(Gabe Patterson) We are going to make a dream come true hopefully. (adam) and arrest him? (gabe) yeah and if he doesn’t comply we are going to give him an elk tag.
Meet Gabe Patterson, a Conservation Officer with the DWR.
A man with a big heart and even bigger sense of humor.
(Gabe Patterson, DWR Conservation Officer) (nats opening door) (gabe) Hello, are you Jonathan? (john) I am. (gabe) How are you? (john) good. (gabe) I’m Gabe Patterson with the UDWR, I’m a conservation officer. (john) hi. (gabe) I have a few questions for you. Wondering if we can come inside and maybe ask you a few questions.
(Gabe Patterson) Did you go on a deer hunt last year. (john) I did.
(Gabe Patterson) Do you have anything you want to tell me about that?
Gabe is grilling 16 year old Jonathan Bowen. A young man who has been fighting for his life for over five years.
(Kelli Bowen, Jonathan’s mom) It’s lasted a long time and it’s hard to say when it will be over.
Jonathan has been diagnosed with diabetes. He’s had kidney cancer, lung cancer, has undergone multiple chemotherapy and radiation treatments, even a bone marrow transplant. This kid has gone through a lot.
(Gabe Patterson) You’ve got two options. Option one, is you can take these, you can put them on you and we can go down and have a talk. (gabe) Option two, you can promise to meet me on the afternoon of Sept 30th, down in Southern Utah on what we call the Johnson’s CWMU (gabe) accompany us on a big bull hunt. (gabe) you like elk? (john) yeah. (gabe) does it sound better than wearing these? (john) yeah! (family laughs) (gabe) coming along for a ride on an elk hunt. (john) yeah! (gabe) we’d like the tag to be in your name. (john) ok. (family laughs) (gabe) sound good. (john) yeah.
(Kelli off camera) You know every time you’ve wanted to go on a deer hunt or something you have always been in the hospital.
(Kelli Bowen) And this is just the coolest thing. That you finally get to go on this hunt.
(mark hugs gabe) Thank you so much. So awesome you do this.
The man behind this hunt is Bob Thomas, a landowner on the Johnson CWMU. Bob and Gabe have done this hunt twice before, each time, they’ve picked a young hunter who has dealt with struggles in their lives.
(Gabe) I call him Bob hunting Clause Thomas. He’s an amazing guy, he’s going to be on the hunt with you.
A lot of people steeped up to make sure Jonathan had a hunt of a lifetime.
(Darren West, Mule Deer Foundation) We just wanted to present you a few things to help you out on your hunt.
The Mule Deer Foundation, who nominated Jonathan gave him binoculars and gear for his hunt.
(Mark) Are you ready? (jonathan) Yup.
And what boy can go hunting, without a rifle.
An anonymous donor, gave Jonathan this brand new Savage 30-06.
(Mark Robison, Jonathan’s friend/mentor) Thanks Steve! He really appreciates it, the smile on his face when you see this. It’s worth a million dollars you’ll know it.
(Steve Newton) This is called a bore sight.
The guys at Hit Your Target, made sure the gun was shooting straight and McKnight’s Gunsmithing put a muzzle break on Jonathan’s new gun.
(Larry Bowen, Jonathan’s dad) it is really neat. I can’t believe you guys have gone so much for this.
(Adam) Well Jon, Larry, one more surprise for you. Our friends over at Kings Camo, heard about your hunt. They wanted to make sure you are outfitted property. They said, bring them down lets go get them outfitted in Kings camo and get them on the hill. You guys ready? (boys) ready. (adam) lets go do it huh? (boys) yeah.
(going into store) (jed Nelson, King’s Camo) Welcome, how you guys doing?
(Jonathan and Larry coming out of fitting room) now you’re looking the part. That’s not bad. What do you think Larry? (larry) I’m looking really good. (adam) let’s go hunting! (larry) lets go!
Johnson Mountain Ranch CWMU is thirteen thousand acres of prime elk habitat in Sevier County.
Eight thousand of those acres are owned… by Bob Thomas.
(Adam) I think the biggest question everybody would want to know is..why? Why bring these kids up here and do this? (bob) for me it’s a special place and I think these are truly once in a lifetime hunts. and when these young people are looking at their lifetime and it may or may not go well, the same with the families. How more fitting would it be for a once in a lifetime hunt. Which their life could end tomorrow.
Bob invited Jonathan’s entire family on the hunt and had them stay in this beautiful ranch house he built for occasions just like this.
(Bob) I mean it warms my heart to see them in there playing ping pong and pool.
(Bob) and it’s big enough to have everybody in here and not be cramped. (adam) eat together. (bob) eat together, yeah.
You can hear maybe six or seven bulls going and here we are the first week in October. That’s pretty awesome. Wait until tomorrow. (adam) amazing property here in Central Utah, can’t wait to show you the rest. We’ll have Jonathan’s hunt coming up next, but first tonight’s Burt Brothers quiz question.
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