Hunting With a Dissability

[Slappy]

I have grown to be pretty close friends to a buddy of mine who has mobility issues.  

 

As I have gotten to know him over the past few months, he has mentioned how much he would like to have the ability to be outdoors and to hunt.  I have been blessed access to prime hunting property and saw this as a great opportunity to help fulfill some wishes of his.  I do not see him as a charity project, I am just a friend helping a friend as I get a lot out of our friendship too.   

 

Well 2 weekends ago, when it was nice and rainy.  We set out to do an afternoon hunt out at the land.  There were a lot of logistical challenges in getting set up because once he is in a chair, he cant get out without a great deal of effort from the both of us.  But we managed to get him set up over a 30 acre harvested soybean field where deer come out fairly regularly. 

 

The rains came down and the floods came up!  I set us up in a low spot and by the time we finished the hunt, we were in about 3 inches of water!  Lesson learned! Anyways, once we were all set in the hunting blind.  We saw a massive flock of turkeys come out to feed.  We counted 24.  Then a few minutes later, another flock of turkeys came out to make the total of 41 turkeys that we were watching!  Both of us enjoy being outdoors wether we see anything or not, but seeing things is always so much more fun!  Our hunt was off to a great start!

 

After about 3 hours, I hear him say, "I see a deer!!  Its a buck!"  Sure enough, there was a 2.5yr old 8 point out about 80 yards from us.  He asked if he was a shooter and I said heck yeah he is!  The nerves were pumping.  Heart was racing. Lungs were hyperventilating.  And those were just mine!!!  I wasn't even the one shooting!  haha

 

I helped him get the gun up and rested correctly on the Bog Pod and after he had the crosshairs set he asked me if I was ready for him to shoot.  My buddy dropped that deer in his tracks!  I really thought that guy was going to jump out of his chair, he was so excited!  I threw the blind off of us as we hugged, shook hands and laughed ourselves silly.  What a great experience for the both of us!

 

I ran and drug the deer back to him for a few photos and afterwords, he said something that really touched my heart.  He said that he didnt know he could get excited like that anymore.  I really didn't have a response at the time other than to say I am glad he had a good time.  But we will get more opportunities to hunt and I expect him to get excited again with his first turkey this coming season! 

 

I hope to build some better blinds with good ramps on them in the future for him and I hope to one day be able to help provide opportunities to those with illnesses and physical challenges.  

 

 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2013 by Slappy

[Sniper23]

Now that's just priceless! I'm at a loss for words.

[my82cam]

Hats off to you, sir

[R_Bert]

Thanks for sharing that story !

[DaveS]

A touching story! Thank you for taking the time to help this person enjoy some good in life. I my self soon will be getting with the right people with/for Americans with Disabilities and the higher ups at TWRA. I am absolutley sickened that our WMA's are not handicap user friendly.

Again; thanks for what you did! Your friend will never forget that!

 

Dave S

[whiskey]

I lost a dear friend to MD. It is a terrible disease. I am glad to see that your friend got his chance to hunt. That will always be a special memory for both of you.

[peejman]

Most excellent! 

 

There are various programs available for disabled hunters...  http://www.buckmasters.com/resources/badf/disabled-hunters.aspx

[ShaunM]

Great story! Way to represent the true sportsmans name. We need more stories like this! You really have inspired me.

[KahrMan]

A truly inspiring story! :up:

[Caster]

Great story....but this IS a gun forum. What gun/load was being used?
Inquiring minds wanna know!


That is an awesome thing you do. The fact that you got so excited is proof rewards come from good deeds. I bet you werent this excited from the last deer YOU shot. Huh? Edited December 19, 2012 by Caster

[Slappy]

Haha, I let him use my Remington 700 .270

After that hunt he went and got a Savage 243. I told him to get the 95gr Winchester Ballistic Silvertips for that. So I imagine that will be the next device we use!

And you are right, I was 100 times more excited to watch him get that deer than I was on the last deer I shot!

Edited December 21, 2012 by Slappy

[Caster]

Thanks and Kings to you Slappy. I love stories like this.
I really love it when people with physical difficulties get out there in defiance of their obstacles and refuse to do anything EXCEPT enjoy life. I think it's funny and pitiful that many of them whine less than some of us and they actually have an excuse to complain unlike the rest of us.

[Guest 270win]

MD is very bad stuff.  Take your friend out hunting and to other fun stuff while he can go.  Enjoy the time.

[UncleJak]

This is the best story I have read in quite some time.

[R4MBO]

Thanks for sharing...and yeah, it was a "shooter" for sure.  Tell your buddy congrats on the buck!

[Guest ochretoe]

A touching story! Thank you for taking the time to help this person enjoy some good in life. I my self soon will be getting with the right people with/for Americans with Disabilities and the higher ups at TWRA. I am absolutley sickened that our WMA's are not handicap user friendly.

Again; thanks for what you did! Your friend will never forget that!

 

Dave S

That is why my park is building a wheelchair accessable hunting blind as I type.  I hope to have it built and ready by turkey season.  I have already planted the food plot.  This blind is being built by the park and TWRA.  It is the first joint thing we have done in a while.  It's funny how two agencies can work the same area and not work together.  Anyway, since you are in Memphis, give Meeman-Shelby State Park a call in a few months and ask to reserve our blind for a weekend in turkey season for your friend.

[Slappy]

That is why my park is building a wheelchair accessable hunting blind as I type.  I hope to have it built and ready by turkey season.  I have already planted the food plot.  This blind is being built by the park and TWRA.  It is the first joint thing we have done in a while.  It's funny how two agencies can work the same area and not work together.  Anyway, since you are in Memphis, give Meeman-Shelby State Park a call in a few months and ask to reserve our blind for a weekend in turkey season for your friend.

 

That sounds good!  and I am glad yall are putting a blind like that together!