I recently had the good fortune of having been drawn to participate in a deer hunt with Wyoming Disabled Hunters (WDH) and would like to thank everyone involved in making my hunt possible. I was an avid hunter prior to my injury just over a year ago, (July 1st, 2023). Following that, I wasn’t sure if/how I would be able to get back to it. I was more than a little nervous about the event in the days prior.
Let me just say, this organization is organized. We were notified I had drawn a deer tag about 10 months earlier, giving us plenty of time to make arrangements, but there weren’t many to be made. We made travel plans and arranged for grandparents to dog/babysit. Other than that, WDH took care of the rest. We stayed with the other hunters at the Bull Moose Retreat just outside of Cody where we were surrounded by scenic views of snowcapped mountains. Meals were excellent and entirely handled by the volunteers and members of WDH. All we had to do was show up with an appetite. My wife enjoyed the break from the kitchen as much as I enjoyed the hunting!
From the moment we arrived at the Cody airport it was clear the volunteers had been doing this for a while. I met my assigned companion hunter, Scott as soon as we arrived at the retreat. He assisted me in checking my bow after the flight and we headed out to see the area we would be hunting in the morning. I didn’t know what to expect, but Scott did not disappoint. After showing us a ton of deer and answering as many of my questions, we headed back for dinner and to make a plan for the morning.
The first day of hunting started with a hot breakfast and coffee ready for us by the time we were dressed. Scott arrived moments later to toss me and my chair into his truck and off we went for a morning sit full of deer moving in and out of the area around our blind. We sat until noon while surrounded by doe and one shooter buck that had decided to bed down just out of range. Eventually we snuck out of the blind and headed back to warm up and eat lunch. Back at the same spot that evening we had less deer traffic, but another WDH member, Leslie kept us updated on nearby movement as she glassed deer from a distance.
Undeterred, we moved to a different blind the following morning. Just after first light, deer started filtering through. Mostly doe and a small buck or two, until a big bodied buck sky lined himself on a hill in front of us. He closed the distance between us dropping in and out of sight until he popped up out of a creek bed, presenting me with a clean shot. Scott wasted no time getting me to the deer and setting us up for the pictures I will cherish for the rest of my life. I can’t thank Scott, the board members of WDH and other volunteers and landowners enough for making this event possible for me and countless others over the years. I hope to see you again for future hunts and will surely think back to this one often.
Thanks again for the opportunity to meet these incredible people that volunteer their time to make Wyoming Disabled Hunters possible!
Sincerely,
Josef Smith