* * * 2004 Helluva Hunt * * *

On my return trip from the BC Moose hunt I was selected to join in the 20th. Annual Helluva Hunt in Douglas, Wyoming. Any handicapped hunter in the United States is eligible to apply for the hunt and only 15 names are drawn. The only expense the handicapped person will face is the transportation to and from the hunt. And that person is allowed to bring one assistant at extra cost, but still that is very reasonable. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department provides the hunting license, the Antelope permit, the Challenged Hunter permit and a permit for your helper to dispatch a wounded animal. The town of Douglas along with several national contributors unites to help provide services for this hunt. Each hunter is given a disposable camera, hats, windbreakers, a plaque and chance to make numerous friends. All the hunters are provided with a guide and some of the people providing the help come from Chicago, Georgia, Arizona and Colorado not to mention all the folks from Wyoming. The hunt was set up and run by Gary & Jane Stearns just for us handicapped. Free meat processing is provided and a chance to win one of the free mounts from a local taxidermist. We were also given one of the rare Buck Jackalope permits. There are several ranchers involved that let us hunt on over 60,000 acres, but there are Turbo Goats and Deer all over the place. For more info on this great once in a lifetime hunt contact:

Helluva Hunt
1562 Esterbrook Rd.
Douglas, WY 82633
307-358-6580

Before we got to Douglas we stopped in Casper, WY. In the middle of a frog drowning rain storm. I couldn�t even read the off ramp signs but got lucky there and found some where to camp. We dropped off some film at Wal-Mart to get developed. And it was supposed to be ready for pick up the next day but their machine was busted. Any way, a block away from Wally world a small herd of Antelope were laying about 50 feet off the road watching the traffic go by and about 30 yards behind them was a roadgrader was cutting a driveway. Plus people had those goats in their yards, even in downtown.

Got into Douglas on Thursday evening because we were supposed to sign in by 10:00 Friday morning. It was based out of the Wyoming State Fairgrounds and dorm rooms were available to those who wanted them and a spot to set up our camp trailer was near those dorms. After signing in we introduced ourselves to our fellow hunters and the guides. Followed by a trip to the shooting range to sight in the rifles. Breakfast was served every morning at 5:30 in the cafeteria at the Fairgrounds. The lunches were also a everyday occurrence at the Trap Club sponsored by the Douglas Police Department one day the next lunch was put on by the local telephone company. We also had a barbecue one night, the meat (Chicken, Pork ribs & Beef ribs) which was marinated for 3 days and brought & cooked by a man from Georgia just for this hunt. We were also treated to a banquet at the Moose Lodge which also held a fund raising auction for the future hunts. Of the all the hunters a few really stand out and of those 3 were blind hunters plus the youngster of the group. He was a great guy to be around his name is Tyler and he is 17 years old and his companion on the hunt was his Mom. They are from GA and this was probably his first big game hunt other than Georgia�s local White-tail Deer. He was also the winner of one of the free mounts. I was truly impressed by those blind hunters. One, Lance, is from Wyoming and won the free mount for the biggest horns. His was a 15 1/8 inch with about a 12 inch spread. He was also the runner-up for the longest shot. The shot that won was a 460 yard shot and Lance�s was 420 yards. Pretty good for a blind man I�d say. Now you�re most likely asking yourself �How does a blind person shoot� well he has a special rifle with 2 scopes. One for a person to look over his shoulder and sight him in. When he is on target the person behind the blind shooter tells him to shoot. On Sunday after everyone filled their tags there was a trap shoot and everybody attended. Even those blind guys, Steve, Stanley and Lance, took part in the shooting of clay pigeons. And Stanley did better than me. He hit 5 birds out of about 50 shots and I only hit 6 but it took me 125 shots.

Well back to the hunt. My guide, Joe, said there was no great need to get going before sunrise because the sun never did rise. It was pouring down rain then changed to snow. We hit the trail at around 7:30 and slipped and slid till the storm blew over that afternoon. When it cleared the wind kicked up and helped dry out the roads some. After spotting several herds off in the distance we drove around for a while. To let the roads dry out some more so that we wouldn�t cut massive ruts. I learned some interesting things about Antelope like they are the only horned animal that shed there horns (Deer, Elk, Moose, Caribou and the likes have antlers not horns). We then we came on what looked to be a big horned buck at 175 yards. He went down with one shot from my 30-06. The shot punctured his lungs and obliterated his aorta, he did a about-face and then went down in his tracks. He was a good buck but his pronghorns weren�t as large as we expected but he did have a nice spread. Each horn was 13 1/2 inch long with 5 5/8 inch prongs and a 13 3/4 inch spread. He would have scored a 89 on the Boone and Crockett scale. On Friday night we all joined in a banquet and auction at the Moose Lodge. On Saturday morning before the Trap Shoot we went on went on a trip around the countryside. Besides seeing some beautiful country we saw some mighty big Mule Deer bucks. And stopped at a old church it was built pre W.W.I. After the ride we had a enjoyable lunch with hamburgers, hot-dogs and chili that was followed by a Trap Shoot. There was a real shooter from New Mexico there, Chris. He out shot everyone hitting every bird thrown, a 100% hit record is damn good. That night after the trap shoot was the farewell banquet at the American Legion Hall. Where the longest shot, the shortest shot and the animal with the biggest pronghorn were awarded a free mount. Also 2 more mounts were raffled off. Both were for European (Santa Fe) mounts but could be upgraded for a small cost to a head mount. I happened to win one of the mounts and I opted for a European (skull with horns) seeing how I already have a shoulder mount hanging on the wall. Among the awards all the hunters were given a pictured plaque and a poster to commemorate the hunt�s 20th. anniversary. That morning after some heartfelt farewells a few of the hunters got a ride to the airport in Casper about a hour to the West. After we picked up the meat we departed for home.