Madera Morning Lions help at wheelchair pheasant hunt

For The Madera Tribune From left are morning Lions John Sudduth, George Hatfield, Robert Cunningham, Robert Garibay, Ron Snipes, Lt. Col. Bill Jones and Galen Wright.

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The 17th annual Pheasant Hunt for the Mobility Impaired took place under sunny blue skies at one of the Case Vlot farm properties — an alfalfa field situated as far as west possible in Madera County on Road 1.

The hunt occurred Nov. 17.

Benjamin Lewis, a biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, has organized the event for the last seven years, bringing together various groups of volunteers.

Biologist Lewis and several assistants from the Department of Fish and Wildlife provide the game birds, China Ring-Necked Pheasants, raised by the Department specifically for this purpose. A key segment of volunteers are the dog handlers who professionally raise and train the pointers, which eagerly quiver with excitement to do their part. There are local high school students with sufficient heft to push wheelchairs through rutted fields.

Among the volunteers are members of the Madera Breakfast Lions who serve a lunch of hotdogs and hamburgers to the ravenous assemblage.