The deer rut combined with mild temperatures greeted hunters with disabilities at the 19th annual Lost Mound deer hunt. Bucks were intent on finding a romantic partner as they roamed the 4,000 acres of sand prairie and forest at Lost Mound. This special hunt was held on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge in Savanna, Illinois on November 15-16.

Paraplegics, amputees and other physically challenged hunters participated in the hunt. Thirty-one hunters and their attendants harvested 12 deer that included seven bucks and five does. Scott Hansen from Muskego, Wisconsin harvested the largest buck, a 10-pointer with field dressed weight of 152 pounds.

This special hunt has gained national attention with hunters representing six states this year. In past years, hunters from as many as 12 states have participated. The hunt provides a boost to the local economy with most hunters being non-residents or residents that traveled from central and southern Illinois. Non-resident hunters this year traveled from Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Down Deer Recovery, a certified United Blood Trackers provider, assisted hunters in recovering wounded deer for a ninth year. Seth Nelson from Morrison, Illinois is owner of Down Deer Recovery and German shepherd Maverick is his primary deer tracker. His son Oliver and beagle Ruger assisted with the tracking.

Maverick tracks the scent of a stress pheromone that is released from an injured deer’s hooves and is spread along the escape path. The canines assisted six hunters in tracking wounded deer that travelled a considerable distance.

This special hunt is conducted in areas closed to public access due to ongoing environmental clean-up at this former military installation, the Savanna Army Depot. Over 1,300 youth, adult and disabled hunters have participated in this hunt since its beginning in 2007.

District Manager Ed Britton was excited about the continued success of this program and stated “It is a unique hunting experience by an extraordinary group of hunters. Their daily challenges of life were dwarfed by the enthusiasm and determination for deer hunting. They provided both inspiration and encouragement to the Refuge staff and volunteers that administered the hunt.”

This coming weekend, November 22-23, the Youth/Family Deer Hunt is being held at Lost Mound. This hunt was previously held during the Youth Deer Season in mid-October annually. The Refuge moved the Youth Hunt to the First Firearms Season to allow family members to also hunt. It is a better time of year for deer hunting due to cooler temperatures and the deer rut is underway.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge was established in 1924 and contains 244,000 acres that extends along 261 miles of the Upper Mississippi River.