{"id":24799,"date":"2024-11-15T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-15T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/hunting-while-blind-group-provides-therapeutic-experience-in-la-plata-county\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T23:02:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T05:02:22","slug":"hunting-while-blind-group-provides-therapeutic-experience-in-la-plata-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/hunting-while-blind-group-provides-therapeutic-experience-in-la-plata-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Hunting while blind? Group provides therapeutic experience in La Plata County"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Hunting
Hunting Heals founder Brad Harper, left, helps legally blind hunter Eric Miller get familiar with a rifle in the hunting blind on Oct. 26, east of Ignacio while hunting for mule deer. The guide looks at an iPhone display that is attached to the scope on the rifle so they can see what the hunter is aiming at. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Hunting in the vast, open outdoor spaces of Southwest Colorado can offer more than just an enjoyable experience. In fact, that calmness of being out in nature is a therapeutic tool for a handful of people trying to overcome physical or emotional afflictions.<\/p>\n

That is how a group in La Plata County called Hunting Heals<\/a> came to be.<\/p>\n

Aside from people who are blind, Hunting Heals works with hunters who are paraplegic, quadriplegic, or use a cane or walker.<\/p>\n

The group also welcomes hunters suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.<\/p>\n

The group strives to have hunters \u201cbe present in the moment\u201d and be away from traffic noises, allowing them to absorb the area\u2019s natural beauty as a way of therapy, said Hunting Heals founder Brad Harper.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuietness soothes the soul,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I think it\u2019s beneficial to so many people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Tyler
Tyler Cugnini, right, holds the antlers of the buck he shot earlier in the day with the assistance of Hunting Heals guide Cole Davis on Oct. 26 east of Ignacio. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
Participating hunters see benefits<\/div>\n

Eric Miller, who is blind from being born premature at 25 weeks, grew up in rural Pennsylvania but didn\u2019t have the opportunity to go hunting, which left him frustrated.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was always told I couldn\u2019t do certain things because of my visual impairment,\u201d said Miller, who now lives in Denver\u2019s Capitol Hill neighborhood.<\/p>\n

He came to Colorado in 2011. Later, he started working for the South Metro Denver Chamber where he met some outdoor enthusiasts and eventually took up hunting.<\/p>\n

Miller, who was in his third hunting season with Hunting Heals, said he enjoys the stillness and calmness that comes with hunting in Southwest Colorado, adding that it\u2019s great to get away from the traffic and other noises of Denver.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt kind of gives me a chance to recharge in a way. \u2026 Definitely gives you a chance to pray more and communicate with God,\u201d he said, adding that he appreciates Hunting Heals\u2019 positive and calming approach to working with fellow hunters.<\/p>\n

Durango resident Tyler Cugnini shot a buck on his first-ever hunting trip Oct. 26 just east of Ignacio.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was exciting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Cugnini is regaining his mobility after he broke his back, leg and feet in a head-on car crash three years ago.<\/p>\n

He was initially told he\u2019d never walk again, but he graduated from using a wheelchair to using a walker to not needing a walker.<\/p>\n

\"Hunting
Hunting Heals guide Josh Kitchen, left, and hunter Eric Miller ride in the back of a truck as they go to the blind while hunting for mule deer on Oct. 26 east of Ignacio. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Cugnini said he was initially concerned about being able to move his back and maintain his balance while shooting from a standing position.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy free standing is not that great, so I\u2019ve got to have a third point of contact most times,\u201d he said, adding that he used a tripod to help steady himself and his rifle.<\/p>\n

Cugnini said hunting is assisting with his recovery because it has allowed him to work on regaining his balance while walking and standing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I\u2019m getting better,\u201d he said. \u201cGoing from the wheelchair to the walker to being able to walk around out here without any crutches or any support has been awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

A different approach makes hunting possible, rewarding<\/div>\n

For blind hunters, the group uses an iPhone adapter that overlays the eyepiece of a rifle scope.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we turn our iPhone on picture mode, we get to see what you would normally see if you were to look down the eyepiece of a rifle scope. That allows us as the guide to safely position the firearm on the animal\u2019s body. \u2026 We communicate with our hunters when it\u2019s safe to pull the trigger,\u201d Harper said, adding that hunters\u2019 hands are guided to the correct location while harvesting animals.<\/p>\n

Miller said the cues help him turn his head to the side for a more precise aim.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout the adaptive aids, I don\u2019t think I would be able to go hunting by myself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"After
After Tyler Cugnini, left, shot his buck earlier in the day, the group of Hunting Heals guides from left, Cole Davis, Brad Harper, hunter Eric Miller and guide Josh Kitchen talk about the hunt for mule deer. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Blind hunters are also taught to lean on noncommunication measures like responding to a shoulder tap, and they listen for certain sounds such as when a deer steps on leaves or when a turkey gobbles.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all helpful. We try to share our knowledge with the hunters, too, to help them understand the situation and kind of prep them for what to expect for the hunt,\u201d said Hunting Heals guide Cole Davis.<\/p>\n

Hunting from inside a vehicle is typically illegal, but paraplegics and quadriplegics have medical licenses that are approved by Colorado Parks and Wildlife that allow them to shoot their game from vehicles, Harper said.<\/p>\n

In those situations, Davis said hunters may not have particularly strong core muscles, so they may need help getting into position from their seats.<\/p>\n

Quadriplegics often use what is called a blow trigger, in which they blow through a straw that connects to a rifle trigger. They can also use a brace that pulls their shoulder back while their hand is on the trigger, so they don\u2019t have to use their index finger to pull the trigger, Harper said.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of times, our rifles have a lot of equipment on them. So, it takes a lot of finagling in order to get it to work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Hunting
Hunting Heals guides look at an iPhone display that is attached to the scope on the rifle so they can see where hunters are aiming. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
Personal experience motivates founder<\/div>\n

Harper said his younger brother Peter had some health issues at birth and was paralyzed from the waist down. The two grew up in eastern Colorado doing hiking, backpacking and outdoor activities, and they later took up antelope hunting.<\/p>\n

Those experiences with his brother prompted Brad to get involved with a program fitting Hunting Heals\u2019 description. Harper, who previous worked with a similar program on the Front Range, found that group after moving to La Plata County, eager to help those hunters overcome perceived limitations that may otherwise keep them from trying. He has now been involved in guiding hunters for almost a decade.<\/p>\n

\u201cNature provides a new perspective sometimes on things,\u201d Harper said. \u201c\u2026 The peacefulness that the outdoors provides, I think people with PTSD can benefit greatly from this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Getting involved<\/div>\n

The group brings out two or three hunters per weekend during its second rifle season, held the last weekend of October and the first weekend of November. Those hunters largely come from the Denver, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins areas, as well as states such as New Mexico and Texas, depending on applications and available hunting properties.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really neat to get to know these guys, get to know their stories and just appreciate where they\u2019ve come from, then get to do something just so awesome like being out here to hunt and spending time together,\u201d said Hunting Heals guide Josh Kitchen.<\/p>\n

The group also coordinates with private property owners willing to let its guides and clients use those areas during a hunting season, which Harper said the group depends on to continue operations in a controlled environment.<\/p>\n

Kitchen said one of the group\u2019s main challenges is meeting the hunters\u2019 specific needs, sometimes on the fly. Yet, he also said that challenge makes things more fun for the group.<\/p>\n

\"Hunting
Hunting Heals founder Brad Harper, left, helps legally blind hunter Eric Miller get familiar with a rifle in the hunting blind while hunting for mule deer on Oct. 26 east of Ignacio. The guide looks at an iPhone display that is attached to the scope on the rifle so they can see what the hunter is aiming at. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cThe more we do it, the more tricks we can come up with and learn to help accommodate the hunter for whatever challenge they might be facing,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n

Hunters are required to complete and return a basic safety education form to abide by firearm safety measures one or two months before their scheduled hunting session begins, Harper said.<\/p>\n

The hunters later have their game taken to a meat-processing facility before taking it back home to eat, and they have the option to have a taxidermist to mount their game and create memorabilia from the experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very rewarding for us,\u201d Harper said. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty cool seeing the expressions and the emotions that people have when they get to go hunting.\u201d<\/p>\n

mhollinshead@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"Hunting
Hunting Heals founder Brad Harper, left, and guide Cole Davis help legally blind hunter Eric Miller get familiar with a rifle in the hunting blind while hunting for mule deer on Oct. 26 east of Ignacio. The guide looks at an iPhone display that is attached to the scope on the rifle so they can see what the hunter is aiming at. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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