Nothing, not even spina bifida, is stopping this man from loving the outdoors

While I've never worshipped them outright as any kind of superstars, I have nonetheless been impressed over the years by several individuals for their outdoor skills, be it an amazing fly-casting technique, marksmanship in the field, survival instinct or a tremendous knowledge of all things hunting and fishing.

Believe me, Newfoundland and Labrador has more than its share of outdoors men and women worthy of such admiration.

But few have left an impression on me as that of Corey Whiffen, 45, of Bonavista.

I first met Corey 20 years ago. It started because he was a fan of the Newfoundland Sportsman magazine, which I edited, and quickly became a friendship I've truly cherished. 

The vast majority of our conversations, as you can probably imagine, have focused on fishing and hunting. We share many similar interests and views. Over the past two decades, I have come to admire him.

Corey was born with spina bifida, a defect of the spine in which part of the spinal cord is exposed because the neural tube did not fully close. The condition can cause different degrees of paralysis.

To move around, Corey uses a wheelchair, and while this may limit his involvement in the outdoors to a certain point, it certainly doesn't stop him. Not even close!

A member of the Bonavista volunteer fire department as a dispatcher and fire prevention officer, an amateur photographer, salmon and trout fly-tier, Corey is respected throughout his community, as well as by former teachers and classmates I've spoken with over the years.

Traits I most admire are his attitude, determination and personality in general.

Whether by quad, Argo or his own Nissan Sentra with modified controls for driving, Corey usually manages to get himself within shooting range of moose, ducks and grouse, or within casting distance of trout and salmon. Besides numerous birds over the years, he has four harvested moose to his credit, including one while hunting completely on his own several years back.

'Not a chance, my buddy'

With the moose population down considerably in the local area in recent years, it took him almost two months of fairly consistent hunting during the 2021 season before he finally spotted and downed a respectable bull.

"It was hard going," he said. "Ten years ago it would be no trouble to spot half a dozen moose in an hour. Not like that now; you're lucky to see one every six months."

After countless days hunting last season, Corey and his father Bob were riding their Argo behind one of Bob's buddies, searching for moose in the area of Dam Pond one November evening about an hour before dark, when the lead driver spotted a cow and bull on a marsh and excitedly waved for the Whiffen boys to come closer.

I would take the country over the city any day of the week. I'm in my element when I'm outdoors.- Corey Whiffen

"There were two moose there when he first spotted them, and by the time we got there, a third animal, a nine-point bull, came out of the trees," Corey recalled. "He was about 75 yards away when I got out of the Argo, so I steadied myself against the hood of the machine, lined him up and fired [a 7-mm Remington]. He travelled just a short distance and dropped."

When I noted that as a person with a disability, he can legally get his dad or somebody else to shoot the animal for him, Corey chuckled.

"Not a chance, my buddy. Not a chance. Not gonna happen," he said. "I'd sooner leave the animal in the woods if I can't shoot it myself. I've had numerous people offer to shoot the animal for me on my licence; thanks but no thanks. I'm shooting it myself or my tags don't get filled."

'No better place to be'

Before mentioning that I've spoken to quite a few people across the province who consider him an inspiration, I asked Corey how much of an impact the outdoors has on his life in general.

"It's had a major impact," he told me. "There's no better place to be. The sights, the sounds, smell of the woods, watching nature unfold at different times of the year, fishing and hunting, of course. I would take the country over the city any day of the week. I'm in my element when I'm outdoors.

"Sure, I have my scattered down days," he said, "but I try not to complain. I'm doing pretty good. Besides the great outdoors, I have a good family, friends and an amazing fiancé around me.

"As for being an inspiration, I honestly never thought of it like that before. If I am, I'm flattered. And if I can reach out to people like myself and help them see their own self-worth, I'm happy to do it."

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