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Old December 11, 2006, 03:27 PM   #1
Ian2005
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Legally blind hunters coming

Hey is that a laser pointer on your Remmy 700? or are you just happy to see me

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4393713.html
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Old December 11, 2006, 06:06 PM   #2
Limeyfellow
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That is positively scary. We got people who can hardly seen at the best of times being legally blind, giving them a firearm and told to shoot something. How are they going to really identify their target clearly before firing? Is this congressman trying to make Texas the laughing stock of the union? I know hunting has its problems attracting new people but thats plain dangerous and rediclous.
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Old December 11, 2006, 06:11 PM   #3
Fremmer
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What is really scary is that now I'll have blind shooters out-shooting me at the range.
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Old December 11, 2006, 08:03 PM   #4
piercfh
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Plain dangerous and rediculous? Would you feel the same way if you were blind. I know I would miss hunting. Im sure this wouldnt be any different than most handicapped hunting situation. Of coarse any legally blind hunter would be guided. I love to see a hunting video where first timers, or handicapped get the chance to take an animal.

Everyone deserves a chance to experiance hunting in any way possible.
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Old December 11, 2006, 08:03 PM   #5
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That makes about as much sense as having instructions in braille on a drive-through ATM... OK, so the ATM at least makes some sense. I'm all about supporting everyone who can get out and hunt. But we're not talking about someone in a wheelchair shooting from the road--we're talking about someone who can't even identify the target or sight the weapon. We don't give people with severe epilepsy a driver's license, where is the sense of giving a blind person a hunting license? I'm not sure whether to laugh, or be affraid of something like this--"Anybody know where I can get a copy of my S&W owner's manual in braille? I can't see to read the one it came with..."

OK, there are ways to make these things happen safely and successfully. But seriously--it's just a little bit obsurd.
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Old December 11, 2006, 08:06 PM   #6
FirstFreedom
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Umm, if you read it, it requires a sighted hunter to be along for the ride, telling the blind person to "move up" down, etc., while looking at the laser, and of course identifying the target in the process. Under these circumstances, it's no less safe than the sighted hunter himself or herself shooting. Sounds good to me.
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Old December 11, 2006, 08:56 PM   #7
Greybeard
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Quote from article: "Under existing law, the use of laser sights, spotlights and headlights is strictly prohibited in all Texas hunting. "

For deer, yea. But for feral hog, that author needs to do some more research ...
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Old December 11, 2006, 09:21 PM   #8
stolivar
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...

we have a guy here by the last name of walker. He has killed deer, elk, and turkeys while totally blind with a bow and a gun. He has his son sit by his side and they use mirrors so that the son can tell dad where to aim...


steve
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Old December 11, 2006, 09:32 PM   #9
Troponin
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I am blind in my left eye. At the age of 22 I developed Macular Degeneration. I can understand this situation. I sit in the woods and it's very difficult for me to see very far and as the day goes on, my right eye gets fatigued and I get even worse. This is why I only hunt in the morning and only if I am rested in the afternoon.

Luckily, once I look throught the scope, I see very well, so I can atleast confirm my own target.
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Old December 13, 2006, 11:52 AM   #10
Wild Bill Bucks
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Just got through trying this. If you want to have a good laugh, have one of your freinds take a lazer pointer, blindfold him, sit him in a chair, designate a target 50 yards away, then try to talk him onto the target.

Tried three times, at different targets, total time to target, almost 12 minutes, for each target. There would be NO WAY you can put it on a moving target.

Since one never knows what direction a deer will be coming from , or whether it is going to stop, or for how long, there would have to be a constant stream of talking going on. Now I don't know how you guys deer are, but here in southeastern Oklahoma, I don't think they are going to stand still, and listen to you talk that long, just because your blind.

I have nothing against trying to help people enjoy our sport, and I am sympathetic toward people with a handi-cap, so, I am for anyone who wants to try it out.

I do think they need to put a sign up for the rest of us, so we can be sure and stay out of the area though.
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Old December 13, 2006, 07:47 PM   #11
roy reali
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Expand The Opportunities

They should also have pheasant hunting for the blind. Of course, only planted birds would be used to make it safe. The planted birds have an electronic beeper placed around their necks. As soon as the bird is flushed, the collar emits a beeping sound. The blind hunter just aims at the sound and pulls the trigger. Of course, other hunters in the vicinity need to remain silent so as not to confuse the sightless hunter.

The seeing eye dog can have some extra training to serve as the bird dog. That would be killing two birds with one stone.
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Old December 14, 2006, 01:54 AM   #12
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Old December 14, 2006, 07:55 AM   #13
roy reali
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More Fun For The Blind

Deer hunting and pheasant hunting sure are fun, but we should extend the hunting opportunities of the sightless. We should get them involved in varmint hunting.

The blind hunter and a sighted friend would position themselves on the ground facing a prarie dog town. As soon as one of the critters show themsleves, the nonblind person will help the blind shooter aim his weapon towards the vermin.

To ensure a hit, the weapon to used by the blind hunter will be an RPG. That would increase his odds of a hit. After all, missing all the time would discourage him.
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Old December 14, 2006, 08:57 AM   #14
shootagainitsmoving
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Blind Hunters

All jokes a side where does it say that a person has to have sight to hunt?In my state it does not have anything to keep a blind person from hunting. the scare-y thing is how many sighted hunters that take noise shots. May all your shots be ten's and keep your powder dry
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Old December 14, 2006, 09:12 AM   #15
roy reali
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Re:shootagainitsmoving

Who says I am joking? I am all for giving the blind the opportunity to enjoy hunting.

The only problem I am having now is dove hunting. I can not figure out how to get blind hunters involved in dove hunting. After all, they are small, fast targets.

Maybe someone else on this forum will figure this one out.

Last edited by roy reali; December 14, 2006 at 10:08 AM.
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Old December 14, 2006, 07:25 PM   #16
roy reali
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Other Sports

If hunting will allow blind hunters, other sports should follow suit.

NASCAR can allow blind drivers. They can take a small lap dog and specially train him to assist the driver. The dog would sit on the drivers lap and indicate which direction to steer with its front paws on the steering wheel. If the driver gets too close to another car or obstacle, the dog can bark as a warning.

Of course the PETA folks might think this is some kind of animal cruelity. But we have learned to deal with them and could give NASCAR tips on how to handle them.
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Old December 14, 2006, 09:29 PM   #17
Buckeyenomad
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I have seen nothing wrong with it. I saw an article where this is presently going on. Unfortunately I don't remember where I saw it or where it is taking place. I would much rather be in the woods with this going on than some of the other methods that "hunters" are using. Driving for deer, shooting at the first noise, etc. I think we will see that the blind hunters accompanied by a "Seeing eye assistant" will be some of the safest hunters out there.

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Old December 14, 2006, 09:56 PM   #18
roy reali
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Re:buckeyenomad

I agree with you. California should also institute blind hunting. There are many, many squirrels around the state capital there.
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Old December 14, 2006, 11:24 PM   #19
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For what it's worth.
Quote:
A person is considered LEGALLY blind when the best corrected visual acuity is 20/200, or the person's visual field is 20 degrees or less. It is not true that all blind persons have absolutely no sight; in fact, most blind persons have some remaining vision. A person may be considered blind when he/she can no longer drive safely, has difficulty reading a newspaper, or cannot see objects to the side.
A legally blind person may have 20-20 vision but with no peripheral vision. Only about 10% of "blind" persons have absolutely no vision.
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Old December 15, 2006, 07:53 AM   #20
roy reali
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Re:johnska

I was not trying to make fun of the blind. I was making fun of the knuckleheads that thought blind hunters were a good idea. I suppose I was refering to guys that are completely blind.

I wonder if Texas will distinguish between legal blindness and total blindness? Will they ask for medical documentation? Will they require reading an eye chart? Will they make sure that the hunter has some vision?
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Old December 15, 2006, 09:01 AM   #21
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legally blind hunters in MI has been going on for a long time Im sure with some research you would find that there are probably more accidents happening with not blind people.
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Old December 15, 2006, 10:14 AM   #22
Wild Bill Bucks
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Kind of funny to me. that it is OK to put a blind man behind a rifle, but people will throw a fit, when you mount a scope on a muzzle loader.
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Old December 16, 2006, 03:56 AM   #23
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" Left a bit, up a bit , right a bit, hold it, fire!, Damn you just shot my wife!!
Fell out of my chair laughing. The wife didn't find it so funny though.

About them scopes on muzzleloaders. I feel your pain WildBill. Here in South Dakota we have the same stupid rule, but I just put a tang peep sight on the suckers and it extends my range out to about 200 accurately. however the past few years I have taken bucks with the old smoke pole from the average distance of 10 yards (caught them early enough to spook them from their beds or get them while still bedded down).

I think I will go out and set up a couple of tagets at 50 and 100 yards and let loose with the m4 and 700PSS while blindfolded. My guess is spray and pray is the best method to get hits on paper.

Calling in arty. was easy for me, I guess we can just give the blind hunters a mortar tube or a 105mm howitzer and then teach them how to adjust for angle and azimuth and then call in a sighting round and walk the other rounds in on the target ummm I mean deer.
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Old December 16, 2006, 08:37 AM   #24
roy reali
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Re:universalfrost

You may be on to something for blind dove hunters. Flack worked pretty good against squadrons of B-17's. Flocks of dove and waterfowl should be no problem either. The FAA will have to be notified though to keep commercial aircraft out of the vicinity.
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Old December 16, 2006, 08:51 AM   #25
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They could just use a bee hive round and aim directly at the field they wish to hunt. The bee hive rounds shoot thousands of little flechette rounds out the barrel (think huge shotgun). It worked well in nam and korea when the forward fire bases were being over run by enemy troops.

That way you just load the round pull the cord and then send a dog out into the field to retreive the birds and wahtever else was in the field. One shot, many many kills.
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