Rural community living affords those of us who seek it many opportunities that may be lacking in “big-city” life. We are surrounded by a veritable outdoor recreation mecca, whether we venture into it for fishing, hiking, biking or hunting. We are all exposed to it simply because of our geographic location. If you feel like going for a hike, what keeps you from the short drive to Lamoille Canyon and its adjacent mile-or-so hike to the Dollar Lakes? What keeps you from walking the banks of South Fork or Wildhorse reservoir, putting a few trout in your creel? We all have excuses, some as lame as “not enough time.” But what if you really … I mean REALLY … wanted to go, but were unable because you have a physical disability? When you think about it in these terms, our excuses are simply that – excuses.
After a motorcycle accident and subsequent amputation of his right leg below the knee, Rob McMillan began to see how the value of his hunting experiences led not only to his physical recovery, but also to his emotional and spiritual healing. The drive to get outdoors and continue doing what he loves was one of his strongest motivators. During his recovery, Rob realized how fortunate he was in comparison to so many other hunters struck by much more severe disabilities. Through watching television shows, he learned about programs that provide hunting services to severely disabled people. He wanted to participate in something similar here in Nevada, but was disappointed to find that there was no such program in the state. So in 2008, Rob started Nevada Outdoorsmen in Wheelchairs (NOW), with one goal in mind – to provide hunting and outdoor experiences to disabled individuals who are confined to wheelchairs.
- Beth Loftis, Josh Loftis and Mitch Gerlinger with Josh’s Boulder Valley buck.
In early spring 2011, Dan Gralian, manager of Newmont Mining Corporation’s TS Ranch, was contacted by Chad Bliss, board member of both NOW and Eureka County Wildlife Advisory Board, regarding a couple of antelope tags. Newmont not only operates mines, but also raises beef cattle and dairy-grade alfalfa. “We raise 5,000 head of cattle, 2,000 sheep, 150 horses, 1,000 mule deer, 800 antelope and a few children,” according to Gralian. Because there are so many antelope that frequent the hay pivots in Boulder Valley, the ranch receives land owner damage compensation tags. After the donation of two antelope tags and a couple of tours of the ranch and infrastructure, plans for the hunt started to take place.
In August, the TS Ranch crew was joined by Rob, Chad and several other NOW directors, as well as Ken Mayer (Nevada Department of Wildlife Director), Larry Johnson (Chairman of Nevada Bighorns Unlimited), Jay Presti (Blue Collar Adventures), and the very first hunter that the organization took afield, Jim Duncan. The two recipients of the 2011 antelope tags were Josh Loftis and Bill Cotter. Both men are from the Reno/Sparks area, but each brought with him a unique set of challenges and accomplishments.
Josh was born with spina bifida and has been confined to a wheelchair his entire life. Although Josh has hunted before, this was the first time in many years that he had been able to hunt. Bill Cotter is a T-7 paraplegic, who was involved in a traffic accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down. This was Bill’s first time ever in the field.
On the day before the season opener, the hunters scouted the area and located a few good bucks that would haunt their dreams that night. Monday morning began before dawn, when Jay Presti of Blue Collar Adventures joined the mix at the ranch headquarters and presented each hunter with some new camo and a Stetson hat. Then … it was time to hunt!
As the opener began, Josh, his wife, Beth Loftis, and friend Mitch Gerlinger joined Larry Johnson in one vehicle, with Chad Bliss, Jay Presti and Matt Murray (Newmont External Relations Representative) following in a second vehicle, scanning and spotting the pivots for antelope. After the hunters located and passed on a buck known as “King Arthur,” they spotted another bachelor group of bucks. Now, in most cases, the hunter would be able to sneak up on the antelope and make the shot, but unfortunately for Josh, he was not able to see over the vegetation unless he was in the vehicle. Larry was able to drive Josh within a range from which he was comfortable shooting. Chad, Jay and Matt stayed back and watched through spotting scopes as a shot rang out. The antelope started to run just as another shot pierced the silence of the Nevada morning and this time anchored the buck. It was high fives all around!
The support group headed out to retrieve Josh’s antelope so he could get his hands on him. After getting Josh’s antelope dressed and ready for the cooler, Larry, Matt and Jay went over to assist Bill and the other group. Just as the three were approaching the other hunters and support groups, one shot rang out and another great buck hit the ground. Excitement raced through the veins of everyone involved.
The next day, after the thrill of the harvest started to wear down, the group was asked to take their “hunter hats” off and put on their “ranch hats” for a bit. Dan took the entire group on a tour of the ranch, explaining the unique relationship between the mining operations and the ranch. After the complete tour of the ranch, the group shuttled over to Newmont’s neighboring TS Power Plant for a lesson in power generation.
There are several reasons why that weekend in August was a success. Granted, the two hunters were able to harvest great bucks on the opening day; and the camaraderie was shared between many people from different walks of life. But the main reason was that, for a few minutes, two men were almost as far away from their disabilities as someone not so challenged. A sense of normalcy was restored. There were no excuses as to “why not,” but there were plenty of reasons as to “why.”