In 2017 our founder, Brad Clark, came up with the idea to get a few coworkers together for a fun hunt and competition and came up with the "Thin Blue Line Turkey Hunt". About 10 of us (troopers, local LEOs and dispatchers) got together and a tradition was born. That year, a single Jake won the competition, and $180 dollars went to the winner. Each year the number of hunters grew and we decided to compete as two-man teams. The fee was paid back out to the two-man team who were able to come up with the longest combined beard length from one or two legally harvest spring gobblers on the first day of the PA spring gobbler season.

 

Fast forward to October 18, 2022 Joe was archery hunting at the time of the text, which related he had just fallen from his tree stand. Joe was properly harnessed, but had unclipped to climb down from an unsuccessful hunt. When Joe stepped onto his top step of his stand, a compromised strap broke sending Joe plummeting 18 feet to the ground. Joe survived the fall and was extracted by local EMS personnel . He ultimately suffered minor injuries, mostly bruising except for a small fracture at the top of his tibia. This fracture was protruding into his knee, and would require surgery which he later had on 11/15/22.  Following the surgery, Joe was healing and doing well. Over the next few weeks Joe was trying to not end an almost 20-year streak of harvesting an 8 point or better every year in Pennsylvania or Illinois. We had been helping Joe move blinds and find places which could accommodate an ATV. On December 5, 2022  Joe and Pj had made plans to move a blind for one last chance effort the next day, after his physical therapy appointment. At approximately 1030 hours on December 6, 2022, Pj received a call from Joe's sister, Melissa. Joe had unexpectedly passed a blood clot while at physical therapy and passed away. 

 

Joe served in the Air Force after high school and spent most of his career in Montana where he fell in love with the west. After the Air Force, Joe enlisted in the Pennsylvania State Police where he would serve approximately 17 years. Joe was serving as a criminal investigator at PSP Huntingdon at the time of his death. Joe was the epitome of an outdoorsman, he spent every day he could hunting, fishing or bow fishing.

 

That following spring it was difficult to even think of turkey hunting without thinking of Joe.  Our plans for the annual Thin Blue Line Turkey Hunt suddenly took on an entirely new meaning and we all began thinking of a way we could honor our lost friend and his deep love for the outdoors.  The details fell in to place and on 04/29/23 the 1st Annual Joe Miller Memorial Turkey Hunt was held. We hosted 32 teams made up of 64 hunters. Every team paid $200 to enter.  Each person received a T-shirt, a meal,  and a single prize raffle ticket. All money raised was to be returned to the hunters.  A total of 14 birds were harvested and 1600 dollars in prize money was given away to first, second and third place.  In 2024 we hosted 81 teams, 31 birds were harvested and gave away $4200 dollars to the top three teams. The rest of the money was used to purchase raffle prizes, we gave away around $17,000 of door prizes. Along with the purchased raffle prizes we receive donations from outdoor companies just like yours. Over half of the participants walked away with a raffle prize many of which were donated. 

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In 2025 we hosted  108 teams  and 34 birds were harvested, we also made our first donation to the Joe Miller Memorial Scholarishop.