OK, picture this. A hunter peers through the shooting window of his blind. It is the middle of November. The temperature is 36 degrees, the wind blowing directly into his face at almost 40 MPH and the sky beginning to cloud over and get dark. He thinks, if it gets any colder it will probably snow. Then, at 100 yards, a whitetail buck comes into view, four points on one side, three on the other. No trophy, just an average deer. He glances around, just a bit nervous and angles down the slope, coming a bit closer with every step. The hunter slowly draws a bead on the bucks chest with his Bushnell 3X9 and follows the deers every step. Closer, closer, 80 yards, 70 yards and he keeps coming. The hunters senses are at a peak now, unblinking eyes focused, heart beginning to race, a faint film of sweat here and there on his body. His muscles ripple with excitement. Still, he watches, and waits. Then, at 45 yards, with the all important side presentation, he squeezes the trigger. BOOM! The Winchester sending a .270 bullet, in the blink of an eye, through the bucks heart and one of his lungs, and he did that peculiar little jump with a hunched back that tells you it was a solid hit. Then he runs back through the mesquite and cactus the way he came, and all is quiet. All except the hunters heart beating 150 times a minute, the hair standing up on the back of his neck and a profusion of excited sweat covering his body. He waits, quietly.
After awhile his partner, who was in the blind with him, goes out and follows the blood trail. At about 90 yards, there he is, laying against a little bush, totally spent. With some effort he drags the deer back to where the hunter is. You can tell this hunter is overjoyed, by the way his wheelchair bounces along the uneven ground. This is his first ever buck, possibly his last. He came hunting with the help of an organization that donates a few hunts per year to disabled adults and children. And many thanks to those few. But the point here is that there are so few hunts available. At least if you don't have a lot of cash for a package hunt. You can't blame the outfitters. They have enough problems seeing to the able bodied hunter. You can't blame the State of Texas. They have done what they think is necessary for disabled hunters. You can't blame the land owners. They spent too much time picking up trash and finding livestock shot and left to rot by unscrupulous hunters in the past, so they charge such high prices for hunting that the average disabled guy cannot afford. I don't know very many that can afford it, do you?
I guess what I am trying to say is that handicapped folks need a little help. Do you know one? If you do, could you take one, just one, hunting one time a year, or maybe even fishing. Could be a youngster, a senior or even a Vet. Male of female, it makes no difference. I guarantee they will never forget you. It will take a lot of effort for you to do this, no doubt about it. And if that hunter gets his deer, or a hog, or an average largemouth bass, it will not be a success for him, it will be a triumph.
Ya'll have a great day,
skookumchuck