Hunt of a Lifetime

[coueshunter]

Amanda/wetmule: I have had a couple email discussions with Don Martin about Hunt of a Lifetime that is in need of some extra guides and money to help this worthwhile cause. From what I understand about Hunt of a Lifetime, it is for kids that have a terminal illness and who want to have a chance at hunting before their time on earth is up. I feel real passionate about kids and especially ones with terminal illness, so I thought between all the people here on CW and the Arizona Deer Association, maybe we could get things rolling and fund 2,000.00 for this worthy cause. I personally will help out on the hunts in areas I know like Kaibab, unit 1, etc... and I know between all the good people like Coosefan, wetmule, AZguide, CouesKrazy, etc that we have enough people that can guide or help out to make the hunts a success for the kids. Anyway, I dont know where to take it from here other than Don Martin needs a little help with funding/guides etc and between all of us I know we can make it happen. Maybe bring it up in the next ADA meeting. Pete C. is an aquaintance or good friend of Don's, maybe SFW could fund this.......................Allen Taylor............

[COOSEFAN]

Hey Allen.....I'm still here waiting for my ride......this is a great idea! Ever since I saw Coues Crazy's guided hunt he did for the organization on Exreme Bulls 3, I've been really interested. I love helping kids and especially with special needs, it does your heart good! Let me know what comes up or what is needed and My guided service and myself will do whatever we can! Again, great idea, let me know, JIM>

[GRONG]

Last year my Dad and I guided a kid with Hodgkins Disease in 22 for bull elk for HOAL. It was a cool experience and the local businesses chipped in with free food and dinners at local restaraunts. If they can find a guide that will do the hunt I think most of the time the local merchants help out enough that the only thing donated on the guide's part is his time and expertise.

[CouesWhitetail]

It is a great idea Allen. I won't be able to attend the next ADA meeting (going to Alaska!) and I don't think Kevin will be there either (he will be in Africa I think), but perhaps you could ask Don to come to the meeting and check with the board. Or just have him ask Pete to bring it up.

 

Sounds like we have enough guides willing to donate time.

 

Amanda

[TLH]

Folks,

 

I am the Public Information Officer for the Arizona Chapter of HOAL and what you all are doing is absolutely wonderful. If you need any specifics about the HOAL all you have to do is go to our site here in Arizona--that site addy is http://www.hoalarizona.org/ this should give all of you an idea as to what the Organization is all about. Don is in charge of our guides and outfitters--but if you look at the officers on the link you will notice some other familiar names as well.

 

I would recommend contacting Terry Petko for any donations that you might want to help us with--Terry is the main contact for Arizona and with out him this organization may not have been brought to Arizona.

 

Also, for any of you that want to help me and my fellow guides in unit 1 we have a muzzle loader tag for a young man and we will be doing our best to get him on a good bull.

 

Here is the national link http://www.huntofalifetime.org/

 

Thanks folks!

[CouesWhitetail]

Terry,

 

I checked out your website and noticed you have a "donate a tag" button. Is it really possible to donate a tag? I have a Unit 32 javelina tag for this fall that I can't use (due to my deer tag in another unit) and have been wishing I could give it to someone, but as far as I knew you could only give your tags to your children.

 

I would be glad to donate my tag to HOAL if you think it would be helpful.

 

Amanda

[TLH]

Amanda, here is how it all got started!! Yes, you can donate your tag now because of this law. Read on:

 

 

New Law Fulfills Dreams of Hunting

"3 ailing boys will go on big-game hunts now that tags can be transferred"

 

(written by)Robbie Sherwood

The Arizona Republic Aug. 7, 2005

 

 

Ryan Hayden, 14, dreams of trekking through Arizona's wild forests, his rifle at the ready, on the hunt for a bull elk. An 18-month battle with leukemia has kept that dream from coming true for the northern California ninth-grader. But a change in Arizona law that takes effect on Friday will allow hunters to donate their big-game tags to youngsters like Hayden who are battling life-threatening illnesses. Now, Hayden will be among the first three boys, all from out of state, to benefit from the new compassionate transfer of hunting licenses law approved by the Legislature in the spring. "I've been hunting since I was 10, mostly duck hunting with my dad and stuff like that, but I've never really done a big-game hunt," said Hayden, whose leukemia is in remission. "We tried, but we've never gotten a tag. Hopefully I'll at least get to see an elk.

 

"A non-profit organization in Pennsylvania called Hunt of a Lifetime has organized and paid for Hayden's hunt in December below the Mogollon Rim. Guided elk hunts can run anywhere from $3,500 to $8,000.

 

Hunt of a Lifetime came about after Phoenix-based Make-a-Wish Foundation stopped providing big-game hunts over concerns about safety and liability, and in the wake of negative publicity over a boy's wish in 1996 to hunt a Kodiak bear in Alaska. Hunt of a Lifetime has helped nearly 200 seriously ill youngsters go hunting in the past five years, founder Tina Pattison said.

 

Arizona hunting tags were not transferable before the change. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, quietly pushed to change that. But the real force behind the new law has been Terry Petko, a 48-year-old environmental safety manager and outdoorsman from Mesa. A friend from Montana had once helped a terminally ill young man from the East Coast go on a hunt, and Petko wanted to do the same thing here if he could. He quickly found out from the state Game and Fish Department he couldn't, not without a change to the law. Not knowing any lawmakers, or much about the legislative process, Petko logged on to a legislative Web site and found out how to submit a bill idea and find a sponsor. "I started from scratch," Petko said. "I can't tell you how many people I called."

 

His search eventually led him to Biggs, who agreed in 2004 to run the bill. That attempt bogged down, but the pair tried again this year and this time got the votes.

 

Now Petko has become Arizona's Ambassador for Hunt of a Lifetime and is coordinating the first hunts allowed under the new law. Part of his new role is getting the word out to hunters who might be willing to donate hunting tags. Petko has so far used word of mouth, but he plans on giving a talk to a large group of hunters at a local meeting of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation later this month.

 

One hunter who has already stepped up is Don Martin of Kingman. Martin owns Arizona Wildlife Outfitters and has volunteered to take one of the three boys, who asked not to be identified, on a guided mule deer hunt this fall on the Kaibab Plateau. Martin also has offered something even more personally valuable, his own hunting tag for a special muzzle-loader elk hunt on the Navajo Army Depot near Flagstaff. Only about four tags per year are granted for the early hunt, and even avid sportsmen can go their whole lives without being drawn. "I've been hunting since I was a kid and this is the first premium muzzle-loader tag I've ever drawn in Arizona," Martin said. "But it doesn't matter. If I can be out there with a kid who has those challenges, it truly would be a hunt of a lifetime. For a special kid, it's a no-brainer for me."

 

 

 

Ambassadors note: As is often the case with our youngsters, situations and plans change on a moments notice. Ryan Hayden wound up going to New Mexico on his Elk hunt and our first Elk hunter here in Arizona using the new tag transfer provision was Justin Richardson with a early Bull Elk muzzleloader tag donated by Don Martin of Kingman.

[az4life]

Topics like this just show what a great bunch of people frequent here.

 

You folks are the best!

[KGAINES]

Allen I will bring it up at the next ADA meeting, I read about it in one of the local az magazines and it seems like an awesome way to help these kids and their families.

[shortpants]

Like Coosefan (Jim) stated Mullins Guide Service will do anything they can to help. I'm ''IN'' Jim! Hey TLH good luck on that muzz. tag. I don't think I'll be in unit 1 this year but if I hear anything I'll keep you in mind.

[TLH]

Like Coosefan (Jim) stated Mullins Guide Service will do anything they can to help. I'm ''IN'' Jim! Hey TLH good luck on that muzz. tag. I don't think I'll be in unit 1 this year but if I hear anything I'll keep you in mind.

 

Shortpants,

 

We should do pretty good in 1 with our young hunter--we have a very good person in Springerville that will be riding shotgun with us, his awesome wife donated the tag to the HOAL and he wants to be there to see the joy on the hunters face.

 

There is a story in the Western Hunter Magazine and there is one in the last issue of Arizona Outdoorsman Magazine.

 

Thanks for the well wishes!!!!

[SunDevil]

I have a unit 1 turkey tag that I probably am not going to use and would be more than willing to donate? Let me know if you are interested. CB

[mzlloader]

Josh ya hit the nail right smack on the head

 

I will have the Honor this year of taking a young man from wisconsin it unit 4b for a early muzzleloder bull hunt, I am really looking foward to helping out with this great cause. and like josh said, Once the word got around, a lot of local bussiness here in wickenburg and Prescott have stepped up and have donated Food, and even a local gas company here is going to take care of all gas expenses,

 

I have been on the phone several times with the young man, and I tell you this, each and every time I have a big ol lump in my throat when I get done talking to him,

 

and Like Terry said if you have a tag and you are not going to use it, get a hold of Terry Petko and donate it. you will help make a young persons Dream come true,

 

 

R L Gray

Arizona Trophy Hunter Guide and Scouting Svc

Owner/Guide

[coueshunter]

I just exchanged some emails with the ADA people (Terry Herndon in particular) and HOA needs to get some people to this years ADA deer hunters clinic and set up a table. You can have the table and entry all free and pass on the great work HOA is doing. I am pretty sure Kevin Harris-ADA president will get the message and vote around to get some money over to HOA. I challenge Pete Cimellaro to get some money from SFW over to HOA as well. I know Chris Denham can help "lobby" Pete. I doubt there will be any objections to funneling non-profit money from one organization to another for this cause. I havent heard anything else back from Don Martin about whether he needs any more help from outfitters/guides but as to getting a few dollars over to HOA from our local conservation groups, I think the ball is rolling..........Allen.....

[TLH]

Allen,

 

I will be there to hand out the info at the ADA clinic--i will just get a bad case of buck fever or something and call in sick for the day. I hate swing shift but that is the shift i work.

 

R.L.

 

If you need any help with that 4B muzzy hunt i know a guide that will be working with me on the archery hunt in the same unit for another HOAL hunter--i could use some help the first weekend of this hunt by the way. Richard Kauffman will be in there on an archery hunt with his Dad and he will be helping the HOAL with the hunter we have--he is also pre-scouting the unit for a client of ours that has a late rifle tag so i am sure he would love to be of assistance if you need any help at all.

 

I am sending out an invitation to any of you that would like to help with any of these hunts--you are more than welcome to come up and be a part of this fantastic event--i could always use another set of eye's and a strong back to haul these big boys out with (elk i mean)

 

If any of you are interested in coming up for the archery hunt or the muzzy hunt just let me know--you can email me at arizonaoutfitter@cox.net

 

Allen, thanks again for helping this great group!