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By Mark Heinz, Open air Reporter
Mark@CowboyStateDaily.com

Eleven years in the past, Kenneth “Chip” Madren was a strong, wholesome 13-year-old who liked the outside in residence state of Georgia. 

He was already an avid hunter wanting ahead to many seasons within the area, his father, Ken Madren informed Cowboy State Every day. 

Then every little thing modified. 

“He was identified with metastatic mind most cancers that had gone into his backbone,” Ken mentioned. “It was the sort of most cancers the place they had been speaking about low chances (of survival).”

Chip spent 180 days in hospitals and underwent quite a few main surgical procedures “simply to stay,” his father mentioned. 

He survived, however was wheelchair sure and suffered important imaginative and prescient loss. So, any extra looking appeared out of the query for the younger man. 

‘Highly effective Drugs’

However Chip wasn’t that simply discouraged. 

He was again within the area as quickly as doable, thanks largely to outside organizations that assist facilitate outings for disabled hunters, Ken mentioned. Amongst them is Ron Vining’s Polestar Open air, headquartered in Powell. 

“The outside group has been very useful throughout all of this,” Ken mentioned. “I believe it has been simply as highly effective a medication because the medical issues that really made the most cancers go away,” he mentioned. 

As a manner of giving again, father and son based “Chip’s Nation,” a pediatric most cancers basis.

And Chip saved taking any likelihood he may to go looking.

Alternative Of A Lifetime 

Chip mentioned he’s lengthy loved pursuing whitetail deer in Georgia, in addition to wild turkeys in a number of states. 

However getting an opportunity at a bull elk out West was a objective that had lengthy eluded him. 

All the things got here collectively this fall, when Polestar Open air, the Outside Dream Basis and others had been capable of prepare for an elk hunt on non-public land within the Jackson space. 

Wyoming has a “unbelievable program” by way of which residents could select to donate their looking tags to disabled hunters, Ken mentioned. That’s how Chip acquired his longed-for elk tag. 

Household buddy Scott Hardy and his son, Will Hardy, joined the hunt. They had been there to assist with Chip’s mobility challenges and share in their very own first Wyoming experiences. 

Recreation And Fish Helps

After they arrived, the elk herd that often migrates throughout the non-public property that was internet hosting the hunt wasn’t cooperating, Chip mentioned. 

“There was some development work on a freeway close by, and I believe that was messing the elk up,” he mentioned. “The elk simply weren’t there (on the property). However then the sport warden discovered there have been some elk on an adjoining property, and he labored with that landowner to get us permission to go hunt there.”

Ready For Them To Stand

It wasn’t lengthy earlier than they had been on to 4 bulls, however the scenario required persistence. 

Chip, ever-tenacious, was as much as the duty. 

“There have been 4 bulls, all laying down,” he mentioned. “My imaginative and prescient’s not superb. I want some distinction. These bulls had been laying down the place it was super-snowy, so it was powerful for me to see them. I needed to look ahead to them to face up.”

In the end, the bulls stood. 

“I believe they lastly acquired stressed over us being there and so they stood up,” Chip mentioned. “Then I may see them actually good. Three of the 4 left, however the fourth one stopped and stayed. I used to be capable of drop him with one shot with a .300 Winchester Magnum.”

“I acquired a pleasant 6×6 bull,” he added. 

Prepared To Transfer To Wyoming

Wyoming’s chilly was one thing to expertise, Ken mentioned. 

“After they area dressed the elk, they put it on a trailer,” he mentioned. “After they acquired it to the sport processor, it had frozen to that trailer, so after they tried to winch the bull off it lifted up the entire trailer.”

After the hunt, there was nonetheless time to get pleasure from Wyoming. 

“We acquired to go to Yellowstone and Grand Teton,” Chip mentioned. “We noticed grizzly bears!”

In addition they noticed moose, which Chip mentioned is the subsequent huge Wyoming animal he’d prefer to hunt. 

Even the smaller wildlife right here is spectacular, Ken mentioned. 

“You have got very well-mannered foxes in Jackson. They at all times use the crosswalks, I don’t know the way you bought them to do this,” he mentioned. 

When requested in the event that they plan to return to Wyoming, the daddy and son answered enthusiastically. 

“Are you kidding?” Ken mentioned. “I need to transfer there.”

“Lets go!” Chip replied. 

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