But despite his  physical trials while growing up in Northwest Pennsylvania , Timmy has always had a love for wildlife and spending time outdoors.

He even accompanies his father on archery hunts in the fall in a custom-built tree stand to accommodate his wheelchair.

One of Timmy’s dreams is to experience a black bear hunt in Canada . But due to financial constraints and Timmy’s limited mobility, Tim and Sharon Mickle never thought such a hunt would be possible for their son.

However, after hearing of Timmy’s situation, the Pennsylvania Sportsmen Portal, a website devoted to hunting and fishing in Pennsylvania , teamed with the Pennsylvania Chapter of Hunt of a Lifetime to make Timmy’s wish come true.

With the help of local sponsors and the PSP field staff, more than $3,000 was raised through a sporting goods raffle to send Timmy and his family on a spring black bear hunt to Quebec .

Jason Say, co-owner of the PSP website and Keystone High School graduate explained, “This year’s event was made possible by the generous donations of prizes and all the folks from Clarion County and the surrounding area who got involved and purchased or helped sell raffle tickets.”

The winner of this year’s raffle won a Thompson Center muzzleloader, Browning bow, Medalist hunting apparel and more.

The total  prize package was worth more than $2,000.

Other members of the PSP field staff who helped raise money for Timmy’s hunt include Mike Bell of Seneca, Andy Traister, A.J. Johnson and Kyle  Schwabenbauer, all of Knox.

The PSP team recently had the opportunity to spend an emotional day with Timmy and his family.

Tim Mickle fought back tears as he tried to explain  how much the hunt meant to his son.

“This boy just loves the outdoors,” said the older Mickle. “To think that he has a chance to even see a bear in the wild is just
incredible. We can’t thank you enough.”

Say recalled, “When you see all of the negative things going on in the  world, and so many folks who argue about Pennsylvania hunting issues, this event was something that really put things in perspective. At the end of the day, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room and we all felt fortunate to have met
Timmy and been a part of his life.”

Timmy departs for his hunt in early May and updates will be posted on the  PSP website at www.PaSportsmenPortal.com.

The site will also feature a story with photos and a video of Timmy’s hunt upon his return.

Say stressed he would like to thank everyone from the local area who helped make Timmy’s hunt possible.

The PSP staff plans to sponsor a hunt for  a child from Pennsylvania each year through Hunt of a Lifetime.

Anyone interested supporting next year’s effort should contact Say through the PSP  website or email him at info@pasportsmenportal.com.