Those are wheelchairs outfitted with tracks, such as those on a bulldozer or snow coach. Wyoming Disabled Hunters also has a full range of gear and equipment, including for all-terrain wheelchairs, he said. Companion huntersĬompanion hunters go out into the field with the disabled hunters, acting as guides and helping with all aspects of the hunt from scouting out game animals to helping recover and field dress the carcasses, Skinner said. “They can meet other hunters, swap stories, get to know others who are facing similar situations and network out from there,” he said. Hunters frequently stay together at the Bull Moose Retreat near Cody, Skinner said. It relies on donations, as well as the help of local businesses. The group is an all-volunteer, registered nonprofit run by a nine-member board of directors, Skinner said. “This year, 100% of the 20 hunters we took out got animals,” he said. Moreover, the success rate of the hunters has been about 90%, Skinner said. In that time, the group has hosted 313 hunters from Wyoming and all around the country, ranging in age from teenagers to octogenarians. It offers deer, elk and antelope hunts in the Cody area for disabled people of all ages, including veterans with 50% or greater service-related disabilities, group president Terry Skinner told Cowboy State Daily. Wyoming Disabled Hunters has been active since 2009. “There had been one on a carcass where we were hunting, but he was gone when we got there,” he said. The only disappointment of the trip was barely missing a chance to see a grizzly bear in the wild, Jaumotte said. With the hunt finished, she and Jaumotte had enough time to visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West museum in Cody. It took about 40 minutes to take photos and quarter the carcass for transport to a meat processor, she said. Once the cow elk was down, the companion hunters were amazing efficient, she said. Jaumotte’s next shot resulted in the telltale “thowp” of a bullet striking a good hit, Hoffmann said. They were very knowledgeable and I loved their senses of humor.” Joe Jaumotte on his successful Wyoming hunt. “The compassion that the had for the animals was amazing. “They watched every little detail, there were even interpreting the elks’ ear movements to make sure they were OK,” Hoffmann said. When he apparently missed the first shot, they took great care to make sure none of the elk had been hit, she said. The companion hunters on Jaumotte’s outing got him set up on a group of cow elk within a good shooting distance, his caregiver, Daisy Hoffmann, told Cowboy State Daily. But Wyoming Disabled Hunters made his successful hunt possible earlier this month. Ten years ago, Jaumotte suffered traumatic brain injury and was left partially paralyzed in a vehicle accident. If it hadn’t been for Cody-based volunteer group Wyoming Disabled Hunters, it’s likely Jaumotte would have never had a chance to fill his freezer with tasty steaks, roasts and burgers from a Wyoming cow elk. “It’s gonna be good eating, for sure,” the Bridger, Montana, man told Cowboy State Daily. Joe Jaumotte can’t wait for his elk meat to get back from the butcher.
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