Jaden, 27, was born with Spinal Bifida and has spent most of his life in a wheelchair. When he applied to the United Special Sportsman Alliance, he listed bear hunting as his top choice.
“I was extremely excited to learn that someone had transferred their bear license to me,” Jaden said. “I had always wanted to go since my dad got his bear.”
Todd Kowalkowski was asked to guide Jaden’s hunt and said, “I felt nervous because there were less than two weeks until the opener. None of my usual stands are wheelchair accessible, so I spent a lot of time scouting for suitable locations and then built a new stand.”
Jaden’s excitement peaked when Todd began sending him trail camera photos. He and his brother, Marcus, eagerly counted down the days until their trip to Goodman, Wisconsin.
Todd added, “I took them to the stand and told them it was their hunt. I offered to stay with them, but they said they felt comfortable sitting by themselves.”
The brothers patiently remained hidden in the blind, hoping a bear would appear, but none did. Around 7:30 PM, they returned to their hotel for a good night’s sleep. The next day, they were back in the blind early in the afternoon, carefully observing their surroundings and the bait. As the shadows began to lengthen, they held onto their hope.
Jaden recounted, “A nice bear came to the bait just before dark. My brother suggested I take the shot when I could, so I had to wait a bit for it to give me a good broadside shot. When the bear was finally in the right position, I took the shot.”
Todd was parked a mile away when he received an excited call from Jaden, who announced that he had shot his bear. Todd drove over to pick them up, and then they went to get ice and an otter sled before returning to the area.
Todd said, “Jaden stayed by the bait while Marcus and I searched for blood. There wasn’t much; at times, we were following impressions in the moss and swamp bottom or broken weeds, finding small spots of blood here and there.
After about 75 yards, Marcus and I broke through some thick spruce trees and spotted shining eyes about 20 yards ahead. I instructed Marcus to go around and check the bear from behind to ensure it was dead. At that moment, the bear lifted its head and looked at us. I told Marcus to back out slowly and not to turn around. We made our way back to Jaden, and I expressed my unease about trailing a wounded bear at night. I suggested we wait until first light to return, and Jaden agreed.”
The following morning, Jaden said, “When we got up, we met Todd at his house and then drove to the spot where they had seen the bear the night before, but when we arrived, the bear was gone.”
Todd added, “We couldn’t find any blood, so Marcus went one way and I went the other. After about an hour, I made my way up the swamp/marsh, figuring the bear would head there to cool off. I noticed an ear above an old log in the marsh, so I called Marcus over. He slowly approached the bear and confirmed that it was dead.
“The temperature was quite warm, above 70 degrees, so we were up against the clock to field dress the bear and get it to the processor before the meat could spoil. Marcus and I had a 200-yard drag out of the swamp before bringing the 4-wheeler to the sled. Once we had the bear on the trailer, many high fives and pictures were taken.”
Jaden expressed, “The entire experience was incredible, but the best part for me was finally retrieving the bear of my dreams.”
Thank you to Janet Flater for generously donating her bear licenses and Todd Kowalkowski for guiding the hunt. A special thanks goes out to the local community for their support. Congratulations to Jaden on his trophy bear and for creating unforgettable memories with Marcus and Todd. God bless!
If you are interested in getting involved, want to donate your 2025 bear license, or know of a deserving youth or veteran, please contact us at [email protected].