Going to the woods

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Like thousands of others in Missouri, Chris Richey is heading to the fields and woods this weekend to hunt deer.

The 17-year-old LaMonte high school student planned on getting up early and staking out a spot, hoping for a repeat of last year's success.

His enthusiasm is like that of most hunters, although his circumstances are different.

Since birth, Richey has had spina bifida, a spinal ailment that results in partial paralysis. Richey will be hunting from a wheelchair.

This weekend, Richey and 29 other disabled hunters hit the fields around Mark Twain Lake for a special deer hunt run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

"I really like it," said Richey, who killed his first deer -- a doe -- last year. "I think it shows that people can do something if they want to. I don't feel like I'm limited."

The corps runs a handful of special hunts during the fall. The Mark Twain hunt coincides with the final weekend of the state's firearms deer hunting season.

Shelly Howald, the corps park ranger at Mark Twain Lake, said the first year of the program saw just two hunters. That number steadily increased as more people became aware of the hunt.

"It grows because people understand there is the opportunity there," Howald said. "Things that we take for granted, the ease of walking through the woods, they can't do it. This is another population we reach out to."

About 75 volunteers, most of them experienced hunters, will work through the weekend lending assistance where it's needed in the 1,200-acre recreation area at Mark Twain Lake near Monroe City.

Men, women and young people all participate in the hunt. They are required to take hunting safety classes and must have deer hunting permits and gear.

Applicants for the special hunt must have permanent disabilities that require the use of wheelchairs, braces, crutches or canes. And they must provide details about their medical conditions and needs.

Since the program began, there have been no accidents during the hunt, Howald said.

Missouri is not the only state with special hunting programs designed specifically for the disabled. In Illinois, the state has a Disabled Outdoor Opportunities Program for hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities.

Illinois lawmakers recently passed legislation allowing the disabled to hunt from modified all-terrain vehicles.

Jim Low, a spokesman for the Missouri Department of Conservation, said hunting opportunities for the disabled in Missouri are organized at the regional and local levels.

'A wealth of opportunity'

In cases where disabled hunters want to participate in managed hunts, they are given preference over other hunters.

"We ensure that they have a wealth of opportunity to participate in these hunts," Low said.

Howald said Mark Twain volunteers provide meals for the hunters and also help process a deer when one is killed. More importantly, the volunteers keep an eye on the hunters.

"People that are paraplegic or quadriplegic have no sensation of cold or hot," Howald said. "They have many problems beside moving a wheelchair through woody vegetation. The elements and not knowing whether your feet are cold are a real challenge not only to hunters but us as helpers."

While the state keeps a running total of the number of deer killed each year, Howald said that's not the purpose of her program. She said the hunt provides a sense of togetherness for those who are disabled.

"It's very communal," Howald said. "Everyone shares in a kill. The success of the event is that we all made it and we brought one back."

Richey hopes to participate in many such hunts. "This is something I can do for the rest of my life," he said.