If someone asked you if you thought that driving around shooting an animal out of the window of the truck with a high power rifle is hunting your response would probably be negative. Lord knows that plenty of game is taken in this fashion whether we care to admit it or not. Were the question put to me, I would respond with, "Depends on the details!" Now you are probably wondering what in the world kind of details would make these questionable circumstances acceptable. While let me give you a thumbnail sketch of conditions that make such a hunt a viable option.

May I introduce James "One Shot More" Moore, age 68 and has lived his life in a wheelchair since he was fourteen years old. Fifty-four years in a wheelchair is a remarkable landmark in its own right. Normally if an individual ends up in a wheelchair they can lob a minimum of twenty years off their life expectancy. Normal circumstances such as the lack of movement in the lower limbs, increase susceptibility to sickness and infections as well of a bevy of other complications all work together to make old age for the wheelchair-bound individual to arrive well before it should.

Jim Moore still seems to have beaten the odds, even though he feels the hands of time tightening its grip on his plans, dreams and very existence. Still he forges ahead, using the very same system that he credits for keeping him in the game this long. Hunts over, plan another! That is the very simple philosophy that has worked extremely well for James and he is not about to abandon the system.

Our latest trek took us to the Diamond K Ranch in Havre, MT. As with so many of our adventures, this one was being made possible by our connection to the United Foundation For Disabled Archers and a very unique family of benefactors. Kim and Cindy Kafka own the Diamond K Ranch where they raise cattle, elk and buffalo. Kim had attempted to operate a shooting preserve, but the DNR of Montana shut him down making it necessary for him to market his elk in neighboring states that are not as anal retentive as the MT DNR. They could not stop Kim, however, from donating an elk a year to UFFDA to assist them in raising funds to carry out their mission of serving bowhunters with disabilities.

Cindy Kafka has been in a wheelchair since her late teens when a tragic auto accident took three of her best friends, but left her alive and permanently disabled. It is understandable then, why the Kafka’s have such deep appreciation for what UFFDA does and why they gladly share what they have in an effort to expand the purpose of this organization. Jim had purchased the hunt at the Diamond K Ranch the year before, but had been unable to attend that fall because of a broken leg (did I mention the brittle bones problem?). So a year late, we packed our gear, loaded the truck and hit the trail bound for the Bear Paw Mountains and the Diamond K Ranch in north-central Montana. We gained an hour in time zone changes and arrived after a short fifteen-hour trip that went a smooth as glass.

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The next morning we hit the field after connecting with our guide and Diamond K foreman, Skip Owens in his front yard. Jim had hoped to take his elk with a crossbow, but his waning strength combined with the wild elusiveness of the elk caused him to opt for the 7mm instead.

Finding the elk proved to be a difficult part of the hunt, but on the second day, Skip’s keen eyes, picked up the tips of antlers sticking just above the brush in one of the many brush-covered coulees of the Diamond K. We moved the vehicle into position, helped Jim locate the animal then watched as he dispatched it with a 150-yard shot.

Based on the ear to ear grin that was plastered on his face, I could only gather that Mr. Moore was pleased with his trophy, the experience and the fact that he had gotten "One Shot More". As photos were taken with the guides and hunter, I wasn’t about to tell this ecstatic outdoorsman that his elk didn’t count because of the why he had hunted it. Based on the circumstances, it had been a good chase for all parities involved and the end result was a sense of triumph for the team.

A very special thank you goes out to Skip Owens whose hard work, acute skill and loyal dedication to his job help make each visit to the Diamond K Ranch such a uncommon event. His generous heart and kind spirit are greatly appreciated by us all.

To Cindy and Kim Kafka who slow down their whirlwind schedules to fit us into them, we offer a most heartfelt thank you from our entire membership. Even more precious than the sharing of your ranch and animals, we treasure the fact that you share of yourselves and your entire family. We are grateful to have found such special friends who are willing to share what they have to help make the world a better place to live.

At the ripe old age of 68, Jim Moore harvested a handsome 6x6 bull elk. Proud and delighted with his achievement, he should be satisfied with his accomplishment. But that is not, Jim’s way. Before we left the ranch, Jim booked a buffalo hunt in 2009 to keep him going for another year and to perhaps just get "One Shot More".