December 6, 2012
Robin Clark shoots and hunts like any other sportsmen, except for one thing. He does it in a wheelchair.
"As a youth, I was an avid outdoors man," Clark said. "I had a diving accident when I was 16 years old, which obviously hindered by ability to get out and successfully hunt.
Clark's accident didn't sideline him for long. In 2002 he joined Wheelin' Sportsmen; an organization helping people with disabilities to enjoy outdoor activities like hunting and fishing. Wheelin' Sportsmen has ties to the National Wild Turkey Federation, with chapters in several states across the U.S.
"Virginia, I"m proud to say, has the largest wheelchair sportsmen program of any state in the nation," Clark said. Virginia's chapter has over 350 members and holds over 30 events throughout the state each year.
Clark and the Wheelin' Sportsmen have been called in by the Fluvanna County Sheriff's Office to help out with a deer over-population problem at Pleasant Grove Park.
"There is a tremendous deer population problem surrounding the park," Clark said.
The Fluvanna County board of supervisors voted unanimously Wednesday in support of an organized hunt to cut down on the growing deer population. Seven hunters with Wheelin' Sportsmen will participate in the hunt scheduled for January 4th.
"It's an efficient way to do it, but it also gives people with disabilities an opportunity they would never have otherwise," Clark said.
The hunt will begin at 6:00am and the sheriff's office will seal the perimeter of the hunt to ensure public safety.
For more information on the Wheelin' Sportsmen, click here
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