New London man enjoys successful pheasant hunt

That's exactly where Fred Paul of New London found himself one weekend this September. Many people with disabilities experience this glorious moment in nature only in their imagination, but this dream became a reality for Fred when he was chosen to be a participant at the Minnesota Broken Wing Connection Pheasant Hunt Invitational.

Fred Pauls of New London was selected for the Minnesota Broken Wing Connection Pheasant Hunt Invitational in September, scoring these pheasants near Pine River, Minn.

The Minnesota Broken Wing Connection is a nonprofit organization for physically disabled individuals that was started in 1992 by two cousins with a disease of the nervous system that impairs their mobility. The organization sponsors a hunt of upland birds for the physically disabled, whose hunting activity is normally limited due to the terrain involved, the distance traveled, and the pace required to keep in step with a hunting dog.

The nonprofit organization hopes to attract individuals who have been unable to experience outdoor shooting activities because of their disabilities. Applications are accepted from across the United States and Canada with a lottery in late June.

To qualify, each applicant must establish proof of a physical disability that limits their ability to hunt upland birds. Each invited hunter is eligible to take part in the event only one time, making this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The event is held on a hunting preserve 20 miles west of Pine River, Minn. The preserve provides three hunting fields, a trap range, base camp, 3-D archery range, and other outdoor activities. Custom-made platforms attached to all-terrain vehicles moved hunters across the rough terrain and to the various activities.

Except for transportation to and from Pine River, the event is free to each invited participant. Through donations and fundraisers, the organization covers the cost of meals, lodging, birds, shells, skeet, and general operations for the three-day event.

Through sharing, caring, and experiencing what the outdoors has to offer, hunters and volunteers live up to the Broken Wing Connection's motto: "Never Say Uncle."