Why I never made it as a trophy hunter - Buck Down

[KFhunter]

Your doing a life size then because it was such a memorable stalk? Lmao

We didn't take that hide anywhere!  The 1,000 ticks didn't bother me as much as the fleas   Never shot a deer with fleas before. 

Been butchering this evening.  So much fat it's like butchering a cow.  He's not bloated in those pics...that's all fat!  Don't think we are going to be sharing too much with this guy.  He is going to taste GREAT!!!

My kind of deer 

would be better if it were a fat whitetail though

[Johnb317]

The trophy is the story!  You ever publish let us know. 

[Smossy]

Radsav needs to write a book. Bet it would be one hell of a read.

Are you saying I need to write a book about adventures in bowhunting the northwest or a book about all the stupid things I've done in my life

I've written two, "Sound Smell and Think Like an Elk"  "Modern Solutions to Tuning Your Compound Bow", neither were ever published.  Both written in the eighties so I expect they are way outdated now.  Not sure I'm up for the rejection associated with doing it again.

Just hunting adventures in general. I think with your vocabulary and way of explaining things with such realism you could really open the eyes of alot of hunters or inspiring hunters like myself. Dunno. Your just good at keeping peoples attention with the longer stories.

[Elkbow33]

Great story! Wife had to ask what I was laughing at!!!  Being recently post back surgery I can relate!! Well told!

[KFhunter]

Radsav needs to write a book. Bet it would be one hell of a read.

Are you saying I need to write a book about adventures in bowhunting the northwest or a book about all the stupid things I've done in my life

I've written two, "Sound Smell and Think Like an Elk"  "Modern Solutions to Tuning Your Compound Bow", neither were ever published.  Both written in the eighties so I expect they are way outdated now.  Not sure I'm up for the rejection associated with doing it again.

Just hunting adventures in general. I think with your vocabulary and way of explaining things with such realism you could really open the eyes of alot of hunters or inspiring hunters like myself. Dunno. Your just good at keeping peoples attention with the longer stories.

The next Patrick F McManus!   

[Ridgerunner]

Great story and adventure, shows the true meaning of the hunt.

[RadSav]

You ever find arrowheads at Gerber?  I used to camp there and find arrowheads back when I was in college in OR.  Sure wish I hadn't lost those arrowheads........   

OIT?  If so what year?  My brother, Darren Fry, was there in Diesel Technologies late 80's.

There were some monster Muledeer hanging around the camp ground at the north end of the reservoir back then.  Curious as to when you were there and if they were still hanging around?  Did you experience the never ending Nighthawk attacks while you were there?  Used to make me jump out of my skin.  Never did get used to it.

One day after an antelope season ended we decided to spend an extra day and shoot sage rats around the camp ground.  I think we ran out of ammo after tagging about 200 of them.  Don't thing we even made a dent in the population.  That was sure fun.

[RadSav]

Just hunting adventures in general. I think with your vocabulary and way of explaining things with such realism you could really open the eyes of alot of hunters or inspiring hunters like myself. Dunno. Your just good at keeping peoples attention with the longer stories.

I have been thinking the past few years about re-writing Sound, Smell and Think Like an Elk and publishing it myself if rejected again.  Not sure where I would find the time though...Oh yeah that's right...stop wasting time on Hunting-Washington.  That would free up plenty of time   Seriously, if I end up selling the business in a few years I will probably write again.  Before Doug Walker passed he wanted me to get back to writing for Western/National Bowhunter.  He had brought up some good ideas I would like to take a little further.  Just not the same writing a column for someone else even though Scott Walker and I knew each other somewhat a long time ago.  So I would try to adapt them to book form I think. 

For now, just trying to keep up with an angry squaw and keep updated with our H-W family is work enough.

[Curly]

You ever find arrowheads at Gerber?  I used to camp there and find arrowheads back when I was in college in OR.  Sure wish I hadn't lost those arrowheads........   

OIT?  If so what year?  My brother, Darren Fry, was there in Diesel Technologies late 80's.

There were some monster Muledeer hanging around the camp ground at the north end of the reservoir back then.  Curious as to when you were there and if they were still hanging around?  Did you experience the never ending Nighthawk attacks while you were there?  Used to make me jump out of my skin.  Never did get used to it.

One day after an antelope season ended we decided to spend an extra day and shoot sage rats around the camp ground.  I think we ran out of ammo after tagging about 200 of them.  Don't thing we even made a dent in the population.  That was sure fun.

Yeah, OIT.  I was there 1988 - 90.   

I think I was there after a couple very bad winter kills according to the locals, so the deer population was way down.  We didn't notice any big muleys but then most of the time spent out at the reservoir involved lots of drinking and being stupid college kids, so maybe I just missed seeing them.....

My roommate was in diesel tech, I was in Civil.  So maybe my roommate knew your brother, but I don't recall the name Darren Fry..........but that was about a quarter century ago; I have trouble recalling what I had for dinner last night.

I think I recall nighthawks but they didn't make that big of an impression. 

I also seem to remember finding a bunch of old military cartridges while looking for arrowheads.  Seems like they were anti tank rounds or something......very large.  The water level was very low when we were there.

If only there were message boards like this back then.  I didn't know much about mule deer hunting back then since I was used to blacktail hunting and my roomates were from the wet side of OR, so they didn't know much about mule deer either.  That was back in the day before all the special permits.........  :  Tried my luck at mule deer back then (1988 - 1990) but didn't know what I was doing.  Did ok on ducks and geese though.  (I only got to hunt one season, though). 

[RadSav]

Think you missed Darren by just a couple years.  You may have heard the stories of a skitzo guy in the dorms who chased residents around with a hammer calling them commies.  Was a big police event just before you got there.  That was my brothers room mate.  He moved out of the dorms after that.

I never found any of the spent shell casings.  Maybe that happened after our time there as well.  I've never been to Gerber when the water level was high either.  Usually just enough water to hold a few fish and breed swarms of mosquitos.  I assume guys that got too drunk and passed out would be sucked dry by the mosquitos before they regained consciousness.  Even NWT wasn't as bad as Gerber campground

[lewy]

That was funny, nice story. Humility and humbleness are the best of traits

[sakoshooter]

Bryan, Congrats. Great story. Way to go ol timer.

[Jonathan_S]

That was funny, nice story. Humility and humbleness are the best of traits

  RadSav is one awesome dude.

[earlmarne]

sounds like one heck of a hunt n thats a nice deer.congrats

[Smossy]

Just hunting adventures in general. I think with your vocabulary and way of explaining things with such realism you could really open the eyes of alot of hunters or inspiring hunters like myself. Dunno. Your just good at keeping peoples attention with the longer stories.

I have been thinking the past few years about re-writing Sound, Smell and Think Like an Elk and publishing it myself if rejected again.  Not sure where I would find the time though...Oh yeah that's right...stop wasting time on Hunting-Washington.  That would free up plenty of time   Seriously, if I end up selling the business in a few years I will probably write again.  Before Doug Walker passed he wanted me to get back to writing for Western/National Bowhunter.  He had brought up some good ideas I would like to take a little further.  Just not the same writing a column for someone else even though Scott Walker and I knew each other somewhat a long time ago.  So I would try to adapt them to book form I think. 

For now, just trying to keep up with an angry squaw and keep updated with our H-W family is work enough.

Whatever makes you happy brother, Tell Lorraine me and Beck say hello