B4 Outdoors uses hunting, fishing and fellowship to give back to those who serve others
Story and Photos by Sara Schafer
The sun pierces the rolling timber of northeast Missouri, as Matthew Burke and Kevin Rhodes sit shoulder to shoulder inside a turkey blind. The air pulses with gobbles — first one in the distance, then another, then several more echoing through the woods.
“We’re surrounded,” Kevin whispers to Matthew.
The two hunters knew strategy and patience would win this battle. Kevin, a member of Macon Electric Cooperative, takes the lead on calling in the birds, sending out punchy yelps with a slate turkey call to beckon the birds closer. The gobbles echoed back, but the turkeys keep their distance.
Matthew chimes in with sharp clucks from a mouth call. Bingo. A large gobbler struts toward the back of the blind. Matthew raises his gun and bags a beautiful bird with a single shot.
Matthew and Kevin head to the bird, hug and bow their heads in prayer. “Let this bond we create over adventure last forever,” Matthew says.
Healing in the Outdoors
That powerful moment is just one both men have witnessed over and over — the healing power of nature and adventure for those who’ve spent their lives protecting others.
As a lifelong hunter, Kevin has seen how spending time outdoors can help relieve stress and pain for many people. After volunteering with several outdoor and wildlife organizations in his home state of South Carolina, he decided to create an organization that would combine his love of hunting with his admiration and respect for members of the military and veterans. His dad, Danny Rhodes, spent 26 years serving in the Army.
In 2018, Kevin founded B4 Outdoors, a nonprofit charity that provides veterans, first responders, law enforcement officers and youth with life-changing outdoor adventures. After several hunting trips to Missouri, Kevin decided to make the Show-Me State his home. Today, the organization is based in Elmer and has hosted more than 200 hunting and fishing missions for service members from 28 states.
“These people are literally some of the best of America because they sign their name on the dotted line to serve our country,” Kevin says. “Just because they take the uniform, police belt or fireman’s helmet off, doesn’t mean their will to serve stops.”
Kevin met Matthew because he founded a similar organization, 10 CAN. Matthew spent 13 years in the U.S. Air Force until he was injured while searching for a fellow airman during an attack in Afghanistan. After he medically retired, Matthew suffered from both physical injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Matthew found healing and purpose through his work with 10 CAN, which gives him the opportunity to share outdoor adventures with others who have had similar stressful and life-altering careers.
“10 CAN and B4 Outdoors both provide nonclinical healing,” Matthew says. “Door kickers, hose draggers, law enforcement, combat vets — nobody really wants to do yoga. We want to go kill, capture or destroy something. We bring faith and healthcare together through the outdoors, where it’s a neutral playground.”
Missions in the Wild
As president of B4 Outdoors, Kevin matches veterans with hunting and fishing opportunities. Through his network, he organizes experiences, then posts them on the organization’s website and social media accounts. Veterans then fill out an application to be selected for the trips. The selected people typically pay for their travel to the location, and the rest of the experience is covered by B4 Outdoors.
For example, an experience could be a deer hunting trip in Missouri for military veterans or a spoonbill snagging trip for female police officers. Each experience varies depending on the season, location and donations.
“An event may have two spots or three spots for hunters, but we may get 35 to 50 applications,” Kevin says. “Then we have to narrow it down; it’s always really hard to choose because there are so many deserving people out there.”
Most who apply have had some hunting or fishing experience. But they don’t shy away from novices. “We like seeing people step out of their comfort zone,” Kevin says. “It’s pretty neat when you get a first-timer and they hear a turkey gobble or see a big buck for the first time. Those firsts are always special because it takes me back to my first time doing that.”
Adventures with Purpose
Out of Kevin’s hunting lodge in Elmer, he’s hosted hunts for deer, turkey, small game and coyotes. The organization also partners with private landowners, outfitters, charter boat captains, hunting clubs and sister organizations, such as 10 CAN, for experiences in other states. These can range from offshore fishing in Florida to bear hunting in North Carolina to white-water rafting in Pennsylvania to prairie dog hunting in South Dakota.
The hosts for these experiences also teach the veterans how to clean and cook the game.
“I remember one youth hunt with a son of a soldier who was killed in Iraq,” Kevin says. “He killed a little doe. We showed him and his mother how to skin the deer, and we brought a little piece of the back strap inside to cook so we could eat it. It was an amazing weekend. There were a lot of tears shed that weekend, mostly by his mother, but I got caught up a couple times as well.”
These parent-child opportunities are some of Kevin’s favorites to witness. Every time, he sees their connections deepen because of their time in the woods or on the water.
“These men and women miss so much,” Kevin says. “They miss ballgames, dance recitals, softball games, school plays and more. I can speak from experience with my dad being in the military; it is important to kids to have opportunities to go do things with their parents.”
Powered by Partnership
Kevin has been blown away by the support for B4 Outdoors. He’s made connections with local landowners who allow the organization to use their properties for hunting and fishing trips.
“The hardest part is finding access to land,” Kevin says. “Leases are getting so expensive; hunting is really becoming a rich man’s game. So, we really value our great partners across the country.”
Some partners donate their land, while others also lead hunts or house the veterans. “There are so many ways people can give, from money to property to time and experience,” Kevin says.
For Kevin, those contributions ultimately help create something much bigger than a successful hunt or fishing trip. They provide a place where veterans and first responders can reconnect with themselves, their families and others who understand their experiences.
“It’s just as simple as giving these men and women a chance to recharge,” Kevin says. “They have so much on their plates at home and at work, and they don’t have an outlet. It’s amazing what one weekend in the woods can do to help relieve the stress.”
Learn more about B4 Outdoors at B4Outdoors.com or follow the organization on Facebook. Their annual golf tournament fundraiser will be held on July 18 in La Plata.
Email Sara Schafer at sschafer@ruralmissouri.coop.