Wheelin’ Sportsmen Pheasant Hunt Celebrates 21st Year in South Dakota
As shotguns rang out and dogs flushed more than 100 pheasants, a sense of empowerment permeated the fields of the Sioux River Wildlife hunting preserve near Flandreau, South Dakota.
This year, the South Dakota NWTF State Chapter’s annual Wheelin’ Sportsmen pheasant hunt welcomed 24 hunters with disabilities for a day of camaraderie and good times, marking the 21st anniversary of the event.
Sioux River Wildlife owners Tad and Kathy Jacobs have hosted the hunt at their preserve since 2014. 42 volunteers (along with some hardworking dogs) made the event possible and helped move pheasants toward the hunters.
By day’s end, participants harvested 103 birds.
This year’s event carried special meaning for two hunters, Matt DeWild and Dylan Lesselyoung.
For DeWild, who traveled from Iowa, it was his first time participating in the event and harvesting a pheasant. DeWild became disabled in a car accident seven years ago and now lives in a nursing home. He and Lesselyoung first met through physical therapy sessions and bonded during wheelchair support meetups.
Lesselyoung’s path to the hunt also began with a car accident 12 years ago. He sustained a neck injury during a suicide attempt, an experience that ultimately reshaped his life.
Years later, he founded the nonprofit Wheelchair Adventures (wheelchairadventures.org) to help others with disabilities reconnect with nature. Through that organization, he helped DeWild rediscover the outdoors and take part in the world of hunting.
For more than two decades, the South Dakota NWTF State Chapter’s Wheelin’ Sportsmen pheasant hunt has become a mainstay in building camaraderie and empowerment. In addition to the hunt, participants and volunteers also enjoyed lunch, a banquet dinner, raffles and a silent auction. Each year, the smiles and stories remind all involved that the outdoors is for everybody.
Local and state chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation host thousands of similar events nationwide each year through the organization’s Education and Outreach programs.