Where there's a will, there's a way. And then there's this veteran hunter
"Ol' back is acting up again, b'ys; don't know if I can make our moose huntin' trip next week."
"Havin' a bit of trouble with my knees lately; gonna be tough tryin' to walk."
"Got problems with my shoulder; rotator cuff, I think it is. Not sure how I'm gonna manage to shoulder the gun."
Most of us have had our share of physical ailments and complaints from time to time during our hunting seasons, which have sometimes resulted in a change of plans to compensate for our "injury," or even trip cancellations in some cases.
But we probably wouldn't get a lot of sympathy from veteran hunter Edward Faruzel.
The 58-year-old Kitchener, Ont., resident started hunting as a kid with his father and has harvested his share of big game animals, including his first Newfoundland moose in late September.
And he's done all this despite living with cerebral palsy, which leaves him with very limited movement in his arms and legs.
But as he points out, "I don't let very much stop me."
Edward's wheelchair is modified for hunting, with a stand that mounts onto the chair to securely hold the front of his gun, while he uses Velcro to hold the butt of the rifle to his jacket. A wheel-type control on the side of his chair allows him to move the gun up and down, and he uses a joystick to turn his chair to the left and right — toward an approaching animal.
After checking out potential outfitters for his latest excursion, Edward settled on Ray's Hunting and Fishing Lodge out of Howley, N.L. He and family friend and fellow hunter Mark Wiercigroch drove from Ontario to Newfoundland — 40-plus hours of travel time each way.
Edward said he needs help with some things when travelling but he likes to do his hunting "as independently as possible."
With some physical challenges to which they had to adapt, Edward said lodge owner/operator Scott Broughton "was terrific" and made all the necessary arrangements for his hunt to be a success.
He also had high praise for his guides, Quentin Langdon and Ford Pittman.
Originally from Harbour Breton and now living in Bishop's Falls, Quentin helped a U.S. hunter harvest his moose early in the week and was then asked by the boss to join Ford and Edward on their hunt.
"At first I was wondering how we were gonna pull this off," Quentin admitted. "I'm the guy that goes miles and miles in the country, and now I have to hunt close to the road; not only that, the hunter is in a wheelchair!"
Nonetheless, they did spot a cow and calf Wednesday morning at the end of an old logging road. Quentin, who has been with Ray's Hunting and Fishing for 16 years, said Edward had the crosshairs on the cow, but while trying to push the pad that was hooked up to the trigger on his dad's 30-06 Browning, it went to the side and he didn't get to fire.
"Edward and his buddy seemed upset that he didn't get a shot away, but he's been hunting a long time and he knew that these things happen," Quentin noted.
From there they decided to head back toward the general area they hunted earlier in the morning. Before getting there, however, Quentin suggested they stop near a small bog along the way.
"We turned his chair, got his gun ready and I said if a moose comes out, let's hope that it's right there, where I pointed and lined up his gun," Quentin said.
"I hit the button on my call and it was only seven minutes before I spotted a moose — a four-point bull that stepped out broadside. Edward's finger hit the pad to set the gun off and what a shot he made! Right through both lungs! The bull never went more than 50 yards."
"I'm ecstatic; still smiling about that hunt," Edward said when I chatted with him in late-October.
And he's not finished yet. His "real dream" is to harvest a moose with a crossbow.
"I always set challenges for myself," he said.
No kidding.
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to visit our landing page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
