LANCASTER TWP — With just two words, Timmy Mickle can express humor, affection and a longtime love of wildlife and hunting.

"More animals! More animals!" he says with a grin to his mother, Sharon, pointing toward the family's warm living room in Lancaster Township.

"No! No!" she replies with a shudder.

After all, her son already has amassed several animal mounts in his own room. She protests, somewhat weakly, when he suggests the collection expand outward.

Its ultimate resting place yet undecided, Mickle hopes at least one more mount will make its way to the family home.

As of today, Mickle, 21, is en route with his parents to a bear-hunting trip in Ottawa, Canada.

Disabled at birth by spina bifida, the wheelchair-bound Mickle has had 60 surgeries to amend problems related to the developmental defect, which thwarts spinal cord formation.

His trip was awarded by Hunt of a Lifetime, a nonprofit group that provides adventures to young people diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.

Funds were raised by the Pennsylvania Sportsmen Portal, a Web-based group that has operated in the state for about a year. Dedicated to hunting and fishing, the PSPsite is co-owned by Jason Say of Lebanon County. Five field operators post articles on the site from various other locations.

"I decided from the beginning I wanted to do something nice for somebody in Pennsylvania," said Say, describing his search for an organization that would allow PSP to sponsor a specific person's hunting trip. Many groups accept donations toward their overall cause, he said.

After some research, Say teamed up with Hunt of a Lifetime. The organization is based in Erie but has served youths nationwide since the early 2000s, according to founder Tina Pattison.

Although Sharon Mickle had applied to Hunt of a Lifetime about a year and a half ago, she and her husband Tim then decided to opt out of a sponsored hunting trip for Timmy — due to lack of familiarity with the agency and partly from fear their son and his illness might be exploited.

"I am really guarded when it comes to Timmy," his father explained.

After several follow-up calls from Hunt of a Lifetime and after meeting the PSP staff, the Mickles' fears were eased.

"Everyone was caring and loving to us and to Timmy," said Sharon, describing a get-together with PSP workers and their families.

"It was like sitting in your backyard at a picnic," her husband added.

During the event, held last month in Blair County, Timmy was presented with a 243 Savage rifle donated by a gun shop near Altoona. He also received a plaque commemorating the upcoming trip, the result of PSP's successful $3,000 fund drive held over several months.

Hunt of a Lifetime originally planned the bear hunt for Alaska, but plans were changed to accommodate Timmy's array of medical supplies, too difficult to transport on the small planes needed to access Alaskan lodges.

The controlled black bear hunts in Canada can occur closer to populated areas, where bait is used to lure the animals to hunters, positioned in tree stands nearby.

The Mickles will drive for about 11 hours to arrive at the camp, where they will spend six days in a cabin.

"If we get a bear the first day or the second day, we'll probably stick around and do some fishing," Tim Mickle said.

"I like fishing," his son confirmed.

While in the tree stand, Timmy will use a tripod to steady his rifle, which will be positioned against the wall of the shelter to avoid injuring the 64-pound hunter when his gun recoils upon firing.

Timmy's father and grandfather have devised similar systems to help him succeed on hunting trips in the past, Sharon said.

"Tim and I said we'll figure out a way for him to hunt, and that's what we do," she said.

"He's so excited. That's all he talks about."

Although unsure about Internet and cellular phone service at their camp, the Mickles will attempt to publicize news of their hunt through the PSP Web site.

For more information, contact www.PaSportsmenPortal.com or www.huntofalifetime.org/.