Teen bags six-point bull elk from wheelchair Here is a great example of what can be accomplished with a little bit of time and effort. Congratulations Mikey on a trophy Bull Elk !
41 Elk were taken in 2010 here in Pa. You can read about them HERE
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
1st Big Game Hunting Certificate
Today is the first day of rifle season here in Pennsylvania for white tailed deer. If you are fortunate enough to be taking your first white tailed deer today, the Pennsylvania game commission has a beautiful certificate on their website suitable for framing. Check it out by clicking here
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Cold-Weather Hunting
One of the difficult things about enjoying the outdoors and being a person with a disability is, I cannot regulate my body temperature. This goes for heat as well as cold.
When the cold weather comes and I still want to do some hunting I take a few precautions. In addition to a heavy jacket and balaclava I try to be sensible about my lower extremities.
Because I cannot feel from the chest down I cannot tell how cold my legs and feet become. So I usually put a blanket on my legs and wear boot blankets over my normal tennis shoes.
I know my tennis shoes are not going to bother my feet, causing a blister or sore to develop. The boot blanket's slip on easily overtop, camouflaging my white sneakers not to mention adding a little style to my roll.
When the cold weather sets in, what do you like to wear?
When the cold weather comes and I still want to do some hunting I take a few precautions. In addition to a heavy jacket and balaclava I try to be sensible about my lower extremities.
Because I cannot feel from the chest down I cannot tell how cold my legs and feet become. So I usually put a blanket on my legs and wear boot blankets over my normal tennis shoes.
I know my tennis shoes are not going to bother my feet, causing a blister or sore to develop. The boot blanket's slip on easily overtop, camouflaging my white sneakers not to mention adding a little style to my roll.
When the cold weather sets in, what do you like to wear?
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Join an Organization
One thing I really recommend doing is joining your local Sportsmen's Club. It's a great way to meet men and women who enjoy hunting and recreational shooting. It's also an opportunity for you to educate them regarding individuals with disabilities.
I belong to a fantastic club called Falcon Archers and have met some really great people. The clubhouse itself is not completely accessible, but I'm able to get into the building with my portable threshold ramp. I enjoy using the outdoor range for my crossbow and plan on spending a lot more time there this summer.
I belong to a fantastic club called Falcon Archers and have met some really great people. The clubhouse itself is not completely accessible, but I'm able to get into the building with my portable threshold ramp. I enjoy using the outdoor range for my crossbow and plan on spending a lot more time there this summer.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
How to cock using Side Winder
Sometimes I am hunting with a partner that does not have the physical strength to cock my 175 pound Parker crossbow using a cocking rope . That is where this little item comes in, it is the Sidewinder cocking crank, and easily cocks my crossbow with very little physical strength required.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Range Finders
One of the most important things you need to know when bowhunting is precise yardage. The first thing I have my hunting partner do after I'm all set up in the ground blind is use a laser rangefinder to give me some exact ranges to known objects.
I like to know what landmark is 20 yards, what tree is 30 yards, 40 or 50 yards. That way when my target walks through I can easily judge the yardage accurately.
We owe it to the animal to make a quick efficient shot. Many misses occur by misjudging yardage. Spend the extra time to get familiar with your equipment, use it in practice and while zeroing in your bow.
I like to know what landmark is 20 yards, what tree is 30 yards, 40 or 50 yards. That way when my target walks through I can easily judge the yardage accurately.
We owe it to the animal to make a quick efficient shot. Many misses occur by misjudging yardage. Spend the extra time to get familiar with your equipment, use it in practice and while zeroing in your bow.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Shotgun and Rifle Season
Here in Pennsylvania, shotgun and rifle season for deer always opens the Monday after Thanksgiving. All the schools are closed and it's the day some hunters wait all year for. I say some hunters because at my core I am a bow Hunter.....
I did have the opportunity to hunt with a shotgun this year in Allegheny County. It was a doe only hunt October 21 -- 23, South Fayette Township sponsored a disabled hunt which was very well organized and thought out.
I used a Mossberg 535 ATS 12 gauge shotgun with rifled barrel for this hunt. The shotgun also comes with an additional barrel and choke tubes for hunting Turkey, Ducks etc..
The great thing about the shotgun is, it still uses two and three-quarter inch shells. They do not produce as much recoil as a 3 inch or 3 1/2 inch magnum shell. Since I am unable to physically hold the shotgun, recoil is a big concern.
Prior to my injury I shot all forms of rifle including the 300 Winchester Magnum. I would not attempt to do something like that now from my wheelchair. The largest caliber I personally shoot is a 270 Remington and even that pushes the limit.
If I was recommending a rifle to shoot from a wheelchair it would be the 243 Winchester . The 243 shoots flat and has enough power to knock down the Pennsylvania Whitetail. What are your thoughts and suggestions?
I did have the opportunity to hunt with a shotgun this year in Allegheny County. It was a doe only hunt October 21 -- 23, South Fayette Township sponsored a disabled hunt which was very well organized and thought out.
I used a Mossberg 535 ATS 12 gauge shotgun with rifled barrel for this hunt. The shotgun also comes with an additional barrel and choke tubes for hunting Turkey, Ducks etc..
The great thing about the shotgun is, it still uses two and three-quarter inch shells. They do not produce as much recoil as a 3 inch or 3 1/2 inch magnum shell. Since I am unable to physically hold the shotgun, recoil is a big concern.
Prior to my injury I shot all forms of rifle including the 300 Winchester Magnum. I would not attempt to do something like that now from my wheelchair. The largest caliber I personally shoot is a 270 Remington and even that pushes the limit.
If I was recommending a rifle to shoot from a wheelchair it would be the 243 Winchester . The 243 shoots flat and has enough power to knock down the Pennsylvania Whitetail. What are your thoughts and suggestions?
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Scent
As hunters we should all realize the importance of controlling our human odor in order to be successful. It's been estimated that the nose of a Whitetail deer is 10,000 times as sensitive as our own. That's why I like to use a scent elimination soap like this
But as a person with a disability, I also have to be conscious of my wheelchair. That's why I like to use scent away towels and have someone wipe down all the hard surfaces on my wheelchair, trying to eliminate all the human odor that I can.
It may seem like a lot of preparation, but to be successful, I believe you have to go that extra mile. It's my opinion that a whitetail deer will believe it's nose before it believes its eyes.
But as a person with a disability, I also have to be conscious of my wheelchair. That's why I like to use scent away towels and have someone wipe down all the hard surfaces on my wheelchair, trying to eliminate all the human odor that I can.
It may seem like a lot of preparation, but to be successful, I believe you have to go that extra mile. It's my opinion that a whitetail deer will believe it's nose before it believes its eyes.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Hunting Backpack For Wheelchair Users
Before I get into the specifics of a hunting day pack and its contents, I would like to talk about quickly and easily attaching the backpack to the wheelchair. On my current Permobil C-500 wheelchair I have Backpack Clips installed.
On each backpack strap, I attach one heavy-duty plastic wire tie that easily clips into the carabiner. With this system I can easily switch my hunting backpack with my regular everyday backpack.
If need be, an individual can quickly unclip the backpack from my wheelchair and set it on my desktop so that I can direct them to retrieve an object. This is very helpful when relying on others for assistance.
I use a small camouflaged Remington day pack for all my hunting gear. It does not have to be camouflage as I'm always hunting in a ground blind, but that's just how I roll. Here is a picture of it.
It's important to organize your day pack and know exactly where everything is, so that you can direct your hunting partner / assistant when you need something.
I recommend using different colored zipper pulls so that you can say for example " it's on the left side with the blue zipper pull ". It just makes life so much easier, but that may be the OCD in me .
Here is a basic list of what I carry when crossbow hunting:
On each backpack strap, I attach one heavy-duty plastic wire tie that easily clips into the carabiner. With this system I can easily switch my hunting backpack with my regular everyday backpack.
If need be, an individual can quickly unclip the backpack from my wheelchair and set it on my desktop so that I can direct them to retrieve an object. This is very helpful when relying on others for assistance.
I use a small camouflaged Remington day pack for all my hunting gear. It does not have to be camouflage as I'm always hunting in a ground blind, but that's just how I roll. Here is a picture of it.
It's important to organize your day pack and know exactly where everything is, so that you can direct your hunting partner / assistant when you need something.
I recommend using different colored zipper pulls so that you can say for example " it's on the left side with the blue zipper pull ". It just makes life so much easier, but that may be the OCD in me .
Here is a basic list of what I carry when crossbow hunting:
Balaclava
Black diamond headlamp
Buck 110 knife
Crossbow cocking rope
Doe bleat
Doe decoy
Drag rope
Extra wire ties
Facemask
Hunting license/tags
Laser range finder
Rubber gloves/washcloth
Sidewinder cocking crank
I hope this information helps you, everyone has their own needs and way of organizing their backpack. These are just my suggestions, I would love to hear yours.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Deer Decoy
Meet Miss November
She arrived at my house yesterday and I plan on using her ( that sounded bad ) on Saturday along with the can from Primos. I don't believe it will only draw in bucks....... I'm hoping for a mature doe to come check out the decoy and the sound. What are your thoughts on deer decoys?
She arrived at my house yesterday and I plan on using her ( that sounded bad ) on Saturday along with the can from Primos. I don't believe it will only draw in bucks....... I'm hoping for a mature doe to come check out the decoy and the sound. What are your thoughts on deer decoys?
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