Info On Our Exciting Upcoming Trips!

Here’s Info on Our 2025/206 Trips: Wilderness Canoeing, Gator Hunt, and Big Game Hunts!

WILDERNESS CANOEING (Summer, 2025)

Location: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (Ely, Minnesota)

Length: 9 days (noon Saturday thru the following Sunday morning)

Dates:

Trip 1 – JUN 7-15, 2025

Trip 2 – JUN 21-29, 2025

Trip 3 – JUL 12-20, 2025

Application Window: JAN 1,2025-MAR 15,2025

Youth Age Requirement: Youth should be aged 12-17 during the trip. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.

Overview: Participants arrive in Ely, MN, by noon on Saturday to begin the Base Camp Phase (Saturday/Sunday), where they’re housed in a modern bunkhouse with OMM staff. Base Camp Phase focuses on Skills Training, where they’ll learn critical skills (canoeing, fishing, navigation, first aid, fire starting, etc.). Lakes Phase runs Monday-Saturday in the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We’ll paddle pristine lakes, fish for bass/pike/walleye, swim and explore. We camp as a group on primitive sites – this is true wilderness! We return to the bunkhouse on Saturday night, and participants depart on Sunday morning. Throughout the experience, we’ll conduct our life-shaping Campfire Talks, biblically-based discussions about Christian Manhood. The final Talk concludes with each young man receiving a knife to symbolize they’re a warrior for Christ.

Cost: FREE! Once participants arrive on site, OMM covers all costs (housing, permits, meals, equipment, etc.)

Safety Measures:

All OMM personnel are highly experienced in wilderness canoeing
All OMM personnel are CPR-certified
Due to limited cell service, we carry GPSs using satellites to communicate with the outside world via text messaging. The units have an SOS feature, allowing instant communication with medical/rescue personnel.
Each canoe team carries a 2-way radio for communication with OMM personnel
Life jackets are worn by everyone when in a canoe
Comprehensive 1st aid kits/1st aid training
All participants must be able to swim
Close weather monitoring/adjustments made
Youth/mentors always canoe in teams (i.e., they never canoe alone)

Mentors: Unlike most of our other trips where each youth typically brings an adult male mentor (i.e., father, relative, family friend), not every youth can bring a mentor. Boundary Waters regulations limit group size to a max of 9 people. OMM teams include a Head Guide, an Assistant Guide, five youths, and two mentors. These two mentor positions typically are the father/relative/family friend of one of the youths on the trip. We encourage applicants to include a mentor in their application. While we can’t guarantee that a mentor listed on the application will be on the trip, we do our best to maintain youth/mentor integrity.

Notes:

All meals are provided
Participants are responsible for their transportation to/from Ely, MN (OMM staff can pick up/drop off those using Duluth airport)
OMM provides nearly 100% of the required equipment: canoes, life jackets, tents, sleeping bags/pads, cookware, fishing equipment (rods/reels/tackle/nets/cleaning equipment)
Youth/Mentors are responsible for personal clothing, snacks, and misc. personal items (a detailed packing list will be provided for those selected).

Learn About Last Year’s Trip: https://ofmountainsandmen.org/boundary-waters-wilderness-canoe-trips-2024/

How To Apply: Through our web page of www.ofmountainsandmen.org.

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Gator Hunt (AUG, 2025)

Location: Sebring, Florida

Length: 4 Days

Dates: 8-11 AUG 2025 (Fri-Mon)

Application Window: JAN 1-MAR 15, 2025

Youth Age Requirement: Youth should be ages 12-17 at the time of the hunt. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.

Overview: Thanks to the generosity of Gettin Grubb Outfitters (visit the link below for more info), the young men will experience the thrills of gator and hog hunting! Participants will fly into/out of Orlando International Airport, arriving NLT at 1 p.m. on Friday, August 8th ( If participants drive instead of flying, they’ll meet us at the outfitter at 4 p.m.). OMM personnel will transport those flying to the outfitter (2 hours away). Participants will be housed in a modern lodge, where all meals will be provided. We’ll hunt for gators and hogs on Saturday/Sunday; hunting techniques are TBD but will be the ones safely used by their paying clients. We’ll conduct our life-shaping Campfire Talks, which are biblically-based discussions about Christian masculinity, each evening. Sunday’s Campfire Talk concludes with each youth being presented a knife to symbolize they’re a warrior for Christ. We’ll depart early Monday morning, with OMM personnel transporting personnel to Orlando airport.

Cost: FREE! Once participants arrive at Orlando International Airport or at the outfitter,OMM takes care of all costs (housing, permits, meals, equipment, etc.)

Mentors: Each youth will have a mentor. Youth can bring their adult male mentor (i.e., father, relative, family friend) or, if needed, a background-checked OMM mentor will be provided. Mentors may hunt as well!

Safety:

Youth (and mentors wishing to hunt) must have completed a state-sponsored Hunter Safety Course before the hunt)
Firearms will be under the direct control/close supervision of outfitter/OMM personnel.
Marksmanship: youth (and mentors wishing to hunt) must be capable of shooting a 3-inch group at 100 yards with a scoped rifle before the hunt.

Notes:

Each youth and mentor can harvest one gator/unlimited hogs
Rifles/ammunition will be provided
Outfitter/OMM personnel will process the gators with help from the youth/mentors. Youth/mentors will likely be able to take home 10-15 pounds of gator meat, as well as the gator head if they wish to get it European-mounted at their own cost. TBD on hogs.

Learn More About Getting Grubb Outfitters: https://www.gettingrubboutfitters.com/

How To Apply: Through our website at www.ofmountainsandmen.org

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Big Game Hunts (OCT 2025/JAN 2026)

Location: Peyton, CO (approx. 20 miles NE of Colorado Springs)

Length: 4 days (noon Friday thru Monday morning)

Dates: All dates are tentative but probable

Doe Pronghorn Hunt: mid-October, 2025
Cow Elk Hunts: All 4 weekends of January, 2026

Application Window: JAN 1-MAR 15, 2025

Youth Age Requirement: Due to state requirements, youth must be at least 12 or 17 at the start of their hunt.

Overview: All hunts follow the same basic format. All participants will arrive at noon at the Big R in Falcon, CO, to acquire licenses (we resource them through various outlets), followed by a 20-minute drive to Base Camp at a hunting lodge. We’ll establish a base camp and conduct marksmanship operations, briefings, dinner, and our initial Campfire Talk (biblically-based discussions about Christian Manhood). We’ll hunt Saturday and Sunday and are blessed to hunt 80,000 acres of privately leased land with many animals (last year, we had a 90% success rate). We’ll continue our Campfire Talks on Saturday/Sunday nights, culminating in a knife presentation for each young man to symbolize they’re a warrior for Christ.

Cost: FREE! Once participants arrive in Falcon OMM takes care of all costs (housing, permits, meals, equipment, etc.)

Safety Measures:

All youth must complete a state-sponsored Hunter Safety Course before their hunt
Extensive marksmanship practice with a heavy emphasis on safety
Close monitoring/supervision of firearms by the guides
CPR-certified OMM personnel
Dependable cell-phone coverage
Each guide carries a 1st-aid kit

Notes:

We stress ethical shooting. As part of it, youth must be capable of shooting a 3-inch group at 100 yards with a scoped rifle before their hunt.
Youth typically bring a rifle with them to hunt. However, OMM will provide rifles if needed.
Each youth/mentor team will have their own guide.These guides are very experienced big-game hunters who know the property. More importantly, they serve as role models for what a strong Christian man is.
All hunting is conducted from the guide’s truck.
The guide will facilitate field dressing, transport to the lodge, skinning, and storage in a walk-in cooler. From that point on, responsibility for the meat belongs to the sponsor/mentor. Options include taking it to a local processor (OMM provides recommendations), taking the meat home to process it, or donating it to someone on the hunt.
All youth/mentors will be housed in heated wall tents with cots provided.
All meals are provided.

Learn About Recent Hunts:

2024 Elk Hunts

2024 Pronghorn Hunt

How To Apply: Through our website at www.ofmountainsandmen.org.

WE PLAN ON NOTIFYING APPLICANTS Of SELECTION RESULS IN LATE MARCH, 2025.

IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE EMAIL US AT OMM.MINISTRY@GMAIL.COM

Thank you, and we look forward to helping guide your young man into Christian Manhood!