PITTSFORD, Vt. (AP) - Josh Tabor started losing his sight around the age of 3. By the time he was 11, he was using Braille to read. At the age of 16, he shot his first turkey.
“Both sides of my family hunt,” he said Thursday, adding that he learned to hunt from his father, Lance Tabor, and two grandfathers, Bill Tabor and Frank Falco.
“Because I was visually impaired, I didn’t think I’d be able to do it,” he said.
Tabor has been hunting for 20 years, despite the fact his eyes can do little more than tell night from day. He said he has a condition called retinitis pigmentosa, and another health issue that affects his hearing.
Tabor said his father taught him hunting skills. Hunting came with a learning curve for student and teacher, as they had to not only teach Tabor how to hunt, but find a way to make it work without the use of his eyes. Tabor said he learned to hang onto his fellow hunters’ backpacks instead of their arms as they stalked through thick woods. When it came time to take a shot, they would line up the sight for him and tell him when to fire. He had to learn how to not tense up before squeezing the trigger.
“I have full control of the crossbow or rifle,” he said. “The people I trust are my eyes.”
Tabor said his grandfathers recently passed away, limiting his opportunities to hunt.
Tabor also makes powder horns and other accessories for antique firearms. It was through this, and the Southern Vermont Primitive Biathlon event, that he met people involved with the National Wild Turkey Federation and the “Wheelin’ Sportsmen” program.
Kaylee Campagna, of Williston, is the manager of Wheelin’ Sportsmen in Vermont. Wheelin’ Sportsmen is a National Wild Turkey Federation program that pairs disabled hunters with mentors who help them hunt.
“I volunteered some of my time to the one in Ohio for a while,” she said, which gave her the idea to bring the program to Vermont.
Last year was the first time the program ran in Vermont. Campagna said eight mentors volunteered and seven hunters with disabilities participated. Tabor was among them.
“There’s really nothing like this around here,” said Campagna, who wants to expand the program.
To sign up as a mentor or hunter, one can call Campagna at 363-8071, via email at vermontwheelinsportsmenhunt@gmail.com, or through Facebook at Vermont NWTF Wheelin’ Sportsmen Hunt. The deadline is March 9. Participants are responsible for their own firearms or bows, and have to buy their own licenses. Campagna said some equipment has been donated by Mossy Oak, a camouflage outfitter.
Campagna said hunts take place all over the state, and hunters are paired with mentors closest to them.
The closest one to Tabor last year was Ken Jones, a turkey hunter from Proctor.
“I’ve been a turkey guy for a long time,” said Jones, 52, who started hunting turkey at age 14.
Jones, who especially enjoys using turkey calls, said he took Tabor hunting last year, and while they didn’t manage to shoot a turkey, they were able to get close to a flock through the use of a blind and some calls.
Jones said Tabor held onto him while they walked through the woods, and he was impressed at how easily Tabor could read Jones’ movements and make his way through the sticks.
“We moved several times on those turkeys, but we couldn’t get one to break,” Jones said.
Tabor said for the Wheelin’ Sportsmen hunt, he opted to use a .20 gauge smooth-bore flintlock musket, a primitive weapon even by primitive weapon standards. Finding the right mix of powder and shot was another challenge, one he and Jones are still working on. He said he hopes to use the gun again this year and be successful. This time, he’d like to shoot a tom, which is an adult male turkey, something he’s never done.
Tabor said he did ultimately get a turkey last year, and a deer - his first - during the fall seasons. All with the help of friends and his crossbow.
“I think it’s a great program,” Tabor said. “A lot of people with disabilities in Vermont don’t have access to a service like this.
While the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife doesn’t directly support the program, it helps publicize it, said Nicole Meier, hunter education and outreach specialist for the department. Information about programs and options for hunters with disabilities can be found on the department’s website www.vtfishandwildlife.com .
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Online: https://bit.ly/2IFJEvU
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Information from: Rutland Herald, http://www.rutlandherald.com/
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