Terry Burke Schake

This week, we talk with an inspiring voice in the adaptive outdoors community — Terry Burke Schake, founder of Outdoor Adventures for the Disabled, a growing Facebook group dedicated to connection, support, and encouragement for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts with disabilities. Terry is a Pennsylvania native now living in Ohio, and he’s a paraplegic due to a gunshot wound. His story is one of resilience, purpose, and a deep love for the outdoors — and we’re honored to share it. In this episode, we laugh with Terry about hunts and he opens up about: 🔹 His spinal cord injury — how it happened, and how he rebuilt his outlook on life in the days, weeks, and years afterward. 🔹 His early connection to hunting and how his relationship with the outdoors evolved after becoming a wheelchair user. 🔹 Adaptive gear, mindset shifts, that keep him in the woods and behind the trigger. 🔹 A memorable hunt, from planning and logistics to the moment of success — and what that experience taught him. 🔹 The real barriers disabled hunters face, from terrain to transportation to stigma — and practical ways to break through each one. 🔹 How hunting helped his mental and physical recovery, and how the outdoors continues to help him “redefine outdoor ability.” 🔹 Advice for newly injured hunters who want to get back out there but don’t know where to start — resources, attitude, and community. 🔹 The role of friends and family in the adaptation process, and what has surprised him along the way. 🔹 His goals for the future — hunts, gear, advocacy, and inspiring more people to get involved. 🔹 How able-bodied hunters can support adaptive hunting, ask better questions, and help create a more inclusive outdoor world. Terry’s story is powerful. His passion is contagious. And his mission to build community for disabled hunters is something we’re proud to uplift. #AccessibleHunter #AdaptiveHunting #RedefiningOutdoorAbility #HuntingCommunity #SpinalCordInjury #AccessibleOutdoors #OutdoorAdventuresForTheDisabled