The hunt of a lifetime

PLAINS – In a dream come true, one boy was able to experience a hunting trip of his lifetime. In a trip that took a community to organize, Sam McCreary was able to check an accomplishment of a lifetime off his bucket list.

McCreary was diagnosed with a brain tumor in July of 2012. The news came in three weeks before he started his senior year and McCreary was informed he had a papillary tumor of the pineal region. The tumor, which is quite rare, was partly removed in a series of surgeries.

With 75 percent of the tumor removed, multiple surgeries later and six weeks of radiation, McCreary tried his best to adapt to what he called a “new normal.”

“I was faced with many challenges such as attempting to regain my balance, my eyesight and trying to start my senior year as a ‘normal’ teenager,” McCreary said.

Faced with many challenges and limitations, McCreary had to learn to deal and accept the changes that came with his cancer.

Once McCreary finished his radiation treatments, he learned that his neighbor had recommended him for a dream hunting trip with an organization called Catch-A-Dream.

According to their website, Catch-A-Dream helps offer a once-in-a-lifetime fishing or hunting experience to children 18 years old or younger who have a life threatening illness.

As an avid whitetail deer hunter and small game hunter, McCreary was ready to expand his horizons and go for something more. He listed his top three picks: a trophy whitetail deer, a black bear or a wild boar.

Later on, McCreary was informed that he had been approved to go on a black bear hunt.

“The only information the organization would tell us was that I would be hunting bear and when to be at the airport to leave, or that was all I thought they were telling us,” McCreary said.

His mom had been working undercover to help bring her son to Montana. McCreary and his family arrived at Cody Carr’s Hunting Adventures in Plains where Cody Carr and his wife, Koliss, had been tirelessly planning his arrival. Their goal was to ensure McCreary left with his bear.

Not only was McCreary going to get the hunt of a lifetime, but he was also going to get the equipment he had always dreamed of.

His Catch-A-Dream host, Judd Gentry, brought McCreary into a back room filled with brand new camo gear. The gear included everything McCreary would need down to his socks, all in camo brands that he had only dreamed of owning.

The trip itself would turn into a lot more than a hunting adventure. It would push McCreary to the limit, making him realize that the limitations placed on him because of his brain tumor were something he could overcome. It was a lesson to himself and others, that with some support, anything is possible.

The night before the hunt, excitement was brewing in McCreary and he admits sleep was hard to come by.

“While I was lying in my bed about to fall asleep, I thought about all the events up to this point and for the first time in months, I realized I was no longer the kid with a brain tumor and lots of limitations,” McCreary said. “I was the kid on the hunt of my life to harvest a Montana black bear.”

His new support group of friends instilled a determination in McCreary – he was going to get that black bear.

In order to make the hunt as efficient as possible, Carr coordinated with Plum Creek, Forest Service and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to obtain special hunting access. This allowed the group to cover more ground and bring McCreary’s dream to a realistic goal.

“I was overwhelmed when I learned that so many groups came together just for one reason – to make sure my dream adventure would be possible, despite my limitation because of cancer,” McCreary said.

With only 2 1/2 days, time was limited and the weather put forth challenging conditions. The wind and moisture posed less than favorable conditions as the snow continued to pile up. The last day of the trip was closing in and McCreary had yet to see a shoot-able bear.

Carr released his troops and had everyone he could looking for a bear in hopes that McCreary would be able to at least see a bear for more than a matter of seconds.

Finally, a bear was spotted. The terrain was tough and involved a lot of hiking to get to the perfect location. McCreary knew it was his time.

“I looked at everyone and said that I did not come this far to turn back now, let’s go get that bear,” McCreary said.

As the group pressed on, McCreary said he experienced one of his defining moments of his recovery. He realized that he was not helpless and was still capable of plenty.

After getting closer and closer to the bear, his opportunity arrived. As the bear stopped broadside, McCreary lined up and took his shot. A few seconds after the trigger was pulled, a thump followed.

“I turned and looked at Cody, my dad, and Judd, waiting for someone to say something and then came some of the best words I had ever heard: ‘Sam, man, you just smoked that bear!’”

With the Montana weather and the darkness creeping in, the group had to wait to find the bear the next day.

After a solid dinner and however much sleep McCreary was able to muster, the group went to locate the bear. After finding the blood trial, the search was on.

“As I looked around, there it was, lying in the edge of the ditch area. The bear that I, along with all the others, had worked so hard for,” McCreary said.

The bear was packed out fully intact so that McCreary’s mother and two sisters could see the size of the bear.

The animal was prepared and the guides put the bear on a rack, taking turns carrying it up the mountain on their backs.

As McCreary arrived at the lodge with his trophy in tow, he realized his surprises were still rolling in.

Over 50 people from the community awaited McCreary’s arrival at a cookout that was organized in his honor.

McCreary’s dream would have not been possible without the helpfulness of a loving community that came together for a great cause. Not only did Catch-A-Dream help put the hunt in play, but Big Hearts Under the Big Sky, the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, as well as Cody Carr’s Hunting Adventures made it possible.

The trip turned out to be more than just a bear hunt. It taught McCreary that he was still more than capable of accomplishing the dreams and goals he had ahead of him. And he realized just that.

“I left Montana extremely excited about the great harvest, all the great things I was able to experience, and all the great new friends I had made, but I was also excited about overcoming some of the limitations cancer left me with and learning my limitations were only as big as I thought they were,” McCreary said.

The hunt not only changed McCreary, but it also changed those involved.

“I know it changed my life and I couldn’t even imagine how it changed Sam’s life,” Carr said. “All these young men came together to help the kid.”

Through all the trials and tribulations, one thing was certain: McCreary was able to take his trophy home despite all odds.