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Friday, 28 November 2008 |
By KRISTA HAYES
Staff Writer
For one St. Marys native, hunting is about more than making the kill, it’s about helping handicapped individuals experience the thrill of hunting.
Last weekend, Bill Metzger helped to organize an annual deer hunt for handicapped men of the Lima, Continental, Dayton, St. Marys and surrounding areas. This year it was held at the closed landfill outside the St. Marys city limits.
“Normally I hold the hunt the first weekend in December on the first and the second of the month, during regular gun season for deer,” Metzger said. “However, this year I had more guys who called me up and said they wanted to hunt.
To make the necessary arrangements, Metzger contacted Dave Sheets with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Auglaize County Game Warden Matt Hoehn. They offered Metzger a one-time deal to hold a hunt on the city property that would normally not allow trespassing or any kind of hunting.
Metzger said he also contacts the city each year to gain approval to continue hunting at the landfill and from a St. Marys resident Linus Riethman, who owns property near the landfill where they hunt.
The idea to hold a deer hunt for the handicapped started in 2002 when Metzger was on a trip in Alaska with his wife, hunting with crutches under his arms thanks to a logging accident that he was involved in July prior to his vacation.
“I’ll never forget the night when I awoke and walked out of the tent to use the restroom, coming to realize I was stuck between a valley with these huge snow caps,” Metzger said. “There was what seemed to be a bright flood light shining down on me which looked like a white salad bowl, and you could see the northern lights shining from the town. It sure was a sight to see and right then and there I realized I wanted other handicapped people like me to see the same kind of sights.”
From there, it was just a matter of time until Metzger contacted the Northwest Ohio Safari Club Chapter in Lima, of which he is a member, seeking their help to get the hunt started.
“The Safari Club was a lot of help because they provided us with liability insurance, four-wheelers, special trailers to transport the hunters, hunting blinds and heaters to keep everyone warm,” Metzger said. “Since we hunt on private property where there is not hunting allowed, we usually see a ton of deer all weekend long because they know they are safe there.”
Metzger said two hunters participated last weekend.
“One got himself an 8-point buck, while the other shot at a buck and doe each, missing both times and later froze out and went home,” Metzger said.
Among the two men that went hunting last weekend was Lima native, Damon Bowman, who managed to shoot and kill the 8-point buck shortly after 10 a.m. Sunday morning. He plans to use the meat to make beef jerky and choice “so none of it will go unused.”
In speaking on his hunting experience which is his third time, Bowman said he had a great time and really enjoyed himself, which sometimes is not easy for one to do who is stuck in a wheelchair all day, every day.
“I’ve been stuck in a wheelchair for 39 years now due to injuries I sustained to my back and spine when I fell off a barn at work,” Bowman said. “Since I am limited on what I can do, it’s a pleasure to know that I can always call Bill up and ask to go hunting and he will accommodate me anyway he can. He’s a super nice guy who would cater a lunch and bring it to me out in the field if I asked him to.”
While Metzger said the woods surrounding St. Marys is hard to compare to the scenery in Alaska, he’ll use what he can get.
“I’ve been very fortunate to overcome my health issues while traveling all over North America to hunt,” Metzger said. “Even though hunting in Auglaize County is nothing compared to the wild of the Yukon, the hunters seem to really have a lot of fun. They deserve the same chance to set their eyes on things like what I have seen, and by holding the hunt each year, it’s the effort I make to give them that same opportunity.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 30 November 2008 )
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