Hunting had been a part of Darren Kahl's life since he was a young boy.

It was also one of the activities the former Valparaiso High School athlete hadn't done after injuries sustained in a Jan. 2008 accident left him paralyzed from the shoulders down.

Thanks to ex-teammate Dustin Harrington and Turkey Tracks, a Knox-based organization that helps physically disabled people to hunt with the use of specially-designed equipment, Kahl was back out in the woods last spring.

"It was a big thrill," said Kahl, who grew up hunting deer and game birds. "Just that sense of freedom, getting back to nature, seeing the sights, listening to the sounds, breathing the fresh air, going out and enjoying a hobby, it brings back a sense of normalcy. To be outdoors, relaxing in a peaceful setting, it's something that's nice to get back to when you've been in a hospital for a while."

Harrington, a fellow hunter, found out about Turkey Tracks and looked into it with Kahl in mind. The donation-funded organization was founded by Eric Corey, an avid outdoorsman who was diagnosed with ALS in 2001. Corey continues to hunt and now helps others with disabilities do the same with the use of BeAdaptive shooting devices.

"The focus is so much on helping Darren perform the tasks of daily living, it's great to see him be able to do recreational things like the rest of us," Harrington said. "It's those hobbies that push and sustain us all. Darren's an independent guy, and losing that ability to do something on his own is the hardest part."

The beauty of the BeAdaptive gun is it enables hunters like Kahl to get the same feel they did before, while also ensuring their safety. The apparatus sustains the weight of the gun, yet allows the user to position it and have full range of movement. Since finger dexterity is often an issue, the device also has a mechanism to engage the trigger by mouth.

"It was really amazing to see how quickly Darren adapted to the new style," said Harrington, who went on the weekend outing with Kahl and Kahl's dad, Keith. "When the pressure was on, he didn't even think about it."

After a quiet Saturday, Kahl spotted, called and harvested his first turkey the following day.

"When I was in the hospital, a person came in and talked to the patients about still being able to do our hobbies," Kahl said. "(Hunting)'s something I knew I'd be able to do some day, I just hadn't had the opportunity. It was a little morale boost, just having the chance to hang out with friends and see others having fun, too."

Kahl was so enthused by the experience, he acquired a BeAdaptive LM (Limited Mobility) 100 gun, and will be back hunting deer with his dad and brother, Kris, in the fall.

A second annual benefit golf outing for Kahl, along with a dinner and silent auction, will be held Sunday at Aberdeen. Over 80 people, most of them friends and former teammates of Kahl's, have already registered.

"We weren't sure if we would make this an annual event, but with the feedback and the amount of fun that we had last year, it made our decision to continue it an easy one," Harrington said.

In the meantime, Kahl, a suburban Detroit resident, is making progress in his arduous rehabilitation.

"It's a slow process, but I'm definitely making gains," he said. "No huge milestones. Just steady as she goes."

This column solely represents the writer's opinion. Reach him at jim.peters@nwi.com.