By Rob Hoff
VICKSBURG, Miss. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District hosted the 31st annual Arkabutla Lake Physically Challenged Deer Hunt, December 3-5 and 10-12, 2021.
The hunt was divided over two weekends this year, and dozens of hunters were randomly selected to participate. Even though the weather was unseasonably warm, it did not slow down hunter participation. A total of 66 hunters participated in the event.
There are always a lot of familiar faces that return every year, but there were also several new applicants this year. A 77-year-old new hunter and a childhood polio survivor harvested his first deer and, as a result, became overjoyed and emotional. Another new hunter was completely blind and relied on his father and equipment provided by the hunt association to help him aim. Yet another hunter made her first trip back into the woods to go hunting since her accident two years earlier. There are countless stories of individuals overcoming obstacles to participate in a hobby they love and that so many take for granted.
The event allows physically disabled individuals a chance to hunt and enjoy the outdoors. Safety, the number one objective, is stressed daily to everyone participating
There are 33 shooting houses scattered throughout the area, and each hunter is assigned a stand. Hunters travel from across the country to participate in this special event.
“This is the only opportunity for some hunters to get out and hunt each year because of their physical restrictions and lack of available resources,” hunt coordinator and land use program manager Rob Hoff said. “We work very hard to make this hunt special and tailor each experience based on the individual’s needs.”
The equipment, resources and volunteers available allow this hunt to cater to individuals with a wide range of physical disabilities. The hunt requires months of planning, coordinating and hard work, and it relies very heavily on volunteers to make it such a big success each year. USACE partners with the Arkabutla Lake Physically Challenged Hunt Association, a non-profit organization, which provides three meals a day to the hunters. Ranger staff and volunteers load hunters in trucks and UTVs and transports them to and from their stands each day.
The hunt began as a way to manage the local deer herd. Arkabutla Lake has over 1,000 acres below the dam that are restricted to public hunting. Due to the lack of hunting pressure, the white-tailed deer population within this area began to grow unchecked. As a result, disease within the herd and vehicle accidents were commonplace.
For more information about the Arkabutla Lake Physically Challenged Hunt, contact Rob Hoff at the Arkabutla Lake Field Office at 662-562-6261.
| Date Taken: | 01.05.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 01.10.2022 14:18 |
| Story ID: | 412472 |
| Location: | VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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