Don Mulligan
Outdoors with Don
April 18, 2008
It’s the toughest decision a turkey hunter has to make. Dawn breaks and a gobbler starts talking from the roost, but he’s one field or wood lot over. Is the right move to sit tight and call the bird in, or get up and reposition closer to the beckoning bird?
There is no right answer, but at least most hunters have a choice.
Until this year, turkey hunter Landon Turner had no choice but to sit and wait for the bird to come to him. Sometimes they did, but often they did not.
As a result of a car accident in 1981, Turner is paralyzed from the chest down, confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. If his name or face are familiar, it’s because he is a former basketball standout from Indiana University.
If his voice or message are familiar, it’s because he is a tireless inspirational speaker and autobiographical book author.
A star on the 1981 Hoosier basketball team that won the NCAA Basketball Championship, Turner currently hunts and fishes with the same intensity he used to display when slamming a basketball.
“One of the great things about hunting is that it gives us a reason to explore all of God’s creation. A wheelchair gets in the way of that part of the adventure,” he said.
In a quest to see more of the places he hunted, he began searching for a way to be more mobile.
After considerable research and a few failed attempts at driving his wheelchair-accessible van across muddy farm fields, Turner turned to Windy City Golf Carts in Knox.
Together, they designed a hunting vehicle like nothing either of them had ever seen before.
“I’ve got to admit it, we’ve done a bunch of custom golf carts here, but never anything like this one,” said “Bones,” the Windy City Service Manager who took the project to heart.
Besides accommodating Turner’s disability, the cart had to first accommodate his 6’ 11” frame. To make room for his long legs, Windy City removed the back seat of a two seat cart and moved the front seat back.
They then installed a hand control brake and accelerator on the steering column that would also double as a hand hold for Turner when he slid into the cart. Both controls were attached to the still intact foot controls, in case someone else had to operate the vehicle but couldn’t master the hand controls.
The cart is powered by six large batteries and no gas, making it ideal for hunting. Besides emitting unwanted fumes, gas would be difficult to pump for Turner when the cart was on its trailer. The electric motor is also noiseless, which will help Turner slip into position without alarming game.
A full cage roll bar was installed to prevent injury in a tip-over, and the cab is capable of being fully enclosed to seal out the weather. The enclosure is a removable camouflage material that can be opened in several places to shoot through. Even the rims are decked with the latest camouflage pattern.
Without feeling in his legs, Turner has to be very careful to stay warm. To make sure he can hunt for hours at a time, the interior is equipped with an integrated heater.
A winch was installed on the front of the cart so Turner can power it onto a custom trailer on his own. The trailer is also designed to sit at a slight angle so the cart will roll off when the winch is loosened.
The biggest obstacle to using the cart is its height. Because the cart is designed to hunt, it has regular ATV tires and ample ground clearance.
Windy City needed to find a way for Turner to get on and off without falling.
To get Turner and his wheelchair even with the seat so he could slide over, they fabricated an aluminum deck the height of the floorboard. It’s light enough for Turner to move it into place, and has a small lip around the edge so he won’t roll off.
To get onto the deck, Turner ordered an 8-foot-long aluminum, folding ramp. Though it’s certainly easier to ascend the ramp with a little help, Turner hopes to use it on his own after a little practice.
The cart and Turner will hunt together for the first time this turkey season. He’s not sure if he’ll chase after the first gobbler he hears in another field, but he’s happy to finally have the option.
Visit www.windycitygolfcarts.com or call (800) 232-2172 to find out more about custom carts for handicapped hunters.
Don Mulligan writes Outdoors with Don for this newspaper. He can be reached at outdoorswithdon@aol.com.