Aiden Rosier Gets Dream Buck

By Richey Burge

January 5th was not a day I would have handpicked for a trophy buck to be taken. It was cloudy, cold and windy, a far cry from the clear October days when our deer hunting is at its best. But as any sportsman knows, success often occurs in the most inexplicable of times, leading us to often use the old adage “it was just meant to be.”

I have been blessed with the opportunity to care for private properties in Georgia and focus on producing healthy whitetail herds. Steven Bradford, employee of Smith Farm Supply in Sandersville, has been spreading fertilizer for me for several years. Our conversations usually consist of slinging insults at one another and devolve into arguments over who is uglier. Rarely do we have the ability to be serious. But, when we are, Steven shared with me his passion for working with the Hunting For The Cure organization.

Hunting For The Cure (HFTC) is a faith-based non-profit that “‘Shares Smiles’ with children fighting cancer through the GREAT outdoors.” The organization is based here in Georgia but includes families and volunteers from around the country. HFTC covers all of the expenses associated with the outdoor adventures they host for the children and their families.

In December, Steven told me that they had a special young man who was really wanting to kill a nice buck in Georgia. One of the properties I manage is an 1,100-acre high-fenced tract in Washington County that I knew would be perfect to get him on a trophy. The generous landowners jumped at the opportunity.

Ten-year-old Aiden Rosier was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in September 2019. Since then, he and his family have endured the dreadful trials and tribulations that come with this progressive disease. In January 2020, Aiden had his right leg amputated due to the cancer. Doctors recently found that the cancer has now spread to his lungs and spine. Despite his circumstance, Aiden wears a smile and has a positive attitude. By my assessment, he’s a dang cute kid.

We dropped Aiden off at the ground blind with his guides, Tommy Windham and Steven. I let them know that there were several large bucks coming into the 3-acre plot, and I thought they had an opportunity to kill a really good one. However, this was Aiden’s afternoon; he had free choice of what deer he wanted to shoot, and we didn’t want him leaving empty-handed.

While Aiden was in the blind, I spent some time with Randall Rosier, Aiden’s Pop-Pop, back at the barn. He told me Aiden’s story and the specifics of some of the hardships they have endured. He expressed to me how much Hunting For The Cure has meant to Aiden and the whole family over the past couple years.

Aiden Rosier, of Warner Robins, with his Washington County buck.

“You can’t do this alone,” Randall said. “You have to have someone to lean on, and every time I’ve picked up the phone, HFTC has been there for us.”

Randall also told me how important it is to be around a community of people who understand his circumstance and are going through the same battles. As a father of two young girls, it is difficult for me to unpack and describe the emotions associated with hearing Aiden’s story.

Fifteen minutes before dark, we got the phone call that Aiden had shot a buck! When we got to the blind, I was told they didn’t find any blood in the food plot, but the shot was caught on film. When they showed me the video, I immediately recognized the buck he had shot. It was a monster I had named “Pat,” and he hit him perfect!

We had a tracking dog, Jax, on standby, and he made quick work of the 100-yard trail. Of course, everyone there was “sharing smiles” as we watched Aiden count the buck’s points multiple times. The deer had 15 points and grossed 144 3/8 inches, a buck that even the most experienced hunters would be lucky to encounter in Georgia! I told the guys the story of why I named the deer Pat and his unusual behavior over the past couple years. When we flipped the deer over, we were all in for a surprise, Pat was a doe! We joked with Aiden that he had killed the highest scoring doe we had ever seen!

In October 2019, I noticed that one of the larger bucks I had on camera still hadn’t shed his velvet. He was a couple months behind schedule for this part of the world. As the rut progressed, it became more evident that he was different. He exhibited no neck swelling, signs of fighting or tarsal gland staining. I named the deer Pat, a reference to the androgynous character on Saturday Night Live in the early 90s. Around the first week of November, Pat shed his velvet, which eliminated the possibility of him being an antlered doe. Over the next 12 months, he went through a normal antler growth cycle.

After Aiden killed Pat, friend and Deer Research Coordinator at UGA, David Osborn, shared my pics and description of the deer with his colleagues. Without getting to examine the deer, they classified him as a bilateral cryptorchid, which is scientific lingo for a buck whose testes did not descend from the body cavity. They admitted it was extremely rare for a deer with this condition to go through the annual antler development cycle like Pat did. There are also other anatomical anomalies that don’t line up with him simply being a bilateral cryptorchid. Since we didn’t save the carcass, we will never know Pat’s condition. Nevertheless, Pat can be described as “extremely rare.”

I spent a moment with HFTC ambassador Tommy Windham after the crowd cleared. He shared with me the deep impact that working with each child has had on him.

“I believe that these children are God’s angels here on earth. We do this because we think we are impacting their lives, but the truth is that these kids have way more of an impact on our lives than we do theirs.”

We will never know why the pain and suffering of this disease can be laid upon the most innocent and pure among us, but this perspective lays out a spiritual explanation.

“Never once have I seen Aiden complain or say ‘Why me?’” said Tommy. The children Tommy works with lay out an example of courage and attitude that every adult could learn from.

My short experience with Aiden and Mr. Randall has served as a profound lesson in attitude, perspective and gratitude. The hug I received from Aiden as they left was undoubtedly the most rewarding experience I have had in the outdoors. After I listened to Mr. Randall’s testimony on what HFTC has meant to his family, I can assure that I will be significantly involved for years to come.

For more information on Hunting For The Cure, go to www.huntingforthecure.org, email info@huntingforthe cure.com or call 706.350.1120.