by Kevin Lilly
Freedom Hunt is a chance for a group of special needs kids under the age of 15 to sleep in tents, fish the Eel River and go deer hunting the weekend before the regular season begins.
According to Cass County conservation officer Brenda Louthain, Freedom Hunt coordinator Steve Griffey discovered the battered blind while setting up yardage markers to help determine shot distance for the kids.
“The blind got totally destroyed,” Louthain said.
The blind had its sides slashed and fiberglass poles snapped. Louthain called the criminal act senseless. Owned by the Indiana Hunter Education Association, the blind is valued at about $300.
The crime occurred sometime between Sept. 20 and Tuesday on property in rural Cass County near the Eel River.
Law enforcement would like to capture those responsible for the vandalism. To aid their efforts, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources is offering a $200 reward.
The culprit(s) may have driven down a long lane on private property to where the blind was set up. Louthain said tire tracks were left at the scene, which was near the Eel River on land owned by Jim Rogers.
Louthain said Rogers had not given anyone besides the Freedom Hunt participants permission to be on his land.
Possible charges are trespassing and criminal mischief.
Louthain said the vandalism will not prevent any of the kids from participating. There is plenty of equipment and hundreds of acres to hunt.
This year’s group of 12 hunters will enjoy a weekend of camping, games, activities, fine food and the creation of friendships. To qualify for the weekend, the kids had to have a special need, whether it was a physical or mental disability or a financial handicap. Each youth hunter must attend hunter education and gun safety classes to be eligible to buy a hunting license.
Griffey said numerous businesses and individuals contributed thousands of dollars of hunting equipment for each hunter.
Last year, out of 10 hunters, three deer were tagged.
Kevin Lilly can be reached at (574) 732-5117, or via e-mail at kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com
