Treankler finds success with Disabled Deer Hunt
Travis Treankler, 32, of Abbotsford, had a wonderful experience during a special deerhunt for disabled hunters the weekend of Nov. 8-10.
Many family members, including his parents, Dwight and Vicky Treankler, his wife, Brandi, and their daughter, Claire, came along to cheer him on. Late Sunday afternoon, Travis bagged a nice 9-point trophy buck.
The hunt was held at Little Lakes Memories (LLM) of Irma, and was sponsored by the Central Wisconsin Fur, Fin and Feather (CWF3), of Stratford.
Jason Treankler, of Abbotsford, wrote a letter to CWF3 officials following their annual banquet last year notifying them of Travis' condition. Vicky completed a disabled hunting application to LLM, which was approved on Sept. 23, 2024.
“Ever since Travis was a young boy, he has been an outdoor enthusiast who always loved doing outdoor activities with his dad,” Vicky wrote. “He would sit up in the treestand with his dad, soaking in all the knowledge he could until he was at the appropriate age to hunt himself.'
After passing his hunter's safety test, Dwight gave him a 30-06 Remington pump action rifle, which he used to shoot his first trophy 8-point buck.
In 2020, Travis and Brandi purchased 48 acres of land in rural Stratford, with the dream of hunting and eventually building a house on the property. In the first few years, Travis and his dad harvested two bucks and three does there.
“Travis is fussy,” Dwight said. “He always wants to shoot the big one.”
They constructed 11 tree stands and planted over 1,000 trees on the property. On Nov. 25, 2022, Travis and Brandi went hunting there together.
“I was 8-1/2 months pregnant at the time,' Brandi chuckled. “Travis was worried I wouldn't fit through the tree stand hole. He had to give me an extra push.”
A day later, after a family get-together, their lives radically changed. Travis experienced an arteriovenous (AVM) rupture in his brain and suffered a massive stroke. He was rushed to the Marshfield Medical Center via Central Wisconsin EMS ambulance. Crew members resuscitated him several times during the 25-minute trip.
Travis was in a coma in the intensive care unit for a number of days. Overall, he was hospitalized for 252 days, including nine months at the Marshfield Hospital and a month at a specialty care facility in Madison, where he was gradually weaned from a breathing machine.
At the time of his incident, Travis worked in construction as a member of the North-Central States Regional Carpenters Union. He is now on full disability, as the stroke caused permanent damage to portions of his brain. He is unable to walk on his own and his eyesight is severely weakened.
“He was given only a 1 percent to 4-percent chance of surviving,” Vicky wrote. “Travis used all he could and fought his hardest. He pushes himself each day since then to try and get better. He has come an exceptional way with all that he has been through. Travis and his family will never give up hope.”
Claire was born at Marshfield Medical Center 13 days after his stroke occurred. Family members attended a meet-and-greet event at LLM on Oct. 6. They toured the lodge and went into the woods to check out the hunting blinds.
“I got very excited about hunting again,' Travis said. “It sounds like it will be a good experience. I sure am hungry for some fresh venison.”
Prior to the hunt, Abbotsford members of the Central Fire and EMS stopped by their house in Abbotsford to present Travis with a special lap quilt to keep him warm in the woods.
After getting a good night’s sleep, Travis and his support crew were ready for the hunt. On the first day they saw six deer, but none in the trophy category. Despite perfect weather, the second day was not productive either.
Rain moved in on Sunday, Nov. 10, restricting the hunt. They took a 4-wheeler from the LLM lodge area to the blinds area.
A special scope system was set up for Travis’ 30-06 rifle, with a screen about the size of an iPhone. When a deer comes through and appears in the large crosshairs, Dwight gives Travis the thumbs up to pull the trigger.
When testing the system at a rifle range several weeks before the hunt, Travis shot the target’s bullseye three times in a row.
Sitting around the kitchen table Saturday, CWF3 members said the disabled hunt with Travis could continue later in the year to bag that trophy buck. They explained the CWF3 mission and how their involvement in a disabled hunt works.
CWF3 was founded as a nonprofit orga- nization in 2007 by sportspeople who had a common interest in supporting outdoor sports in the local area. By volunteering and fundraising to support these activities, CWF3 gets outdoor athletes involved in their community and ensures that the funds raised are used for a plethora of local causes that support this mission.
CWF3 also aims to educate the public on the best practices they can take to leave the great outdoors better than they found it, and to protect, renew and build safe habitats for all creatures to flourish. They promote safety and ethical sportsmanship among their members and to the public by informing and modeling best practices.
CWF3 members fund projects to make the outdoors accessible and safe for everyone.
Board members include Jesse Kittl, Joe Lemmermaker, Chad Pagelsdorf, Eric Totzke, Chris Brandner, Chris Esselman and Matt Schnabel. Kittl said past CWF3 experiences have included disabled hunts for deer, turkey, pheasant, and hog, plus numerous fishing trips. They have helped with docks at Sportsman's Lake and have assisted in stocking fish.
CWF3 is also involved in youth archery and trap shooting. CWF3 has monthly meetings, which rotate in area businesses and homes. Their main fundraiser is the annual banquet held on the second weekend in March. There are 180 tickets sold for the event. Pagelsdorf said you can go to their CWF3 website to get on a ticket waiting list.
He said the club tries to keep things local, purchasing meat, groceries and other supplies from area vendors. He emphasized that in Travis’ disabled hunt and other similar events, there is no money out of pocket for families.
LLM will pay for venison processing and a head mount, with CWF3 paying all other expenses, including lodging and the wonderful steak and shrimp dinner for family members held on Saturday evening.
“It is important for us to sponsor a nice family experience, bringing everyone together in a relaxing atmosphere and having some fun,” Kittl said.
CWF3 encourages people to contact them about providing a special outdoors experience for disabled people and others, including veterans.
“Sometimes, when we find candidates, especially veterans, they say there has to be someone more deserving than me,” Kittl said.
He said the best ways to contact CWF3 are via email at info@cfw3.com or by phone at 715-316-1599.
LLM is a non-profit organization providing lodging, recreation and hunting to physically challenged individuals. It provides periods of respite and relief by incorporating the natural resources of Little Lakes Ranch and Lodge.
The hunting experience creates lifetime memories for people and their families. It revitalizes a feeling of accomplishment for those like Travis who would otherwise be unable to successfully participate in hunting. LLM offers these opportunities at no cost, often in partnership with other organizations, allowing financially-challenged families to participate.
The officers and board members of LLM are all unpaid volunteers. They share the goal of providing lifetime memories for as many families as possible.
The lodge is two stories. A ramp takes you to a large deck that overlooks the preserve. The sliding glass door is wide enough to provide wheelchair access. The main level has a fireplace, large living room and kitchen. Bedrooms are located in the loft area.
During Travis’ hunting experience, the lodge was unavailable, so arrangements were made to house his family members and sponsors at a spacious Airbnb a few miles from the 110-acre enclosed hunting preserve.
For more information about LLM or to obtain a disabled hunting application form, contact board president Dick Busha at dickbusha@ gmail.com or at 715-218-1522.
Travis holds daughter Claire surrounded by family and CWF3 members and their wives after the hunt on Saturday evening. PHOTO BY TODD SCHMIDT
