A hunt to remember

When Cindi and Brandon Baudhuin asked for help to create a unique hunting experience for a 13-year-old boy who is battling a form of bone and soft tissue cancer, a group of local outdoorsmen did not hesitate to answer the call.

As it turned out, fate was also listening in.

Thanks to a series of coincidences, the passionate young hunter was able to take his first lion right here in Crook County.

Oconto River Kids

The Baudhuins volunteer with Oconto River Kids, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit with the sole purpose of providing outdoor activities for kids with life-threatening illnesses. It was established in 2012 by a landowner who envisioned a local volunteer group that would provide hunting and fishing opportunities for these children and their families.

Cindi and Brandon had traveled with Cain to Dubois for a deer hunt organized by Oconto River Kids. A lion hunt hadn't been planned, but was something they really wanted to do for him.

"Hunting is Cain's passion, nothing is a close second probably next to his family. But he'd never had a lion," Cindi says.

"It wasn't something that the organization had planned to do for him, but we knew that, if everything came together, we could do that with him through the organization."

When Cain found out that a lion might be possible, he was pretty excited. While Brandon was out looking for tracks in Dubois to see if it could be done there, "Cain sat in his camo in the hotel room, just waiting and waiting," Cindi says.

The hunt didn't come together in Dubois, so the group decided to try again in Crook County, with a lot of assistance from local huntsmen. Houndsmen who volunteered their time and expertise for Cain's experience included Wayne Pollat, Shad Schloredt, Kelly Huseby, Mike Hooper and Dennis Crew, with hunt support from Jordan Smith and Joe Croell.

"Once we had enough houndsmen on board, the family followed us to Sundance from Dubois rather than go straight back to Illinois, where they live," Brandon says.

"We knew we'd be able to at least do a one-day lion for them."

A Series of Coincidences

Once the decision had been made, the happy coincidences began. The weather this year hasn't exactly been predictable but just this once decided to cooperate. A coating of fresh snow made it possible to search for tracks.

"Sundance was supposed to get three or four inches, which was perfect," Cindi says.

"Everything came together as far as weather, snow, we were able to get houndsmen lined up on very short notice and the family had the time driving back this way."

At first, though, it didn't seem like the stars were destined to align.

"Brandon and I both got up at 1:30 a.m. and were out the door super early to look for tracks," Cindi says. They were joined by a couple of other houndsmen, each in different areas of the county.

"We didn't turn up a single track, so by 6:30 a.m. we were getting discouraged. You normally turn up something by that point," she says.

The family had already arrived and was anticipating that this would be the day of the hunt. It wasn't looking good until fate decided to give the venture a push in the right direction.

Way north of the Bearlodge, "A lion actually ran across the road in front of somebody," says Brandon.

Then for the final dose of serendipity: a coincidental meeting between a person who needed to know where a lion might be, and the person who knew that exact information.

"One of the houndsmen got a little late start coming from Gillette. He stopped in Hulett to fuel up and the person who just happened to see this lion cross in front of him – which never happens – asked him if he was lion hunting because he saw the dog box on the back of his truck," says Cindi.

"He said, I know right where there's a lion. The houndsman is thinking, 'yeah, right', but sure enough, that was the track they put the dogs on."

The Race Begins

Cain's excitement hadn't dampened by the time he got to Sundance. That morning, Cindi says, he was right there waiting in his camo once again.

"They finally got the phone call to come out when they were ready to release the hounds," says Cindi.

As an avid hunter, Cain had worked with hounds before and was familiar with the process.

"Coyote hunting with hounds is pretty popular where they live, and he'd killed a bear with hounds in Wisconsin as well," Brandon says. "They have a very good appreciation for the hounds, the houndsmen and the work that goes into it – his dad actually has his own coyote hounds."

A side effect of Cain's chemo and other treatments is muscle loss, which makes hiking difficult for him.

"Cain has Ewing sarcoma, a bone or soft tissue cancer. He was diagnosed when he was six and he's 13 now," says Cindi. "He's actively in treatment right now."

Fate once again intervened, placing the hunt in a location where his mentors could give him a little extra assistance.

"Some of these lion races can go for miles, so we knew that had to be in consideration for him. We put Cain in the sled and Brandon and our buddy pulled him three quarters of a mile, maybe a little more," Cindi says.

Cain then had to negotiate a quarter-mile stretch on steep terrain.

"It was almost 500 feet of vertical loss," says Brandon. It was snowy and slippery and for a normal person would have been a challenge, but, "He did really well."

First Shot

With the lion up high in a tree, the shot Cain needed to take was a difficult one, at a steep enough angle to almost be shooting straight up. He took his time, kept his cool and his hand steady, listened to the advice from his mentors as the dogs kept up their baying and waited for his moment.

He took his lion with the first shot fired.

"Holy flip!" he exclaimed as the kill was confirmed. How did it feel? "That was insane," he said, a huge grin on his face.

It was a heck of a lion, too at 148.5 lbs – coming up on double Cain's own weight.

Local Support

The Baudhuins are indebted to Oconto River Kids, as well as the houndsmen and supporters who made the hunt possible, especially on such short notice.

"It was a very tall order to fill and they did an extraordinary job with it. It exceeded anything we could have hoped for," says Brandon.

"It could not have been done without them, and they never hesitated," adds Cindi. "It was a yes, and some of them came quite a distance."

They would also like to thank the community, which has always been supportive of the Oconto River Kids mission. A private landowner gave permission for Cain to cross his land on the way back, for instance, which made the travel time shorter and easier. It was tough for the youngster – his dad carried him part of the way on the back – but, "He was a trooper," says Cindi.

Cain's trip was fully funded through the organization and included his parents and sister. Brandon and Cindi are hoping to invite him back out to Wyoming for a bear hunt this coming spring.

"We try to stay in touch with the kids and families as much as we can, and some of them have returned to hunt," says Brandon.

"They're not sponsored hunts, but we enjoy an opportunity to hunt with the kids again if they have the desire to come back."