02/20/2026
The 2025–2026 hunting season at Heroes Ranch has officially come to an end.
This season didn’t fade out quietly, though. It closed strong. The right way. With the right Heroes.
First up was Juan Cruz, U.S. Army. Vietnam War Veteran.
There’s something different about shaking the hand of a Vietnam Veteran. That generation carried a weight most people will never fully understand. Juan showed up with his family, and you could feel that legacy immediately. Quiet strength. Steady presence. No need for attention.
Guided by Ron Crum, Juan hunted with patience… the kind that only comes from a lifetime of experience. When the moment came, he harvested a beautiful trophy blackbuck. Even though these animals aren’t massive, THEY ARE STRONG. We had to track it for a while. It wasn’t flashy. It was earned.
But honestly, one of the most powerful moments of the week didn’t happen in the field. On our final night together, Juan’s family cooked steaks for the entire Heroes Ranch team. It wasn’t just food… it was fellowship. You sit around a table or campfire long enough with good people, breaking bread, and walls come down. Stories get told. Laughter gets loud. Gratitude gets real.
That’s the kind of stuff that sticks with you.
Then there was Stephen Holden, medically retired Army Veteran, served in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
Stephen almost didn’t come. His wife is in the middle of a battle with cancer. And any man worth his salt knows… when your wife is fighting, your heart is at home with her.
The fact that he made the decision to step away for a few days (or really, his wife told him he needed to go) says something about their relationship. Not about escape, but about refueling. About filling your tank so you can go back stronger.
Guided by Luke Baker, Stephen put a great shot on an absolute monster Axis buck, but that animal still ran over 800 yards. Eight hundred yards! That’s the thing about wild animals… they don’t quit easily. And tracking that buck was a reminder that sometimes even when you do everything right, you still have to grind it out.
There was something symbolic about that track. Strength. Endurance. Faith that if you stay after it, you’ll find what you’re looking for.
We’re continuing to lift his wife up in prayer. That’s what this place is about. You don’t just come hunt at Heroes Ranch. You become part of the family.
And then we had Gavin Whitehead, retired Marine. Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran.
If you’ve ever spent time around Marines, you know there’s a certain edge there, but also loyalty that runs deep. Gavin brought that steady, grounded energy to camp. Great stories. Solid perspective. The kind of guy you want sitting next to you by the fire.
Guided by Alton Currie and Colton Henly, Gavin had to work for his blackbuck. The hunting was tough. The animals were on edge. Nothing came easy. But that’s real hunting.
And when it finally came together… when he harvested that blackbuck trophy, you could see the weight of it. Not just success. It was effort rewarded.
That’s the beauty of bringing Heroes into wild places. The hunt becomes more than a hunt. It becomes reflection. It becomes space to breathe. It becomes a reminder that you’re still capable.
As the season closes, there’s a bittersweet feeling hanging in the air at Heroes Ranch.
The gate quiets down. The blinds sit empty. The dust settles. But the impact doesn’t.
We saw healing this season. Real healing. And if we’re being honest… every single one of us at Heroes Ranch walks away changed too. Because when you spend time with Heroes who have carried the weight of war, injury, sacrifice, and still show up grateful… it recalibrates you. It reminds you what matters. It reminds you that toughness and tenderness can exist in the same man. It reminds you that this mission is bigger than deer, bigger than antlers, bigger than trophies.
The 2025–2026 season is over. But the memories made are forever.
And we’re already looking forward to the next group of Heroes who will step onto this soil and remind us all why this place exists in the first place.
