Each year one of America’s leading outdoor persons is invited to attend and participate as the keynote speaker and motivator to those with major disabilities. Many of the winners over the years hunted in wheelchairs and some had missing limbs.

The 5th Annual PCBA-Ohio speaker was Brian Bachman, founder, president and CEO of The North American Bear Foundation.

His evening program was innovative and created a major interest in the opportunity for physically challenged hunter to participate in bear hunts throughout America. With hunters from many different states, many questions were asked about hunting in their individual state. President Bachman’s contribution to these individuals, wives, guides and a cast of several hundred friends of the PCBA was well received and enjoyed by all.

Unless you have been a part of this annual event, you do not have any idea of the difficulty some of these outstanding individuals endure (many in wheelchairs) with spinal injuries caused mostly by vehicle accidents. In talking to some of their wives, it was very clear that no one has ever done anything like this for their husbands and more than once we both were in tears.

But not until you see the sincere smile on their faces after taking a deer with a compound or crossbow, shooting with a mouth tab, or pulling the trigger with some type of locking device, do you realize the heart and soul of these twelve and thousands more like them across America.

In my own state of Pennsylvania, more than 38,000 disabled permits, authorized by Doctors provide opportunities that many of us take for granted. On a personal note, without permits, I would never again be able to hunt deer, but my crossbow allows me to keep in the game.

Brain Bachman’s dream for the NABF is now twelve members more. He also donated NABF products to these years; participates in addition to many other donations for the process that starts the 6th Annual PCBA-Ohio Deer Hunt and continues the selection of twelve new members to participate, free-of-charge, in a hunt that they would otherwise never have the opportunity.

Brian and this author had the privilege of presenting on behalf of Austin & Halleck a Muzzleloader, Model 420 with additional stock on behalf of the company to the PCBA fundraising effort. (See inside this issue for raffle information on the muzzleloader)

If you would like to contribute or become a member of, or know a physically challenged hunter that would benefit from this outstanding organization, (the first of its kind) contact: Karen Vought, PCBA Secretary-Treasurer at 724-668-7439 or mkvought@comcast.net

And…….if you do not think this is serious hunting, the "Lucky Twelve" shot 16 deer including several good bucks. I have been in many deer camps over the past 50 years and man for man, I have never seen such accuracy and shot placement with a rifle, let alone a bow or crossbow under difficult conditions. These folks have heart and spirit that you do not often find and God bless them for their patience, courage, and dedication and most of all, their dedication to each other.