TWIN FALLS (AP) - While many people were thinking about their gifts neatly wrapped under the tree in the days before Christmas, Bo Jones was thinking about ducks.

Hunting has become a welcome respite from the thoughts that usually dominate his mind, from his post-traumatic stress disorder to his rigorous physical therapy aimed at stabilizing him on prosthetic legs.

The calm that hunting provides is a perpetual gift.

"It gives me a chance to just release and not think about all the little things that drive me crazy," the Twin Falls soldier said Dec. 12 in a phone interview from San Antonio.

An antipersonnel mine robbed Jones of his legs in February 2012. The U.S. Army specialist was injured on patrol in southern Afghanistan. Doctors were able to save his left arm, but his bones are fused at the elbow. Slowly, Jones has started to walk again.

Jones made headlines in September when the local "Bo's Dream Team" bought him a three-wheeled motorcycle after a year of fundraising. It was one of the many things Jones' supporters have done to make his life normal again. Jones said he was overwhelmed by the gift.

"It means a lot," he told the Times-News. "I can't wait to get up on it."

When Jones came home last Christmas, he and his father, Tim, went duck hunting, bagging 17 the first day and 11 the next.

"We had just a dynamite time," Tim said. "It was the first time I've seen him super relaxed. That outdoor therapy, you can't beat it."

Jones was a troublemaker in high school. Tim said he did the best he could as a single father, working constantly and going through a rocky divorce. The two didn't spend as much time together as Tim would have liked, and Jones' attention at school waned.

"I had my hands full with him," Tim said.

At the time, Jones had no interest in the outdoors. Not until a year-and-a-half ago did he start hunting and fishing, thanks to the encouragement and support of organizations dedicated to helping wounded veterans. The anticipation of his next hunt helps him keep his head up.

"The guys from Serve Outdoors, they do as much as they possibly can to help facilitate getting me and other veterans out hunting," he said. "They are some of the most unselfish people I know."

Jones' new passion isn't only about taking down monster elk or sending ducks plummeting. Many of the people he has met on hunting trips have become as close as family because of the experiences they share. The trips rekindle the bond that enlisted men and women form in combat, he said.

"It gives you some of that brotherhood back," he said.

What's more, it reminds Jones that he still can harness his training. Firing off a few rounds can be therapeutic in that way, he said.

"A lot of us injured guys are combat soldiers, and we're used to having a gun in our hands all the time," he said. "When we get hurt, we don't get to shoot our guns anymore."

Over time, Jones said, he has started to encourage other veterans to get outdoors.

"That's kind of my way of giving back," he said. "Eventually, once my rehab slows down and everything, I would like to either become a part of it or a volunteer for it."

Jones also wants to help troubled youth discover the outdoors, giving them something to do besides causing mischief as he once did. He said he hopes to make a dent in the area's problems with youth drug and alcohol use.

Tim said his son's thoughts of helping the Magic Valley's troubled youth are part of his increasing focus on the future - a change from living surgery to surgery.

"We have talked to quite some extent that he's got to start thinking about what he wants to do with his life, because it is not going to be the same life as when he left for the Army," Tim said. "He is not always going to be up there at the medical center."

Part of that future is becoming clearer. In September, Jones proposed to girlfriend Audrey Longaker, an Air Force medic, in front of a San Antonio water fountain after a nice dinner.

"I was nervous, but I knew it was right," he said.

Eventually, after Jones is discharged from the Army in about two years, he hopes to move to Mountain Home, the closest place to home where Longaker could transfer, he said.

That makes Tim happy. He and his son are hunting and motorcycle-riding "buddies" and love to spend time together when they can.

"As any parent would normally do, we think about our kids and want the best for them and we worry about them," Tim said. "Having Bo in this unique situation, it makes it even more stressful. There are times when he needs me to be there with him, and it is hard because I can't do it.

"We'll go hunting on the weekends and build motorcycles together."