A Far Cry
by Don Christensen

It was a crisp evening, an end to one of those beautiful fall days that we wait for all summer. My son and I had been set up in a blind all afternoon, overlooking an unpicked soybean field. With about fifteen minutes of legal shooting light remaining, deer began flooding onto the field. As we watched, a good buck stepped into sight just over 100 yards away. I centered the crosshairs on him and gently squeezed the trigger. He ran forward about ten yards and collapsed. A deer to match many others I've harvested over the years but kind of special as this one was the first one I had shot from a wheelchair. It's a far cry from the way I used to do things, but it's also a far cry from sitting on the couch watching hunting shows and wishing. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis back in 1997, but my physical condition was pretty stable up until a few years ago. As I lost the use of the right side of my body, activities that I had often taken for granted in the past became difficult. I was faced with the decision that many must make when they encounter a serious drawback in life. Do I give up and "crawl under a rock" or count my blessings and make the most of things? MS is a difficult disease. With modern drugs, it can sometimes be managed, but it often cripples a person, and there is no cure for it. I was lucky in that it did not affect my mind and I had the love and support of a wonderful family and friends. My challenge was to make the most of a difficult situation by finding some purpose in life. I have always loved to hunt and fish, and I decided to share this passion with others. I became the disabilities coordinator for Babe Winkelman Productions and began a web page to help other disabled people access the outdoors. My site is at www.afarcry.info and contains information about regulations, adaptations, organizations, and information about outfitters that are willing to work with the disabled. If you know of anything that could be added, let me know. Also, if you would like to add a picture of your hunting or fishing trophy, send them to me. Please check the site out and don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments. I am always looking for ideas to make the site stronger. The bottom line is that if you are disabled, outdoor activities can be difficult, but you can still do them. I do.