crippleshot

Thanks to all. @Zizzer59 A back-rest would, definitely, be an improvement but I would still have the problems of getting on and off the 4-wheeler, which can be an adventure unto iself. I DO tend to fall backwards at times but mostly I want to fall off the crazy thing from the side! Not sure how useful a back-rest would be. Plus there's the fact that my wife would STILL have to get up, get dressed and take me. I would love the freedom of coming and going whenever it suited me. Not to mention the solitude, I long for, that comes from squirrel hunting or just trekking through the woods, alone.

Due to a motorcycle accident in 2005 most of my dreams for the future came to a screeching halt. Waking up, after 17 days in ICU, I found myself paralyzed from the shoulders, down. Pre-accident, I was an avid, if not, rabid, outdoorsman!! I loved the solitude of being in a tree-stand or stalking through the woods, looking for deer and squirrels. That is all gone now. Well, almost. Through the grace of God, the support from a one-of-a-kind, wife and after 7 years of hard, painful re-hab, I managed to make a very, limited, recovery. I can walk for very short distances on flat, smooth surfaces. I can move my arms and legs but my right ankle/foot and my right hand are totally, paralyzed. My left hand is of some use but very weak. I do deer hunt using a rotating stool that has a rifle support on it. My trouble starts when it comes to getting to and from my stand. My wife, for now, hauls me back to it on a 4-wheeler. This is VERY dangerous though. I have very little core strength and my grip and arm strength is limited as well. Making a 4-wheeler ride an adventure, to say the least. Almost every time, coming and going, we have to stop so I can be pushed back on or risk falling off. I have had several close calls and it's just a matter of time before I DO fall off. I have been wanting one of those all-terrain, battery operated wheel-chairs so I could take myself back there and with the right camo adaptations even hunt from the chair. But, good grief!! Are they exspensive!! And now, I'm starting to find reviews about them that mostly say that due to a lack in battery technology, they are NOT a very good buy, as the batteries lose power VERY quickly. Could someone, PLEASE, help? Has anyone had experiences with what I'm talking about? I'm particularly referring to the Viking 4x4, the ActionTrackChair and the Terrain Hopper. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to all. Due to my paralysis, which I incurred during a motorcycle wreck, on 2/5/2005 at the age of 45, I have a hard time keeping my emotions in check. I have been told, on more than one occassion, that I "come on too strong" when trying to show people the path to Jesus. The same was said about my political posts. I, finally, managed to quit those and shut politics out, completely. When the world comes knocking on the door of this little bubble, called home, and,eventually, they will, that is when I'll start worrying about politics. I KNOW I come on too strong but it's not from being a smart-aleck. It's enthusiasim. I'm just SO sure, in my condition, that evangelizing MUST be my calling. But, as my posts prove here, that just isn't the case. I don't know what else it could be but, after, almost, nine years, I hope he lets me know, soon. Otherwise, I'm starting to fear I don't HAVE a calling because I'm NOT a real Christian. That He doesn't dwell in my soul. But thanks for the understanding and, maybe, I'll stay. Never, really, wanted to go, in the first place. It IS my fault and I wish.............................................Well, thanks.

I'm sorry to those I offended. This is not my first catastrophe at trying........................I don't even know what I was trying to do, anymore. It is written that everyone is blessed with a gift that will bring glory to God. I don't know what mine is but I guess it's sure not evangelizing. I am not adding this to draw pity but being a quadraplegic, I thought, for sure, my gift HAD TO BE something I could say or type. So far, I have been a miserable failure at both. Again, I'm sorry and will not try again. Good hunting and God bless.

I am, truely, sorry about your past experience with churches. Unfortunately, there are alot out there that are all about filling the pews AND the collection plates. Or those that have everything to do with religeon and nothing to do with Christ. I pray you would start looking again. There ARE excellent churches out there. And I understand, perfectly, the closeness to Jesus you feel while on stand. I mean, how could you not. Being out there in His forests, deserts and mountains is being in the presence of, what I feel is, His greatest works! But I can't help but think, if not every Sunday, we should make the attempt to be in His house, when ever possible. Even if you miss EVERY Sunday during hunting season, that leaves the biggest part of a year. If you could find a good church, like I did, you would feel the difference being there as oppossed to anywhere else. Yes, we go to church to learn but our main purpose for being there is to be among fellow Christians to sing and worship God, Jesus and The Holy Ghost. If I came on too strong, the first time, I'm sorry but this is all I was trying to say in the first place. Unfortunately, I'm afraid, even now, I have offended people.

I should have known. WHAT was I thinking? In these wicked times, ANY time someone brings up the subject of Jesus and salvation, it immediately draws fire. ANY time you, simply, try to point out the obvious, the words "hypocrite, "judge" and/or "judgemental" are dropped like bombs over Berlin during WWII. I have read and reread my thread until I think I could recite it from memory. I find nothing judgemental about it. I admitted that, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, I am a sinner. So, no looking down on anyone there. JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, I have missed church to hunt on Sunday. Although, I do it MUCH less than I used to. Like, maybe once, in the last five years. So, no "seat of judgement" there. I am as guilty as you. I'm sorry if I stepped on anyone's toes. Usually, when you DO step on toes it's because they belong to the guilty who can't come up with a viable arguement so, out comes words like "judgemental" or "Pharisee". Or phrases like, "you don't know how MY walk with God works". That is true. But I DO know what the Lord expects from ALL believers. And then, of course there are those like, Bug House that have no answers but to make fun of my faith. And he seems to get more support than I do. Could you make it to Heaven without EVER going to church? It's possible, I guess. But you tell me. Where would Jesus RATHER you be on a Sunday morning? Which place would make Him happiest? And for those who feel I "reamed them out", all I did was point out an obvious truth. If I hit an exposed nerve, why is it exposed? The two most saddest things about this whole ordeal is the fact that this is the first post made on the Spiritual Camp in SIX YEARS!! The one before that was EIGHT YEARS ago!!!! I know this is NOT a Christian web page but six years? Boy. There's been a whole lot of thanking and praising the Lord for that new bow or that giant elk you killed last year, huh? Neither of which would have been possible without His Grace and Blessing. Yeah, yeah, I know. You thanked Him in your own, private way. Jesus loves when we sing His praises and give Him thanks in public. He loves to know we are not afraid or ashamed to show our love for Him. The second saddest thing is I received all of the EXPECTED responses but NOT ONE post of support. I guess it's because I'm a fawn? Since telling the truth has already made me so vilified and unpopular, maybe this site isn't for me. So good hunting and God bless.

What a shame. This forum is, practically, deserted. But just check out the discussions, being carried on, about the fastest, lightest, bow on the market or the ballistics of a new bullet on the scene and you have responses flying back and forth, so fast, it's a wonder my screen isn't smoking. I am new to this web site and find this more than a little sad. Sad for the people involved but mostly sad for God. False idols and false gods come in many shapes and forms. There is nothing wrong with being blessed enough to have those new things but when they become more important than God and His Son, Jesus, our priorities are WAY out of whack. Another "for instance" that most outdoorsmen seem to think is OK is to hunt on Sunday instead of taking their families to church. I hear on some of todays hunting shows how they commune with God while being in His majestic, wild places. Hmmm. I wonder how many times we hear that......................it's on a Sunday morning? While they may speak to and worship God on those Sundays, it's NOT the same thing. Christians are to gather together on the Sabbath and worship the Lord. And complaining that, because of a job, Saturdays and Sundays are the only days you get to hunt, is not a valid excuse. Thare ARE no valid excuses. We are to take the Sabbath and keep it Holy. Do I write this as a rituous man? Hardly. There was only one rituous man and He died on the cross for us. No, I am a sinner, just like everyone else. And yes, God may forgive us the occassional foray into the wilderness to pursue one of our pleasures but the least we could do, it seems to me, is to come on here and publicly thank and pay homage to Him for allowing us to take that, once in a while trip. And if it should turn into an occassional thread that leads to discussing, teaching or best of all, learning about our Savior, all the better.

Being a new muzzleloader hunter there are a couple of what MAY be wives' tales about the sport, I need clarified. The 1st one is about sighting one in. Should I zero it at 50 or 100 yds.? I have it hitting dead on at 100 yds. and MAY not be able to shoot it again until I'm in my stand and shooting at a deer. I KNOW the smart thing to do would be to take time out of my hunting schedule and shoot it at various yardages but it's not JUST a question of time but of opportunity. I am severely, disabled and need my wife's help. She must load AND clean the gun for me. Her schedule is already hectic at virtually, every minute of the day, through hunting season. Her taking time out to help me shoot would be extremely difficult. Like I said, I KNOW it shoots dead on at 100 yds. using 100 grains of Triple 7 and a 250 gr. TC saboted bullet. Any ideas where it will hit at 50 yds. 2nd Is it necessary to unload your gun after an unsuccessful day's hunting? If you have to do this 4-5 days in a row it could get to be quite a chore!! Especially considering I would have to ask my wife to do it, every time. If it's OK to leave it loaded, I've heard that bringing a loaded gun into the house after a very cold day, outside, could make your barrel sweat. Getting the loaded powder damp and possibly causing a mis-fire. OK. That's three questions, I guess. And ALL of them, probably, make me sound like a moron but I am, totally, new to this game!! And, just in case, there are never any kids in our house so bringing a loaded gun inside poses little to no threat as it gets locked in the safe, that night.

That's NOT a 130 class buck?!!!