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.
Diagnosed at 25, Schmucker pivoted from construction and farming as Parkinson’s progressed.
Now 40, Schmucker transformed his 40 acres in southern Michigan’s Branch County into a “whitetail paradise”—a deer habitat for his family and a welcoming space for wheelchair users and other hunters.
Schmucker designed and built a 10-by-10 elevated blind with a battery-powered lift, spacious enough for hunters, family, and helpers, and fully accessible for motorized wheelchairs.
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 like to obtain a track wheelchair for use on the property.
Most disabled hunters rely on friends or family to retrieve and process deer, but a track chair would enable them to join others in the field.
Neither Garrett nor Yoder could fire shots by pulling a trigger with fingers. Garrett used his knuckles. Yoder used a specially adapted stock, joystick, scope, and a bulb to squeeze to fire.
Samuel Yoder’s hunts
Early in the season, Samuel’s father, John, took his younger son hunting near their Centreville home, where he harvested two does. Samuel joined them, eager to participate, but couldn’t in his wheelchair.
Hearing Samuel’s story through the Amish community, Schmucker invited him to hunt from the new blind.
Samuel used a specially adapted 350 Legend gun with a joystick and scope, biting the firing bulb when the doe was centered in the scope. The deer was around 50-75 yards away.
The Amish youth’s excitement was unmistakable as his father described the hunt for his son.
For Samuel’s ninth birthday, a second hunt was arranged during the January season.
Paul Garrett’s hunt
After learning about the blind, Garrett visited and received an invitation to hunt from Schmucker.
The quadriplegic injured in a four-wheeler accident about two decades ago continues to hunt using adaptive gun equipment and a crossbow.
Hunting from Schmucker’s elevated blind provided Garrett better visibility and scent control, as windows stayed closed until it was time to shoot.
On his visit, Garrett hunted with a crossbow using a mount to support the weapon and careful help inside the blind to keep his hands clear of the string.
As dusk fell, a doe came into range, and Garrett made a clean 20-yard shot, with the deer dropping within 40 yards.
Schmucker encourages guests to harvest does and enjoy the experience of seeing deer among his growing herd.
Nearby, Schmucker Country Sales at 594 Boone Road offers hunting blinds, food-plot seed, stands, gear, and trail cameras, supporting Schmucker and his wife.
His business helps others develop hunting plots, further supporting his habitat and accessibility initiatives.
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.”
Schmucker believes, “The more you can do for others on Earth, the more rewards you’ll have at the end of your walk.”
Contact Don Reid, dReid@USATodayCo.Com
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Amish hunter builds deer blind for disabled in southern Michigan
Reporting by Don Reid, Coldwater Daily Reporter / Coldwater Daily Reporter
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
