Bill Allows Sightless To Hunt With Lasers in Louisiana

[Unbridled Liberty]

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/hunting/2011/01/bill-allows-sightless-hunt-lasers-louisiana

January 05, 2011

Bill Allows Sightless To Hunt With Lasers in Louisiana

--Dave Maccar

Thanks to laser scope technology, and the persistent wife of a blind deer hunter, the visually impaired in Louisiana can tag bucks again, as long as they are assisted by a friend.

From this story on ShreveportTimes.com:
Walter Hill is allowed to hunt with a laser thanks to his wife, Margaret, calling Louisiana Representative Henry Burns of Haughton and encouraging him to walk a special bill through the legislature last year.

Signed into law by Gov. Bobby Jindal, HB 39 authorizes the use of laser scopes by visually impaired hunters while hunting with a sighted individual. Prior to the law, sighted hunters had the daunting task of looking over an impaired hunter's shoulder and then trying to guess if a rifle or shotgun was properly aligned to make a clean shot.

The law says you have to have sight of 20/400 or worse.

"In my case, I'm completely blind," Hill said.

And with some diligence and a personal stake in the matter, Margaret Hill set out to get something done, and she did just that.

...Margaret Hill, who also has a legally blind son, was spurred to seek the bill after seeing an article in a magazine about a blind Texas hunter who was hunting with a laser scope. She called Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries secretary Robert Barham to ask if she could get a permit for her husband to hunt with a laser.

"He told me absolutely not ... that it was against the law," Hill said. "So I picked up the phone and called Henry, who's been a long time friend. He just took the ball and ran with it. Sixteen states already had the bill in place."

According to the National Rifle Association, allowing the use of laser sighting devices will provide visually-impaired hunters a far greater degree of certainty. It will also result in higher success rates and possibly encourage more visually impaired citizens to enjoy hunting in the "Sportsman's Paradise."