The unthinkable happened in March when Art Pearce was hunting Coues whitetail deer in the Rincon Mountains using a special fundraising commissioner's tag he purchased in 2006 at the Arizona Deer Association banquet.  Pearce broke his leg after slipping, losing his balance and catching his leg between two rocks.  He had until July 31 to fill the permit, but when he was scheduled for surgery later in March, he realized he wasn't going to be able to use the permit any longer.

"I hunted on and off on that tag for two months before my accident," Pearce said.  "But when it was obvious I wasn't going to be able to use it any longer, I donated it."

Prior to August of 2005, the special hunting permit would have gone unused.  However, thanks to an effort by Terry Petko, Arizona Ambassador for Hunt Of A Lifetime, and Rep. Andy Biggs, a bill was passed by the Arizona Legislature and signed by Gov. Napolitano allowing "compassionate transfer" of permits.  Hunt Of A Lifetime is a national organization that benefits people 21 years and younger who are battling a life-threatening illness.

Pearce's tag went to Justin Richardson of Payson, a high school sophomore who has leukemia and has undergone countless rounds of chemotherapy, bone marrow transplants and a kidney transplant.

Although Justin failed to fill the tag (he also was awarded a Camp Navajo muzzleloader tag two years ago), his father, Gary, said it wasn't the optimum time to be hunting deer.

"We saw some shooters (deer worth taking), but they weren't big," Gary said. "And who goes deer hunting in April and that was when the tag was given to him.  As luck would have it, Justin drew a permit for this fall's any-antlered deer hunt and we are looking forward to that.

"We've had a lot of people helping us out, especially Chris Denham and Terry Petko and we got to meet and thank Art Pearce.  They are all really good people."

Although Justin has had his problems in recent years, he is doing well now.  He's playing junior-varsity baseball for Payson High, works as a line cook at a restaurant and is hoping to become a chef.  And when he's not working, studying or playing ball, he likes to go hunting.

And it looks like he's well on his way to being a chef as he won a High School Chef of the Year national competition and received a culinary arts scholarship that he can redeem after high school at Johnson and Wales University.

"Everybody in the family hunts, except my mom," said Justin, who has yet to be successful in the hunting field.  "I've had some good opportunities."

And opportunity is what it is all about, according to Petko, who said he has 10 young hunters currently on the books, with three pending.

The first year six young hunters were hosted and seven last year.  Nationally, more than 200 youngsters have gone hunting thanks to the Hunt Of A Lifetime organization, donors of hunting permits and guides and outfitters who donate their services.

"So far, 60 percent of the kids we have hosted have been from out of state," Petko said.  "We have great connections with a number of guides and outfitters who help us out as well as many of the hunting and wildlife groups.  Everyone bends over backwards for these hunts as it can be tough getting everybody together at the same time and dealing with individual medical needs.  The Arizona Deer Association, for example, has agreed to underwrite all the expenses for the hunts they support and other groups are doing the same thing."

The Pennsylvania-based Hunt Of A Lifetime began in the late 1990s when Tina Pattison was attempting to arrange a hunt for her terminally ill stepson through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a Phoenix-based charity.  Make-A-Wish stopped offering hunts over concerns about safety, liability and negative publicity received over past arranged hunts.

Petko pursued the legislative change in Arizona when he was trying to set up a hunt for a terminally ill child that was similar to one a friend had arranged in Montana.

"I talked with the Game and Fish Department and discovered there was no way to obtain a donated tag," Petko said.  "I started from scratch and I can't tell you how many people I called."

Petko's legislative research eventually led him to Rep. Biggs, who introduced the bill in 2004, only to have it fail.  The bill was reintroduced and was passed in 2005.

"When you see the amazing courage these kids have in dealing with adversity, it is truly inspirational," Petko told the Arizona Game and Fish Department.  "Seeing the smiles on those young faces when they go on their hunts touches everyone involved."

Pearce's leg has healed enough for him to participate in a stone sheep hunt this month in British Columbia.

"The donation of a fundraising permit was something that had never been done before," Pearce said.  "It gave Justin the opportunity to go hunting with his dad."