Inspirational, fun, spiritual, self disciplined, and family are just a few words describing the first 2009 Northern Illinois Dream Hunt conducted the last weekend in March. The Rock River Turkey Chapter of the NWTF, partnered with the United Sportsman Alliance, (USSA) hosted a Wheelin Sportsman’s event for six (6) disabled or critically ill kids. This spring turkey hunt was supplied to the kids at no cost to their families. Families and mentors were all housed and fed at the Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center in Oregon, IL. This facility is set back in the woods with abundant wildlife surrounding us all week-end. Meals were served family style with families, mentors and center staff, all enjoying stories of what each child saw or did during the day, providing laughter, smiles and even tips on how to bag that big bird.
The weekend started out on Thursday night with a “MEET & GREET”. This is a ceremony for families, kids, mentors and all the donors, volunteers and DNR to meet for the first time. Leading up to this, only phone conversations or emails have been conducted between the families, kids and their mentors. DNR staff give a short speech and answer questions concerning the laws involved with the hunt. Several speakers welcome everyone, each child was presented with a table full of donated gifts, prayer is said before everyone is treated to pizza and pop. By the end of the program it seems as if everyone has known each other for years. After the Meet & Greet everyone headed for the bunk houses to hopefully get some sleep. But anticipation of what tomorrow may bring kept many kids as well as the mentors awake way into the night.
Friday starts at 4:00 a.m. as some of the hunting ground is an hour away. Continental style breakfast is served to the hunters and mentors in one of the meeting rooms and lunches prepared by the Lee County 4-H were picked up as each child and mentor wished each other good luck. We knew some kids would harvest their bird almost as soon as they got settled in their blind, while others may take all weekend, if they got one at all. While their families waited anxiously in the dining hall, the first call came in at 7:00 a.m. David Goken of Dixon IL, (mentor Adam Bally) had gotten the first bird, a nice mature tom. Cheers went up and each family hoped the next call would be their child. Around 8:00 a.m. the second call came in. Travis Sharp of Clark MO (mentor Gerry Grimm) had also taken a nice tom. Illinois state law says hunting must end at 1:00 p.m. so we had two (2) happy hunters for the day. Back at the camp there were congratulations from everyone as the two boys proudly showed off their birds to everyone. Once the excitement subsided, a local dog trainer, Earl Thomas, put on a dog demonstration with his labs. Then everyone went up the road to the Considine deer farm where each child got to pet and feed the deer. Back to camp for a family style supper and stories galore from the young hunters.
Saturday morning four (4) hunters and their mentors hit the woods, each hoping for their turn to bag a big bird. A little after 7:00 a.m. Luke Doberstein of Waupaca WI (mentor Rusty Cox) took his bird. Shortly after that, Thomas Moslander of Granite City IL took his bird with a crossbow (mentor Donald Hall). No other birds were taken for the day. As the boys came back to camp to show off their birds, more smiles and congrats greeted each of them. Saturday afternoon we tried fishing at the outdoor center pond but the temps were dropping as a snow storm was moving in, so no fish were caught, but the families had a good time trying. We then headed into Dixon to a local archery shop (Big Horn Archery) and with the assistance of Ray Thompson, a Martin Archery pro shooter, each kid as well as their siblings tried their hand at shooting a bow. Because of the storm coming in, a few of the families decided to head home. The two families without birds wanted to stay and try one more time in the morning.
Sunday arrived with blowing snow and cold temps BUT the two hunters and their mentors headed out, each anticipating getting their bird. Brandon Stacks of Crown Point IN (mentor Kent Humphrey) took the biggest bird of the weekend. That meant only one more hunter needed to get his bird. But with the storm not letting up, and no birds to be heard or seen, Logan Draght of Hewitt WI (mentor Gary Miller) did not get his bird. Gary asked him, “Do you want to come back next spring and try again?” After three days of hunting hard and close to freezing, this 12 year old gave him a BIG smile and yelled YES!, concluding a great weekend for all.
To put on this hunt, a lot of money was needed to buy blinds and provide food and lodging. But the community and many local organizations came together to provide these children and their families a lifetime experience. The organizations and businesses providing financial support and need a HUGE THANK YOU are:
NWTF Super Fund
Lee County Pheasants Forever
Ogle County Pheasants Forever
Kodiak Outdoors
Masonic Lodge of Dixon and Coins for Children Fund
Rock River Ready Mix
AFSCME Local 817
Woodcrafters
Thanks also go out to our land owners who donated the use of their land for this special hunt: Mr. & Mrs. Craig Walters, Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Schave, Carl & Marion Harmon and the Byron Forrest Preserve. Special thanks to DNR for providing tags and licenses, also to Mike Barlow, local taxidermist, who donated fan mounts for all who harvested a turkey, Earl Thomas and his dogs, Big Horn Archery and Ray Thompson, Damian and Roberta Considine and their deer, LOMC staff and all who volunteered.
If you are thinking of hosting an event like this, research all your laws, talk to DNR, call NWTF and have faith that all your ideas will work out. For more information on the USSA, check out www.childwish.com.
