A hunting he will go

I got some good news from my friend John Nesheim. He was approved by the Minnesota DNR to receive a permit to use a crossbow during the archery deer season. The loss of both his feet and damage to his hands from severe frostbite qualified him for this privilege.

It's nice to know he'll be able to get out in the woods and hunt this fall. He really enjoys deer hunting and his accident in January that caused the frostbite was threatening to keep him from going after whitetails. Now, he'll have that chance, thanks to some quick and compassionate response by the DNR.

I know the DNR takes a lot of heat for the way it manages our state's resources and the hunting and fishing programs. So, I think it's only fair to acknowledge the department for the good things it does. This is definitely one of them.

I hope the people who processed John's permit application know what it means to him to have this opportunity. First, he lost his feet, then his business and has had to struggle with learning how to use a wheelchair and figuring out what he wants to do for a living. At least, he'll have a deer hunt to look forward to this fall.

My heartfelt thanks goes out to the DNR for providing opportunities like this for disabled hunters.