Chad Waligura's  Field Journal
Bio:
I grew up hunting on the Texas gulf coast, and really fell in love with it when my dad took me duck hunting when I was about 12. From that day on, I knew I’d be involved with hunting for the rest of my life.

When I was paralyzed in the summer of 1986 in a diving accident, it was the one thing I knew I could not give up on. Three months later, I was back in the woods deer hunting. Eighteen years later, Streamlight & Buckmasters’ American Deer Foundation voted me Challenged Hunter of the Year for 2004.

In the meantime, I’ve been going afield after big game all across the United States and in three different countries. I created a website called Follow Me Outdoors in 1996 which has been one of the longest running and most extensive websites for disabled outdoors & recreation.

I started free lancing for magazines across the west because that was more interesting for me.  I've been published in Rack Magazine, King's Hunting Illustrated, Eastman's Hunting Journal, Horizontal Bowhunter Magazine, United Federation For Disabled Archer's Magazine, and Turkey & Turkey Hunting magazine.

I have a degree in Wildlife & Fisheries Science and another in Counseling from Texas A&M and the University of Houston, respectively. I suppose both are a study of animals. But lately I’ve been more involved in hunting than ever before.

I look forward to keeping up my field journal and take you with me on all my outdoor trips.

2009: We're proud to note that Chad was recently nominated for The Pathfinder Award given out by the Safari Club International for accomplished disabled sportsmen and women.


The World of Custom Rifles - Step 1 -06/22/2009
My first steps into this world came to me when I started to become aware that the guns I owned weren’t as accurate as I wanted them to be, nor nearly as consistent as I thought they ...
2009 Gear Reviews -02/02/2009
I think every year around this time, I find myself taking inventory of last fall's hunting equipment as well as planning for the coming year’s trips.   Thought I would take some time ...
My First Kansas Hunt -01/02/2009
“There’s some deer coming down behind us,” Merle blurted out as I whipped my head around to see out the back window of the blind.   “One’s a buck!” I replied, “He’s just an 8 point though.” ...
Taking on the Crossbow Myths -11/26/2008
After a recent trip to Bass Pro Shops to get a crossbow restrung for a friend of mine, I felt compelled to write about my experience as soon as I got back home.   Every able-bodied hunter tha ...
Last Shot 300 -11/03/2008
These were my last two shots when sighting in my 270 before the hunt.  Ironically, they'd be close to the exact distance I'd wind up having when I found my buck in my sights& ...
Day 2 - Colorado -10/27/2008
My hunt started this morning in the Super 8 motel paking lot.  Mike showed up about six to help dad load me and everything else we needed up in dad's truck.  We headed out to a piece ...
Day 1 in SW Colorado -10/27/2008
We passed the Cortez, Co., city limit sign just before three o'clock on Friday afternoon after spending two days on the road from Texas.  Seems like we saw twenty different prices for a gallon ...
Ducking Hurricanes and Blue-winged Teal -10/06/2008
Hurricane Ike, yes the one that just leveled the entire island of Galveston and layed waste to the city of Houston, roared ashore Friday night a mere 100 miles to the east, just far e ...
Dove Season Dominated by the Whitewing -09/25/2008
Back when I was a kid in south central  Texas , the only white-wing dove hunting to be had was either way down in the valley of south Texas or in Mexico .  Dad even too ...
Flashback - August 6, 2005 -08/05/2008
Since we're deep into the off-season, I thought I'd post an account of one of the most memorable hunts I've ever been on.  It took place the first days of August almost 3 years ago today... I w ...
Product Review - 2008 -06/19/2008
It's not too often that new products hit the market that are specifically designed for disabled hunters, most target the general able-bodied population and only by chance offer some benefit to chairb ...
Booking an African Safari -05/13/2008
Since so much time and prep work, about 2 years worth, went into making my first African safari a reality, I thought I would share the experience with my readers in case anyone was as clueless as I w ...
The One That Got Away -05/02/2008
As I set my sights on this young tom way back on opening morning, I knew he wasn't the one I was looking for.  I never pulled the trigger. I did, in fact, find what I was after the following ...
Turkey Hunt - 2nd Time Around -04/15/2008
The next time I could get out, mainly because I'm at the mercy of finding someone to go with me, was last Saturday afternoon.  I met John and his young daughter at the gate around 5:30pm and&nbs ...
Looking for Mr. Right -04/05/2008
We have been 3 weekends deep into turkey season around here, and finally I saw the first gobblers of the year in my decoy spread.  In Fredericksburg in the middle of March, we saw several nice r ...
Time is Now for Public Draws -02/15/2008
There always used to be a long lull period as soon as all the seasons ended every year.  And there still would be if I hadn’t gotten hooked on out-of-state hunting and the public draws.  ...
Mule Deer Camp - Day Four -01/24/2008
As we approached late morning on day four, we approached the road that would lead us up from the second level to the top of the mountain and eventually back to camp. That’s where we’d stop for lunch. ...
Mule Deer Camp - Day Two -12/20/2007
At first light, Boudreaux, my scout Bert, and I left out for the lower part of the lease behind the rancher’s house. It’s rougher country down there, mule deer country, and I always liked jeeping the ...
Mule Deer Camp - 1st Day Back -12/17/2007
Heading back west on the long stretch of interstate highway 10, I was excited as anyone in the group going back for the final week of the mule deer season in Texas. Conditions were as good as they ev ...
Beating the Heat in Texas -12/02/2007
I have to say, it was extra tough this year to outlast the heat, even by Texas standards. October sure seems like long ago now, but I can still feel its effects. For starters, it was one of the ho ...

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