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50 Years of Hunting and Fishing, Part 2: More Mis-Adventures of a Guy Who Couldn't Quit
50 Years of Hunting and Fishing, Part 2: More Mis-Adventures of a Guy Who Couldn't Quit
50 Years of Hunting and Fishing, Part 2: More Mis-Adventures of a Guy Who Couldn't Quit
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50 Years of Hunting and Fishing, Part 2: More Mis-Adventures of a Guy Who Couldn't Quit

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More fascinating, humorous, exciting stories of hunting and fishing in 11 states and Alaska over the past 50 years.

LanguageEnglish
PublisheriUniverse
Release dateMay 29, 2001
ISBN9781462048281
50 Years of Hunting and Fishing, Part 2: More Mis-Adventures of a Guy Who Couldn't Quit
Author

Ben D. Mahaffey

Ben D. Mahaffey was born in Midwest, Wyoming in 1932 to Roy Ray and Bertha Margaret Karman. He has earned the following degrees: AA, Casper College, Wyoming; BS, Colorado State University; MS, Ph.D., Texas A&M University. He has received the National Fellow Award from the Association of Interpretive Naturalists and the Medal of Valor from the Safari Club International. He has hunted and fished for 70 years on four continents, 11 lower states and Alaska. This book goes beyond hunting and fishing. He is a Theodore Roosevelt Historian and three chapters discuss the former President. There are war stories and a discussion of the shredding of the constitution. He was married to the former Barbara Alice Proud for 58 years. She died in 2012. He is the parent of three sons: Mark, Reno, Nevada; Clark, Mesa, Arizona and Scott, Riley, Kansas.He has nine grandchildren. He resides in St. George, Utah.

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    50 Years of Hunting and Fishing, Part 2 - Ben D. Mahaffey

    50 Years of Hunting and Fishing, Part II

    MORE Mis-Adventures of a Guy Who Couldn’t Quit

    Ben D. Mahaffey

    Writers Club Press

    San Jose New York Lincoln Shanghai

    50 Years of Hunting and Fishing,

    Part II

    MORE Mis-Adventures of a Guy Who Couldn’t Quit

    All Rights Reserved © 2001 by Ben D. Mahaffey

    No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher.

    Writers Club Press an imprint of iUniverse.com, Inc.

    For information address:

    iUniverse.com, Inc.

    5220 S 16th, Ste. 200

    Lincoln, NE 68512

    www.iuniverse.com

    ISBN: 9780595183166 (pbk)

    ISBN: 9781462048281 (ebk)

    Printed in the United States of America

    Contents

    Introduction

    A Tribute

    More Redneck Philosophy

    40-Year Fishing Treat

    Twenty-Five Straight

    No Fleas, Please

    Three Was Not Enough

    The Cowboys’ Help

    The Confrontation

    A Week on a Wannigan

    The Diving Retriever

    The Non-Resident Buck

    We’ll Follow You in 15 Minutes

    We’re Out of Worms

    Twin Bucks

    The Walleye Was a Wimp

    Bluegill By the Pair

    The Last Mule Deer Hunt

    Bravery Under Fire

    The Ultimate Deer Blind

    The First Whitetail Deer Hunt

    The Myths of Retirement

    Back to the Future

    About the Author

    Introduction

    Part I of these books was originally written as an appendix to my autobiography. I was going to document a few experiences that I have had hunting and fishing and other similar stories. However, little did I realize that I had so many experiences. An appendix became one book and now two books.

    As I continued to mentally review nearly sixty years of various outings, one book was not enough and so Part II became necessary. The mind works in a similar way as a computer. Words or phrases are submitted and then all sorts of related experiences come out! Since Part I was completed, I have submitted more words, and, now enough new experiences have been recorded for Part II.

    I have been given formal and informal reviews and criticisms of the first book. Some reader’s thoughts and reactions have been surprising. It is amazing to me how one book can evoke such varied responses from people.

    The other day I received a phone call from a reader in Ohio. I feel your pain in writing this book, he began. I responded: "I had a lot of pain from some of the experiences recorded in the book but I didn’t have any pain in writing the experiences." I think that what he may have meant to say was that it was painful for him to read about the experiences!

    I have been pleased to learn youngsters, especially boys enjoyed the first book. The short story form was pleasing to them. They said that they could start and stop and every story was complete. I had one friend who liked to read in the morning while heeding the call of nature. He read one story a day. I calculated that it took him approximately 35 days to finish the book; that was assuming that his bodily functions were regular each day.

    A few comments: Dr. Darel Nelson of Vernal, Utah wrote: It is now 10:03 p.m. by my clock on the wall. My eyes are bloodshot and my body aches from 50 years of hunting and fishing. I’m going to bed. If I have recovered sufficiently by morning, I’ll try to continue reading.

    Darel’s physical condition worried me, so I consulted my family physician about what could happen if he, or any reader, indulged in more reading than their psyche or physical condition could tolerate. He didn’t answer, but he told me to increase my personal liability insurance. He didn’t ask me for a copy of the book.

    My friend, Terry Beaver, of Takemah, Nebraska wrote: "It was always difficult for me to hunt with Ben. He was long-legged; I’m ‘altitude challenged.’ For every step he took up a steep ridge, I took at least two. I was always more tired than he was.

    "He tolerated my lack of physical stature because he needed some one to fill his license for him. I have lots of color photos and slides of me with game I have bagged, and of Ben with game I have bagged.

    We hunted together in his home state of Wyoming and my native Nebraska. Elk, deer, antelope, rabbits, pheasants and waterfowl were all seasonal quarry for the two of us. Ben also loved to fish, one of his many faults that I have learned to overlook. I read all of the stories; I am still looking for one that was true.

    Russell Madsen of Provo, Utah was more kind, and in my opinion, more accurate when he wrote: I only participated in a few of the adventures you wrote about, but those were trips I will always remember, especially the duck hunts on Horse Creek and the Sweet Water River, near Martin’s Cove. Pheasant hunting near Torrington, Wyoming was also an exciting experience. The story of the ‘Floppy-eared Buck’ reminded me of many great deer and antelope hunts all the way from the north face of Casper Mountain to the Teapot Rock area.

    Samuel Sincere, from Trenton, New Jersey wrote: "I spent good money buying your book from the Internet, thinking that you would have some experiences that I would enjoy or could relate to. How disappointed I was.

    You are arrogant and obviously a poor shot and a poor sport or you would have quit those activities years ago." I appreciated Sam taking the time to write me, but I don’t give much credence to anyone from Trenton, New Jersey. What could he know about hunting or fishing?

    A long, critical and abusive letter came from Gretchen Grody, President of WOARK (Women Organized Against Rape and Killing). She said that she was attracted by the title of the book. She couldn’t believe anyone could spend 50 years actively killing harmless creatures that couldn’t defend themselves. She continued by saying that rape was becoming so common they were going to abandon any further financial or emotional support to reduce it. However, she was going to use my book as a national example for the need for more efforts in eliminating hunting and fishing. She continued by saying she was buying 50 copies to send to all of the state chapters. I answered her letter and acknowledged her remarks and thanked her, especially, for buying 50 copies of the book.

    Only one other woman commented on the book, Pricilla Princeton. She was, obviously, a huntress and fisherperson (who says that I can’t use politically correct language?). She said: Your book was full of sexism, racism, incorrect political language, inaccuracies and bigotry. She continued by saying: I liked it, and I’m sending a copy to all my friends.

    Some of my experiences were humorous in places; others were more catastrophic in nature. I learned a long time ago that many trips have been saved and enjoyed by viewing them humorously. Unfortunately, this often has to be done in retrospect and not at the time!

    Please note: the names used in some of the stories have been changed to protect the innocent and to save embarrassment to the guilty. However, in some accounts, those named are the actual people. Each account is true, with some embellishment here and there, to add interest for the reader. Some of the stories are in chronological order.

    A Tribute

    I thank all those who have read Part I of these books. I appreciate all of the responses, especially the favorable comments. I have mentioned some of them in the Introduction. Many readers have taken the time to tell me of their own experiences which were often more spectacular than those in this book!

    Most of the characters in these stories have passed away and now inhabit that Limited Entry Celestial Hunting and Fishing Area. Some of the behavior discussed was not exemplary but people behave the way they behave, often without any apparent logical reason. Logic doesn’t exist very much in real life.

    The other day, a person asked me: "What is life? That was a profound question, one that has been asked by theologians and philosophers since the beginning of time. I answered by saying: Life is the sum total of all of the experiences, positive and negative, that we accumulate, that mold us into the character that we have become, at that time."

    I thank those who have helped mold me: my wife, Barbara; my three sons: Mark, Clark and Scott; my four grandchildren and all of the others, some of whom I cannot call friends. Many have passed like silent ships in the night, little knowing that they have contributed to my total being.

    BEN D. MAHAFFEY

    Vernal, Utah

    More Redneck Philosophy

    Both of these books were published on-line or on the Internet, as some would describe. Going through all of the processes of publishing was more difficult for me than the actual writing. Learning new skills, changing habits and using new technology, has been more difficult as I age. Those are normal reactions. However, it is surprising for me when I find young people who refuse to change and who will not face the challenges of new technology. I think the basis for that behavior is a lack of education.

    Social and cultural changes are often more difficult to accept than technology changes. It appears to me that one of the great questions we all face, in a non-technology sense, is to determine which conditions within our social and cultural environment need changing and which conditions should be retained.

    Many new types of hunting and fishing equipment, clothes, optics, etc. have been introduced in the past half-century. Examples are: 4 x 4 trucks and all terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, all kinds of new fabrics replacing down and wool that we used to use; new rifle calibers, improved powders, steel shot; various types of plastics and artificial materials; improved optics, night vision binoculars, range finders, cell phones and walkie-talkies.

    The other day I was visiting with a hunter displaying a set of trophy elk antlers, in the back of his Pickup, in the 350-point class. He was proud, as would I be. I asked about the details of the stalk and kill. He said that they had jumped the bull earlier in the day but could not pursue the animal. Later, he and his companion separated and hunted separate canyons. Suddenly his partner called him on a walkie-talkie and told him the bull was coming over toward him in his canyon. He changed positions, waited and made the kill. Would he have made the kill without modern technology? Was it fair to use instant communication equipment? Is it fair to use 4-wheelers and snowmobiles for access?

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    Those are very difficult questions to answer. I do know that the scarcity of game animals in many parts of the country can be partly attributed to modern technology, in conjunction with the incompetence of various state wildlife management agencies. Most state wildlife management agencies, by law, must be self-sustaining, i.e., no direct monies from the general funds are allocated to the agencies. This forces the agencies to put money generation first priority to ensure their own existence. If an agency’s first priority is to raise money, is it possible to also have an effective game management program? Perhaps, in ideal situations; but ideal situations don’t occur often.

    Most state wildlife management agencies are not accountable to the public, even though they supposedly have policy boards, advisory boards, public hearings, etc. The boards are politically appointed, with different local or state environmental or other self-interest groups often dictating policies. This is evident by the different quality of hunting and fishing between and among the Western states. Why is the management of wildlife in states like Wyoming, Montana and Colorado superior to the state of Utah?

    A couple of years ago I applied for one of the openings on Utah’s policy board for the Department of Wildlife Resources. Late one evening, I received a phone call from a woman who did not give her full name. She said that she was on the Governor’s Nominating Committee to select board members. Then she began asking me several controversial questions: Do you favor the introduction of wolves into Utah? What is your philosophy towards private property and wildlife management? etc. I gave her my honest opinions to these questions and on other relevant issues. She thanked me and hung up. I never heard from anyone again. Obviously, the Nominating Committee was carefully screening potential members for specific management goals and did not want opposing or differing philosophies on the board.

    I observe the operations of government agencies closely, since I live in a Western state and live near the headquarters of several state and federal agencies. These burgeoning agencies are becoming more powerful and more arrogant in their administration of the public resources, especially wildlife. I have worked in six different government organizations in my lifetime. I know by experience how many administrators feel about public lands and their management. Those feelings are often not compatible with the mandate for which the agencies are supposed to be managed or according the will ofthe public.

    Government is not reason; it is power. This week I was reading a report about new hunting regulations being enforced by ALASKA FISH AND WILDLIFE PROTECTION TROOPERS. Their very title, Troopers, according to the article, is indicative of the arrogance of power. The Alaska organization was concerned about the wanton waste of meat by hunters. The regulations dictate that all meat must be salvaged by hunters; even the meat on the rib cage must be removed. The head and antlers cannot be removed before the rest of the carcass!

    I hunted in Alaska a few years ago. We were in an extremely remote area of the bush. A friend and I killed two very large Caribou. We could not get a plane close to the kill site. We each packed our heads and antlers out first and then went back to retrieve the front and rear quarters. However, we left the rib cages. We violated two laws! Fines for such violations are up to $5000 and a year in jail! The carcasses of animals are quickly devoured by predators. What if a predator killed an animal and left part of it? Is there a difference? Yes, according to the ruthless regulations of the agency.

    Wildlife management agencies are slow to respond to the changing habitat and encroachment of man. For example, I live in the county, but very close to a small town. Our area is semi-arid, but historically has been great Mule Deer habitat. Through the years, much of the valley has been planted to alfalfa and other crops, in addition to vast groves of trees and shrubs and the area has been enhanced by a large system of canals.

    As I ride south into remote country, I seldom see Mule Deer. However, there are large herds of Mule Deer that come into my property and destroy my garden and fruit trees. This is a common complaint of residents over the whole area. The behavior of Mule Deer has changed and they are now attracted into the green belts of this valley and similar areas over the whole state. One day I was visiting with a wildlife biologist. I complained about the deer. His response: The deer were here first. I then asked him why he didn’t do a research study to determine: (1) the economic loss encountered by residents across the state by Mule Deer; and (2) why couldn’t he do a study to determine deer density in these areas and their changing behavior in relation to the increasing number of green belts being created in Utah? He looked at me as if I was out of my mind and quickly climbed into his new Pickup and drove away.

    The deer season is currently open in Utah. I have seen a few bucks harvested here and there. Most hunters that I have visited with have seen few deer in most of the general areas. Most of the bucks harvested are small, indicating excessive harvest. The success of hunters in the limited entry areas was better, of course. However, tens of thousands of licenses were sold for the open areas. The same story is heard about bull elk in the state, with thousands of licenses being sold for the open areas.

    The impact of predation on wildlife herds is very controversial in Utah. It is my opinion that this issue cannot be accurately addressed because of political pressure by various environmental groups. Game biologists and administrators are fearful of the negative publicity often generated when considering predator control, especially Mountain Lions. The most important issue appears to be raising millions of dollars to support the large bureaucracy.

    This section of the book was not meant to be a treatise on wildlife management, but I am frustrated, as are other hunters, when we realize that Utah contains some of the finest Mule Deer habitat in the world and few Mule Deer inhabit it. The same is generally true for elk and elk habitat.

    A dramatic, sweeping, non-political solution is possible to help solve Utah’s failing wildlife management policies. I suggest that the Governor appoint a non-political Commission, funded by the Legislature, to spend a year in analyzing all aspects of the agency: animal census, past and current research priorities, budgeting procedures, personal and business use of state property, personnel management, public input procedures, law enforcement training and philosophies, etc.

    Most members of the Commission should be from outside Utah and made up of professionals, business and lay people. After the report is submitted, the Governor and Legislature could then institute all suggested changes, which, I estimate, would be significant. Effective change is impossible within the political environment of the state.

    I have decided that I will leave Utah and hunt in other states. I just returned from the finest Mule Deer hunt of my life. I hunted out of Buffalo, Wyoming. The story of that hunt is in the back of the book titled The Last Mule Deer Hunt. Note the Mule deer statistics that I recorded during that hunt. It is my opinion that incompetent management is the primary reason for poor hunting in Utah.

    The national movement toward gun control is a serious threat to our freedom to hunt in this country. Although the current battle is centered around hand guns, it is only a matter of time until the issue will include rifles and shotguns. We must all arm our youngsters and friends with a knowledge of these issues and to prepare them to defend their rights by being educated and willing to work through the political process.

    Radical environmentalists pose a threat to both our hunting and fishing rights. Some groups advocate the draining of Lake Powell and Flaming Gorge Reservoirs. As foolish as these proposals sound, the success or failure will be fought in the political arena. Radical animal rights advocates are becoming increasingly vocal and militant in their objective of stopping all hunting and killing of game and fish. However, some states are successfully passing legislation to protect hunting rights.

    Our culture does not value older people much.. .But, we who are in the check-out generation can have great influence with the check-in generation, if we try. Spend time with your kids and grandkids and explain all of the current issues with them. Some great locations to do this are: in the deer blind, while hunting pheasants, or while fishing in the closest lake or reservoir.

    A Family Affair

    40-Year Fishing Treat

    In June, 1973, I was living in Manhattan, Kansas and teaching at Kansas State University. One morning, I received a rare call from my stepfather, Dave Mahaffey, who lived in Casper, Wyoming. Dave was not prone to many long distance calls and less prone to prolonged conversations.

    The water is running over the Pathfinder Dam spillway for the first time in 25 years. I have been up there fishing for the past week and it’s great. Bring all of the kids up and we’ll all go fishing. He abruptly hung up the phone.

    This was a surprise call. Although, in my youth, I had hunted and fished with Dave many times, as I grew older, I seldom associated with him, other than in visiting while passing through or on special trips to Casper so the boys could visit with their grandparents. Mark, Clark and Scott comprised the boys in my family.

    I had been fishing at Pathfinder Reservoir many times as a youth with Dave and others in his boat called the Nita Ann, named after my sister Juanita. I had also fished from the bank on occasion but not for many years. However, I didn’t have any idea what Dave meant when he said he was fishing because the water was running over the spillway.

    That evening, I visited with my wife Barbara and the boys. I could take a few days vacation and we could go fishing, if that is what we all wanted to do. The boys were excited about the opportunity to fish. Barbara, who had never caught a fish in her life, and showed no interest in starting now, said that she would go with us but would stay in town, visit with Grandma, and, perhaps, visit one of Casper’s new malls. Now, I didn’t mind the visiting part, but I was a little worried about the mall visit. However, we all agreed that we would make the 750-mile trip to Casper.

    We made the trip in one day, leaving early in the morning from Kansas. As we turned north at Cheyenne, we noticed the exceptional green color of the range land. When we turned west at Douglas, the normally brown caste of the hills was replaced by the bright green of lush grass. It was apparent that the area had received much more than the normal amount of moisture. We pulled into the long, familiar driveway of Dave’s Casper home. The Shelty dog greeted us, as usual, barking and warning everyone within hearing distance,

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