Photos were taken by Larry Thoren
Warm temperatures and bright sunshine welcomed 76 hunters with disabilities who participated in a special deer hunt, on Saturday, November 14, and Sunday, November 15, 2015. The event was held at Lost Mound Unit of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge in Savanna, IL. Field surveys showed the deer population was high, and the rutting season was at its peak.
Quadriplegics, paraplegics, amputees, and other physically-challenged hunters harvested 24 deer, which included 13 does and 11 bucks.
The largest buck, an 11-pointer with field dressed weight of 174 pounds, was taken by Savanna resident Tim Anderson.
This special hunt has gained National attention, with hunters traveling from 14 states. It provides a boost to the local economy. One-third of hunters are non-residents; many residents traveled from Central and Southern Illinois. Other states represented were Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.
Michael Trost from Maryville, TN, stated that he saw more deer in the field in two days of hunting at Lost Mound than he has seen his entire lifetime of hunting deer. Lost Mound Site Manager Alan Anderson stated, “Success is attributed to the high quality hunting experience.”
Hunters are required to use non-lead ammunition for this special hunt. The non-lead regulation went into effect in 2014, after research showed bald eagles were being exposed to lead. Multiple lead exposure cases in bald eagles have been documented at Lost Mound.
Hundreds of bald eagles congregate at Lost Mound and are routinely observed circling the hunt area, searching for their next meal. In order to find a lead exposure source, researchers previously collected deer gut piles, which are typically discarded in the field, by hunters. X-rays identified that lead ammunition fragments were present in these waste parts. Motion sensor cameras documented that bald eagles scavenged on discarded gut piles, waste parts, and fatally wounded, but not retrieved, deer.
Site Manager Anderson was excited about the continued success of this program and stated, “It is a unique hunting experience by a special group of sportsmen. Their daily challenges of life were overshadowed by the enthusiasm and determination for deer hunting. They provided both inspiration and encouragement to the staff and volunteers that administered the hunt.”
Hunter Charles Melton, Richview, IL, harvested a ten-point buck, with a field dressed weight of 149 pounds.
The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge was established in 1924 and contains 244,000 acres that extends along 261 miles of the Upper Mississippi River.