Bayou Outdoors | Giving Back

article by DAN CHASON

‘Tis the season for giving and there are no exceptions when it comes to December and the holidays.  This point was re-emphasized by my friend Bill Petrus recently where he held a fundraiser for a young man who was involved in a construction accident.  The man has a family with small children and the accident left him partially paralyzed.  Bill put this even together and raised over $100,000 for the family.  That is not just an isolated incident for Bill.  He has put together annual handicapped, Wounded Warrior hunts and is always giving back by giving those not able to have an opportunity to do so.  I recently joined Bill as he invited me and my friend Brad Charrier who has been paralyzed from the waist down since the age of 21.  Brad dove off a remote bridge into a creek and broke his neck leaving him paralyzed for the last 26 years.

I have always admired how Bill gives back and how he is able to help a blind man kill two alligators and a deer in one trip this year.  Amazing.  Then he stepped it up the next week by putting a parapalegic hunter on a big doe.  All of this is done with no agenda.  Just a great way to share the outdoors with those less fortunate.  Brad and I didn’t score on this hunt but Bill’s hunter did.  Another doe made the ultimate sacrifice and built a lifelong memory for this hunter as well.  So my goal was to get Brad on a deer and we started that journey with a trip to my shooting range to practice with the rifle he would use.

Before you run out and recruit a handicapped hunter, keep in mind some things that I learned in this journey.  The first is to dedicate enough time to assure safe travel, adequate clothing and plenty of hydration for your hunter.  The next is let it be their hunt.  Success comes with time and luckily, Brad had drawn a lottery ticket to the Floy McElroy Wildlife Management Area.  This 600 acre plus area is actually located less than a mile from my house.  I had never stepped foot on it and I assure you I was pleasantly surprised on the well kept roads, food plots and stands maintained by LDWF.  Brad and I were met by Nick Freeland and Gabriel Carpenter, both Wildlife Techs employed by LDWF.  The other hunter who had drawn a ticket could not make it so Brad and I had the whole place to ourselves.  The willingness to help and the attitude to succeed was apparent immediately as we were met with open arms by Nick and Gabriel.  It was not what I expected as I very much expected staff members to be unhappy they had to work on a Saturday with a handicapped hunter.  That did not happen and in fact the opposite did.  We were taken to a huge fiberglass ground blind and even though it was a bit chilly, we were warm and out of the wind.

The day started when we saw a big doe work her way across the lane/road and feed under a big white oak tree right at daylight.  Brad was hunting horns and it was a pretty far shot so we just let her feed.  She was soon met by another deer and we watched them feed and leave.  Right at 9:00 we saw a deer come out in almost the exact place and was joined by another deer.  When I glassed the second deer, I told Brad it had horns.  Not a huge deer but a buck and that was what he was after.  Now remember, for any handicapped hunter there are limitations and restrictions as upper body strength is taxed and muscle cramps and spasms are common.  This does not equate to a steady shot.  I moved in behind Brad and told him to take the deer on the right which was the buck.  I steadied him and he pulled the trigger.  The deer went to the ground and both took off like greased lightning.  I texted Nick and told him we had a hit although I wasn’t able to watch in my binoculars as I was holding Brad to steady him.

Shortly after, Nick and Gabriel showed up and the tracking was on.  I swear Gabriel is half bloodhound as it wasn’t long Nick located where the deer was hit and about 30 yards into the woods, Gabriel found a good blood trail. Long story short, we tracked this deer for about 2 hours and the blood trail played out.  I’m sure Brad was anxious as he waited patiently in the stand while we worked.  I finally asked Neal if I could call a friend with a tracking dog. A phone call later and Brad Rogers showed up with Rip to assist in the search.  It didn’t take 10 minutes and we heard the deer as the dog took him down.  After dispatching the deer, we moved him out for the proud hunter to see.  It wasn’t the buck as Brad actually shot the doe instead but the end result was a successful hunt and one happy hunter.

I cannot thank Nick, Gabriel and Brad enough. These men stuck with it and made a memory for my friend that will last a lifetime. If you want to experience the thrill of hunting, be like Bill Petrus. Share your dream, and your hunting spot with someone less fortunate. I know I can’t wait to do it again and I assure you if you participate, you will make a memory that you will never forget. We are all so blessed this holiday season. My hope is that you too will share your blessings with others. God bless you and Happy Holidays.