Alabama Students Build Box Blinds for Handicapped Hunters
OutdoorHub Reporters 05.14.13
Students from several Alabama high schools are learning some invaluable woodcraft skills, but not just from shop class. According to The Times Daily, students from schools such as Muscle Shoals High are working together to build box blinds for disabled hunters.
“There are a lot of people who are handicapped that like to hunt,” said 74-year-old Coleman Patterson. Patterson suffers from arthritis and recently underwent hip surgery, but remains an avid hunter. Unlike when he was younger though, Patterson found that strenuous physical activity can take a toll on his body. He was pleased to discover a project that will bring two large box blinds to the Cherokee Physically Disabled Hunting Area, and that local schools were building them.
Costing roughly $1,000 each in raw materials, each box blind with have nearly 40 students working on construction that is estimated to take several weeks. In addition to providing box blinds for senior and disabled hunters, the students will also receive critical carpentry experience.
There are 18 disabled hunting areas throughout the state of Alabama. All of them are available to eligible hunters and maintained by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Patterson still hunts deer whenever he can, accompanied by his 19-year-old grandson. With the blinds competed, plenty of other hunters will also be able to make a return to the outdoors. Eligible hunters must be able to certify their disability with a doctor’s consent, and if approved can reserve the blinds for day-long periods.
Take a look at the video below to learn how to build your own box blind:
