Why Are We Doing This?

Transitioning out of a life of service is not easy. Nodens Outdoors was created to help that transition.

We set out to create Nodens Outdoors from a collective realization that transitioning out of combat related professions into the civilian world is difficult. Many of the things that you spent your days doing or preparing to do are simply gone. There are certainly civilian variants of various military professions--but not at the same scale. So what could be the closest prosthetic to fill that void? Bowhunting became a front runner to answer that.

Bowhunting is uniquely similar to combat professions. It requires intense skill acquisition similar to any shooting discipline, rigorous mission planning, thorough map reconnaissance, route planning, and gear preparation. Then, in its execution, you camouflage yourself along with likeminded people to stealthily close with a target and eliminate it. Only this time, the aftermath of the operation is the ability to provide tangible sustenance for your family--to put food on the table.

Bowhunting was also chosen as a vehicle for this program because of its low recurring cost to the recipient. Ammunition is not freely available in buckets for the taking anymore...we have to buy it now. Arrows fortunately are retrievable. Moreover, you can shoot your arrows in your backyard or basement rather than requiring the shooter to travel to a dedicated range. This allows bowhunting and the process of bowhunting to be a part of your daily life if you want.

But it is more than Bowhunting...

When the initial board of directors began to discuss this effort, it became clear that giving the gift of bowhunting to transitioning Veterans would make a huge impact...but we could do much more. Enter our partnership with a national laboratory, the DOE Human Performance Analytics Center of Excellence. Their research and programs are uncovering age old yet buried truths regarding the impact of nature, breathing, functional fitness and self monitoring on human performance, psychology and physiology. Nodens Outdoors will benefit from their knowledge and pass the knowledge to our Veterans concurrently with bowhunting.

These analytics and their application will be the true benefit to our recipients and our community. Bowhunting is the prosthetic and the analytics is the medicine. In this way we can start to heal each other.

...and that is only the start. Membership in this organization will bring perhaps the most crucial component that binds all the benefits of bowhunting and human performance analytics---camaraderie. This website is intended to offer an enduring touchpoint where we can all learn from one another, share and continue to pay forward. That will ensure that our singular efforts multiply and amplify as we move forward.

Welcome everyone to the Nodens Outdoors team, honored to be here amongst all of you!

Matt

Founder, Nodens Outdoors