Shepherd Center Begins Adaptive Hunting Partnership with Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Shepherd Center has a new partnership aimed at getting people outdoors after illness or injury.
Shepherd Center formalized an adaptive hunting partnership with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in August. As part of the partnership, Shepherd Center recreation therapists will train DNR staff on leading adaptive hunting and fishing trips and other best practices for working with people with permanent or temporary disabilities. Additionally, the DNR will hold two adaptive hunting slots for Shepherd to fill with current and former patients as part of its Outdoors Beyond Barriers program.
“Our Outdoors Beyond Barriers initiative puts an emphasis on removing obstacles for people with mobility impairments and helping them connect with nature and take part in activities, like hunting, that may have previously been unavailable,” said Walter Rabon, Commissioner of Georgia DNR. “We are excited about this partnership with Shepherd Center because it will better prepare and equip our agency staff with the needed skills to effectively assist all Outdoors Beyond Barriers participants. In addition to that, the partnership will allow current Shepherd Center patients direct access to DNR staff to assist them in getting outside.”
Gavin McClintock, CTRS, an outdoor specialist in Shepherd Center’s Recreation Therapy Program, has been leading adaptive hunting trips for patients for seven years. As part of the new partnership, he led a training for DNR staff at Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center in Mansfield, Georgia.
“After being able to train a lot of the DNR members, I’m excited by their passion for the outdoors and the fact that they are so committed to assisting people with varying abilities to get back out and hunt,” McClintock said.
McClintock will join DNR staff to lead two designated hunts as part of the agency’s Outdoors Beyond Barriers program. He said the partnership will increase Shepherd Center’s access to public lands, allowing him to lead trips all over the state of Georgia. He has seven deer hunts planned, which will allow 80 participants to get outdoors and hunt this deer season.
With five decades of experience, Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. An elite center ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation, Shepherd Center is also recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.