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     Ussa Member Username: Ussa Post Number: 587 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 70.41.56.150  |
A hunting dream come true By DAN WOESSNER dwoessner@svnmail.com  David Goken makes sure the blanket covers every inch of the turkey carcass resting just inside the tailgate of the black truck. When it’s time to show off the bird, David runs to the truck and gives it a bear hug so tight that both the boy’s and the bird’s hearts are about to burst. For an afternoon, the 12-year-old Dixon boy was one of the guys. He was decked out in a camouflage jacket with matching pants and cap, and a pair of rubber boots. Written across the front of the cap in orange letters were the words “Dream Hunt 2009.” Goken, who lives with autism that affects his ability to speak clearly and has prevented him from passing the test for a hunting license, was one of six youths from across the Midwest to take part in the Dream Hunt, an event made possible by the Rock River Turkey Chapter and the United Special Sportsman Alliance on Friday and Saturday. The Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center in Oregon served as home base for the Dream Hunt. The youngsters and family members arrived on Thursday evening for a meet-and-greet and pizza party. They also were able to practice shooting. For some, it was their first time firing a gun. On Friday, each young hunter was matched with a local mentor and whisked to a blind somewhere in the Sauk Valley. Goken, asked to describe his hunt, displayed three fingers – indicating that when he made his kill, it was the third time he’d ever shot a gun. “He fired once on Thursday night for practice,” said Terry Day, a member of the Rock River Turkey Chapter who helped organize the hunt. “Then he had one shot that missed. But a little bit later, he got this one.” Day told the story – with Goken helping – as they looked at the bird in the truck’s bed. Goken pulled back the feathers around the turkey’s neck to show where he hit it. Adam Bally from Dixon mentored David, who was joined by his father, Matt, who works at the Dixon Correctional Facility. Bally is one of six local mentors, along with Rusty Cox, Gerry Grimm, Don Hall, Kent Humphrey and Gary Miller. “Usually he’s the one that has to sit around and watch,” Matt Goken said of his son. “I’ve taken him quite a bit when I go hunting. Today it was me that had to do the watching.” Whatever setbacks Goken’s disability causes are trumped by his enthusiasm for outdoor activity. “This means the world to him,” Matt Goken said. “He just loves doing anything that involves the outdoors. He plays soccer. He loves watching baseball games. He collects butterflies in the summer. He fishes. He just loves being outside.” David’s mother, Lori, and his 10-year-old sister, Melissa, were off on a girls’ weekend as David and Matt hunted. During the season, Melissa often accompanies her father. The Gokens plan on mounting the tail feathers of David’s turkey, keeping the spurs, and eating the rest of the bird. Goken was one of two boys to come back with a turkey on Friday. Travis Sharp, a more experienced hunter from Missouri, also got a good-sized bird. It was Sharp’s third try at turkey hunting, and his first bagged bird. “Third time was a charm, I guess,” Sharp said. “But I’m really glad to get this here with all these nice people. It was worth the wait.” Sharp has also taken part in Dream Hunts where deer and bears were the prey. Goken was the only local hunter at the weekend event. Luke Dobberstein and Logan Draught are from Wisconsin, Brandon Stacks is from Indiana, and Thomas Moslander is from Granite City, near St. Louis. Those four went back out on Saturday to try for their chance at a turkey. Three of the boys came back with birds. The Rock River Turkey Chapter hopes to make this a yearly event, aiming to attract 10 Dream Hunters. |
