, ME 04455 THANK YOU for supporting our American Heroes

Chase the tail. Chase the tail. Chase the tail. What? Can’t you see I’m busy here? Interview? No one told me about an interview. Yes, I can spare a few minutes. What do you want to know? Yes, I am Turbo the tracking dog. Oh, I don’t look like a tracking dog to you? Well, you don’t look like a writer to me. How would you know what a tracking dog looks like? Don’t be rude. You are forgiven… mostly. A little history? Ok. Sure. Well, I’m a Wire Haired Dachshund, also called a Teckel. Originally from Germany, my family goes back 600 years. We are hounds (hunde) bred to hunt badgers (dachs). Yes, that’s why we have “little chicken drumstick legs”- to go in holes. You are really pushing it. Where are you from? Downstater. That figures. It’s alright though you remind me of a Vizsla I know. Technically, I’m a ground scent tracking dog- some say blood tracking. Ground scenting is much more reliable than air scenting. It’s hard to trick me. And the beasts do try to trick me. Running in circles, crossing streams and roads, taking me through all kinds of nonsense. That’s one of the reasons why I’m so good at what I do- I’m short- which you already noted. I go under stuff. Paul puts a long orange rubber lead on me, so when it gets thick, he let’s go of it, and picks it up on the other side. Paul House? He’s my assistant and BFF. I let him handle transportation, paperwork, room and board, etc. Yes, he is also Director of House in the Woods. We take military veterans hunting and fishing. Our big event is the bear hunt. Vets are the best. Yes, Paul is a member of United Blood Trackers. You call him if you have any wounded game you need retrieved, and I’ll find it. Why so much about him? I thought you were interviewing me? No, we don’t always find the animal. Sometimes shot placement is poor, so the beast lives. Paul can usually tell that over the phone by questioning the hunter, and then we don’t go. But let’s talk about me. How about my beard? Manscaping has become a big thing. Takes a lot of work to look this good. The bear hunt? We do two weeks, the first two of bear season. Veterans come in for a week at a time. Usually we have around 17 hunters each week with at least a half a dozen Registered Maine Guides. Oh, they’re good, and they put in a lot of work too. Yes, lots of volunteers to make it all come together. You should smell the food. Wow. Sometimes the vets will sneak some under the table. Way better than I get from my assistant. 4 stars. Oh, you’d like to hear some tracking stories. Alright, here’s a good one. We got a call last year from a deer hunter. 300 yard field shot with a .243. There were chunks of bone, but the blood ran out. Off I went through the woods. First we came to a swale in a swamp, then another. I went back to the first to make sure I was on the right trail, back to the second, and then there was a third. Paul asked the hunter if there was water ahead. Yes. We came to a steep bank with a snowmobile trail following the stream. Paul told the hunter to look up and down the stream. Sure enough the hunter saw the deer and was able to get a shot off but missed. We went down to the sighting point and around a bend. Deer in the stream! Another shot. This time he got a piece of buckshot in him. We are paralleling the stream, and I’m pulling Paul right to the water, and the deer is right there on the far bank. Paul shoots with his 9mm, the deer moves to the middle of the stream, then both he and the hunter fire, and the deer is down. The original shot was a high leg hit. It was dangling. That’s how we could get close enough to see the beast. You see I got Paul when I was 8 weeks old and have been training him ever since. Don’t let him leave my side. We’re going to be 6 next August. At a year old I racked up 2 bear, 3 moose, and 9 deer. Pretty impressive, but I was just getting started. I’ll tell you one about a bear. It was my first year, during our annual bear hunt for the vets. We got to the bait site and the vet showed us his arrow- only a little blood. I did 2 or 3 loops trying to pick up the correct scent. You see there were lots of bear coming into this site, and I wanted to be sure. There wasn’t blood, but I don’t need it. I can smell adrenaline. When I was positive I bolted. I ran out 50 to 100 yards. Paul later said he wasn’t sure I was on the right trail since I was just a newbie. When he comes up the bear is right there on the ground. I was yelling that the entire time. Now he listens. How about a moose story? This year we got a call from a couple of hunters with two moose down in the County. They couldn’t find either one. At the first moose there were some small drops of blood then it ran out. I found where the moose had bedded down but had gotten up and was moving. I started pulling and yelling “the moose is close”, so Paul told the hunter to go out 100 yards and be ready to shoot. There was an open spot. The hunter got a bead. Moose down. Turbo 1, moose 0. The second moose was shot in a field. I went right to the blood, but there were only a couple of drops there too. I went round and round. Those hunters had tracked it all up. Makes it much harder, but I figured it out. The blood dried up though. Don’t need it. If you could smell what I can smell… well, you’d probably be grossed out. The hunters didn’t think the moose went the way I was headed. What do they know? I ran 300 yards right to it. Showed them. Turbo 2, moose 0. I’m bred to track. It’s in my blood, in my DNA. I can find a beast in the rain, or down a lane, in the snow, or when it blows, without blood, or in a flood. I could track down the Lorax- if he existed. You want to know how I got started? Well, that’s a good question. It all started when I was very young. I told Paul to go out on the lawn and put some treats under a can to see if I could find them. He sprayed some dried blood to help lead me to it. Good idea. No problem. Found it. So I said, “go out further.” Found it. “Alright, zigzag this time.” Found it. Too easy. “Paul get some liver, drag it on a string, zigzag, offset, hop it. Come on, man, make it a challenge.” He tried. His trickery was no match for my keen intellect and nose. In fact I tricked him. The whole point was so I could eat some liver. Ha. The phone call? Right. When you call me Paul usually answers. He will want to know certain things that allows us to decide whether your beast is worth looking for. Here’s a few. What did you shoot it with? If rifle, what caliber? From a tree stand or ground? How did the beast react when shot? Is there sign of blood, bone, flesh, or hair? Time it was shot? Did you see where it went? How far did you track it? Did you mark last blood? How many people are with you? Did they foul the track? That’s the big one for me. The more people that leave scent on the ground, the harder it makes my job. Card? You’re not very bright. I don’t have an opposable thumb or pocket. Just go to unitedbloodtrackers.org/find-a-tracker, and you’ll find all the trackers you can call in the US. Well, write it down. Look if you don’t mind, I’ve got to get back to it. Chase the tail. Chase the tail. Chase the tail. Mal Stephens lives in Wells, Maine, interviews dogs, and guides for House in the Woods

Hey there...TURBO here I HAVE EXCITING NEWS.... LISTEN IN! You haven't met Turbo yet of House In The Woods? Turbo is a wild animal himself with a LOT of energy. He's our lodge mascot, our tracking dog... not afraid of bears, moose, deer, bison or snakes! But he's as gentle as a mouse, being the best Therapy dog we've ever met. Stop by August 1st and meet the little feller! He'd love to have you pet him... I mean make new friends Spread the word - EVERYONE WELCOME! #teamturbo #hitwturboboost #houseinthewoodsmilitaryfamilyretreat

Thank you Fox 22 WFVX BANGOR @foxabcmaine, for showcasing the August 7th fundraiser dinner, raffle & auction happening at the OLD TOWN VFW. Special thank you to Commander Kevin McGarry for his service, sacrifice, and dedication to helping House in the Woods and the American Heroes we serve. WHERE: OLD TOWN VFW HALL WHEN: AUGUST 7TH, 2021 4 P.M. WHO: PUBLIS IS WELCOME AND INVITED!!! Please join us on August 7th as we honor the men and women who have given so much so that we may enjoy the freedoms we have today! House in the Woods hosts men and women of the military, along with Gold Star families, on outdoor retreats for camaraderie and healing. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!! You can find the original link to the Fox 22 newscast in the comments below. #vfw#houseinthewoodsmilitaryfamilyretreat

Special THANK YOU to Hannaford Supermarkets! for your generous donation of $117.00 to House in the Woods! With YOUR HELP...Hannaford Supermarkets was able to GIVE BACK to House in the Woods and the American Heroes we serve by way of their "Hannaford Helps" reusable bags in the month of June. The great news - YOU CAN DO IT ALL YEAR LONG! H O W I T W O R K S Upon purchasing the $2.50 Community Bag with the Giving Tag at any Hannaford, follow these easy steps and Hannaford will donate $1 to House in the Woods. ALL YEAR LONG! 1. Visit myhannafordcause.com within 7 days of your purchase. 2. Remove the scratch-off layer on the Giving Tag to reveal the unique identifier. 3. Submit their identifier and select House in the Woods to receive a $1 donation. If the donation is not directed within 7 days of purchase, the donation will be sent to the Community Bag beneficiary - the monthly featured non-profit selected by store leadership at the store where you purchased the bag. Thanks to you, and supporters like you, we are able to continue to offer veterans and active duty military Outdoor Retreats, and helping to Save Lives! **btw... you can see many active fundraisers at any time simply by checking out the FUNDRAISING PAGE at the House in the Woods website... link below: https://www.houseinthewoods.org/fundraisers THANK YOU! HAPPY REUSING, RECYCLING AND GIVING BACK! #hannafordhelps #supportveterans #houseinthewoodsmilitaryfamilyret

The House in the Woods 11th Annual Lake Ontario Veteran Fishing Retreat was a HUGE SUCCESS! 14 veterans from Wisconsin, Ohio, New Hampshire, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Maine came together in Oswego, New York to fish Lake Ontario in search of Steelhead and Salmon. Not only did they catch fish but from the feedback we heard, they found peace, new friends, appreciation for people's generosity, and healing that some hadn't even realized they needed. HUGE SHOUT OUT TO Bobbie & Mike of Sticks Bar & Grill who so graciously hosts us year after year, feeding us amazing food, taking us out for ice cream, giving us a warm and comfortable place to stay and showing us all so much love Thank you to Jim of Hat Trick Charters, and the 3 other Fishing Guides & Crews who gave up a day out of their busy schedule and business to take out 14 veterans for a weekend of fun, relaxing fishing. They did all of the hard work and allowed the veterans all the glory when a fish was on the line. Thank you to the Woodchuck Saloon for hosting us for an AMAZING steak lunch and special homemade treats! Thank you to our fellow military supporting organizations, Ultimate Veteran Adventures & Hometown Hero Outdoors for joining us on this amazing adventure. We value your partnership, and all that you do to support our American Heroes! As we close the book on yet another successful retreat we have to give thanks to God for bringing us all together and allowing us a special place in the outdoors with special people, where we can Heal Together. Until next year Oswego... thank you for the hospitality. If you’re in the Oswego, New York area in the future be sure to check out these businesses. Anyone who supports veterans the way they do… are good people in our book! COMING UP… Bath, Maine Striper Fishing Retreat

Memorial Day is a special time for honoring the men and women who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives for our country and for our freedom. This is a particularly special day for the House family, and all involved with House in the Woods Military and Family Retreat. For this is a day that we reflect on the life of Sgt. Joel A. House, son of Executive Director Paul House, and his wife Deanna House. Joel House was born and raised in Lee, Maine. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and attended basic training in August 2003, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. He was an Abrahms A-1 Tanker, doing 2 tours in Iraq. Joel was killed in action while in Iraq on June 23rd, 2007, by a roadside bomb. The vision for House in the Woods began shortly after that, while Paul House attended a military service at Ford Hood Texas for his son, and 18 other men that were killed that month from the CAV unit. Paul often looks back and recalls the morning following this service, when tears suddenly flowed down his cheeks. It was at that moment that he recalls receiving the knowing, and understanding what his mission was going to be from that day forward. Helping our military heroes, their families and God Star Families. Joel grew up hunting and fishing, doing all things outdoor related and most importantly loved spending time at “camp” with his family and friends. Humble and kind, Joel had a passion for the outdoors, sharing it with those he loved, and his faith. The House in the Woods mission of creating a healing “Home Away from Home” is a way at we can honor Joel’s memory, his service, and continue sharing his love of the outdoors with men and women of the military, who need the healing the outdoors and camaraderie can offer. Paul House shares in a recent interview on NEWSRADIO WGAN, “The mission and the organization was inspired by God. It’s not me, it’s God’s work. It’s about our men and women who have sacrificed so much.” “If it wasn’t for Joel and his sacrifice, we wouldn’t be doing what we’re doing to help others. One of things I said when we first lost Joel was, God doesn’t make mistakes. I don’t understand it, and it hurts, it hurts so badly, so bad. But I know Joel is in heaven with the Lord. I don’t understand it, but God does. As difficult as it is, I’ve never questioned. He used the smallest and the least. That’s where it hits home for me.” “The mission is the same today as it was in the beginning. Helping men and women of the military to heal, and to get through this life without committing suicide. It’s an honor for me and for us as an organization to help our men and women.” Paul shares. Thank you to Joel, and to ALL those who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice. We can not forget the immeasurable price each has paid for the right for all of us to be free. On behalf of all of us at House in the Woods, thank you to those lost, and to the families of those affected. We live in this God blessed America because of you. Be sure to follow House in the Woods on Facebook for regular updates, and send an email to angie.gade@houseinthewoods.org to receive our bi-weekly chronicle for the latest updates on activities and upcoming events. Thank you for your support! Drop us a message, call, or schedule a tour! House in the Woods 217 Skunk Hill Road Lee, Maine 04455 920-517-6749 houseinthewoods.org FB @houseinthewoodsmilitaryfamilyretreat LinkedIn @houseinthewoodsmilitaryandfamilyretreat

HOT OFF THE PRESS! Ever wonder where Turbo the House in the Woods gets all that energy? TURBO BOOST coffee… and now YOU can Start your day off with a BOOST too! House in the Woods releases their very own House COFFEE BLEND. ORDER YOURS TODAY!! & PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD What’s better than enjoying your coffee? It’s knowing that while you sip away at that delicious high quality joe you’re part of a great mission… the mission of SAVING LIVES. You’re supporting House in the Woods and our mission to support our American Heroes. Special Thank you to Mike and Wicked Green Farm Coffee Roasting of Calais, Maine for your service, support of veterans everywhere, and for supporting the mission of House in the Woods! We look forward to a very long relationship and helping to SAVE LIVES. Text, email or call to place your order! House in the Woods 217 Skunk Hill Road Lee, Maine 04455 920-517-6749 houseinthewoods.org angie.gade@houseinthewoods.org FB @houseinthewoodsmilitaryfamilyretreat LinkedIn @houseinthewoodsmilitaryandfamilyretreat

JOIN US FOR THE 2021 HEROES GOLF TOURNAMENT & Fundraiser event BENEFITTING HOUSE IN THE WOODS Military & Family Retreat Held at Martindale Golf Club in Auburn, Maine Monday, May 24th, 2021 PUBLIC RAFFLES start at 9 a.m. KEYNOTE SPEAKER starts 2 p.m. PUBLIC LIVE AUCTION starts 2:30 p.m. 36 teams, a total of 144 golfers will come together, to enjoy the spring air, camaraderie amongst their fellow players, and show their love and support for the mission at House in the Woods of helping military men and women through outdoor retreats. Not playing in the tournament? That’s ok… Come on over and meet Turbo the Tracking Dog, check out the raffles, listen to our Keynote Speaker, and get in on the action of the LIVE AUCTION! “TOGETHER WE HEAL” is the motto at House in the Woods. House in the Woods is a nonprofit organization offering outdoor programs to bring together small groups of active military, veterans, and their family members to relax, share, bond, and deal with the stress, loss, grief, and other emotions which can haunt the grieving soul. We offer canoeing, kayaking, hiking, hunting, fishing, nature tours, campfires, swimming, wildlife identification and spotting, and other natural Eastern Maine resource “treasures” God has given our beautiful state to enjoy. As participants face the outdoor challenges presented by Mother Nature herself, they will have the opportunity to share laughter, memories, sorrow, service, and pride, among many other common bonds. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE STILL AVAILABLE if you’d like to donate to the tournament, or more specifically to sponsor a hero on an outdoor retreat. Striper Fishing $550.00 Recreational Weekend $750.00 Turkey Retreat $750.00 Partridge Retreat $750.00 Deer Hunt $1,000.00 Sturgeon Spearing $1000.00 Alligator Retreat $1,000.00 Trout/Salmon fishing $1,500.00 Bobcat Retreat $2,500.00 Black Bear Retreat $3,195.00 Moose Hunt $4,000.00 Here’s a window into the mind of a veteran visiting House in the Woods during the 2020 Bear Retreat, to show you the impact you’re having when you support House in the Woods. “House in the Woods has done for me in one week, what twenty years of therapy hasn’t been able to touch”. The impact speaks for itself. Be sure to follow House in the Woods on Facebook for regular updates, and send an email to angie.gade@houseinthewoods.org to receive our bi-weekly chronicle for the latest updates on activities and upcoming events. Thank you for your support! Drop us a message, call, or schedule a tour! House in the Woods 217 Skunk Hill Road Lee, Maine 04455 920-517-6749 houseinthewoods.org angie.gade@houseinthewoods.org FB @houseinthewoodsmilitaryfamilyretreat LinkedIn @houseinthewoodsmilitaryandfamilyretreat

Special THANK YOU to Dead River Company. Thanks to Dead River we are able to host a very special veteran attending at our fall Bear Hunt Retreat. Arthur, a New Hampshire National Guard veteran, is wheelchair bound without full use of his arms and legs. This year Arthur is being given an opportunity that perhaps he didn't think was possible. Arthur will be spending the week at House in the Woods in Lee, Maine, with a group of 17 other veterans during week 1 of our annual Bear Hunt Retreat. Not only will he enjoy the healing and camaraderie of the week retreat, but with the aide of our special equipment he will have an opportunity to harvest a bear. He will aim and take that shot all on his own when the moment presents itself! We're all rooting for you Arthur, we know it's going to be a week to remember whether there's a harvest or not! Without generous sponsors like Dead River, and their support of our American Heroes, once in a lifetime opportunities like this just wouldn't be possible. THANK YOU DEAD RIVER for your relentless support of heroes like Arthur, the House in the Woods program, and your community. #deadriverco https://www.deadriver.com/veterans