Whether he’s tracking animals with hounds, stalking elk or bow hunting, Curtis Slaugh is as passionate of a hunter as they come.

And he’s made it his mission to give kids facing difficult circumstances and their families an opportunity to experience the same thrill of the hunt.

Slaugh founded the Utah chapter of the Outdoor Adventure Foundation in 2019, an organization committed to helping kids with life-threatening illnesses or disabilities experience a wildlife adventure.

The adventures can entail hunting turkeys or big game or even four-wheeling rides in the mountains — whatever activity best suits the kids he’s trying to help.

“We try to focus it on the youth, the kids that have cancer, some devastating accident or something … just to get them outdoors. We’ll take veterans (too). I try to keep it to 25 (years old) and under,” Slaugh said.

The Outdoor Adventure Foundation is based in the Midwest, with two branches in Minnesota and branches in North Dakota, South Dakota and Nevada, among other places. Many of the organization’s hunts are videoed for a show called “Dream Makers” that can be seen on the Pursuit Channel or YouTube.

The Utah chapter of the foundation averages about 10 to 15 trips per year, with most hunts taking place near Vernal or Slaugh’s new home in Altamont.

This year, a new opportunity is bringing potential hunts closer to Utah Valley. Slaugh was given a couple of elk tags to hunt near Nephi and is looking to set up some trips.

“I’m going to be branching out,” he said.

As Outdoor Adventure prepares for the year’s upcoming trips, though, it faces a glaring challenge: getting the word out to kids and families.

Slaugh said the foundation had a contact at Primary Children’s Hospital that helped them connect with families, but that individual moved jobs. Attempts to find participants via Facebook are more difficult.

“That’s my biggest issue, is finding kids,” Slaugh said.

For the trips themselves, Outdoor Adventure provides all the resources necessary to help families have a fulfilling experience.

The foundation pays for travel expenses, the fee to harvest an animal, meat processing and mounting taxidermy work. When Slaugh started the Utah chapter, he paid for it himself. Now the chapter receives donations.

And it sets up amazing experiences, Slaugh said.

“I’ve never had anyone that hasn’t had a blast, and, knock on wood, every youth that I’ve taken, we’ve actually harvested an animal,” he said.

Kids that are in wheelchairs or physically handicapped usually hunt turkeys. Those with more physical ability, Slaugh said, will chase larger game like elk.

“I have to know their abilities and how much they can walk because elk are a little rough,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to get around a little bit.”

For those looking to help the foundation provide trips, there are several ways of doing so.

Slaugh said private landowners sometimes offer their land for a hunt, and people donate hunting tags. Volunteers have also come on the hunts, and cash donations help with other expenses.

“There’s tons of stuff,” he said. “When I first started, it all came out of my pocket, but now it’s grown up to where it’s a 501(c), so it’s all tax deductible. If they want to donate any of their time and money, I’m good for it.”