We remember Chad from 2004.
Nice article from Chad on HuntingNet.com
click on this link to check it out !
http://huntingnet.com/fieldjournal/fieldjournal_detail.aspx?nID=1176.
Al took Ken Vaughn III of Utah and his grandfather on a hunt where Ken got his first buck antelope. He says he was "lucky" but it was more than luck! Congratulations Ken!
2009 more from Ken Vaughn...
This year hunting with Chair Bound Hunters was really fun. I was able to get my biggest Buck Prong Horn yet & was able to enjoy the hunt with my dad & uncle. Getting together with family and going hunting is my favorite thing to do and we always have an incredible time in Wheatland with ChairBound Hunters. Hunting this year really had me excited because of all the snow and getting to hunt during the rut. The Antelope have really good vision and it makes it very hard to get close enough for a shot but with our timing this year they didn't really care if we were there or not. With the snow coming down hard visibility was next to zero over 100 yards and as I was checking out some bucks at about 200. It was hard to tell how far it was exactly because of the snow, the range finder kept saying 23 yards. It was hilarious at the time. As I was sizing up a good looking buck an even bigger buck ran in chasing some does and I knew he was the one. I lined him up in the cross hairs and got my big beautiful buck. It was great to get out and go hunting with my dad and uncle again and share this experience with them. I will never forget this hunt and all the help from Al and his family. It's thanks to the support from all the sponsors that make these hunts possible and I wan to sincerely thank you for helping a wonderful program like ChairBound Hunters.
Sincerely, Ken Vaughn
Dear Big Al and Sharon,
I wanted to thank you both personally for a great hunt.
It has been 15 year dreaming of harvesting an Antelope with my bow.
This experience was well beyond my expectation of what I thought this hunt would be like. I was lucky enough to harvest an exceptional Pronghorn.
God willing, I hope to enjoy another hunting experience next fall with you both.
Thanks again for your continued hard work for Chairbound Hunters.
Let's start a on the newsletter soon !
Sincerely,
Craig Simpson
Dear Supporter of Chairbound Hunters,
First, I would first like to apologize for the tardiness of this letter. I would like to sincerely thank you for your support of Chair Bound Hunters. Without the help of great people like yourself, it would be nearly impossible for such an organization to continue existence. It does not matter how small a contribution is given, it helps in a big way.
Chair Bound Hunters is a great organization to do what they do. They gave me what will probably be my only chance to hunt mule deer and pronghorn. I was also lucky enough, with the help and guidance of Al McCarty, to actually harvest a trophy of both. For as most hunters know, the joy of the hunt is simply being in the outdoors in the pursuit of your quarry and the filling of your tags is just the icing on the cake. For some it may not seem like much, but it gave me a chance to do something I could only of dreamed about doing without the help of an organization like Chair Bound Hunters. Just to let you know a little about the person you have helped, I am a C5-6 Quadriplegic. I broke my neck playing Lacrosse three years ago. I am now twenty-one and working through college at the University of Houston Downtown. I was an avid hunter before my accident and do everything that I can to get back out in the field when possible. Because of the limitations imposed by my disability, it makes it hard for me to go hunting purely by myself. It takes the help and generosity of others to make it possible. I would again like to sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support of Chair Bound Hunters and hope that you are able to continue your support in the future so that they may continue to help others as they have helped me.
Sincerely,
Chase Swonke
(Chase was killed in a automobile accident before he had the chance to come back out and hunt again. We now have our Chase Swonke Memorial Prairie Dog Shoot every June in honor of him.)
Tom and Donna Swonke wrote the following year:
Keep doing what you are doing. It means everything to those that you are doing it for.
I just wanted to take time to thank all the people involved in the chairbound hunters event. these are very special people who truly care about others with disabilities.
My name is Bob Simmons and I am from Oregon. I am a C-6 quad complete. this means I am parlayed from my chest down. I have no hand function. I fire a gun by supporting the fore stock on a rest then pulling the trigger with my thumb.
I had a fantastic hunt and was successful in harvesting a great antelope and mule deer.
the facilities were great and the food was very good. the people who provided these for the hunters need to know how much I appreciate this.
the transportation was out of this world. I needed a pickup truck that I could shoot from the drivers side and the 2004 Chevy 4 door worked perfect. thank you Crawford Chevrolet.
Al, Sandy, Mike, Braden and Robert thank you for a hunt I will never forget. you all have patients and understanding.
I would strongly encourage anyone who wants to become involved in this event to do so. the rewards for the hunters and helpers are for a life time.
thanks again, Bob
"This hunt has been a 32 year dream hunt for me and I am very grateful to Chairbound Hunters and all of the sponsers that made it possible for me to be able to fulfill my dream."
(Randy was planning to come back again the next year to hunt, but was killed in an automobile accident before he could.)
I would like to thank Chairbound Hunters Inc. for giving me the opportunity to mule deer hunt in beautiful southeastern Wyoming. I've been a hunter for over thirty years, but nothing will ever compare to hunting in Wyoming. Not only did I observe mule deer, bull elk, and cow elk, I also saw herds of antelope, coyote, bobcat and a great deal of other wildlife.
Following and unsuccessful fire to a trophy mule deer, I successfully shot a 4x5, 20 1/2 spread mule deer. The deer was, by far, the biggest deer I ever shot.
Mike Short, Sandy Short & Al McCarty created an unforgettable experience for me in Wyoming. Thanks again for providing me with the greatest hunt of my life !
Sincerely,
Tom Sray
You know that having a chance to see your state, be able to hunt as well, will be a great memory for me. I hope you & your wife are doing good. Any chance to hunt with your crew really is a good time. If by hope that Gary, Jim & myself included, could have even have a chance to do it again we would. Your hospitality, and also of your friends was splendid, and made me feel at home. You guys are great, and thank you so much for all good jokes Al. I picked up some good ones from you !!
I hope you are well, With great thanks, John