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Disabled hunters get their chance to go after game
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Published: October 30, 2008
Last week, hunting history unfolded in North Carolina.
The occasion marked the second of three unique deer hunts scheduled for a special group of the state's sportsmen. The official title of the hunts is Tier III permit hunts. The special hunters comprised a group of five of the state's many qualifying disabled sportsmen.
Traditionally, hunting is a somewhat physically demanding activity. It requires the ability to independently navigate oneself over and through the many obstacles that can be expected in the field. Then, there is usually the extra burden of heavy clothing and gear. Add the hunter's weapon, a bow or firearm, and you have a sport that can be demanding even for the nonhandicapped.
It is certainly a major setback for anyone to lose physical abilities that they have been accustomed to. For outdoor sportsmen like hunters, it really does not take that much of a disability to create a big hurdle that prevents them from engaging in their sport.
Until recent years, sportsmen with medical issues that prevented them from enjoying the great outdoors were on their own. The only provisions in the law that recognized their needs were special lifetime licenses and a minor waver in the manner of taking law. Normally it is unlawful to take wildlife from the passenger area of a vehicle. This prohibition was the case even with the engine cut off and the vehicle stationary. For many years now, disabled individuals whose mobility was restricted were allowed to sidestep the rule.
The next step in assisting the disabled hunter was the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission's Disabled Access Program. While this was and still is a good program, it only allows qualifying hunters the ability to access a few otherwise closed roads on some Game Lands. The disabled hunters are allowed to take an able-bodied companion with them.
In 1993, the state took a major step in providing disabled sportsmen the opportunity to pursue their beloved sport. During that session of the General Assembly, Chapter 557 became law. The bill's title was, "An Act to Provide for a Disabled Sportsman Program under the Wildlife Resources Commission."
As is so often the case, provisions of the law were somewhat slow in achieving their intended purpose in the beginning. However, the past few years have seen North Carolina truly stepping up to the plate with its Disabled Sportsman Program.
This was evident last week in the smiles of 10 lucky hunters who participated in the first Mountain Tier III.
This year the NCWRC redid its previous Special Hunts program. Now referred to as Permit Hunting Opportunities, the program has employed a three-tier hunting system for disabled sportsmen. The Tier III hunts are the newest addition to the Disabled Sportsman Program.
Last week, the wildlife agency held two Tier III hunts.
The Tier III hunts accommodate the coastal, Piedmont and mountain regions of the state. Qualifying disabled hunters from across the state applied for the hunts. Each location would have five randomly picked hunters. A companion could accompany each hunter.
The new Johns River Game Lands in Burke County became the obvious pick for the location of the mountain hunt.
The Wildlife Resources Commission united with the North Carolina Handicapped Sportsmen Inc. to help facilitate these special events. A relativity new organization, the North Carolina Handicapped Sportsmen Inc. (NCHS) is a nonprofit organization of handicapped and able-bodied individuals. Its purpose is to promote friendship, fellowship, mutual understanding and cooperation among handicapped people and able-bodied associates by encouraging them to participate in outdoor recreation.
Throughout the summer, the wildlife agency's Morganton Game Lands crew, led by crew leader Chip Alexander, worked long and hard in readying the new game lands. Working with area businesses that included Pepsi Bottling Company of Hickory, Hog Wild BBQ of Granite Falls, Chick-Fil-A of Morganton and Timberwoods Restaurant of Morganton, the NCHS helped provide meals for the two-day event.
After a short orientation and free lunch on Friday, nine hunters took positions in their special hunting blinds on the Johns River Loop Road tract.
The blinds consisted of two 8-by-8-foot wooden box blinds at ground level with roofs.
The other three blinds were the new Hunt Master blinds with hydraulic lifts.
For the next two days, hunters rotated blinds for the Saturday morning and evening hunts. With the help of Ben Green of Morganton and Foothills Outdoorsman Association President Gary Greer, shelters were erected for a staging area a short distance away on the Lower Creek Tract.
Here, the hunters enjoyed meals and tales of the hunt and had their game field dressed by agency personnel.
Nine special hunters harvested nine deer, the largest of which was a nice eight-pointer.
The consensus was that they could not wait to get to apply for next year's hunt.
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