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Jamie Cap, 46, was injured in an accident 30 years ago while playing American football. A head-on tackle resulted in a neck injury that left him a quadriplegic and robbed him of hunting, one of his passions.
But after a 2 1/2 year legal battle, Mr Cap has won the right - with the help of a partner - to use a 12-gauge shotgun fitted with a battery-powered machine that is operated by a breathing tube. He can adjust the angle by nudging a toggle switch.
He fired his first shot in three decades last week, describing the experience as priceless.
"I don't know if there are words," he said. "I'm so happy. When you find you can do something again after 30 years, you can't put a price on that. Some people think it's nothing, but try being paralysed for 30 years and then come talk to me."
Disabled hunters are far from uncommon in the US, but quadriplegic hunters are rare, experts say. That may be mostly due to a lack of awareness of technological advancements, since no states prohibit the disabled from owning firearms or from hunting, according to Vanessa Warner, director of disabled shooting services for the National Rifle Association.
Mrs Warner said she gets a few inquiries each week from people seeking information on licenses and equipment for quadriplegics. The NRA does not track the number of quadriplegic hunters nationwide, she said.
Gun control advocates do not oppose efforts by people with disabilities to hold firearms licenses.
For a quadriplegic, firing a shotgun requires help from a companion. In Mr Cap's case, a friend sets up the contraption, safety on, on Mr Cap's wheelchair and Mr Cap aims the shotgun by moving the toggle switch with his mouth. Once his partner releases the safety, Mr Cap fires by sipping on the breathing tube.
New Jersey is one of a handful of states where prospective shotgun owners must apply for firearms purchaser's identification cards through their local police departments and undergo background checks and fingerprinting.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...uadriplegic-man-wins-right-to-go-hunting.html
But after a 2 1/2 year legal battle, Mr Cap has won the right - with the help of a partner - to use a 12-gauge shotgun fitted with a battery-powered machine that is operated by a breathing tube. He can adjust the angle by nudging a toggle switch.
He fired his first shot in three decades last week, describing the experience as priceless.
"I don't know if there are words," he said. "I'm so happy. When you find you can do something again after 30 years, you can't put a price on that. Some people think it's nothing, but try being paralysed for 30 years and then come talk to me."
Disabled hunters are far from uncommon in the US, but quadriplegic hunters are rare, experts say. That may be mostly due to a lack of awareness of technological advancements, since no states prohibit the disabled from owning firearms or from hunting, according to Vanessa Warner, director of disabled shooting services for the National Rifle Association.
Mrs Warner said she gets a few inquiries each week from people seeking information on licenses and equipment for quadriplegics. The NRA does not track the number of quadriplegic hunters nationwide, she said.
Gun control advocates do not oppose efforts by people with disabilities to hold firearms licenses.
For a quadriplegic, firing a shotgun requires help from a companion. In Mr Cap's case, a friend sets up the contraption, safety on, on Mr Cap's wheelchair and Mr Cap aims the shotgun by moving the toggle switch with his mouth. Once his partner releases the safety, Mr Cap fires by sipping on the breathing tube.
New Jersey is one of a handful of states where prospective shotgun owners must apply for firearms purchaser's identification cards through their local police departments and undergo background checks and fingerprinting.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...uadriplegic-man-wins-right-to-go-hunting.html
