Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge Disabled hunt

[gophergunner]

Well, a horrible year for me health-wise resulted in me getting drawn for a Disabled hunt at Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge near McGregor next weekend. I came down with a bacterial infection in my spine and vertebrae last year. I spent over 2 months in the hospital last winter.  My vertebrae are deteriorated, and I've got scoliosis. I get around with a walker or a wheel chair. I don't know if I'll beat this or not, but I won't miss deer hunting. For this hunt, they transport me to a blind, get me situated, and then come back to pick me up at dark. If I shoot one, I call the office and they'll come out and gut the deer, drag it out for me, load it and me and take us back to the headquarters. My wife, God bless her, will be going along to sit with me. It sure won't be anything like the way I've hunted for over 50 years, but I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Hopefully pictures from a successful hunt ewill follow!

[fishwidow]

That’s a tough one GG. Hope you shoot a real wall hanger. Good luck, man.

[mike89]

nice yer wife is going with ya!!  and good luck to you!!!   

[LPS]

Good for you GG.  Hope it all goes good for you.  Sounds like a lot of fun.  You deserve a gentlemens hunt!

[glenn57]

damn nabit GG you sure had your run of crappy health issues!!!!!!!! good for you on the hunt...... go get a biggin!!!!!!!

[Rebel SS]

Best to you GG. Good luck and hang in there. Duck those curveballs life throws at ya.

[glenn57]

Best to you GG. Good luck and hang in there. Duck those curveballs life throws at ya.

one musta not missed ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mikey told me to say it!!!!!!!!!

[Rebel SS]

Ya, it did. That was meen, crewel, and hurtful.  *SIGH*

[gophergunner]

Thanks for all the kind words guys. I hope to hsave some good pictures to show after the hunt. Early antlerless is coming soon. I want to go, but it's gonna get interesting if I do. I got the handicap tag, so I can hunt from the truck, if need be. I'd really prefer to move away from the truck, even if only 20 yards or so. I can get around on trails with my walker and a portable chair. The rub's gonna be what I'll do if I knock one down. Cathy will go, but she can't gut, drag, or load for me. It's real hard for me to bend over, but if I get down on my hands and knees, I think I could get one gutted if I just take my time. Dragging and loading's gonna be a problem though, None of our guys will be coming up for early antlerless, so I'm on my own. My neighbor said he'd help out, so I'm gonna talk to him and see if that's gonna work. Cathy would have to come back and pick him up. (About a 20 ,imute ride) I'm not real big on inconveniencing others, but this might be my only option for early antlerless season. We hunt in the CWD zones, so taking multiple deer  (if I get one on the disabled hunt) would be legal.

[GrandpaTom]

Hey GG, if nothing else, chase them west towards Portage Lake so I might see one during rifle season.  J/K, good luck.  Hopefully, if you get one, someone will help you load it.

[glenn57]

GT, you gotta quit looking out the bedroom window.

[Steve-o]

Good luck this season, GG.  Looking forward to hearing your stories.

[Leech~~]

Well, a horrible year for me health-wise resulted in me getting drawn for a Disabled hunt at Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge near McGregor next weekend. I came down with a bacterial infection in my spine and vertebrae last year. I spent over 2 months in the hospital last winter.  My vertebrae are deteriorated, and I've got scoliosis. I get around with a walker or a wheel chair. I don't know if I'll beat this or not, but I won't miss deer hunting. For this hunt, they transport me to a blind, get me situated, and then come back to pick me up at dark. If I shoot one, I call the office and they'll come out and gut the deer, drag it out for me, load it and me and take us back to the headquarters. My wife, God bless her, will be going along to sit with me. It sure won't be anything like the way I've hunted for over 50 years, but I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Hopefully pictures from a successful hunt ewill follow!

If I come to have a disability or when I get to old to climb in a stand and drag a deer.  I may make a big thermos of coffee, put on an orange hat and go park on a dirt road in the woods with my windows down.  Just to get out there on opening day to listen to the music! 

[LPS]

Darn good idea Leech!

[Rebel SS]

Just don't try to muscle in on my spot, or I'll whap ya with my cane! 

[gophergunner]

Continued rooting through my gear today to put my pack together. Man, it gets me going to pull out the hunting stuff again. I always carry some of Dad's gear. He's been gone a long, long time now, and it still is hard on me this time of year. His old compass. His Buck knife. The spare pair of boot laces he always made me carry in my pack. I hope he's satisfied with the man I've become. He hunted for 30 years with a bad back, courtesy of a German machine gun round that lodged in a bad spot the doctors couldn't get to. They sewed him back up and he went back to the front. I figure if he could fight his way across Europe with a slug in his back, I can at least continue the family tradition of being in the woods if at all possible.  Life throws some curveballs. It's how you adjust your swing that defines you, and I refuse to allow this nasty change of events to define me.

[LPS]

I'm thinking he would be proud as heck of you GG!

[gophergunner]

Well, I pretty much found the rest of my junk I carry for a hunt. Got to organize my bag, and that's about it. My awesome wife is going to sit with me. She's not a hunter, and truth be known, would rather curl up on the couch with a coffee and a good book, but she's gonna go. I tend to forget how lucky I am to have such a good woman in my life. Weather's not supposed to be good-calling for rain Thurs.-Sun. It'd be nice to shoot one Thursday and get out of the weather. Here's to the hope the Red Gods are smiling.

[gophergunner]

Well, the gear is slowly making it's way to the Exploder. One hour till we leave for Rice Lake. No matter the circumstances, deer hunting stirs something deep in my soul, as I'm sure it does for you guys too. Memories of yesteryear's forays loom large. For the first time in my life, I get to share the stand with my wife. I guess in that respect, I'm glad it's warm out. I'm a lucky man to have a wife who's willing to totally depart from her comfort zone and try something new. I wouldn't think about asking her to gut or drag for me, but with my buggered up back, I'm glad she'll be there. I bought a Savage 99 ES for my little grand daughter. I hope to get the chance to bleed this gun for her, and then pass it off to my son so he can do the same, and then in about 9 years it will be Esther's turn.  Time sure flies when you're having fun. Good luck to everyone headed out this weekend for fins or feathers. Most of all, everyone be careful and come back safe and sound.

[mike89]

good luck!!!   

[Steve-o]

Again, good luck, GG.  That is quite a gun you picked out for her.  A true classic that was way ahead of its time.

[Jerkbiat]

Good luck GG and glad you are getting out there!

[gophergunner]

No luck for the first day. 9 guys out and not a shot fired, although one of the volunteers drove past my Exploder and there was a big doe standing right next to it! Guess we should have hunted out of the truck!

[dakids]

Were is your early antlerless hunt and what's the date.  I might be able to help with the dragging, gutting,  and loading for you.

[mike89]

No luck for the first day. 9 guys out and not a shot fired, although one of the volunteers drove past my Exploder and there was a big doe standing right next to it! Guess we should have hunted out of the truck!

hang in there!!!   

[Steve-o]

Were is your early antlerless hunt and what's the date.  I might be able to help with the dragging, gutting,  and loading for you.

GG is up there now; prolly on his way to the stand this very minute.

Looks like Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge is up by McGregor.  Look for the Ford Explorer with the big doe standing next to it.   

Hopefully they will start moving today, GG.

[gophergunner]

Another dry run yesterday. 10 guys in the woods, and no one saw a deer. The stand they put me in covers an open field with sparce pine tree coverage. It backs up against heavy whie spruce woods. It seems like from talking to the others, some of the stands are set up on field edges like this. Two days in this stand, and I'm ready to try something different. 'Gonna ask them if there's a stand in some oak trees somewhere. No crop fields nearby, so these deer must be eating acorns and browse. If there's no stand available in the oaks, I'll stay with the one I've been in. It would just be my luck to give uo thar blind and a deer would come through. We did walk out to the truck last night hoping we might intercept that big doe by the truck, but no luck. Cathy and I are taking pizzas for the amazing volunteers that make this hunt possble. It's the least we can do to say thanks for these guys who gave up a week of fall hunting opportunities to take a few old geezers into the woods.

[Leech~~]

Another dry run yesterday. 10 guys in the woods, and no one saw a deer. The stand they put me in covers an open field with sparce pine tree coverage. It backs up against heavy whie spruce woods. It seems like from talking to the others, some of the stands are set up on field edges like this. Two days in this stand, and I'm ready to try something different. 'Gonna ask them if there's a stand in some oak trees somewhere. No crop fields nearby, so these deer must be eating acorns and browse. If there's no stand available in the oaks, I'll stay with the one I've been in. It would just be my luck to give uo thar blind and a deer would come through. We did walk out to the truck last night hoping we might intercept that big doe by the truck, but no luck. Cathy and I are taking pizzas for the amazing volunteers that make this hunt possble. It's the least we can do to say thanks for these guys who gave up a week of fall hunting opportunities to take a few old geezers into the woods.

I know your not suppose to ask people where they Hunt!  But where, just so I don't go there!   

[gophergunner]

Yeah, to put it quite bluntly, it sucks. Dry run again today. If the deer are in there, they're just not moving. I don't even know if I'll go back tomorrow. Guess I can't shoot one from the living room chair, though.

[Leech~~]

Yeah, to put it quite bluntly, it sucks. Dry run again today. If the deer are in there, they're just not moving. I don't even know if I'll go back tomorrow. Guess I can't shoot one from the living room chair, though.

If you got 10 guys. Try a drive!