Chance Urbina, a 15-year-old Lewis Cass student, stepped into a woods Saturday morning with the hope of bagging his first-ever deer. To accomplish his goal, he requested assistance from God.

"I was asking God if he could get me a deer," Urbina said.

With dew on the leaves, his prayers were answered. From a ground blind, Urbina spotted a group of deer 20 yards away. He picked the biggest one and shot. The wounded animal ran about 100 yards before dropping. The deer turned out to be a button buck that weighed about 70 pounds field dressed.

Hunting guide Rob Davis said that, after the shot, Urbina looked to the sky and said, "Thank you, grandpa." Urbina's grandfather recently passed away. He was a friend and mentor to the boy.

The experience exemplifies the essence of Freedom Hunt, a not-for-profit organization that since 2006 has been giving special needs children the opportunity to hunt. A group of sportsmen and women joined 14 youth hunters and their families at a campground on the Eel River in Cass County Friday through Sunday,

Founder Steve Griffey said Freedom Hunt is about more than just shooting a whitetail deer.

"It's also the camp atmosphere," he said.

Food cooked over an open fire as the Eel River moseyed on by in the background. Using nightcrawlers, kids plucked fish from the water while the adults busied themselves with conversation and meal preparation.

Griffey said the shared moments of fishing and hunting form lasting relationships. Many of the kids keep in touch throughout the year, he said.

The annual hunt is a result of fundraisers and numerous volunteers gathering donations from businesses and acquiring permission for hundreds of acres of hunting grounds in Cass County.

The Indiana National Guard not only loaned the tents, but they also set them up.

Conservation officer Brenda Louthain cooked wild game. The group started off with deer stew and chili. Saturday night was wild turkey taken by three of the special needs children at a hunt earlier this year.

At the request of the film company Hoosier H.I.T. Squad, Andrew Ash of Logansport conducted interviews that might be included in the DVD video of this year's Freedom Hunt. Without guidance, he fired questions at successful youth hunter Cody Correll of Indianapolis.

"What do you think about Freedom Hunt 2009? How did you get your deer?" he asked.

The soft-spoken Correll called the hunt a "cool experience" before recounting how he got his first deer.

Louthain said the youth hunters come from around the state and suffer from various special needs ranging from paralysis to cancer survivors to car accident victims. Many enjoy being outdoors.

"This gives them a chance to release without having to worry about being in a hospital," Louthain said. "Just being a kid."

For those who cannot control a gun, Freedom Hunt provides a specialized shooting system called a "sip and puff." The device contains a frame system to hold the gun and a mouth piece that when sucked pulls the trigger. A guide lines up the shot. The hunter feels no recoil, Griffey said. Two deer have been killed using the device.

Freedom Hunt is steadily growing. In 2006, just six youth hunters participated. This year, a record 14 joined in. Each hunter is fully outfitted with hunting gear. Repeat hunters get the gear they have outgrown replaced.

The effects of the hunt are long-lasting, said Louthain. As Urbina shared his story, Davis told him he now has bragging rights and gave the teenager a high five. Others patted him on the back. Urbina said his first deer "won't be the last one."

Urbina is now a deer hunter.

• Kevin Lilly is news editor of the Pharos-Tribune. He can be reached at (574) 732-5117 or kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com.