August 2024
by Roy Woodlief
One of my dreams was to do an elk hunt.
With Team Gleason and Twisted Tine Outfitters help, I achieved that dream!
Me, my wife Jamie, and cousin Brandon took the 1,930-mile drive from NC to Colorado, stopping along the way in Louisville, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Denver.
We got to see the Arch in St. Louis which was actually pretty neat. My wife enjoyed that probably more than I did though.
The Twisted Tine Outfitters ranch is about 5 hours west of Denver in the middle of the most beautiful scenery.
Being on the ranch was my favorite part of the adventure. But of course, getting the bull elk was the most memorable.
Whenever I hunt, I hunt for the groceries. We were able to bring back a bunch of meat to fill our freezer. So that alone was worth all of the effort!
I wasn’t sure if I would be able to pull the trigger because I have lost most of the use of both of my hands.
But my cousin made sure to adjust it so that I could. We did purchase a “clinch trigger” just in case but did not need it.
We faced many challenges along the route.
While we asked for accessible accommodations, not all of them had a roll-in shower so I was not able to shower at every location we stayed.
Jamie had purchased some bed wedges and those came in very handy for trying to get me comfortable each night. We purchased a second set when we returned for future travel because we learned that having a few more options would be helpful.
We also brought other tools to make things as comfortable as possible for me. The ranch had a ramp, and the main bedroom was on the main floor, so the accommodations there were suitable.
When it came to the actual hunt, Chad from Twisted Tine brought me to a location he knew I would be able to get around in. They really made every effort to make sure my hunt was successful.
For anyone who might want to do an adventure like this, I suggest you research outfitters that will cater to the disabled.
This was the trip of a lifetime for me and I am so glad that there are people out there who want to help.
Chad, Troy, Peyton, and Jim from Twisted Tine are amazing people and made the entire weekend so incredibly memorable for me.
Now our freezer and our hearts are full!
Thank you, Team Gleason, for helping make my dream come true!
