Assisting the Physically Challenged

INTRODUCTION

The NABC realizes the importance of making available the opportunity for all hunters to
participate in bowhunting. We are committed to educating the general public, along with state
bowhunting organizations and game departments about the available adaptive equipment and
techniques that can be used in conjunction with normal archery gear in order to make
bowhunting available to almost any physically challenged bowhunter.

Many bowhunters who are physically challenged use modified archery equipment to
successfully take big game. These hunters include paraplegics, quadriplegics, amputees, the
blind and the deaf to name just a few. Many other hunters with various illnesses and diseases
have also been helped by their various statewide bowhunting organizations in order to once
again hunt with a bow and arrow.

Physically Challenged Bowhunter

There has been an intense effort to permit individuals with disabilities to use a crossbow
during the archery-only seasons throughout the United States and Canada. Most of the
requests are made by crossbow manufacturers and known crossbow supporters.
Bowhunters are skeptical of such actions since they realize that they are just an attempt
by crossbow proponents to promote their own agenda of selling crossbows.

Crossbow promoters say that the physically challenged, as well as seniors, the youth, and
female hunters need the crossbow to participate in the archery only seasons. Nothing could be
further from the truth. This is their attempt to invade the archery-only seasons under the
disguise of helping the "Weak" and less fortunate. The physically challenged, women, youths
and seniors are currently enjoying hunting seasons without the use of the crossbow. With let-off's
of 85% or more on modem compound bows, a person pulling 35 pounds is only holding
5 pounds at full draw. For those physically challenged individuals that cannot draw a bow,
many states have alternative means such as a "Handicapped Archers Permit". Two such states
are New York and Montana. This permit allows qualified individuals to hunt with a bow
equipped with a wide variety of available devices. Please contact your state game department
in order to see if such a permit is required in order to hunt with adaptive equipment in your area.

On November 2nd, 2005, NABC Chairman Denny Ballard issues a letter to all NABC
organizational reps. in order to better define the NABC's position on crossbows and the
Physically Challenged. Please click here for a link to this letter.

ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT

Because the NABC is made up of state and provincial bowhunting organizations, many of
which have led the Nation in the development of adaptive equipment, the coalition has a
wealth of knowledge to draw from. At the very first Bowhunting Summit, these organizations
recognized the importance of assisting the Physically Challenged and began to share and
disseminate information. At that time a Physically Challenged committee was formed and
given the task of compiling this information into a format that could be easily used and
followed by bowhunting organizations, game departments and those physically challenged
hunters who needed direction with their specific disability. It was decided that a program
which would not only provide information quickly but also give direction and show some of
the adaptive devices would be the best format. The perfect avenue for this is a visual
presentation via PowerPoint and Flash. By viewing the attached presentation the NABC
hopes to help answer many of the questions regarding modified equipment, its selection and use.

Physically Challenged Bowhunter 2

Please click here for a link to the NABC Physically Challenged Adaptive Equipment presentation. Download the PPT presentation.(4.5mb) ________________________________________________________________________
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