Shooting Blind, Literally
House OKs aid for blind hunters
By ALYSHA N. HERNÁNDEZ
Houston Chronicle
April 7, 2007
AUSTIN - Blind hunter Stanley McGowen has relied on two things to help him "see" the turkeys and deer he stalks - the eyesight of his longtime hunting partner and a scope that allows his friend to help him aim.
Now, a piece of legislation has 59-year-old McGowen excited about the prospect of "seeing" his prey better.
House Bill 308, which the House sent to the Senate on Thursday, makes hunting easier for legally blind hunters like McGowen by allowing them to use laser sight devices, which are currently forbidden for hunting in Texas.
"This is so important and I want to thank Rep. Edmund Kuempel for this," McGowen said. "I've said that sometimes sighted people don't have vision, but he's a man of vision."
Kuempel, R-Seguin, wrote the legislation that would allow legally blind hunters to use laser sights during hunting hours and when accompanied by a licensed hunter who is at least 13 years old and is not legally blind.
Kuempel, a game hunter for more than 50 years, said the use of laser sights means cleaner shots for blind hunters. The devices shoot a laser beam that highlights where the bullet will hit. "It's just going to make a much cleaner harvest," Kuempel said. "And although we have a fair amount of legally blind people hunting now, this will get more blind people back into the outdoors and that's what I'm particularly interested in."
Currently, there are no requirements for legally blind hunters in Texas. All they need to hunt is a valid Texas hunting license. There is no requirement that they must be accompanied by anyone, either. "As a practical element someone would probably accompany them," said Tom Harvey, a spokesman for Texas Parks and Wildlife. "It's up to them and the people they're with to use legal means and methods that fall under current regulations." ...
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Wow. Who knew blind people hunted? I'm all for empowering the disadvantaged but it strikes me as a monumentally bad idea to have blind people firing weapons. Even stranger (arguably), blind hunters apparently have enough clout in the state legislator to get special interest legislation passed. "'As a practical element someone would probably accompany them,' said Tom Harvey, a spokesman for Texas Parks and Wildlife." Probably?
By ALYSHA N. HERNÁNDEZ
Houston Chronicle
April 7, 2007
AUSTIN - Blind hunter Stanley McGowen has relied on two things to help him "see" the turkeys and deer he stalks - the eyesight of his longtime hunting partner and a scope that allows his friend to help him aim.
Now, a piece of legislation has 59-year-old McGowen excited about the prospect of "seeing" his prey better.
House Bill 308, which the House sent to the Senate on Thursday, makes hunting easier for legally blind hunters like McGowen by allowing them to use laser sight devices, which are currently forbidden for hunting in Texas.
"This is so important and I want to thank Rep. Edmund Kuempel for this," McGowen said. "I've said that sometimes sighted people don't have vision, but he's a man of vision."
Kuempel, R-Seguin, wrote the legislation that would allow legally blind hunters to use laser sights during hunting hours and when accompanied by a licensed hunter who is at least 13 years old and is not legally blind.
Kuempel, a game hunter for more than 50 years, said the use of laser sights means cleaner shots for blind hunters. The devices shoot a laser beam that highlights where the bullet will hit. "It's just going to make a much cleaner harvest," Kuempel said. "And although we have a fair amount of legally blind people hunting now, this will get more blind people back into the outdoors and that's what I'm particularly interested in."
Currently, there are no requirements for legally blind hunters in Texas. All they need to hunt is a valid Texas hunting license. There is no requirement that they must be accompanied by anyone, either. "As a practical element someone would probably accompany them," said Tom Harvey, a spokesman for Texas Parks and Wildlife. "It's up to them and the people they're with to use legal means and methods that fall under current regulations." ...
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Wow. Who knew blind people hunted? I'm all for empowering the disadvantaged but it strikes me as a monumentally bad idea to have blind people firing weapons. Even stranger (arguably), blind hunters apparently have enough clout in the state legislator to get special interest legislation passed. "'As a practical element someone would probably accompany them,' said Tom Harvey, a spokesman for Texas Parks and Wildlife." Probably?