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Feature Story Chris Cleveland can look forward to goose hunting trip in a couple of weeks. A new adventure for disabled The Associated Press BOISE, Idaho -- When the trees are turning gold and the temperatures slide toward freezing, Chris Cleveland feels the tug just like any other Idaho hunter. But it will take extra planning and effort for the 31-year-old sportsman to realize his wish to go goose hunting. Cleveland lost use of the left side of his body after he suffered a brain injury in a high-speed crash. While he already had taken up bass fishing, he is passionate about his new autumn pastime. "Goose hunting, that's all I want to do. With some assistance I can get a goose -- maybe," he says, hedging his bet. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game, together with the Alternative Mobility Adventure Seekers in Boise, make it possible for people with disabilities to wing-shoot for birds or get a deer or elk for the freezer. Adventure Seekers, operating under the Boise Parks and Recreation Department, makes outdoor sports possible for people with physical handicaps -- people who often are unable to get out into the field with a wheelchair because of the brush, rocks and steep slopes. For example, disabled hunters can apply for a special permit from Fish and Game that allows them to shoot from a vehicle. But that only partially compensates. "It's a definite disadvantage for a person with disabilities to hunt from a vehicle because they don't have the upper body movement like we have," said Joe Neal, an avid hunter and recreation specialist with the group. "They have to get in a special position to get that shot," he said. "These are things working against them, let alone all the other people out road-hunting." Neal used to work with Idaho State University's Cooperative Wilderness Handicapped Outdoor Group, more commonly known as C.W. Hog. This year, C.W. Hog founder Tom Whittaker, who had most of his right foot amputated in 1979, became the first disabled person to reach the summit of Mount Everest. With disabled hunters numbering in the dozens, Neal spends the time each fall taking as many of them as possible out into the field. He also hooks up able-bodied volunteers with disabled hunters. Tim Woods of Boise lost the use of his legs in a traffic accident, but he was not about to give up a lifetime tradition and enlisted some friends to go elk hunting. And he got one, "the first one in my life actually, from my vehicle. It was a big thrill," Woods said. "I grew up hunting. Before I was actually old enough to hunt, I was going with my dad when he was hunting. Getting up early and freezing -- I don't know, just building bonds I guess, just understanding the world." People who suddenly lose mobility may think the outdoor activities they used to enjoy are gone for good. But Cleveland learned that was a myth the first time Neal took him fishing. "I wish there was some way to describe what it meant to him," Neal said. "I love my job. I could find a higher-paying job in the private sector, but I love this one." Outdoor Journal main page Mail Tribune Copyright � interRogue & The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA