Participants in the 2009 Matthews State Forest Deer Hunt in Virginia included (left to right, front row) Matthew Chappell, Joe Richardson, Tim Richey, Robert Deel and Eric Higgins.

2009 Virginia deer hunt

The Second Annual Matthews State Forest Deer Hunt took place on Nov. 20 and 21 in Grayson County, Va. Five hunters from across the state came to participate; two of whom it was their first Wheelin’ Sportsmen event.

Hunters arrived around midday on the 20th. After a quick meal and safety instruction, they were taken to ground blinds around 2:30. Before dark, they had tagged three deer — two does and a 14-inch four-pointer.

A barbecue dinner waited for them on their return to camp, and they all received embroidered camo bags and hats.

The hunters were back in the field by 6:30 the following morning. And by 10:30 a.m., the fourth deer (a big doe) was down.

The afternoon hunt yielded four more deer — three does and another four-pointer.

“The two-day event turned out awesome, with perfect weather and great deer movement with the rut still going on,” said Grayson County NWTF member Brett Bowes. “The hunters saw well over 100 deer during this event.”
According to Bowes, each of the five hunters had taken their first Wheelin’ Sportsmen deer on this particular annual hunt.

The event coordinators would like to thank the Grayson County Chapter, Wheelin’ Sportsmen, Virginia State Forest Department and the sponsors, volunteers and hunters for their support and efforts in making this event one they will never forget.

Forty-nine hunters with disabilities gathered at Camp Discovery in Jackson County, Tenn., for two days of chasing whitetails and making new friends.

A joint effort

We applaud the Plateau Longbeards and Cordell Hull Longspurs, both of Tennessee, for teaming up to host a successful deer hunt last November. Forty-nine disabled hunters, including 22 veterans, gathered at Camp Discovery in Jackson County for two days of chasing whitetails and making new friends.

According to event coordinator Robin Jernigan, the hunt doubled in size from the previous year. And for the first time, they extended the festivities to two days to allow more time for fellowship.

An impressive 150 volunteers were on hand to assist the hunters and the more than 70 family members and special guests of the participants. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency helped secure hunting locations and manned the checking station for deer. The Christian Outdoorsmen organization provided meals for the event with the help of Stevens Street Baptist Church.

The “Tennessee Sportsman” TV crew filmed the event and, boy, did they find a story. One of the participants, a fellow who is totally blind (below), killed his first deer during the hunt.

More than a memory

The Corney Creek Longspurs Chapter (Bernice, La.) hosted it’s first Wheelin’ Sportsmen hunt on Dec. 5. It was one of the most memorable days of my life — the new friends I made, the ways in which lives were touched.
I had the pleasure of guiding my friend, Candace Kitchens, who is terminally ill. The day will be etched in my memory eternally. She had never even held a gun, let alone been in a deer stand.

When an eight-point buck appeared, I pointed him out and handed Candace the gun. She got so excited and shouted, “You shoot him! You shoot him!” By then he was just a memory over the hill.

She told everyone that now she knows why people will sit in the woods in the cold all day. “My heart was beating out of control,” she said. “I’m ready to go back.”

Whether or not she sees another deer season is not certain, but this one will live on forever. — Cathy Tucker, chapter president

Christmas comes early for Wheelin’ Sportsmen

“It’s like Christmas.”

That’s how Jake Jacobsen, 47, of Cincinnati, described the opportunity to pursue his passion of deer hunting. That opportunity came courtesy of the Eighth Annual AEP Ohio-Wolf Creek Chapter Wheelin’ Sportsmen Ultimate Team-Up event that took place Oct. 30 and 31 at AEP’s ReCreation Land in southeastern Ohio.

The event paired 40 disabled hunters with able-bodied volunteers in a controlled deer hunt set up through ODNR Division of Wildlife. The group harvested 22 deer during the hunt, 13 bucks and nine does.

Event partners included AEP’s Real Estate Asset Management group, the NWTF Wolf Creek (Morgan County, Ohio) Chapter, Ohio Division of Natural Resources - Division of Wildlife and the Ohio Army National Guard - 2nd Battallion, 174th ADA Avenger. The National Guard Armory just north of McConnelsville served as event headquarters.

Jacobsen, an architectural designer, was injured in an automobile accident in 1983 and has been in a wheelchair since. But that has not dampened his enthusiasm for the outdoors. He has participated in all eight Wheelin’ Sportsmen events.

This is something I look forward to with great anticipation,” he said. “An event like this that brings people together is a tremendous thing.”

The hunters were from Ohio and three other states, including one participant, Charles Ande, 53, from Sun Prairie, Wis. Ande drove 15 hours to take part in the hunt.

“We really enjoy hosting this event,” said Dave Dingey, AEP programs administrator and the coordinator for the event. “And the local community steps forward in a big way to help make this event a success. Wolf Creek Chapter women and friends worked the kitchen all weekend serving four meals and a banquet dinner open to the public with approximately 300 attending. Morgan High School FFA students also helped on Thursday setting up for the event and then Friday through the evening banquet dinner. The M & M Fire department grilled steaks for the evening dinner. Tables also were donated by the fire department, the Armory, the Eagles and Malta Methodist Church. More than 100 volunteers supported the activities. — from a story that appeared in the Morgan County Herald

A big Texas time

The first Angelina Wheelin’ Sportsmen event was held Dec. 11 and 12. Fifteen hunters with various disabilities participated, and seven deer, including an eight-point buck, were harvested.

Hunters set up on USDA Forest Service SFA Experimental Forest and Winston Ranch between Lufkin and Nacogdoches, Texas.

The first evening of the hunt kicked off with a wild game dinner, complete with live music, door prizes and a gun raffle to cover the participants’ NWTF memberships.

More than 100 volunteers from the Lufkin and Nacogdoches areas assisted with the event, many of which were NWTF members from the Pineywoods and April AWOL chapters. Other agencies and organizations that lent a hand included the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas, Texas Parks and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NRCS.

The event coordinators would like to thank Academy Sports and Outdoors for donating door prizes, and Simon Winston for the use of his facilities and allowing hunts on his property.

The participants had a great time and were able to experience something that may not have been possible if not for this event. However, according to the event coordinators, the volunteers received the greatest reward — the privilege of giving their time and energy to help disabled hunters enjoy the outdoors.

A golden opportunity

Participants at the hunt hosted by the Stanley County Chapter bagged 15 deer. The event was at Sawtooth Oak Farm in Goldhill, N.C., Dec. 4 and 5.