Each October, staff from the Northern Mountain Zone and Morganton Land and Water Access host up to five disabled hunters in a facilitated two-day deer hunt. This hunt is available to all disabled sportsmen and women through the permit hunts process.

On Oct. 20, four parties of hunters eagerly arrived at the Johns River Game Land ready to hunt. The hunters were met by Commission staff, local wildlife enforcement officers and the area hunter education specialist. Additionally, two students from Haywood Community College’s Fish and Wildlife Management program were able to assist with the hunt and learn about the biological data collection process.

Following a brief orientation, the participants toured the hunting areas and were shown how to operate the Huntmaster hunt units and box blinds. Each participant chose a card from an envelope that indicated where they would be stationed during the Friday evening and Saturday morning/evening hunts. The hunting areas are intensively managed and are planted with highly-preferred food sources for deer including corn, soybeans, clover and wheat.

Two deer, both adult does, were harvested during the Friday evening hunt and a two-year-old buck was taken on Saturday afternoon. Commission staff assisted with recovery of the deer, then skinned and quartered the deer as a service to the hunters. Lunch was provided by Tony Robinson of N.C. Handicapped Sportsmen and retired wildlife enforcement officers. Each participant appreciated the hospitality of the Commission staff and the work that had gone into preparing the blinds and food plots.

For more information on the disabled hunting program, visit http://www.ncwildlife.org/Hunting/Before-the-Hunt/Disabled-Hunting-Program.

Pictured: Marcus Perry of Pittsboro, N.C.