Red Oak Outfitters Gives Back

We've started a new business called Red Oak Outfitters Outfits the Community. The business was designed to give back to the community that has provided so much for others. One of the ways we plan to help is through donations to other not-for-profit organizations and to those in need. Over the last 3 years, we've been able to donate:

• over 500lbs of venison burger to various food pantry's and to Noble House Ministries
• over 500lbs of venison to the Black Pine Animal Park
• over $10,000 worth of youth hunts to the National Wild Turkey Federation
• over $1,000 worth of toys to Toys for Tots program

We feel very fortunate to be able to help those in need, and we look forward to continuing to work with others to provide assistance where needed.

Bass Pro Shops "Next Generation" TV Show Set to Visit Red Oak Outfitters

Bass Pro Shops is visiting Red Oak Outfitters this weekend to film for their outdoor show Next Generation. During the visit, Bass Pro Shops pro-staffer and host of Next Generation, Brandon Wikman, will help Red Oak Outfitters by participating in a doe management program, after which he'll pursue a big Indiana buck! Brandon's hunt will air on Next Generation in 2009 on Outdoor Channel!

Next Generation is a new kind of outdoor TV show - hosted by teenagers growing up fishing and hunting - who want to share their outdoor experiences with you. Nothing's faked, nothing's set up! Every week the Bass Pro Shops Next Generation team will take you on great adventures around the country as they learn more about how to be successful in the outdoors.

Brandon Wikman hunts professionally for Bass Pro Shops and Illusion Game Calls. Brandon also owns and operates his own website, www.wiksworld.com, which is dedicated to kids, hunters and the longevity of our hunting heritage.

We're really looking forward to the visit from our friends at Bass Pro Shops and can't wait to share with them an awesome Indiana hunting experience!

Red Oak Outfitters Helps Local Food Pantry

Joel Copas, second from right, presents a check to Dot Mazier of the West Noble Food Pantry on Tuesday. Behind them are the many boxes of food items purchased by Copas and donated to the pantry. Shown with them are, from left, Brandon Pippenger, Ray Kinzer and Matt Wedding. Wedding and Pippenger are employees of Copas’s Red Oak Outfitters; Kinzeris a long-time volunteer at the pantry.

(Reprinted from Ligonier Advance-Leader newspaper, Nov. 26, 2008)

Thanksgiving Made Happier
Generous donation given to local food pantry.

BY BOB BUTTGEN
bbuttgen@kpcnews.net

LIGONIER — The spirit of giving can be always be found at the West Noble Food Pantry, where volunteers give of themselves so others can have enough food in their homes.

But on Tuesday, two days before Thanksgiving, the sweet smell of generosity was extra strong in the air at the food pantry, located on Gerber Street in Ligonier.

That’s because Joel Copas of Albion stopped by with a few of his employees to deliver nearly a truck-load of food to the pantry, along with a $500 check.

Copas, a 1992 graduate of West Noble High School, has made a habit of giving back to his community over the years. He operates Red Oak Outfitters, a successful hunting and guide operation out of Noble County, including 2,000 acres in and around Ligonier. Hunters come from across the nation and even from foreign countries to hunt on Copas’ land.

Copas has developed a reputation in this area for making sizeable donations to food pantries as well as Noble House shelters. For the West Noble Food Pantry, Copas purchased a very size able quantity of food from Kraft and personally delivered it to the Ligonier location, where volunteer Dot Mazier gladly accepted the gifts. There were a few tears in her eyes as she thanked Copas for his generosity, and those came a few minutes before he handed over the $500 check.

“I just can’t say enough about your generosity,” said Mazier, who retired a couple of years ago from the West Noble School Corp., where for many years she ran the high school cafeteria. She now donates a lot of hours every month to helping run the food pantry in Ligonier.

Copas was modest in accepting the praise and thanks from Mazier and other volunteers gathered at the food pantry, as the shipment was unloaded. Nearly 100 boxes filled with cereal, prepared meals, cookies, peanuts, snacks and other items took up about half of the waiting room at the pantry.

The West Noble Food Pantry serves more than 100 families every month, offering not only food but household items such as paper towels, etc. to those in need.

More volunteers are needed to help keep up with the rising influx of people who come to the pantry for help, according to Mazier. And even though Copas’ big contribution will help, more food and donations are needed.

Mazier helped serve lunches to several thousand students at West Noble High School over the years, and now she’s asking for those students to return the favor by bringing in food to the pantry. Jars of peanut butter are always in big demand, she said.

The pantry is open only on Thursdays and patrons must meet eligibility requirements in order to be helped. If there were more volunteers, the pantry could go back to being open two days a week. More information on helping the West Noble Food Pantry, with donations of food or money, or by volunteering, is available by contacting Billie Miller of Ligonier at 894-4938.

Welcome to Red Oak Outfitter's new Blog!

Red Oak Outfitters started on 750 beautiful acres of land located in Noble County, approximately 30 miles north of Ft. Wayne, Indiana. In just two years it grew to over 1,700 acres of bountiful, all private land, and we continue to research additional grounds and water.

We can offer our clients just about any hunting scenario they desire, some resulting in game you have to see to believe. Our guide staff has a combined 150 years of hunting experience and they all share a passion for being in the great outdoors.

Why The New Blog?

The purpose of this Blog is two fold: first, it allows us to communicate with our visitors more efficiently, whether it be displaying pictures of satisfied customers, providing company news, or posting information about upcoming events; and secondly, it gives our customers the ability to access timely information as well as communicate with us through the use of the Blog's "comment" functionality.

Regardless of how you choose to use our new Blog, we hope you enjoy it and find it to be a beneficial addition to the Red Oak Outfitters online experience!

Red Oak Outfitters Gives Back

Red Oak Outfitters recently had the great pleasure of being able to give back to the sport that has given so much to it. We donated $10,000 worth of youth hunts to the National Wild Turkey Federation Jakes Program, which allowed a group of enthusiastic kids to come enjoy a weekend of hunting on our grounds. The hunts coincided with the Indiana youth hunting weekend. It was a beautiful weekend, that allowed everyone to enjoy the experience and the outdoors.