How did the Disabled hunters do?

[Quad4hunter]

I finally made it into the woods after 18 years of being sidelined. I'm paralyzed from the neck down. Had a remote gun made up that runs on electric window motors moves my 45 cal, muzzleloader up, down, left right. Has some bugs to work out but is working well. Just had the gun finished with 6 days left in season. I made it out 4 times for the disabled season. 1st evening facing east in blind decided to move to face north big misstake. Had deer on noth side of blind 3 doe's in range but couldn't move my chair do to all the soft ground. Then a small 4 pointer came from nowhere 35 yards out but still couldn't move. Guess that's deer hunting always some thing goes wrong. Saw more deer but was out of range. 2nd eveing faceing noth this time but all 8 deer I saw was out of range. 3rd evening the big choke. Had a doe and 2 yearling 75 yards out. I wanted the big doe had her in the cross hairs went to bite my bite trigger, bit down more on the corner of it. Never tripped my trigger. Looked through scope to make sure still had lung shot, she had made one to two steps. Went to move gun to the left to get a lung shot, she heard the electric motors and the 3 was waving good bye with their white flags. Have to admit I was shaking pretty bad during the whole ordeal. Saw 9 more doe's out of range and then ran out of light. 4th night about like first facing wrong way in blind had 2 bucks one eight pointer other was great 8 or a nice 10 pointer and 3 does behind me but couldn't turn chair around in my small blind. It was great just to be in the timber again. Making a blind with a wood floor and big enogh to turn my big wheelchair around in it. Tell me about your hunts.

Take a kid hunting then you won't be hunting the kid.

 

[woodlot]

Wonderful story. Glad to hear your back hunting after so many years. Sounds to me like the deer will be in trouble next year after you get your blind made up. Thanks for sharing your story and good luck on your future hunts.

 

[Husker]

Sounds like you had a great hunt without firing your gun.... Congrats on overcoming your situation and getting out and doing what you love to do again...

 

[Shovelbuck]

Great story, welcome to Iowawhitetail. Sounds like your hunt hunt was very successful. Nothing like being out there.

 

[Fishbonker]

In my line of work I encounter lots of accident victims every year who become quadra/paraplegic. I have the utmost respect for you. I have caught myself thinking "how would I handle it" and you just never know. I think some of the hunting mags should run articles on disabledhunters. I'd love to know how they get into their blinds, how they get their wheelchairs to the blind. How many actauly have a system to hoist themselves into a tree stand, heck, how do you even cock your gun? Its beyond my limited imagination. That is why I'd like to see more articles on the disabled hunter.

Just to show more of my ignorance, do you use some kind of "talk and type" or some kind of mouth stick?

Good luck and show

the rest of us how its done.

The 'Bonker

 

[ironwood]

Great story. Do you have more than one blind location. I bet there are a few folk around here who would be interested seeing how you setup. I for one would like to. Good luck with the rest of the season.

 

[Quad4hunter]

I use a mouth stick, just type one key at a time. The computer I use is the same as everyone else's. This year I just used a pop-up blind. Had to put one foot pvc pipes on the bottem to make it tall enough for me to shoot out of the window. I wasn't sure if the gun would be ready for the disabled season, but did have my tag bought so I never really had everything checked out or ready to hunt the 4 days that I did. My brother, nephew, and a friend took me out and sat in the blind with me. The friend took me twice, brother the last two times. When I chocked on the 3rd evening my brother and nephew was both there. They are use to just pulling up putting the sights on the deer and pull a trigger. but with me it's left right up down left right more left down now bit tigger puller. . So when the deer ran off they really let me know about it...lol. Before I was paralyzed 17 yrs ago me and my brother always hunted together. Really great to be doing it again. He did drive me aound coon hunting while my nephew walked with the dogs. Being in the timber in the blind with my own gun is way better. Getting the gun made has changed just driving around. Now I plan on calling coyote's this winter. I plan on my new blind getting made in the next few weeks. No pictures of the gun yet because there are some things that need to be changed. Right now it's set up with the 45 cal, but in under 5 minutes can be changed to fit my 22-250 or my 243 remington model 700 varmint rifles. Will make a stock for my 22 later. Getting to a place to hunt is tough. My van can only drive through so much it's a rough ride and my chair don't drive in anything but smooth grass. Needs pushed or pulled in anything else. Hope to show you a picture of the gun setup soon. Thanks for reading my fourm.

Take a kid hunting then you won't be hunting the kid....

 

[duckaholic]

That's great. Glad to hear you are still hunting. I have also thought about what it would be like to be addicted to hunting and then having it taken from you. I'm sure glad you still make it out there. That just blows my mind. By chance to you happen to know a Bert Baker, just wonderin?

 

[oldgene]

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to your post, but here I am. I have been a para for 36 years so have a little experience in getting stuck in the mud on a turkey hunt, being stuck in the snow and having a deer breathing down my back because I can't get turned around, etc. I was up in Wisconsin for their special disabled hunt, had a great time, the weather was a little warm for deer hunting, but the color was great, saw 8 does, a porcupine, and a fisher (looks kind of like a farrot). While I didn't get a deer it was a great trip and beats working. Here in Iowa I use a ground blind with a plywood floor and since I have lots of small cedars around I use them for the walls. I have had deer catch me outside the blind and it seems like they can't figure out what a wheelchair is, they will stare at you for a long time trying to make out what you are. I have had some success a nice 8 point last year, but the real success is just being out there. It sounds like you saw a lot of deer and thats the main thing. Good luck in the regular season.

 

[NWBuck]

Quad4hunter,

Check your private messages.