Full disclosure: I’ve known the family showcased in this story for more than 20 years, which means the hunter in the photo above, Pierce Pennaz, wasn’t born yet. I met Pierce’s mom when we worked together for a summer in 1990, and then worked with Pierce’s dad for more than a decade through the 2000s.
Rather than play the role of spoiler regarding Pierce’s 2019 deer season, I’ll simply encourage you to watch the two-minute video from CBS affiliate WCCO 4 News (Minneapolis, Minnesota) by clicking here.
Kudos to WCCO 4 News for covering this important story.
P.S. Check out the Facebook post below made by Minnesota State Representative Jim Nash upon him hearing about Pierce’s success in the field:
This was a text I sent to one of our staffers Amy Zipko and former Chair Dan Fabian tonight about a Bill I authored a year and a half ago.
My friend Steve Pennaz called me about his son Pierce a while ago. His son is special needs and was about to turn 18. Once he turned 18 he wouldn’t be able to have Steve at his side as his “apprentice hunter” which legally enable him to hunt. The law said that Pierce would’ve had to pass hunters safety on his own, which he couldn’t do. With Steve at his side though, he’d be able to hunt safely and achieve the dream of bagging a deer.
I drafted a bill with help from staff and from the revisor of statutes and we moved it along. It hit a snag with a former governor, but we eventually got it done. This made it so Pierce, now 18, could hunt with his dad, and look at the results!
I’m sure Steve was crying earlier, because I cried when he sent me this picture and a short message earlier tonight.
Thank you to the DNR staff, our revisor staff, Amy, Rep. Fabian, and my colleagues for helping me get this done, and thank you to the people of 47A who send me to St. Paul so I can do these things. We get to do things that literally help people fulfill dreams and make memories, and I just wanted to share this with you . . . Steve posted pictures of their day and I was so thrilled when I saw this one. Smiles from ear to ear!
