On January 17, 2026, Hunting with Soldiers held their 10th annual hunt here in San Saba organized by Winfield Basham of Cleburne, Texas. Gordon Melton is the president of Hunting with Soldiers and is passionate about serving those who have served our country. Twenty-two veterans a day take their own lives, but through this hunt, the purpose is to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ and give soldiers hope and fellowship with believers.
The day started off with a wonderful breakfast prepared by the women of The Father’s House. This was led by Suzana Hernandez and Mirla Reyes. Lynn Hamrick provided, free of charge, lodging for soldiers and staff over the weekend.
As the day progressed, the hunters and their guides made their way to leases provided by landowners who volunteered their properties. These landowners included Stephen Crump, Deryl Hoyt, Charles Nichols, Terry Smith, Charlie Cummings, Barbara Riggs, Will Robertson, the Lambert Family, Les Hardy, Marge Wagner, and Marsha Childress. Among the guides were Jose Caraveo Sr., Barry Townsend, Bob Wagner, Tony Johnson, Rickie Smith, Justin Hoyt, Tony Johnson, Ramiro Cisneros, Deryl Hoyt, Bill Jones, Stephen Crump, Charlie Cummings, Will Robertson Jr., Xavier Baez, Bladen Calles, Malcom Jolly, Dave Stewart, and Stefan Hunt. Dave Stewart also provided his property to gut the deer and George Rainey skinned the deer for the hunters.
In all, there were twelve deer killed and two hogs. At noon, everyone met at Pepperbelly’s Restaurant to eat a great meal provided by Ramiro Cisneros and Winfield Basham. Brian Doty, of Covington, TX, gave a great message which featured his testimony as he encouraged everyone in the room about the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. In memory of Winfield Basham’s grandson, Benjamin Edwards, the hunters were given a military edition camo covered Bible and were encouraged to reach out to their guide anytime for support and prayer. Winfield took time to remember Larry and Alice Smith who passed away recently. Larry played a vital role in organizing the event in the previous years. Stephen Crump also spoke and honored his father, Larry Crump, who passed away this past year and who was also very involved in the hunt previously.
The vets were fitted for a custom-made pair of boots donated by Justin Boot Company. Rae Carrington was the Justin representative. Tom Cartlidge and his daughter Ann of Henrietta, TX, represented Olsen-Stelzer Boot Company and specialize in fitting and making boots for soldiers who have severe foot problems or need boots for prosthetics. Tom has been making boots for over 50 years.
If you are a landowner and would allow your land to be used next year, please reach out to The Father’s House church. A special thanks goes to Bill Jones, Lynn Hamrick, Deryl Hoyt, Ramiro Cisneros and every single person who made this event possible once again. We are so grateful.