Boy makes hunting “special” for his friends
Boy makes hunting “special” for his friends
By Tyler Frantz
Three years ago, young Nevin Burns harvested his very first deer on an Indiana County youth hunt. It was a thrilling moment for an eight-year-old boy. But after lunch, while most other kids were playing football in the yard, Nevin’s father, Dan, spotted his son sitting at a picnic table with a girl in a wheel chair, along with a small handful of other special needs children who couldn’t run around with the rest of the group.
When asked if everything was ok, Nevin explained to his Dad that his legs were sore, a result of his juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and that he was more comfortable sitting back and talking with his “new friends” instead of playing ball with the others. As spring turkey season approached, the Burns family learned that the youth gobbler hunt they were planning to attend had been cancelled due to a death in the family. At that point, Nevin suggested his father organize his own youth turkey hunt so the kids still had a place to go.
Somewhat reluctant to take on the tremendous task of organizing a turkey hunt for forty-some kids, Dan explained to his son that his idea might be a little too large-scale to pull off under such short notice.
“I don’t mean we should invite everyone,” Nevin explained. “I just want to take my friends along hunting. You know, the ones from the picnic table. The kids who are sick like me.”
This heartfelt request struck a chord with Dan- so much that he felt compelled to help his son’s dream come true. So later that year, Dan organized a fall deer hunt at a neighbor’s farm. Five of the seven kids attending killed a deer, and thus, the special non-profit “Nevin’s Hunting Friends” was officially born.
“A lot of people say, ‘Take a kid hunting or fishing,’ but they rarely take special needs kids outdoors,” Dan Burns said. “Some children have hardships that make it difficult to live an active lifestyle, but Nevin wanted to give those kids an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors like he has. I’m really proud of him.”
Based in Butler County, PA, Nevin’s Hunting Friends (NHF) pairs children with a medical condition 1:1:1 with a parent and a guide to hunt during the youth-only hunting seasons. Most kids have zero hunting experience prior to attending, but they are often successful. During the first spring turkey hunt, two of seven kids shot a gobbler. On last year’s deer hunt, seven out of ten shot deer, while the remaining three missed.
NHF is growing, as it now has a Board of Directors, support from the community and local churches, sponsorships from companies in the outdoor industry, and even a local pizza shop that donates lunch for the hunts.
“I cannot express the joyfulness of the people who help out,” Burns said. “We now have six adjoining farms who have posted their land for the kids to hunt, comprising roughly 3,200 acres in all. They all see Nevin’s dream coming true in his mission to share the outdoors with his friends.”
One of those people is Aaron Pasquarette, owner of Battle Creek Outdoors, who volunteered to guide and now serves on the board with Burns. He claims the experience has been incredible.
“Dan Burns contacted my group in early April last year,” Pasquarette said. “He asked if we could attend the turkey hunt after another group cancelled, and four of my guys were able to make it on short notice to film and guide the kids.”
“From there, our relationship has exploded, and we have taken on the filming, editing, and technical support for NHF. We donate our time and resources to help these kids succeed in the outdoors, but it’s very rewarding being part of something bigger than ourselves.”
Part of that includes filming each kid’s hunt, uploading it to Youtube and providing participants with a personal DVD to enjoy anytime they please.
“As a hunter, being able to look back at your hunts, good or bad, is one of the best gifts you can ask for,” Pasquarette explained. “Some of these kids will harvest their first gobbler or deer on video, and they will be able to relive it over and over because someone was there behind the camera.”
Recording the hunts allows Battle Creek Outdoors to promote NHF through social media to help draw more kids to the hunts as well as the sponsors that provide their gear, but it is the personal connection that made Pasquarette want to take on a more active role. “Anyone who has guided a youth can attest that there is no better feeling than seeing the joy on their face after a successful hunt,” he said. “I get more excited for them than when I’m behind the trigger myself.”
“You get to build a special friendship because Dan works to keep the same hunter and guide/cameraman together hunt after hunt. Going through hours of footage, you get to know the kids and their struggles, and sometimes it’s hard to hold back the tears,” Pasquarette said.
Now eleven years old, Nevin is having the time of his life. He loves seeing his friends find success and has aspirations of relieving his father of his presidential duties once he turns eighteen.
Meanwhile, Dad still has plenty of work to do as he prepares for the upcoming spring gobbler hunt, as well as a Family Fun Picnic/Fishing & Skeet Shooting Tournament planned for July.
“I think about what I can do next every day,” Burns said. “ I want to constantly make it better for these kids, for them to feel like they are professionals living the dream on every hunt. They are special kids and they deserve special treatment.”
To learn more about Nevin’s Hunting Friends, visit www.nevinshuntingfriends.com, or follow the organization on Youtube and Facebook.
0 Response to "Boy makes hunting “special” for his friends"
Post a Comment