bison help wanted, 4 strong men and a boy

[slickrockpack]

Fishing yesterday in this slimy slippery new snow with the bison moving past heading down I thought of the very first bison I killed many years ago, I had my best hunting buddy with me

we slept poorly the night before and night cough set in on my buddy, think Flu and you'll have the picture

by 9am I had passed on several bison and picked a young cow, poof one in line with the horn and she was  dead

drove the herd off which is a challenge with one down and set to gutting

buddy was sick and getting worse so I opted to move with lightening speed

he held up the rear leg ad I gutted her out, as I neared the end of my cut he began violently coughing and let the leg go, the whole weight coming down on me with the hoof striking me first right on top of my head

I began to respond angrily but saw he was doubled over hacking his lungs out, not a good sign.

gutted finally I slid her a few yards on the snow with buddy following carrying the gear but knew I couldn't do it for long and every time I stopped Buddy sat down on the bison and hung his head in agony

time to change the plan

I piled him in the truck as it was beginning to pour rain, and the wiper motor had quit on the old  ford I was driving then

turning what amounted to a hair dryer on for heat and on high and facing towards him I hung my head outside the window so I could see driving and headed for town

before reaching town we ran into a couple truck loads of cowboys and on one truck was this new three wheeler contraption kind of like a motorcycle with side car but more like a miniature tricycle motorcycle the hells angles sometimes had with them when they came through town in the summer.

they looked like they were seeking adventure

waving a handful of cash at them I asked if they would help load a bison in the truck, my buddy was sick and not up to it

they smiled and took off at top speed for the kill site

before we could even get there,  back at us  here they came, full speed and occasionally rolling their motortrike over and over, bending handle bars and breaking the wrist of one of the drivers

holy crappin crap we said and dove out of their path.

by the time we turned around and walked back to the trucks they had loaded the bison into ours, loaded their trike into theirs and were preparing to leave

hang on I said, what do I owe you boys?

case of beer will do it the old timer of the bunch answered

well, hell, that's about ten bucks, that wont do I said and handed them 50 dollars US

to the trike owner I handed another 50, here I said, we did some damage to your rig there, and I thank you for it, plus your boy busted his wrist

nope, they wouldn't hear of it, $50 for beer was more than enough and besides he flipped the machine the wrist was his own fault and ZOOM away they tore, only then did we notice they had a cow bison of their own in their truck twice the size of ours. We didn't believe they had a license for it either and since they had just run the trike across the whole of the refuge where they weren't allowed to be I felt we should go the opposite way home from the direction they were heading

these days and for many years now I line up help for getting game out well in advance, I plan on dropping two bears pretty quickly here and don't shoot anything under 300, holding out for 400 to 500 really and that is not a one man job, for an old sickly busted up man like me anyway, thse days are gone.

The hides and skull making a trip in themselves maybe I can get a couple hind quarters out with them but it depends where it drops, rough country and rivers here abouts.

I run ads in the bars, 4 strong men and a boy needed, game hauling, pay  is $100 a day cash each OR all the beer you can carry

they always take the beer.

so make up some ads ahead of time when you are out dropping bison moose big elk, mtn goats or the like and for a few bucks or some beer you'll have a willing army of strong men and a boy looking to lighten your load

 

 

[slickrockpack]

MOho81....FOr the life of me I can't figure out how to send you this photo...someone will have to learn me.

[kpkot]

Good read, thanks for sharing. Have you always lived out west?

[slickrockpack]

1 hour ago, kpkot said:

Good read, thanks for sharing. Have you always lived out west?

you bet , glad you liked it.

nope, I'm from Saranac Inn for many generations, couldn't stand the bs and regs in ny after they created the APA and a flood of ijits from Westchester that flt out ruined the north country so we left for what was left of America.

went home for the holidays to see mom every year, was worse and worse being back there every year, mom passed this spring, and after one more trip to empty the house out I won't ever have to be east of the gateway again. Can't take all that driving anway I'm crippled for 4 days when I get there,lol

Edited September 21, 2017 by slickrockpack

[slickrockpack]

 I like the pronghorn in with the elk, I realize there exist other photos of elk with pronghorn but it doesn't bother me

you know its west when there is a pronger in it. love the buggers. ferris wheel is scheels, I don't believe they exist east most sporting goods stores here don't go east or to California, why put up with the hassles?  they are neat stores though. we often kill a day at the height of tourist season when millions are piling through and go to scheels, rocky mtn, big bear and maybe even stop at cabelas which is the poor second cousin compared to the rest.  Scheels is fun, and  their aquariums and photostop  spots are really cool  the photo stops have neat mounts that you stand next to and they have camera stands so you can take a photo there, but I wont show those

Edited September 21, 2017 by slickrockpack

[Paula]

Thanks for sharing story and pictures. Beautiful scenery 

[hunterdan44]

Nice story n pics!


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