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Hunters with disabilities find new starts
Published Thursday, January 15, 2009
All the world was right for Virgil Armstrong. Then a log from a pulpwood train car fell, delivering a devastating blow to the back of his head. Armstrong was knocked to the ground and his shirt was caught in the mechanics of the switching trains.
The train dragged Armstrong 50 feet along the sidetrack before he was rescued.
“That was 34 years ago and I’ve been a quadriplegic since that day,” Armstrong said. “But I know that I’m blessed to be here. The doctors told my wife, Anita, that I would be in the nursing home for the rest of my life. But she didn’t accept that.”
Neither did Armstrong. He refused to let the devastating injury take complete control of his life. He was blessed that he didn’t suffer brain injury so he made a decision to do the best with what he had. But it seemed there was very little that he could do.
For the next “many” years, the former railroad employee could do little but stay home.
“Oh, we’d go out from time to time but there really wasn’t a lot that I could do,” Armstrong said. “Anita and I both grew up in the woods and that’s what I really missed. I wanted to get back out there. I thought a lot about hunting and how much I wanted to hunt again but I didn’t think that was possible.”
And it was not possible until Armstrong learned about hunting opportunities for people with disabilities.
“Outdoors Without Limits gives people like me the chance to get outdoors and do things that we wouldn’t be able to do otherwise,” he said. “I’ve hunted since I was a boy and it’s something that I enjoy whether I get a deer or not.”
All those years that Armstrong was only able to dream about harvesting a deer, he never lost hope that one day he would be back in the woods again.
Armstrong is one of 104 hunters with disabilities who have registered for the 2009 Ultimate Adventure Deer Hunt that opened Thursday at Swindall’s RV Park in Troy and will run through Sunday noon.
“We all come hoping to harvest a deer but none of us will be too disappointed if we don’t,” Armstrong said. “The fellowship of these hunts means as much as harvesting a deer. Maybe more.”
Armstrong has five deer to his credit and this hunt he will be hunting with a “sip and puff” apparatus made for him by “the Jerk.”
“We call Raymond Jerkins “the Jerk,” for fun but he’s really a genius,” Armstrong said. “He made this apparatus for me that is operated by simply ‘sipping’ on the ‘straw.’ We’d seen one similar to it that cost more than $3,000. The Jerk made this one for me out of junk.”
Until the Jerk made the very efficient and easy to operate hunting apparatus for Armstrong, he had been hunting with a device that his wife made.
“Really, it was just a camera tripod that would support Virgil’s gun but this new one will adjust up and down and from side to side and it’s easy to shoot. All Virgil has to do is sip and it shoots.”
The Armstrongs have found the Outdoors Without Limits opportunities so beneficial that they have organized a chapter in Atmore and have conducted several hunts.
“The hunts aren’t big like this one but we are growing,” Armstrong said. “OWL has given me a new start in life and I can’t begin to tell you what it means to me and to other like me.”
The 2009 Ultimate Adventure Deer Hunt will host dinner events tonight and Saturday night and a Southern breakfast on Sunday and the public is invited to participate. For ticket information, call 566-8353.
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Comments
Posted by MessengerReader23 (anonymous) on January 18, 2009 at 2:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Nice to see that killing other living creatures has been a great outlet for these people who have reflected on their own mortality.
Posted by plamomof3 (anonymous) on January 19, 2009 at 9:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am so amazed at how people can turn something that is designed for disabled people into something awful. My husband had the unique pleasure of taking a six year boy confined to a wheel chair hunting this past weekend with this organization and it has touched our whole family. I was amazed at the number of people that travel to come to this gathering to be with other people with disabilities and share time together with each other. It's not about "the kill"- for most it's a once in a lifetime adventure that some are not physically able to do on their own. I was proud that my family took part in this, along with other families in this community that volunteered their time to learn from others, because that's what it was to us- a learning experience from someone who is not letting life pass them by. It might do more of you good to get out and help others that are not as fortunate as you- shame on you for making fun at other's handicaps. If the table were turned, I'm sure you wouldn't want someone talking about you. And, as for the deer that were killed, think about the next cow you eat when you eat your next hamburger.
Posted by ballbuster (anonymous) on January 19, 2009 at 9:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well said plamomof3, Well said! I have decided to participate by being a guide for this hunt next year.
Posted by gldelon (anonymous) on January 19, 2009 at 1:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow!! How narrow-minded can you get?! A lot of people enjoy the sport of hunting so why not the handicapped? When I was a member of Wheelin Sportsmen, I met the most amazing people; and they all had the desire to hunt, but not the availability to do so. Kirk Thomas gave this availability to them through this amazing organization that he founded. My brother was a quadrapelegic because of the Vietnam War and wanted to hunt but I had no way of helping him. I took him to meet Kirk and other members of the org, and they invited us to a hunt and it was FANTASTIC!!! My brother was ecstatic. He wasn't fortunate enough to get a deer, but the companionship of all of the people; both able and dis-abled was truly awesome. I can't give enough praise to these people who give their time and money to help the dis-abled get out in the wild and experience the art of hunting and fishing and they ask nothing in return except to feel the excitement in youngsters and oldesters alike when they bag their first deer or catch their first fish. So shame on you for begrudgeing them this joy. And these deer were not caged! They were on local open lands owned by local people who have hearts enough to care for those who do not otherwise have this opportunity. I am sorry that I missed the hunt this year, but I promise you that I won't miss the next one and I will bring all of my friends to help too. I believe that YOU are handicapped because of your narrow-mindedness. Gail DeLong, sister of a Vietnam War Veteran
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