Five young hunters came home with plenty of venison after a successful weekend in the woods as part of the annual Dream Hunt.
Hunters ventured out on Friday, Oct. 18, and Saturday, Oct. 19 to participate in the volunteer-run program, which aims to offer a unique hunting experience to critically ill or disabled youth and veterans.
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According to its website, the USSA aims to help families escape from the world of hospitals and high medical bills by giving them a place of peace to focus on the quality of life, family ties and the wonders of the natural world.
Jack Juberian has welcomed young hunters and their families to his home in Leonard for the annual Dream Hunt for the past four years.
This year, however, was especially memorable, because no one went home empty-handed.
‘The proof is in the smiles’
As friends and family trickled in on Friday night, they gathered in Juberian’s garage to mingle and tell stories of their hunt.
“There’s something about seeing young kids getting excited about something that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to do,” he said. “Just look around, you could say the proof is in the smiles.”
Juberian said his family loves hosting the event each year, noting that hunting can quickly form strong bonds.
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“I feel my family and I get more out of this than the participants,” he said. “By the time the kids come back from hunting they are playing in the garage and the yard like the best of friends. It’s one of the coolest things about this hunt — the friendships.”
While Juberian always looks forward to the annual program, the Dream Hunt is also a heavily anticipated event for the children involved.
“It’s fun and I get to bring meat home,” participant Kaleb Lockman said.
His mother, Amy, said that Kaleb could not contain his excitement ahead of the hunt Friday morning.
“He’s been so excited that this morning he got up at 5:30 a.m. and wanted to leave . . . so we got here two hours early and couldn’t get into the hotel,” Amy said with a laugh. “We went to Itasca State Park and saw Paul Bunyan . . . as soon as I brought him here he took off. He was just so excited.”
Volunteer Nolan Eck took Kaleb out on the field, with his excitement not wearing off in the slightest.
“Kaleb was a lot of fun, he was excited and high energy,” Eck said. “He was really involved in the hunt. He was glassing with the binoculars himself, looking for deer. He looked through the scope himself and found the deer. He was really good at locating the deer himself and didn’t have any problems.”
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Although it was not Kaleb’s first time hunting, it was his first buck.
“It was Kaleb’s first buck and he was super pumped,” Eck said. “When he shot it he yelled ‘I smoked him!’ and we waited in the stand to make sure he had expired.”
Kaleb’s involvement in the experience didn’t stop there. He was hands-on with the gutting process and was curious about where the two bullets behind the shoulder were.
“He was very involved in everything,” Eck said. “He helped me hold the legs back . . . he was interested in where the bullet went and where he hit him.”
Father-son bonding
Andy Roggenbuck and his son, Corbin, participated in the Dream Hunt for the second time this year.
Last time was Corbin’s first time hunting, and now he has a lot more experience under his belt.
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“Last year we came up to Jack’s and then this fall he did a black bear hunt in Wisconsin,” Andy said. “He’s becoming a better hunter every time we go.”
This year Corbin had a watchful eye and good hunter’s instincts. He recalled the animals he saw before his buck.
“I saw a turkey, five does and then the buck came in,” Corbin said. “I saw him and used one shot.”
For Corbin, using equipment designed for those with disabilities helps him find enjoyment in his hunting journey.
“He’s twelve and has Down syndrome, so he’s energetic and it can be tough, but he does well,” Andy said. “We use a scope from and they sell all kinds of specialty stuff for people with needs like amputees and paraplegics . . . they have everything.”
Juberian noted that the Dream Hunt can also serve as a fun day to escape the daily grind that most of the kids have each day; the Dream Hunt is for accessible hunting but also for a day of making relationships and focusing on feeling like a kid.
“The bond that these kids are making is a unique opportunity for kids to escape the daily grind, which is the reality for a lot of these kids with special needs or disabilities,” Juberian said. “We’ve had kids in the past who have a life-threatening illness, 364 days of the year thinking about their illness . . . but hopefully this can be one day they don’t have to think about it.”
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‘In the final hour’
Juberian was the volunteer paired with participant Chelsie Shrader on Friday. They came up short that night, not even seeing a single deer.
As the other Dream Hunt participants shared their hunting stories Friday night, Juberian knew he had to give Shrader another shot at getting her deer the next day.
“Despite not seeing any deer on our first day, her spirits remained high, never once complaining,” Juberian recalled. “In the final hour of our hunt, a big doe appeared out of the timber . . . Chelsie made an excellent 120-yard shot, dropping the deer with one shot.”
Juberian noted that her great attitude and excitement made the whole experience a blessing.
"I am thankful for the opportunity to share the hunt and first deer harvest with such a gracious and deserving young girl," he said. "What a blessing."
Juberian expressed his passion for hosting the event and shared that most of the participants over the years are still in contact with him.
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“I’d say 90% of the participants I’m in contact with, it’s all about making those friendships,” he said. “This is something we look forward to and when it’s Monday we are already planning for next year.”
The other volunteers have the same enthusiasm, noting that the Dream Hunt is the perfect kick-off for hunting season.
“I look forward to this every fall,” Eck said. “It’s a great way to start the deer season every year.”
Juberian emphasized that the Dream Hunt was made possible by the local landowner sponsors: Rogstad Land Services, Johnson Farms, Lundmark Farms, and Bob and Sandy Granley.
“This is a way to bring everybody together,” Juberian left off. “The kids just love it.”
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