9-Year-Old in Wheelchair Finally Hunts With His Dad Thanks to Amish Landowner

I found this story both surprising and not surprising. It was surprising to me in that I’d never heard of a deer stand for disabled hunters (though granted, I’m not a hunter myself, and it sounds like a good idea).

It’s not surprising in that a) many Amish people love hunting, and b) many Amish people are creative and innovative in coming up with solutions to problems, within the bounds of their society.

So, for an Amish man to come up with something like this shouldn’t be shocking.

One Amish Man’s Mission

Erwin Schmucker is that Amish man. And he was pushed in this direction by his own disability.

Schmucker, who lives in the Amish community in Quincy Township, Michigan, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 15 years ago, at age 25. The Coldwater Daily Reporter has more:

QUINCY TWP., MI — Amish landowner Erwin Schmucker turned his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and a love for deer hunting into a mission to help disabled hunters.

Last summer, Schmucker built an 18-foot tower blind, featuring an battery operated elevator and adaptive shooting equipment.

Last season, Paul Garrett, a quadriplegic hunter, successfully harvested a doe from 18 feet in the air.

Nine-year-old Samuel Yoder, in a wheelchair with cerebral palsy, harvested a deer on Dec. 20 and another as a birthday present on January 6.

Erwin Schmucker’s deer stand has enabled disabled hunters to have a fuller hunting experience. Photo: Don Reid/Coldwater Reporter

Schmucker’s unusual property is described as a “whitetail paradise”. It is a deer habitat that both his family and disabled hunters are welcome to use.

Schmucker created a 10-foot-square elevated blind with a battery-powered lift, which gives hunters in wheelchairs along with their family, and any help, a special space to hunt together.

And recently, Schmucker’s efforts really paid off for one young boy in the Amish community.

Samuel Yoder finally gets to hunt

Samuel Yoder is an Amish boy living in a different Michigan settlement, about 40 miles away. Schmucker had heard about him through the community, and invited him to hunt from the special stand.

Earlier in the hunting season, Samuel had been “eager to participate” in a hunt that his father had taken a younger brother on. But being in a wheelchair, he could not join.

But at Schmucker’s stand, Samuel was able to finally have a hunting experience like his father and brother. And then he repeated the experience a few weeks later.

Like – though of course not identical. Samuel used a specially adapted rifle, which he was able to fire by biting a bulb.

Still, being able to finally have a hunt went a long way, as author Don Reid notes: “The Amish youth’s excitement was unmistakable as his father described the hunt for his son.”

Not just for the Amish

But as you might have guessed, the stand is not just for the Amish:

Schmucker welcomes wheelchair users to hunt his property at no cost and is fully booked for the coming season.

He hopes to expand accessible hunts for veterans and disability groups by building additional blinds and possibly forming a non-profit to support them.

Schmucker would also like to acquire a track wheelchair, which would enable disabled hunters to join others in retrieving and processing deer in the field.

A track wheelchair is a heavy-duty, all-terrain wheelchair which has tracks – something like a tank – rather than wheels, allowing it to travel through rough terrain. Having a quick glance online, I see they cost in the $13,000 to $20,000 range.

As mentioned, Paul Garrett is another hunter who Schmucker invited to his property. Garrett is not Amish, and has been quadriplegic since an accident about two decades earlier.

In a video interview accompanying the article, Garrett expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to be able to hunt from an elevated blind. He noted that the cost of such a setup would prevent a lot of disabled people from being able to replicate the experience for themselves.

Hunter Paul Garrett expressed his gratitude for Erwin Schmucker’s efforts. Image: Coldwater Daily Reporter/Don Reid

He further expressed his appreciation to Schmucker:

Both Schmucker and Garrett believe the greatest reward is building relationships and showing that disability doesn’t have to end a person’s time in the woods.

Garrett expressed gratitude for a project built not for profit, but “out of the kindness of his heart.”

Making a culturally common activity more accessible

Now I understand some people aren’t fans of hunting. But it is common among the Amish, and a big part of growing up – as well as an adult pastime – for many Amish males (and at least a healthy handful of Amish females).

For that matter, the Amish typically eat the game they harvest (I have had tasty venison more than once in Amish homes).

And this boy, who has no doubt been left out of many activities due to his disability, was finally able to participate in an activity that his father, and probably other family members, get to enjoy on a regular basis.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Schmucker’s property attracts Amish from communities much farther afield – and inspires more setups like it.

The story ends with a quote from Schmucker: “The more you can do for others on Earth, the more rewards you’ll have at the end of your walk.”