This is a story that meant a lot to me and I am glad that it took place. This is something that should happen every season and I sure hope that it does.

Disabled deer hunters get their shot

By BRENT FRAZEE

McClatchy Newspapers

Brent Frazee / Kansas City Star/MCT

John Reed admires a buck he took on a hunt for the disabled at Smithville Lake in Missouri, November 18, 2007. A group of 56 hunters with disabilities participated in a special hunt designed to give disabled people access to the deer woods.

SMITHVILLE, Mo. –

When Andy Sturdivan guided disabled hunters during a special deer hunt years ago, he never considered that one day his role would be reversed.But that’s what happened when he participated in an event put on by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Smithville Lake recently.

Beset by a long list of health problems - everything from Parkinson’s to congestive heart failure to arthritis - Sturdivan was viewing the deer woods from a different vantage point.

“Back in my healthier days, I was one of the volunteers who took some of the disabled hunters out,” said Sturdivan, 66. “I always thought of what a great program it was, giving some of these guys a chance to hunt again. A lot of them couldn’t have gotten out if it weren’t for this.

“Now I’m in their shoes.”

Sitting in a blind with volunteer Bob Pruente at his side, Sturdivan smiled and celebrated his second chance.

He was back in the deer woods - and he wasn’t taking that for granted.

“I used to hunt deer quite a bit,” he said. “But when my health got bad, I thought I might have to give it up.

“The doctors didn’t want me to go out by myself. But I can come out here and still have a quality hunt.”

Not many hunters experience a day like the one Sturdivan did on this November Saturday.

It started when he shot a big doe that stepped out of the timber shortly after shooting hours opened. Then it got even better.

As he scanned the field in front of him, he watched an eight-point buck suddenly appear in a valley. He leveled his rifle, fired and hit his target.

“I was so excited, I thought I was going to have to take a nitro pill,” he joked. “This is one of the best deer hunts I’ve ever had.”

Sturdivan wasn’t the only hunter saying that.

By midmorning, others in the group of 56 hunters in wheelchairs or with walkers or canes had built memories during the special hunt designed to give disabled people access to the deer woods.

Hunting out of specially designed blinds on ground that is normally off-limits to hunters, they made the most of their opportunity.

Take Mark Cline, for example. By midmorning, he already had shot three does - the second year he has done that in one of the hunts for the disabled.

That served as further proof that he still knows how to hunt deer, even after all he has been through.

Nineteen years ago, the Lee’s Summit man was setting up a portable tree stand when the limb he was sitting on broke and he tumbled backward. He was paralyzed after the fall, and many doubted whether he would ever deer hunt again.

But there he was Saturday, making the most of his second chance.

“I’ve always loved to deer hunt, and I wasn’t going to let my disability keep me from being out here,” said Cline, 49, who was hunting with the help of volunteer Terry Acton of Shawnee.

Bruce Clark of the Corps of Engineers had hunters such as Cline in mind when he started the special hunt 17 years ago. He wanted to give disabled sportsmen a shot at a day they wouldn’t forget.

He had handicapped-accessible blinds built at various locations on Corps land surrounding Smithville Lake, paying special attention to safety aspects. Then he recruited help from volunteers, who did everything from taking the disabled hunters out to providing a catered breakfast and lunch.

The first hunt was a big success - and it only grew from there.

Today, the Smithville hunt is nationally recognized and a model for other deer hunts for the physically challenged across the country.

“When you hear what some of these guys have been through, it’s tough,” Clark said. “I can’t believe the health issues some of them have had to deal with.

“Hunts like this cater to them. We want to give them the opportunity to participate in deer hunting, just like everyone else.”

The hunt is made even more appealing considering that is held on refuge land, which is off-limits to able-bodied hunters. There, big bucks roam the woods and occasionally are taken during the hunt.

John Reed of Princeton, Mo., took one of those deer.

Hunting in a blind with volunteers Don Bennett of Oak Grove and Bill Ford of Kansas City at his side, he watched from his wheelchair as a big buck walked to the edge of the woods and began checking a line of scrapes it had made (to attract does).

It started to walk away, but it turned when Bennett used a grunt call. That’s when Reed pulled the trigger.

Moments later, he was admiring an eight-point buck.

His biggest ever? Hardly. He has a mount of an 18-point buck hanging on the wall.

“After my accident (in which his motorcycle was hit by a car) in 1978, I was paralyzed,” Reed said. “But I knew I’d still be hunting.

“I have a John Deere garden tractor that I strap myself in and I go archery hunting. I have a winch that I use to get the deer out, and I’ve taken some big bucks that way.

“But this program makes it so much easier. Everything is designed in our favor, and that means a lot.”

MAKING THE DEER WOODS ACCESSIBLE

-WHAT: A special deer hunt for disabled people, sponsored by the Army Corps of Engineers.

-WHERE: On refuge land off-limits to able-bodied hunters at Smithville Lake, Mo.

-PURPOSE: To provide disabled hunters with special opportunities to take deer. The hunt also helps keep the deer population on refuge land in check.

-HISTORY: The two-day hunt was started in 1990 when 17 hunters participated. Today, almost 60 hunters take part, and they enjoy outstanding success. Hunters shot 66 deer last year and 72 the year before.

-VOLUNTEERS: Hunt coordinator Bruce Clark of the Corps has a big group of volunteers helping with everything from blind construction to guiding to the catering of meals. More than 2,500 hours of volunteer service goes into the hunts.

-STATURE: The Smithville hunt has attracted national attention and has inspired similar hunts at other Kansas City-area reservoirs such as Truman and Stockton in Missouri and Milford in Kansa

I guess some bucks if they get riled enough will try to fight anything.

Deer sports extra headgear

By Mike Leggett

This buck has been wandering parts of West Austin carrying a full hammock on his head.

You’ve seen it a thousand times: Buck decides to fight a fence or a tree or a gate and winds up walking around with a portion of that inanimate opponent on his antlers.

We’re just not sure we’ve ever seen this one before: a buck walking around with an entire hammock on his head.

Austinite Clint Sayers sent along the photo of the West Austin whitetail, taken by his neighbor Hil Stroup, that clearly shows the buck with the net-type hammock wrapped around his antlers. There’s even one of the wooden end braces stuck in there for good measure.

Most of the time, bucks kind of like the extra headgear, since it seems to intimidate and awe other deer, both bucks and does. The guy with the biggest gun almost always wins in the deer world, and this guy is sporting some kind of weapon.

Most likely, in a spry moment of urban anger, this buck decided to fight the hammock and wound up wrapping it completely around his antlers.

Sayers asked if there was anything that could be done to extricate the deer from the hammock, and, short of darting him to cut it off, I’m not sure there is. He’ll shed the antlers eventually and with them should go all the accoutrements, but there’s danger in that, too.

Should any of the material be wrapped around his neck, he’ll have to try to get rid off that. Or some other buck decides he can take this guy and the two of them end up with wrapped antlers, unable to free themselves. But the greater danger is that a loose piece of the rope snags on a fence or a cedar tree, leaving the buck hopelessly tangled and facing certain death.

Here I am still trying to lick my wounds so to speak. I just got back a little while ago from the hospital where they installed a “Picc Line” in my upper left arm. What it is if you don’t know is a IV catheter so I can give myself intravenous antibiotics every day for the next month because of Lyme Disease.

The numbness is wearing off so I am saying “ouch” quite a bit now, ok maybe not ouch but something similiar. I am glad I got this done this week so my arm will have a chance to calm down and relax because muzzleloader season starts next Wednesday and I would hate to miss that.

This is definately a step up from regular oral antibiotics but they are telling me that the medicine will go staright into the blood stream this way and be able to work more efficiently. I sure hope so, I am only 45 but somedays I feel like I should be 85 and that is just the aches. The fatigue has me nodding off after just a 8 hour shift at work which is not a good thing.

The buck I got on opening morning a couple of weeks ago took a lot out of me to drag until I got help. It took me a week just to move around normally after that but, not to worry though. I will be out there next week even with something sticking out of my arm but, if I do tag another I will not move it until help arrives this time.

Please take the time to read a previous post of mine that might help you so if you get bit you can notice sooner than I did.

Deer Tick and Lyme Disease 

This is an old story that deserves to be read. It started off like this and describes me almost perfectly.

“If you happen to be one of those hunters who live and breathe chasing gnarly whitetails, you no doubt love listening to old-timers telling stories about hunts they enjoyed years ago.”The Ghost of Wood County

By Steve Bartylla

It was opening day 1945. As usual, the five Haske brothers were ready for deer season in Wisconsin. Hardly had they begun the first drive of the day when Joe Haske downed one of Wisconsin’s top typicals of all time!

Most veteran hunter’s will try to position a tree stand where they can watch different trails to cover the most area at one time. Here is a tip that I want to share that I found on the Buckmasters website. This tip if done right can and will work.

The best deer stands are almost always ones that allow the hunter to watch several trails. Hunting these funnels - places that force deer to come together into a tighter area - maximizes your time afield.

When looking for stand sites, it’s always a good idea to try to find such a funnel. But what can you do when there are no natural funnels or when a particular deer you’re hunting uses several different trails?

Believe it or not, it’s often possible to alter a deer’s habits and bring him closer to your stand. Things like blocking trails and creating alternate routes should be done well before hunting season, but you can also steer a deer your way with something as simple as your favorite hat (lots of human smell) placed on a trail you don’t want him to take. It’s important to place any such trail deterrents at such a location that the deer can choose your trail easily. After all, it does no good to push the buck of your dreams farther away with a poorly placed obstacle.

Another youngster for the spotlight needs to be congratulated on their first deer. She took the steps to become a hunter by going through a hunter safety coarse and learned the rest of what she needed to know from her father. I only hope to do that some day when my son gets to be the proper age. This story is definately one to be remembered.

Young hunter tags big buck; Cambridge girl bags first deer

By Sue Haupt, Daily Banner

A nine-point buck was tagged by 12-year-old hunter Jessica Brown of Cambridge recently on her first deer hunting trip with her father, Blaise Brown. Jessica and her father set out at 4 a.m. and patiently waited for their prize. Daily Banner/Sue Haupt

CORDOVA — On a recent day at 4 a.m., 12-year-old Jessica Brown and her father, Blaise, of Cambridge were up and ready for Jessica’s first deer hunting excursion.

Jessica had previously taken a hunter safety course offered by the 4-H club and has had her father show her the important safety measures with handling firearms and how to learn stealth hunting skills.

That paid off when, after four hours of patiently waiting in their deer stand located on Jessica’s grandparents property, two bucks came into view.

Jessica, patient and calm, became excited and took aim. Jessica as she fired and precisely targeted the buck.

“It was very exciting because, we sat there and heard so many other noises, like squirrels and things,” Jessica said. “That was the hardest part — knowing the sounds. When the buck finally came, it was very exciting. I was happy to take the shot.”

Her father has taken her on geese hunting outings and purchased a Remington 20-gauge youth shotgun and ammunition for her.

Jessica and her father like to hunt for the meat. She attends Maces Lane Middle School and has other hobbies such as singing, playing the flute and playing the piano.

“It was good that I had practiced and took the safety course,” she said. “It helped to teach patience, how to shoot the deer and other cleaning procedures.”

I think Kristine over at “Hunt Smart Think Safety” is rubbing off on me or something because I was reading this article and the first thing I thought of was “this guy is lucky” and everyone should be aware of what could happen.

Lapeer County hunter thankful after surviving deer hunting wound

Posted by James L. Smith | The Flint Journal

A Hadley Township hunter who accidentally shot himself Thanksgiving Day said despite the serious wound he is thankful to be alive.

Brian Crowley, 51, was hunting along on Hadley Township property owned by friends about 8 a.m. Thursday when he shot a doe with his 20-gauge shotgun.

The doe was down on the ground, but still alive when Crowley approached it. In an effort to dispatch the deer Crowley pulled a handgun from his pocket.

“I cocked the hammer back and it slipped,” Crowley said. “The bullet entered below the knee on the right side and came out the middle of the shin bone and broke it in half.”

Acting quickly, Crowley who was bleeding profusely, took off his belt, wrapped it around his leg and tightened it to stop the bleeding.

What followed was an hour-and-15-minute ordeal of dragging himself out of the woods uphill and over fallen timber, Crowley said from his Genesys Regional Medical Center hospital bed.

“Moving was the hard part,” Crowley said. “It was very painful.”

Hearing the voice of his friend, property owner Wayne Dabrowski, he yelled for help and state police and Lapeer EMS responded quickly to his aid.

Crowley said the accidental shot probably happened because he was concentrating on the deer’s head and because he had his gloves on.

Friends picked up his deer and took it to a processor.

But for now, Crowley remained in Genesys awaiting surgery Wednesday to install a rod into his leg. He expects to be going home Thursday.

The injury was the first in his more than ten year hunting career, said Crowley, a CN Railroad employee.

“I am very thankful,” Crowley said. “I was just glad I was able to get out. God was with me.”

Crowley also expressed thanks to the ambulance crew and hospital workers who treated him.

A few helpful tips:

When you go hunting especially by yourself like me it is a good idea to carry a cell phone.

Always try to let someone know the general location of where you will be and an approximate time of when you will return.

If you are able to carry a handgun while hunting I would not have a round in the chamber until it is needed, if it is a revolver it would be a good idea to have one empty cylinder for safety reasons.

I just got done reading a great post by Kristine over at the Hunt Smart Think Safety blog about “Why Blaze Orange is Important” and I felt it would be a good idea to mention as well as give you a link to her post.

I receive a lot of Google Alerts every day and it has come to my attention that there has been quite a few hunting accidents. I do realize that accidents do happen but, it really is unforgettable when it is caused by stupidity because someone was not wearing their required blaze orange.

I found the requirement for Connecticut on the Department of Environmental Protection website and it states as follows,

Fluorescent Orange Requirement

During the period September 1 through the last day of February, hunters are required to wear at least 400 square inches of fluorescent orange clothing above the waist and visible from all sides. An orange hat, in addition to a coat or vest, is strongly recommended. The following hunters are exempt from this requirement: Archery Deer Hunters during most seasons, Archery and Firearms Turkey Hunters, Waterfowl Hunters while hunting from boats, duck blinds, or other stationary positions, Crow Hunters while hunting from blinds or a stationary position, Raccoon and Opossum Hunters when hunting from 1/2 hour after sunset until 1/2 hour before sunrise, and Landowners while hunting deer on their own property. Family members are still required to wear fluorescent orange. Persons hunting with deer damage permits are also subject to the fluorescent orange requirement.

Here is just one example right in my own state that just recently happened and probably could have been avoided,

DEP Identifies Men Involved in Berlin Hunting Incident

We can’t always blame it on wearing or not wearing blaze orange because it also includes basic gun safety as well like know your target and what is behind it. That leads me to a story which I will try and keep short.

Quite a few years ago I was hunting my favorite swamp but I was actually in the hardwoods on this particular day. I was in a tree stand hunting deer of coarse when shortly after daybreak all sorts of gun shots were going off up above me from the swamp. By the sounds it was a few duck hunters who wanted to try their luck but, the problem was that they were shooting everywhere. How do I know that well I will tell you. My tree stand was located a couple hundred yards from the swamp maybe even a little further and one set of shells that went off was to close for comfort because I had nothing but bird shot raining down and bouncing off the platform of my stand.

I let out a hollar and said a few choice words, packed up my stuff and left. Nothing ever became of the incident and the duck hunters eventually left and never came back. Thank god I was not hurt or anyone else for that matter. You can never be to safe and if you want to keep enjoying what our environment and nature has to offer than we all must learn to pay attention and follow the rules.

I couldn’t wait, I had to go check my deer cam which is positioned on the inside edge of that grass pond I am sitting on. It was a nice mid day walk although it was a little noisy due to the crunchy leaves so I had to be on the alert the whole way out.

I figure it is approximately 1 mile +/- in to the pond. As I approached I made sure nothing was inside browsing around. I slowly crept up to my camera which is on the opposite end of where I am sitting. The last time I checked the camera it was November 15th which was the day after I harvested that 7 pointer. At that time it had 9 pictures on it so I turned it back on and left. Now being November 25th with only a week and 3 days before muzzleloader season starts I am reading the camera and it says I have 13 pictures now.

The pond is still seeing some movement which is good and I still have a half roll left and another week to go so I turned it back on and snuck out as quietly as possible. I figure when I go out to sit with the muzzleloader I will change the film while I am there so I should hopefully have some more pictures by the end of next week to share, that is if they develope clear enough.

I have been cutting up my own deer for years and I always just cut steaks and stew meat but, this year I wanted to try something different. I got a nice roast out of a hind quarter from that 7 pointer I got and I want to try and cook a roast for the first time. This is a recipe that I found that I am going to try.

I have never cooked a roast before so if any one has any tips or suggestions than please feel free to let me know.