Not a Bow hunting thread :scared: :scared: :eek: :confused:
OOPS gotta run for a bit I'll be back..,..really
Got my curiossity up now.
Oooooh was it me?
In 2008 the Texas Sweat was held outside of Crane, TX. There were folks from literally all over the world there, Africans, Brits, Canadians, Texans, you get the picture. NOW one of them Bloody fellas from that Sweat appeared to be walking up to my door. No it was not Robtatoo........ That face is etched into my gray matter fo eternity.........
Who I'm thinking I'm seein coming to my door, was one of them quiet camping guys. One of them that when he prepares a meal it's a meal, tossed salad, house or tent dressing as well as the appropriate wine for the meal.
No bugs with the meal, that eliminates the African. Appropriate wine has left the Canadians out in the cold, rubbin alcohol, moose burgers and salad is their tendencies. If it's liquid their more than happy to drink it...............
Nope weren't gonna be any of them.............
So you can imagine my SURPRISE to open the door to this FACE :scared: :scared:
............. (http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d171/IronBull_/Smileys/HAPPY.gif).....
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(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/vance/Sherpa_2.JPG)
The SHERPA
This one REALLY caught me off center..........
WHAT..?...................WHERE..?................WHY..? .............HOW..?
Were but a few of the questions that I posed to my visitor
Answer....... Just in the neighborhood thought I'd stop in and say HI... :wavey: ..Ya just never know what Tradgang is gonna bring to your door..........
Thanks for stopping in John......That was (http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d171/IronBull_/Smileys/awesomesmiley.gif)
Vance, I can't believe that I was in your neighborhood for several weeks and we didn't get to shake hands or share a meal. I'll try much harder next time, I promise.....
Jeff
I'm sure that WAS a pleasant surprise!
What the heck brought him to your part of the world? That just isn't on the way to too many places! Picking up some new pack stock maybe? :saywhat:
Dr. Lasch..........That's what shocked the snot outta me, I knew he wasn't on his way to the corner market. I'm a bit out of the way for a couple hr visit.......He was on an outing looking at antelope hunting prospects. He does do his homework :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl:
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c324/nucduke/IMG_1010.jpg)
I took this picture from the seat of my rental Suburban on my way out. You can't get a picture of this sign just anywhere.
Vance,
Good to see you again and thanks again for your hospitality.
Since you have brought this up I might take the liberty of discussing what I have been up to.
I have always been afflicted with this pull on my soul to be up in the high country, and I do my best to spend a few weeks up there every year. My son seems to have inherited this fault to some degree and was talking about not going to graduate school and maybe getting a guiding license and working out west during hunting season. After some discussion and one thing leading to another I have been looking into buying an outfitting business. My son can work for me and take over ownership as he earns it. The business I have been checking out this week was in Wyoming. I flew into Jackson Hole Friday night after work, rented a 4x4 Suburban and checked into a resort that had a resonable rate on a room. Saturday I dropped in on a hunting camp and visited with the outfitters wife. The outfitter was out hunting and after getting a lot of my questions answered by the spouse/camp cook I departed with instructions to be back around dusk for supper to visit with the boss. A part of this hunting enterprise is a lease on 30,000 acres of prime antelope hunting. I took a drive to go find this ranch to look it over. I drove through the middle of this ranch and didn't see any antelope, they have already migrated to points south. As I neared the intersection and was turning around I saw the sign pictured up above. The Ryegrass? I recognize that name! I have never been to that part of Wyoming. I had just crossed the Wyoming range, on a muddy 2 track of a road pushing snow that was a foot and a half deep and had to use the 4WD to get through the mud in places. I had snuck in the back way to the abode of one Iron Bull of Tradgang fame, and a few minutes later I was knocking on his back door. He was probably as surprised as I was to find myself on his porch. Sometimes it is a small world.
Anyway, this outfitter is a gun hunter and does not do much with archery except a few elk hunters once in a while. The Greys River drainage has the biggest mule deer in the world and elk numbers are at all time highs and that is what those outfitters concentrate on, mostly during rifle season. I think he is missing the boat on archery hunting the antelope. He says its not unusuall to see 350 antelope a day on that ranch. Geesh. I know what I will do with that situation if we can come to terms on this business.
I was thinking about starting with an outfitted/unguided camp with a half dozen bowhunters a week for 2 weeks. Kind of like the Smith Sheep ranch used to be. A dozen bowhunters probably wouldn't put much of a dent in the antelope on a 30,000 acre ranch. Maybe increase numbers if there is demand and conditions permit. Meals, tents, cots, blinds, ghillie suits provided at a reasonable cost. Of course I would have to be a Tradgang sponsor if this deal comes to pass.
My son and I are pretty sure we are going to put an offer on this camp. The only fly in the ointment has developed since I started seriously talking about buying this businiess and that is a possible partnership deal with the outfitters son and son in law, trying to come up with the money to take this over. I may have made an expensive trip just to visit Vance. Money well spent I guess.
You got a client if you pull this off! Great story gents.
So for us uninformed and out of the know people, who is he? Been in archery and Bowhunting for over 45 years and I have no clue!
Hey Doc, I had a feeling you were scouting. Where is the base for this outfitter? Near Pinedale? I like the idea of you as a part time outfitter, have to cut back on the X ray time eventually.
Who is Who?? :confused: Me or Him :help:
Awesome stuff! sounds good Doc
if you need a few guys to go test the place out keep me in mind :) been meaning to get up there and visit the Bull anyway
Shaun,
The nearest town is Alpine about 40 miles downstream on the Grey's River. Its actually closer to Vance's spread than anything. Camp is straight west from the Ryegrass, up on top of the mountain about 12 miles as the crow flies but takes about 45 minutes driving under good conditions. Jacob will be the outfitter of record and I will guide for him a few weeks for antelope and elk season. I will be keeping my day job for a few more years. When the time comes I should have something to keep me occupied in my advancing years. All contingent on his children not being able to raise enough money to bump me out of the picture. If this deal falls through I will be looking for another.