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Kelly Purkey |
Tensas Wheelin’ hunt,
an honor and a privilege
Have you ever had a chance to really make a difference in someone’s life? I have, thanks to a partnership between the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge and the NWTF’s Wheelin’ Sportsmen program.
Research has shown that the number of hunters in the United States continues to decline. Because of that, it is imperative to find ways to retain and recruit new hunters to protect the legacy for future generations. And providing quality hunting opportunities is part of that challenge.
Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge is an 80,000-acre bottomland hardwood ecosystem with a history and reputation for good public hunting. The quantity and quality of deer harvested has always been impressive.
We’ve reached out to youth by hosting a special guided lottery hunt on a 2,600-acre closed area on the refuge. But we wanted to do more.
Several years ago, Wheelin’ Sportsmen approached us about having the same type of hunt for people with disabilities. Due to water level fluctuations and terrain, hunters who use wheelchairs have limited opportunities on Tensas. However, it wasn’t an impossible task; we just needed some expertise to help make it happen.
The NWTF Louisiana State Chapter provided a grant to build wheelchair-accessible ground blinds that are large enough for hunters and their chairs, as well as room for their caregivers and guides. And the Wheelin’ Sportsmen program provided expertise and equipment to help us accommodate those with special needs.
Since the first Wheelin’ hunt four years ago, the event has grown into something I’m proud of. Fifteen hunters are randomly chosen for the hunt. Wheelin’ Sportsmen provides two nights of lodging and evening meals to each hunter and their caregivers. Everyone meets at Tensas headquarters at 4:30 a.m. Hunters are then moved to their blinds on special trailers. They hunt for about four hours in the morning and are given the chance to hunt an additional four hours in the evening, after a mid-day lunch break.
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FYI > In 1997, Congress passed the National Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act, which identified six priorities for the refuge system. One of the “Big Six” included hunting. |
It is difficult to coordinate such an event, but each year leaves me with an unbelievable feeling and incredible memories.
Last year, one of the participants was a young man who had been in an accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. The Wheelin’ Sportsmen program had introduced him to hunting, and he quickly developed a passion for it. He was quiet, but had a determination that was hard to match. He killed two deer in one day — a doe, as well as his first buck. What an honor it was to see him weep with joy about the experience. It was unforgettable for both of us.
This year, with temperatures plunging to 16 F and frozen pipes at the lodge, nine smiling hunters (a few backed out) still showed up at 4:30 in the morning for a chance to harvest a deer. Wheelin’ Sportsmen volunteers showed up with portable heaters for each blind. Of the nine participants, eight were under 30, and two were women. How’s that for recruiting the next generation of hunters?
The partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Wheelin’ Sportsmen continues to grow as the program helps more refuges host these special hunts. We are working together to continue the hunting legacy for ALL individuals. — Kelly Purkey, refuge manager, Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge, La.