Open the Outdoors
Clark County Volunteers Help the Disabled Enjoy Hunting Once Again

The simple task of walking into a woods or climbing a tree is taken for granted, until you find yourself blind, confined to a wheelchair or required to use crutches for mobility. During the week of October 6 - 14, 2007, ninety-seven landowners from Willard, Greenwood, Neillsville, Colby, Thorp, Loyal, and Fairchild assisted 64 disabled hunters go gun/deer hunting on their own private property.

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Battling extreme heat to wind to very wet conditions and an abundance of acorns and forage in the woods, made it a very tough year for seeing deer. Yet with the dedicated help of an additional 45 guides and support staff, these disabled hunters managed to harvest 55 deer from the Clark County private lands. Thirty-five of the 64 hunters killed deer. Thanks to the abundance of Herd-Control permits, several hunters were able to harvest more than one whitetail. But this hunt is no longer about shooting deer – It's about the friendship and camaraderie spirited by willing sports-persons wanting to help those that need it. Clark County should be proud to have such a great group of unselfish volunteers in its midst. If you know any of them, give them a pat on the back.

It may seem hard to imagine, but these landowners and assistants look forward to and make plans for each coming year. For some, their fall schedule revolves around this first week of October. For many of the hunters, the size and shape of the deer didn't matter. They are satisfied enough by the opportunity to enjoy Mother Nature and to be part of a "camp". We have experienced a 97% return rate of hunters. For most, this hunt will be their only chance to go hunting this year. For some, maybe for the last time in their life. Over the past nine hunts we have sadly lost about 7 or 8 hunters who enjoyed a quest with us during their final moments here on earth. Their families have contacted us and expressed great gratitude for the satisfaction they received during their last years. Without the aid of an able-bodied assistant they could not have accessed a woods or field and could never retrieve an animal if they did harvest one. Each year there are a handful of new hunters arriving with new challenges. By the time they leave they are counting down the days until next year with a rekindled spirit, full of ideas and plenty of self esteem.

What started out in 1999, as a simple suggestion to a group of 12 neighboring landowners with 1,370 acres in the Willard area, as a way to help reduce the expanding herd of whitetail deer, has since turned into an immense community effort to enable fellow disadvantage sportsmen enjoy the great outdoors. Now in its ninth year, the West-Central Clark County "Hunt for Hunters with Disabilities" is the largest organized gun/deer hunt in the nation with 97 generous landowners enrolling 11,060 acres of their precious private hunting land enabling a group of disabled sports-people, and sometimes total strangers, the opportunity to enjoy the tradition of deer hunting and the ambiance of a "deer camp."

The hunter's disabilities ranged from high level paralysis to amputee to blind. They traveled from all corners of Wisconsin, plus one each from Iowa and Minnesota to participate in this special season. The hunt also had its misfortunes, as all hunts do. Twenty-nine of the sixty-four hunters returned home with empty tags, but not from lack of effort on their part. Some could only hunt one evening and some had equipment problems. In percentage of fulfillment and pleasure, the hunt was 110% successful, thanks to all the caring landowners, guides, assistants and friends.

The "Special Deer Hunt for Hunters with Disabilities" was created in 1990 by the Wisconsin D.N.R., to allow individuals with certain disabilities the opportunity to Gun/Deer hunt in early October when the weather is more favorable. The "hunts" are held starting the first Saturday in October and run for nine days. Several "hunts" are held around the state during this first week of October and are hosted and sponsored by clubs, groups, or individuals such as the neighboring landowners of the Willard, Greenwood, Neillsville, Colby, Thorp, Loyal, and Fairchild area.

From past history of poor luck hunting the early mornings, we decided to make that an optional hunting period between the designated hunter and guide. Instead we host a late morning "get acquainted" session. With Dale's North Mound Tavern being the central headquarters for this "Hunt". Hunters, guides, and family fill the establishment by 11:00 a.m. of the first day. It doesn't seem to matter that a portion of this gathering are complete strangers to each other. New friendships immediately developed as old ones are rekindled from the 97% return rate of participants from the past eight years hunts. After a hearty luncheon, any hunter needing to check the sights on their gun or demonstrate their adaptive equipment to their new found hunting partner, are sent down the road to a shooting range set-up by the organizers. Several participants ventured over to take one last practice shot and allow their guide to become familiar with their needs. By 3:00 p.m., all teams were ready and headed for their designated hunting spots with hopes and dreams of harvesting a deer. Throughout the next eight days, hunters arrive and leave. Each with their own story to tell and each equally a part of a tale that brings smiles and creates memories for not only them but everyone involved with this event.

Rock Creek Disabled Outdoors, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation, was established in 2004 to enable the many supporters of this hunt a tax deductible contribution certification. Thanks to the generous support of these many companies, organizations, and friends, "After-the-Hunt" banquets are held on both Saturday nights of the week long season. Stories and tales of this day and past hunts fill the room as new hunting buddies became better acquainted with family and friends. The Loyal Lions donated the use of two huge tents that came in very handy during the Saturday banquets, allowing much needed extra room for the overflow of the ever increasing turnout of landowners, hunters, and supporters of this event. Everyone enjoyed a relaxing evening of drinks, a buffet meal, and story telling.

West-Central Clark County's "Special Deer Hunt for Hunters with Disabilities" for 2008 is the week of October 4-12.

For further information about the West-Central Clark County "Special Deer Hunt for Hunters with Disabilities", Rock Creek Disabled Outdoors, Inc. or to become involved as a hunter, guide, landowner or sponsor, contact Dale Petkovsek of Dale's North Mound Tavern [exit DNR] in Willard at 715.267.6989 or info@sunsetpinesresort.com.