The United Special Sportsmen Alliance (USSA) hosted its 22nd annual Illinois Dream Hunt from October 11th to 14th near Harrisburg. Twenty special hunters and their parents or guardians traveled from five states to participate in the exciting hunt. Their mentors, volunteers, and landowners eagerly await their arrival.
In preparation for the hunt, they conducted extensive groundwork, which included planting food plots, scouting the area, setting up trail cameras, and positioning hunting blinds in optimal locations where deer had been observed.
Before sunrise on the opening morning of the deer hunt, Nickalus, his father Andrew, and his mentor Shannon Rome sat quietly in the blind, patiently waiting to see a deer. As the first light of day broke, Andrew pointed out that a deer had appeared in front of their blind. Filled with excitement and with his mentor by his side, Nicklaus successfully bagged a nice 4-point buck, creating an unforgettable moment for the young hunter. His father expressed his gratitude, saying, “I am forever grateful and can’t thank you enough.”
Harlem, his grandfather, and their mentors, Josh McClusky and his daughter Haylie, sat in a hunting blind overlooking a food plot with a few decoys set out. Around 7:30 a.m., a buck came into view and turned broadside at about 60 to 65 yards. Harlem remained calm and made an incredible shot. The 7-point buck ran only 15 yards before dropping. Josh remarked, “He was very excited—one of the most enthusiastic kids I’ve ever mentored; it was a great moment.” Afterward, they climbed out of the blind, walked into the woods, and took pictures with Harlem and his deer.
Adrian sat in a pop-up blind with his mentors, Jesse Sais and his daughter, Jacie. After seeing no deer movement, they decided to head back to camp. Suddenly, they spotted a doe crossing the road and entering an open food plot nearby. Adrian remained calm and took a perfect shot, although he experienced a bout of “buck fever” shortly afterward. Jesse and Jacie were thrilled to share Adrian’s experience of getting his first deer.
On Saturday at 2:00 p.m., Poppy, his grandpa Todd, and his mentor, Rick Stillman, returned to their deer blind. Rick had told them that deer tended to appear midafternoon on his property. As soon as they arrived, they spotted some deer near the blind, and Poppy felt excited. Todd said, “After about half an hour of sitting in the blind, we spotted a spike buck crossing the food plot. Shortly after that, we saw a yearling doe. About ten minutes later, Rick noticed another deer milling around in the timber. The doe stepped out about 15 yards in front of us, presenting a perfect shot. Poppy made an excellent hit, and the doe only ran about 50 to 60 yards before we found her lying down. Naturally, Poppy did his victory dance at that moment.”
Lucky, his mother, and his mentor, Allen Jones, returned to their blind later in the afternoon. It wasn’t long before a beautiful deer appeared in the field. Lucky was so excited that he could hardly contain himself. As the deer approached, Allen carefully lifted the window and advised the young man to remain calm and quiet. When the deer came within shooting range, Lucky steadied himself and squeezed. The arrow flew through the air and struck the deer in the perfect spot. Lucky was overjoyed and prayed over the deer, thanking God for providing his family with meat. 
Kristofur said, “We were sitting in the blind when I told my two mentors, Taylor and Randy Harris, that I felt there was a deer on the hill to our right that we couldn’t see. About two minutes later, a big seven-point buck walked up, so I put the gun to my shoulder and looked through the scope. I asked Taylor to stop the deer, so he went, “BAAAA.” My crosshairs were right where I needed to shoot it, so I pulled the trigger, and I just saw a big flash and heard a boom, and Randy and Taylor said that I made a great shot, just as they had hoped. It was alot of fun getting my deer, going over to see it in the woods, and being able to help drag it out. Then, while Randy and Taylor went to get the truck, I danced and yelled, “I got a buck. I got a buck. I got a buck!” Yeah, that was my favorite part.”
Eli had a doe come within shooting range, but when he took his shot, he missed, and the deer ran away. He felt anxious and worried that this might be his only chance to help feed his family. His mentor, Chris Spanel, explained that hunting requires patience, restraint, and time. It is called “hunting” for a reason, and success is not guaranteed. Eli’s mother and Chris encouraged him to reset and be easier on himself. Not long after, another deer presented itself, and with his nerves settled, Eli successfully dropped the 3-point buck. He helped follow the blood trail and was joyful when he saw his deer lying in the grassy field.
Allayah and her mentors, Tyler and Mckenzie Tuttle, were seated in one hunting blind, while her twin brother, Hayden, was in another blind with their mother and their mentors, Jeremiah and Haley Hanks. As the sun set over the horizon, deer appeared in the fields. The first to come into view was a doe directly out in front of Allayah. Following her mentors’ guidance, she pulled the trigger on the 20-gauge shotgun and made an excellent shot. After carefully securing the deer in the UTV, Allayah felt excited when they let her drive it back to camp. 
Meanwhile, Hayden was equally excited and tried hard to stay quiet as a nice three-pointer appeared on the field nearby. Hayden sighted the deer with his mentors’ assistance and made a perfect shot. He was overjoyed with his buck! Their mother exclaimed, “We all had an amazing time, and the crew in Harrisburg truly touched our hearts!”
Henry recounted, “The weather was quite warm that morning, and we were filled with high hopes. Braiden, his mentor Brian Walker, and I hunted until around 10 a.m., but we saw no deer. We returned to camp for an early lunch. When we arrived back at the stand, the temperature was a warm 75 degrees, which wasn’t ideal for deer hunting. After two hours of waiting, we heard a deer running and spotted a small doe, but Braiden wanted to hold out for a buck. An hour later, a small buck appeared, but it wasn’t a good shot opportunity. Finally, around dusk, Braiden had a clear chance and took his shot. After waiting a while, we began tracking the deer, and eventually, Brian found it—a 3-point buck. We were all smiles, and both Brian and I felt proud to have hunted with him.”
Tanner, his dad, and their mentor, Aaron Snider had been observing deer crossing the middle of the field during each outing, typically about 50 yards from their blind. On Sunday morning, they spotted deer emerging from the woods and stopping right in the center of the field, providing a perfect broadside shot. Aaron readied the rifle and asked Tanner if this was the deer he wanted to shoot. Tanner replied affirmatively and took the shot, hitting the deer in the ideal spot, and it went down in the field. When asked about the best part of the hunt, Tyler added, “Sitting in the shooting blind, watching for deer, and seeing the farmer across the pasture trying to run over a skunk.”
Mason and his parents and mentor, Garrett Walker, could not get on a deer on Saturday. However, the young hunter remained optimistic that he would have his chance. His confidence paid off that morning when a doe appeared within shooting distance. He was very excited, but his mentor helped him stay calm and focused as he took a perfect shot. His mother expressed her gratitude, stating, “Garrett was absolutely wonderful and patient with Mason. We are so thankful for such a great mentor.”
TJ and his father and mentor, George Hanks, had not seen any deer during their hunt. They suspected that the warm weather was responsible for the low deer activity. Finally, a deer emerged behind the trees and stepped into an open area. Under his mentor’s guidance, TJ focused on the deer and, shortly afterward, successfully harvested the doe. He was thrilled to have gotten his deer and shared, “The best part of the dream hunt was meeting new people who showed interest in me; it made me feel cared for.”
On the first day of their hunt, Hunter P., his dad, and his mentors Robie and Stacey Pruitt had yet to spot any deer. On the morning of the second day, they only saw two does far out in the field. As evening approached, they took turns using the binoculars, watching for a deer to appear on the left side of the blind. Excitement filled the blind when a buck appeared on their right side at about 45-50 yards. With the guidance of his mentors, Hunter made a perfect broadside shot, and the 8-point buck fell in its tracks. Robie remarked, “Hunter was jumping for joy, shaking with excitement and pride over his buck. His dad was equally thrilled for his son.”
Hunter K. sat confidently in the blind with his father and mentor, Gabe Wheeler, scanning the surroundings and eagerly anticipating the appearance of a deer. Suddenly, a doe burst into view, quickly followed by a spike buck that appeared about 65 yards away. With steady focus, Hunter aimed and made a clean shot. He later remarked, “The highlight of the hunt was spotting a big buck. Unfortunately, a doe just five yards from the blind startled and scared the buck away before I could secure a good shot. That’s why they call it hunting.”
Duke, along with his mother and mentor Mike Stone, had observed several does coming and going from their hunting blind throughout the weekend. As Duke waited for a buck to appear, time was running out. Just before dusk, three deer emerged in front of the blind. With only ten minutes left in the hunt, Mike urged, “Duke, it’s now or never!” He carefully observed the does and chose the one that presented the best opportunity. He aimed at the deer with his crossbow, gently pulling the trigger, and made a perfect shot. When asked about his favorite part of the hunt, he responded, “Getting my deer and everything Mike taught me in the woods.”
The hunt was a resounding success, with seventeen of twenty special hunters getting deer. They harvested a total of eleven bucks and six does. This event not only taught the children about hunting but also helped foster a deep appreciation for nature and wildlife conservation.
We want to thank the mentors, landowners, and volunteers for their hard work and dedication in the 2024 hunt. We are also grateful to Camp Oxford Youth Camp for generously providing room and board. Additionally, we sincerely appreciate the ongoing financial support from USSA’s donors and local sponsors.
We want to express our gratitude to Mike Stone, his family, and the Illinois Dream Hunt Committee for their unwavering commitment to USSA’s mission of providing free hunting trips for children with disabilities and life-threatening illnesses. God bless!
If you want your child to participate in the 2025 Illinois Dream Hunt, please complete an application on our website.