This 11-year-old didn't let cerebral palsy stop him from hunting.
Pennsylvania's Lucas McCormick is much like many 11-year-olds these days. He loves video games and hopes to be a YouTube star one day. Although he's already a star in the hunting world after he harvested his first buck ever this season.
Unfortunately, Lucas has cerebral palsy. However, this did not stop him from wanting to hunt. And his dad Daniel was determined to make it happen.
Once he was successful, they posted photos of the sixth grader's harvest to the Internet where they instantly went started inspiring legions of hunters across the country. Hear more of Lucas' story in the video below, which also shows the unique custom shooting setup used to help him bag this buck.
It's safe to say Lucas' life has been full of hurdles. As WTAJ reports, he only weighed 1 pound, 14 ounces at birth and was born extremely early at only 26 weeks. Doctors suspected early on he would have suffer cerebral palsy and at one year old, he was officially diagnosed.
"It's amazing what he goes through, and he smiles through everything," Lucas' mom Kayla McCormick told the news station.
When Lucas wanted to go hunting, his father put together the custom system to help him do just that. Cerebral palsy affects a person's balance and movements. If often makes the muscles extremely weak. Shouldering a rifle is obviously not an option, which is why the system his father made that uses a simple press of a button to pull the trigger of a Savage rifle. The system also has a screen so Lucas can see the deer and where he's aiming before he pushes the button to pull the trigger.
Kayla didn't think much of it when she posted Lucas' buck to the PA Trophy Takers Facebook page. That was until Lucas' picture started spreading across the Internet like wildfire. Kayla told the news station she has received thousands of messages from people who said the photos of Lucas and his buck made their day.
"I even had a veteran say he has really down days and just seeing his smile made his day," she told the news station.
The boy's successful hunt has gotten so much attention, taxidermist Swarthout's Skull Works is doing a Euro mount of the buck for free. The family and Lucas are thrilled Lucas' story is positively reaching so many people around the world in the meantime.
"He's amazed by the views," Kayla said.
A big congratulations to Lucas on his buck from all of us here at Wide Open Spaces. Way to go buddy!
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For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
NEXT: YOUNG HUNTER FREAKS OUT AFTER SMOKING A 9-POINTER WITH A .350 LEGEND
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