Maria and Marty Dupertuis don’t shy away from the fact that raising an autistic son is a daunting task that often tests them to their limits.
Even so, they are completely devoted to their son, Marty Jr., 18.
The youngest of six children, he is in many ways still like a small child. He lives with his parents and will for the foreseeable future.
Marty told Cowboy State Daily that he struggled for years to find some way to bond with his son. Then he discovered Marty Jr. loves to go hunting just as much as he does.
“He’s really into trains and cars and stuff like that. It’s hard for me to relate to him, so hunting is the one passion we share,” he said. “It gets him away from the electronics that occupy his mind. I’ve been able to teach him responsibility and ethics. I can teach him things through hunting that I can really teach him at home.”
Most recently, father and son went elk hunting in the South Fork area near Cody. And Marty Jr. shot a 6-by-7 bull elk.
The way it came together seemed divine, the elder Marty said.
“We’re religious people, and I think that elk was sent to him. It just stood about 12 yards away and stayed there long enough for Marty Jr. to get a shot, he said. “I don’t believe in coincidence. It was amazing.”
Marty Jr. told Cowboy State Daily the hunt was an absolute thrill.
“It was pretty cool, because I’d never gotten to hear an elk bugle before,” he said. "There were elk bugling all around us. That was the first time in my life I heard elk bugle like that.”
An Extra Measure of Patience
Marty Jr. has the “gift of gab” and is generally friendly and personable, his father said.
“He has a low maturity level. He’s like a 7- or 8-year-old in an 18-year-old body,” he said.
The family lives between Powell and Deaver, and Marty is a taxidermist.
He and Maria are both retired from the military. All their other children are grown and gone.
So, they feel blessed to have time and energy to devote to Marty Jr., who is attending high school.
Maria said that as much as they teach their son, he’s taught them the value and rewards of dedication and patience.
“We thought we had patience with the other five kids, and then he came along,” Maria told Cowboy State Daily.
“He’s very impulsive. He has mood swings. If you try to push him out of his routine, he’ll have a meltdown,” the elder Marty said.
Teaching Marty Jr. new things might be a meticulous process, but once he learns something, he’s locked in, Marty noted.
“He’s excellent about firearms safety,” he said.
Spotting Game At 200 Yards
He also has “superpower” skill levels when it comes to spotting game, the elder Marty said.
“A squirrel at 200 yards? He’ll see that,” he said.
His parents say that along with the challenges, Marty Jr. has brought tremendous joy to them and everyone else who knows him.
“We got extremely lucky. And he’s lucky that he has such a magnetic personality,” Maria said.
“My biggest fear was that he was going to get picked on,” Marty said. “But he’s never been picked on. I think if anybody tried to pick on him, they’d have to fight the entire school, because he’s so popular.”
Marty Jr. said he loves spending time with his mom and dad.
"I like going hunting with my parents and getting animals to feed the family,” he said.
Maria said Marty Jr. goes with them just about everywhere.
Marty said his son still has much to learn before he can go hunting by himself, but that’s a goal they’re working toward.
Marty Jr. agreed that it would be great to apply everything he’s learned to going on a solo hunt, “but I’m not ready for that yet.”
Taking Hunting to the Next Level
Even as a young hunter with the additional challenge of autism, Marty Jr. is already accomplished, his father said.
He started off bagging whitetail deer and has since gotten just about every big-game species in Wyoming, including an elk prior to this year’s bull.
Marty Jr. has gun safety down pat but previously needed assistance aiming his rifle.
This year, his father decided he was ready to aim all on his own.
That being the case, he knew they’d have to hold out for a close shot, preferably within 50 yards. Finding such an opportunity can be a steep challenge.
Fortunately for Marty Jr., he drew an elk tag for an area with little hunting pressure. And they had permission to hunt on land owned by the Hoodoo Ranch.
Rifle selection was important too, Marty noted. His son needed something with enough power to quickly and humanely kill an elk, but without too much recoil.
Extreme recoil sensitivity is one effect of Marty Jr.’s autism, he said.
He settled on a custom rifle, built by the Cody-based Best of the West Arms, cambered for the 6.5-284 Norma cartridge.
When the time came, Marty Jr. made an excellent shot, and the bull went down almost immediately, his father said.
Now that he’s got a large bull elk under his belt, Marty Jr. said he’d like to try getting a bighorn sheep.
Working Toward Independence
Marty and Maria realize they aren’t going to be around forever, so they devote their time and energy to teaching Marty Jr. the knowledge and skills he’ll need to live on his own someday.
His father wryly noted that Marty Jr.’s passion for hunting was evident in his performance on written tests.
He’s struggled to pass the written test to get a Wyoming driver’s license but passed the test for hunter education on his second attempt, Marty said.
Maria said Marty Jr. has shown skill in driving and operating a skid steer on the family’s property, so she’s confident he’ll be capable of driving once he passes the written test.
“Our focus is to move him forward and make him as independent as possible within our lifetimes,” Maria said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
