Posted on 01/15/2017 1:24:18 PM PST by nickcarraway
Feral hogs can be a big problem for property owners in north Texas.
On Saturday, a unique group of hunters helped keep the wild pig population at bay.
Texas Game Wardens organized a feral hog hunt for eight wounded warriors, including Air Force Veteran Chris Walff.
The hunt is adventure Walff said he never imagined he would be on.
"Exhilarating, that's the one word I’m going to go with. It’s exhilarating to be out," Walff said.
Walff is in a wheelchair, paralyzed for medical reasons after returning home from Afghanistan.
"So for 2.5 years, I laid in a hospital bed not knowing who I was going to be besides this vegetable that was turned every two hours, and monitored by ventilation and monitored by medical devices,” Walff said.
Eight years later, the 31-year-old is finally back to a favorite hobby--hunting.
"It’s not about the hunt, it’s about the people," he said.
Innovations in the weapons industry are giving wounded warriors, like Walff, the chance to get back outdoors. Several guns used in Saturday’s hunt were specially designed to give injured and paralyzed veterans a full range of motion, so they don’t get fatigued while they wait for their target.
"They've had something taken from them. They've given to the United States parts of their bodies, whether it’s an arm or a leg, and we want to be able to give them the opportunity to do stuff that they did before," said Tim Scott, owner of II Guys-n-Guns.
For Walff, the hunt is about more than the weapons or the thrill of the kill.
It’s about returning to life as he knew it and getting back the freedom he deserves.
"I don't let this define me," Walff said.
That’s cool. It would be fun to help out with such a thing.
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