Another Nebraska Hunter is Born – in a Record Way

By Audra Leichleiter – KAMO, Inc.

Hunting is an age-old tradition that started out by necessity, a way of life, and then became a passion and hobby, and if we don’t involve the generations of tomorrow, it could become extinct. For most hunters, it can take years of hunting to harvest animals in multiple categories such as big game, waterfowl, and upland birds. Especially in Nebraska, a state where nearly 98% of the state’s land is privately owned. But Jim Hearn, of Blair, Nebraska, with the help of several other people and non-profit organizations, made it happen for Blair resident, then 12-year old Jase Lantry in under a year.

In March 2021, Jase asked his uncle Jim if he’d take him hunting. He had already completed his hunter’s safety course online. “Have you ever shot a gun before?” Jim asked him. “No,” Jase answered. But he had been given a .22 long rifle for his birthday so he was excited to shoot it for the first time. So soon after that, Jim took Jase to his shooting range near Tekamah and helped him sight in his .22. They did some target shooting and Jim was impressed by his proficiency. He asked him if he would be interested in shooting shotguns and Jase was definitely interested.

A few weeks later, Jim, his daughter Evie, and Jase returned to the gun range on Jim’s farm with three shotguns for Jase to shoot. He brought a .410, 28-gauge and a 12-gauge. After shooting them, Jim asked Jase if he’d like to harvest a spring turkey he was more than willing. He chose to take a 12-gauge shotgun for the hunt. Jim prepared and got Jase a youth permit and on opening weekend, they went back to his Burt County farm and set up a tent blind. Early the next morning, after they had gotten settled in for the hunt, Jim called in a tom and Jase had the opportunity to harvest his first animal. With just one shot, the tom went down and Jase bagged his first, but most likely not his last, turkey. He got bit by the hunting bug. 

Being an active member and former chairman of the Burt/Washington County Ducks Unlimited Chapter 40, Jim enrolled Jase in the DU Youth Mentorship Class. The class had volunteers teach kids about duck calls, dogs, retrieving, and the basics of waterfowl hunting. Colton Kesling and Billy Miller were the leaders of the class and on the first weekend in October, they took the five youth enrolled in the class hunting on the Kesling family land in Burt County. Out of the five youth including Jase, they shot thirteen blue-winged teal. Jase also harvested a wood duck. The youth also learned how to field dress their harvest and with the help of his mom, Jase learned how to prepare and cook the meal he provided.

At this point, Jim realized that Jase had now hunted for a turkey and waterfowl in just 6 months, so he might as well keep up the momentum and attempt to help him harvest a deer and take him upland hunting as well. Jim called it a Youth Slam (similar to Nebraska Game & Park Association’s Upland Slam where hunters harvest four different Upland Birds in one year and enter a contest after doing so.) 

In a quest to help Jase harvest his first deer, Jim reached out to Colton Kesling’s father, Jason Kesling. After sharing about Jase’s impressive first year of hunting, Jason was thrilled to help out. On the first weekend of deer firearm season, Jim took Jase to the Kesling property and Jason accompanied Jase in the stand. On the first morning, they didn’t harvest a deer but on the second morning, Jase successfully harvested his first doe. He just had one more animal to harvest to complete the Youth Slam that Jim was helping him complete.

Jim also shared Jase’s story with his good friend, Jason Christiansen of Blair. Jason is on the board of a local non-profit organization called KAMO (K-9 Adoption & Mentoring Outdoors). KAMO provides mentorship opportunities for people to participate in outdoor activities including hunting and fishing, that they wouldn’t typically get to do because they lack access to equipment, or resources. KAMO also rehomes retired sporting dogs. Through KAMO, Christiansen set up a hunt at Pheasant Bonanza Hunt Club (Controlled Shooting Area), near Tekamah for November 30, 2021. Along with Jim and three bird dogs, Christiansen took Jase on his first upland hunt. He got to see how bird dogs work. They took Labs Ryker and Jayden and German Shorthair Pointer Ginger on the hunt. After walking through the terrain, Ginger stopped and pointed at a rooster and the two labs flushed it up. In one shot, Jase harvested his first pheasant. Before the hunt was finished, he harvested four more pheasants.

With the help of his Uncle Jim, landowners, Ducks Unlimited, KAMO, excellent personal marksmanship, and a new found passion for hunting, Jase completed his Youth Slam goal in just nine months. He learned how to prepare for the hunts and how to field dress, prepare, and cook his harvested animals. Thanks to a large group effort headed by Uncle Jim, another lifelong hunter has emerged.

Update: Since this epic year, Jase has joined the Blair trap shooting team and is currently one of the youth hunters enrolled in the Burt/Washington County Ducks Unlimited event that Jim is helping put on again.