Guides, volunteers turn disabled vets into hunters again at Zgoda Deer Hunt

Enabled veterans

LEGIONVILLE — It was dark and gloomy when guide Gary Richardson and disabled veteran Carla Tappainer climbed the ladder at the red deer stand in the backwoods of Legionville Education Center.

There are 11 permanent deer stands in the woods at the camp. The red one is known for great sightlines and has a strong track record for success.

The two silently watched the sunlight creep into the woods. A stick broke now and then. A splash was herd. A tom flew down from his perch.

No deer. Richardson and Tappainer would have to return at night.

The Sons of The American Legion Detachment of Minnesota has conducted the John Zgoda Disabled Veterans Deer Hunt annually at Legionville Education Center since 2007. This was the 18th year for the program.

Lloyd Schaeffer, commander of Chaska Squadron 57, recalls how the event came to be. John Zgoda of Hastings Squadron 47, he said, was the Detachment of Minnesota commander in 2006-07. He wanted to launch an event where guides from SAL squadrons take disabled veterans hunting at Legionville. He asked Wayne Mattingly of Osseo Squadron 172 to work with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to put together a deer hunt.

Mattingly ended up having to tell Zgoda that the DNR wasn’t returning his phone calls. Zgoda spoke with Department Commander John Cox of Mahtomedi-Willernie Post 507, who reached out to the DNR. The DNR did return his call, and together the DNR, TAL and SAL planned a disabled veterans deer hunt for Legionville. Deer season was over by this point in 2006. The first one happened in 2007.

The first one had three hunters, Schaeffer said. The most the event has is six hunters, and this year, it had six hunters.

“The biggest thing was to have a good volunteer crew, to have support on the grounds” Schaeffer said. “The DNR wanted us to be safe but never told us any restrictions. We want it safe and organized.”

He said staff from the DNR came the first year, gave a few suggestions, and since then it has trusted the Detachment of Minnesota to run it well.

Zgoda, Schaeffer said, got Bill and Judy Stein of Wayzata Post 118 involved, and they were well-known in the Legion and Legion Riders. He got posts and squadrons to bring meals. When Jim Kellogg of Adams Post 146 was American Legion Department of Minnesota commander in 2015-16, and he was among volunteers to help with skinning and gutting.

Dave Vulcan, one of the hunt’s co-chairmen, said the Detachment of Minnesota (if you haven’t figured it out yet, Legion says “department” for state level and SAL says “detachment”) funded the hunt at first. These days, it’s entirely funded by contributions. Posts can use gambling funds to donate to Minnesota American Legion Foundation, and enter Fund 54 in the memo.

Those donations in 2014 helped the detachment build what’s called the SAL Shed at Legionville. That’s where the organizers store equipment for the hunt, and that’s where the deer are hung and drained. Equipment includes stands, shirts, chairs, roasters, fish friers, pop-up blinds, among other things, so they don’t hog up space for Legionville’s summer camp equipment.

The SAL supplies rifles if the disabled veteran doesn’t have one. They have .243 rifles, and Federal Cartridge out of Anoka donates the rounds. You won’t find the rifles stored in the shed, though.

Richardson, a member of Squadron and Post 507, has volunteered as a guide since 2016. He is a past 3rd District Legion commander and is presently membership director for the SAL Detachment of Minnesota.

Building deer stands has been part of the work the volunteers do every year. They have received donations from Menard’s and Scheels. The volunteers, he said, show up on the Monday before the hunt and head into the woods with side-by-sides and golf carts to trim down the shooting lanes. The hunt takes place on Friday and Saturday.

The hunters arrive Thursday. Sunday is for taking down equipment. This year, the dates were Oct. 3-6.

Kellogg, who presently is a national vice commander, also gets kudos for supplying five heaters from his and other squadrons in southern Minnesota. He also knows a place to get good prime rib steaks at a reasonable price. Those are grilled up on Thursday night before the hunt.

Zgoda died on Jan. 10, 2012, at the age of 53 following a courageous battle with cancer. The detachment voted to name its annual deer hunt for him. Mattingly died a little after. Bill Stein passed in March 2016; Judy in May 2024.

“It just goes to show you what veterans and their supporters can accomplish for future veterans when we work together,” Kellogg said.

Disabled veterans can apply for the John Zgoda Disabled Veterans Deer Hunt by going to mnsal.org and clicking on “Our Programs.” Or they can visit mnlegion.org, hover on “Events” then select “Hunting & Fishing.”

This year, six guides took six disabled veterans hunting, and there was a dozen support staff. There are five co-chairs on the committee. They run the hunt: Dave Vulcan, Ted Berg, Lloyd Schaeffer, Dave Bilderback and Steve Bilderback. They try to select different hunters each year.

All of them talk at length about what a great time is had during the hunt.

“We’ve never had a hunter who didn’t have a good time up here,” Vulcan said.

Schaeffer added, “One year, we had a retired veterinarian who hadn’t picked up a gun since he was in the military. He shot a big doe. He was thrilled.”

Dave Bilderback, commander of Rochester Squadron 446, said the hunt is why he is involved with the SAL, “so we can help our veterans. It’s one of the ways we can get our hands into it and help our veterans along.”

Robert Olson of Sandstone was one of the hunters. He is a 75-year-old disabled veteran with Bruno Post 563.

“I’ve been hunting since 16. I just like doing it,” he said. “If I try to do it by myself, I end up relying on Life Alert. But here, I have someone with me.”

Disabled veteran Dean Christenson of Wabasha — who says he needs to join the Legion — shot the first deer of the hunt this year. He got it from a deer stand near the cell tower, which is way in the back of the 495-acre property.

He came to the hunt because his neighbor encouraged him to apply online. He and his neighbor were selected. Christenson can walk but has a bad back. He also deals with PTSD.

“I could have got my stuff out for hunting but it would’ve been difficult,” he said.

He served in three deployments: Kosovo in 2004-05, Iraq in 2006-07 and Kuwait/Iraq in 2011-12. He bagged a doe with a 7 mm Remington. Matt Berens of Hopkins Post & Squadron 320 was his guide.

“I was facing west. Matt was facing east,” Christenson said. “She stopped at 30 yards behind us, right on the deer trail, and I shot it in the neck. We attended to it and were having a cup of coffee after a half hour because the crew came and took it to the shed with a side-by-side. No meat was wasted.”

Tappainer, a member of Apple Valley Post 1776 and the department membership director, got a young buck that same evening. In all, four of the six disabled veterans shot a deer.

Past Department Commander Paul Hassing was among them, getting a buck with seven minutes left before the end.