Paying it back

[B-Rad1]

Hey guys I've been on here for some time and gained lots of good information. Thought I would reach out to you guys for some suggestion.  My Dad and I have been best hunting buds for the last 40 years. Over the last 5 years he has developed a lung disease called COPD. COPD has really limited his mobility, and recently carries around an oxygen tank just to be able to maintain a quality of life. He has been on the verge of giving up hunting and I have been doing everything I can think of to make things easy for him. Scouting every day and finding the easiest locations for him to get into, building blinds on old logging roads next to known strutting and feeding areas.  Ambushing birds has never really been a tactic of ours but, in his condition I can't think of any other way. It's really been tough to see your best bud going downhill so I am hoping you guys would have some suggestions to help me help him to be more successful.

[barry]

I've been hunting from a wheelchair for the last 17 years so I can relate to your fathers lack of mobility. Where I used to hunt the mountains and bigwoods I now focus on fields and pasture land.
I will ask the landowners if they are seeing birds and where, then select where I want to have my setup.
I'll get to my setup well before daylight in order to let things settle down. If I don't have a bird roosted close to my setup my hunting partner and I will do some aggressive calling after flydown just to let any toms within hearing distance know that there are a couple of "single hens" in the area willing and waiting. Quite often a tom will come to the edge of the field we're setup on and anounce his presence later on. Yes, we use dekes.
Action will typically take place later in the morning but every now and then we get a bird to come in off the roost. No, it's not the same as sneaking in and setting up on a roosted bird but it is STILL turkey hunting and that's what counts! Watching a bird strut across 200 yards of open field is a wonderful sight!
Good luck to you and your Dad!

[mnturkey]

I hunt public land in MN and sometimes walk 2 or 3 miles in, I know your dad canot do that, the first Turkey I ever killed was on Public land about 200 yds from the parking lot.
The turkeys are out there close to the parking areas.
Another idea is a rickshaw or something that you can use to get dad out in the woods.
Talk to local farmers, bring dad along and they might let you bing your truck right to the location, camo dads oxygen tank and go.
Also check with your DNR they might have handicap acess areas, in MN and WI they do have special hunts for handicap.
Good Luck wih dad

[Tail Feathers]

I hunt with a friend who has limited mobility.  I really can't think of anything you haven't already been doing.
I hope you can keep his fire burning.  Remember, it's about the experience and the gobble, not so much the kill at his age.  Good luck!

[stone road turkey calls]

Electric Bad Boy Buggy, will take you and your dad most any where there is decent roads or ground, and very quite

[tomstopper]

Electric Bad Boy Buggy, will take you and your dad most any where there is decent roads or ground, and very quite

Good choice. I know a coupleof old timers around where I live And that is how their hunting partners get them into the Deer woods each season.Good luck to you & your dad this season.....

[B-Rad1]

Thanks guys, since I last posted I've entertained the idea of a golf cart. It's a huge expense but at this point it really don't matter, I'm gonna get it regardless of the cost!
To top it off, this morning I found a bird strutting and gobbling his fool head off at the end of an old logging road.(easy spot to get into) After waiting until he slipped back into the woods, i moved in an there is tale tale signs that he is spending plenty of time there. I took a good look at the area, set up a gobbler lounge and brushed up a spot for pop. It looks like The Lord might bless him in the morning! 

[redarrow]

Is it possible to rent a buggy or golf cart ?

[RutnNStrutn]

I lost my Dad last year. In the last few years before that, I took him out turkey hunting, though he was quite mobility impaired. We never did get on the birds, but we had some good gobbling action, and spent quality time together. Best of luck to you and your Dad!

[B-Rad1]

Just to give you guys an up date on my pop. I told him last night to meet me at the lease in the morning, he was a little reluctant to come because he has had a tough time this week and was a tad tired.  Little did he know that I purchase a golf cart and was going to surprise him. I made sure I was at our normal meeting spot back in the lease well before I expected him to show up and backed the truck where he didn't have a view when he pulled up.  When he arrived I told him I had something for him and took him around to see it. Guys you should have seen the smile on his face and the tear roll down his cheek. I helped him pack his stuff up on the cart. Strapped down his oxygen bottle in and  watched him tootle off out of sight.  Right now I am grinning from ear to ear  I don't think I will ever forget that moment and I am so thankfully the Lord gave me the extra money to purchase that cart. God is good!

[nogoodreezen]

Awesome thread. I wish my dad still hunted. He took me when I was young because he knew how much I wanted to go but it really wasn't his thing. I am trying to get him back out there this year. Prayers for your pop.

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[callwinner11]

GREAT POST
i wish u all the luck in the world
spending quality time with ur father in the woods is awesome
wish i could do the same
let us see pics when u can

[redarrow]

  Gotta be a God thang. Thats really cool. You are a good son. Just remember to make sure he has a cell phone or some way to communicate with you in case he gets stuck.Can't have him out there pushing with COPD. 

[Improvinghunter101]

That is quite the wonderful story!  You are a great son.  I'm sure your dad will never forget that moment and I'm sure you won't either!

[B-Rad1]

Thanks y'all but To God be the glory. Sorry guys  I didn't even think about getting any pictures. We will be at it again in the morning and I'll get some pics then, maybe just maybe we'll have a bird laid across the the hood to boot. 


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