By Scott Lewis
Jennings Daily News Assistant Editor

-- EVANGELINE, La. - There may not be many sports where the disabled can perform alongside their non-disabled counterparts, but on Saturday, April 19, 2008, the Bayouland Buckmasters chapter of the Buckmasters American Deer Foundation (BADF) proved that "Sportsman's Paradise" can be open to people with all kinds of abilities.

Cajun Elite Shooting Club in Evangeline played host to the sixth annual Disabled Hunters Sporting Clay shoot, an event that allows handicapped and disabled shooters to compete in a family atmosphere.

"We have about 50 teams, or about 200 shooters," said Bayouland Buckmasters President Frank Dennis, who shoots with the aid of two prosthetic arms. "We have four people on a team, with three able-bodied shooters and one disabled shooter. It really exposes more people to those with disabilities."

Dennis called the event, which has been growing steadily each year, an "eye-opener" for some people. "We have both kids and adults competing. It's a very family-oriented event," he said.

BADF Regional Director Steve Brown said his organization is the charity arm of Buckmasters, Ltd. Originally formed to help provide game harvests to the needy, the organization has since grown to help sponsor disabled sportsmen with events like the Disabled Shoot.

"We also do Lifehunts, especially with terminally ill children," said Brown. "The Make-A-Wish Foundation doesn't work with firearms, so we fill in that area by helping to provide folks - kids or adults - with their dream hunts."

The organization also provides hunter education to youth, introducing kids to the outdoors.

"We don't teach them to harvest, but something like a clay shoot is something the whole family can do," said Brown.

Brown praised Dennis and his team of volunteers for putting on a "first-class event" for the organization.

"Not every chapter can put on something of this magnitude," said Brown.

Dennis said volunteers manned 20 shooting stations with 100 targets. Local sponsors and business people also helped with the event.

"The event is very accessible, because Cajun Elite has blacktop paths to follow," said Dennis. "Those with wheelchairs can move very easily here."

He added that the chapter is looking for more disabled sportsmen or those who might wish to become sportsmen.

"It really helps to promote the disabled," he concluded.

For more information on future shoots, call Dennis at (337) 824-8179 or visit http://www.badf.org.

-- From Jennings Daily News, April 23, 2008--

For more information about BADF, contact Beth Gregory at 1-800-240-3337 or bgregory@buckmasters.com.

Buckmasters | GunHuntermag.com | Rackmag.com | BADF.org | YoungBucksOutdoors.com