Why Disabilities Don’t Mean an End to Hunting

If you're a veteran who left your legs on the battlefield defending this country, or a lifelong hunter who served your family and community and now struggles with shaky hands, let us say this loud and clear—you can still hunt. We’ve met folks who thought their days of sitting in a blind or lining up a clean shot were behind them. But the truth is, with the right tools, you’re just as capable as the next hunter.

Hunting’s not just for the able-bodied. If you’ve ever thought your disability meant you couldn’t go after game anymore—or even try hunting for the first time—we’re here to tell you otherwise. Whether you’re in a wheelchair, have limited use of one arm, or live with a condition like Parkinson’s or arthritis, that doesn’t mean you have to hang up the idea of tagging out. You just need the right setup.

Leveling the Playing Field

Let’s be honest: traditional shooting can be tough when your body doesn’t want to cooperate. Shaky hands, tremors, and the difficulty of holding a rifle steady make it hard to take an accurate shot. However, a stable shooting platform like the Kopfjäger K800 with a Reaper Grip or Reaper Rail system keeps all those small, frustrating variables like scope wobble and rifle weight in check.

Once you're locked in and leveled out with your weapon safely secured in the vicelike Reaper Grip, the only thing you have to focus on is aiming and pulling the trigger. That’s it. You’re not fighting the rifle's weight or worried that your weapon will fly out of your hands from the recoil. You’re not worried about your grip slipping or that the trembling in your hand will cause your shot to fly wide. You’re just hunting.

Where to Hunt

If you’re mobility-limited, private land—like a ranch—is the way to go. Public land hunts usually mean hiking rough terrain, tracking, glassing, and all that good stuff... which is great, but not so doable from a chair or with chronic pain.

A ranch setup gives you access to prepared blinds, clear shooting lanes, and often, an experienced guide who knows the land—and how to help. Call ahead and ask if they’ve had hunters with mobility or physical challenges before. If they have, they’ll likely already have a good game plan for you.

How to Set Up

Once you’re at your spot, setting up with the Kopfjäger tripod is quick. Whether you're in a blind or just beside the truck, position the legs for stability, set your rifle in the grip, and adjust the height to match your posture—standing, sitting, or from a chair.

Once the animal is in range, the rest is easy. The rifle doesn’t drift or drop, and you don’t have to support it on anything but the tripod, which turns a shaky, frustrating experience into something steady and satisfying.

Taking the Shot and What Comes After

When the moment comes, pull the trigger with confidence. A stable setup means better shot placement and a faster, more ethical kill. That’s what we all want.

Now, if you can’t gut and butcher the animal yourself, bring someone who can, or make arrangements with your guide or a local butcher ahead of time. You’ve done the fun part—don’t let the cleanup stress you out. Plenty of ranches offer skinning and processing services too, so don’t be shy about asking.

What Rifle Works Best?

Go with something simple and easy to operate. If, for some reason, your state won't allow you to use a semi-automatic rifle because your lawmakers think all black guns are scary, a bolt-action or straight-pull rifle tends to work best, especially if your mobility or strength is limited. When choosing your weapon, make sure to choose something that can be used well in a tripod. This means that pump-action shotguns are automatically a no-go. Same goes for lever-action rifles with top-eject ports, most bullpups with awkward reloading positions, and any firearm that requires excessive manual manipulation between shots. If it’s going to make you shift your body around or break your sight picture every time you cycle the action, it’s not usually a good fit for a tripod setup.

Bottom Line? You Can Still Hunt.

Don’t let anyone tell you different. You just need to hunt smarter. A stable tripod like the ones we build at Kopfjäger helps take the guesswork—and the struggle—out of shooting. Hunting is all about enjoying the freedom of the outdoors, putting meat in the freezer, and not letting anything stop you.

So load up, lock in, and get out there. The field’s still open.

To shop Kopfjäger tripod kits, click here.