COPYRIGHT 2009. WHITETAIL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Whitetail Management Associates of Greater Pittsburgh
RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR WILD RESOURCES
12-year old Zach Taylor turned out to be a very special young man, and we had a great time on his very first hunt ever!
Zach Taylor got his first-ever opportunity to archery hunt on September 12th, as part of the early antlerless season in the special regulations areas. We originally planned for Zach to have a morning and evening hunt, but the morning hunt was canceled because of news reports that G-20 protesters were going to be in the area. Since a group had been removed from the area the night before we thought it best to take no chances with Zach's safety.
Tim Kretzler and Joe McCluskey arrived at the hunt area around 1:00 pm to check things over and make sure everything would be safe before Zach arrived. Luckily, we found nothing happening that would stop Zach's hunt. Zach and his group of fellow hunters arrived at the hunt location around 4:00 pm and the hunt began!
Zach's prior practice with his new crossbow never figured in the emotional part of shooting at a live animal, and the first two doe that presented a shot seemed to trot off wondering where the noise came from. Fortunately for Zach, his step dad, who was sitting next to him, noticed that he was picking up his head to watch the shot before he was making the shot. After correcting this issue, young Zach showed little mercy on the next two mature doe that stepped into his shooting zone. He made two exceptional shots, both solid hits in the vitals, with neither animal going over 30 yards after the shot.
The thing that quickly became most noticeable was that Zach has a special bond with a group of hunters from Boyce Park; this group wanted to share every moment of the hunt and was there to handle every aspect of it, from getting Zach into the woods to bringing him back out. In this case that meant physically carrying Zach, his wheelchair, and all of the associated gear up one heck of a hill to the hunting grounds and back. He's a lucky young man to have that kind of love and caring from these fellow hunters, and we're all lucky to get to spend time and learn from such a fine young man.
After the hunt Zach learned that KIPS Deer Processing of Carnegie was going to process his deer and make any product he wants free of charge! After talking things over with his hunting buddies, he decided to go back with them and butcher the deer themselves, then take the bulk meat to KIPS to get deer sticks and jerky made.
A big thanks goes out to Chip Fordas, Chip Hanlon, Steve Holmes, Dan Pringle, Zane Wallace, and a special step dad, Bob Mendel. These are the Boyce Park boys that appear to be joined at the hip. Many thanks also to Tim Kretzler, Tom Martinelli, and his son Tom Jr. for coming out today to help with Zach's hunt. Charlier's Wildlife Art & Taxidermy has also graciously donated a full shoulder mount for Zach once he comes back and fills his buck tag. Finally, thanks to Barnett Crossbows for donating the crossbow that made Zach's hunt possible.
Zach with his "Boyce Park Boyz" (L-R): Dan Pringle, Zane Wallace, Bob Mendel (Zach's stepdad) Chip Hanlan, Chip Foradas, Steve Holmes
Left to right:: Tom Martinelli Jr., Mark Milsik (Barnett Crossbows), Tom Martinelli, Zach Taylor, Tim Kretzler (rear), and WMA President Joe McCluskey
Joe, September 20, 2009
There is no words to express how grateful I am for what you did for my son. I never even thought he would be able to hunt with all of the guys but you really gave him something that he didn't even know he would experience. Thanks so much for everything you did for him. The pictures are AWESOME and I had trouble composing myself when I saw them.
You and WMA did a wonderful thing and I wanted you to know how much it not only meant for me but for Zach and Bob as well.
THANK YOU,
Elaine Mendel
Finally, a note from Zach's Mom...