30 years and court battle after last shot, NJ quadriplegic hunter is back behind the trigger

NJ quadriplegic hunter takes aim after 30 years

CLINTON, N.J. — It took 30 years, some technological advancements and a court battle for central New Jersey resident Jamie Cap to return to the sport he loves.

Cap was an avid hunter in his youth but became a quadriplegic after suffering an injury in a high school football game in 1979. He thought he wouldn’t be able to hunt again.

A few years ago he found a company that makes shotgun mounts operated by breathing tubes. But he was denied a firearms purchaser’s ID when he applied through police in Manville in 2007.

A judge eventually awarded him the ID last month, and Cap went out last week to take his first shots.

Helped by an able-bodied partner, Cap maneuvers the weapon by moving a toggle switch with his mouth and then fires by drawing air from the breathing tube.