A good friend of mine passed away yesterday.
Mark Harris hunted with my brother, Whip, Beach Bowhunter, Bob Walker, Charlie Lamb, and many others at the third Texas Sweat hunt when Curtis Keller was going strong.
Mark is the guy in the middle with the blue shirt on.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/ckinslow/TexasSweat3050-1.jpg)
He was a friend of my father-in-law and Charlie Lamb so I got to know him pretty well. Mark had his flaws like the rest of us, but once I got to know him I learned to really enjoy his company. He opened up his farm to myself, Charlie, Andrew Kinslow, and Tom Porter (Gatekeeper).
We had a hell of a lot of good times at his bunkhouse which was a small house he built down by the fishing pond. It's became my "corner bar" where I went to hang out with my hunting buddies.
I helped Harris build deer habitat and put up treestand on his farm. We did a lot of work to help increase the deer numbers. I hunted there several years and finally this fall, I shot a nice doe with my longbow. I wish he was in this picture. Mark was always cooking or doing chores around the buckhouse to help make things nice for the hunters. He said he had to get something ready for our lunch so he didn't go out to recover the deer with us. I wish he had now!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/ckinslow/OctoberDoeatMarks025.jpg)
Mark passed away on Tuesday morning suddenly. I will miss him and his lovely farm where he so graciously let me hunt. Here's to you my friend! God's speed.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Condolences to the family.
God bless,Mudd
So sorry for your loss
Sorry for the loss. He sounds like an awesome man.
The memories you had of Mark and the farm you hunted will always be with you, sorry for the loss of your friend.
SOrry for your loss. just remember he will be with you in spirit!
God bless!
Too many good times with Mark to count. We've been hunting buds since back in the 70's. It's hard to imagine life without Mark.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/alaskafisherman1.jpg)
Always quick with a quip or joke, he was a joy to share camp with.
Though you wouldn't know it by talking to him, he was a great shot with longbow or recurve.
Like myself and others in our group he never owned a compound and just simply didn't feel a need for one.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/markharriswjavie.jpg)
Sorry for your loss, prayers sent up. GOD BLESS..
Sorry for the loss Chris, Tom and Charlie.
I sure enjoyed meeting him at his farm with you guys and he sure had a awesome place. He was a pleasure to visit with and here some of the great storys from years past.
Tracy
Sounds like one of the good guys I never had the chance to meet....sorry for your loss fellas.....
Like Charlie, I have known Mark since 1970. I've hunted everything from rabbits and squirrels to Mulies,Whitetail and Elk with him. I really have so many stories and memories of Mark that it would take a book to tell all of them. Mark, by the way, was the guy that kept a journal of all of his hunts and it would be nice to get them to keep. One of the funniest hunts I was on with Mark happened to be with another great friend, Charlie Lamb. Remember the Tick Bucket , Lamb ? We met Charlie in Lebanon, MO when Charlie worked for the MO Conservation Dept to go Turkey hunting. This was in the early 70's when there were only 3 Turks in the state and Lamb was convinced we could kill one. It would be the first bow kill in the state. We didn't get anything so we laid down for a nap in the sun. We woke up later and headed for the truck. Harris was like a tick magnet AND HAD TICKS ALL OVER HIM. He stripped off and put his clothes in a plastic bucket with a lid and thus was born "The Tick Bucket" It wasn't a pretty site , but it was funny as hell. That was Harris. if it could happen to you, it would happen to Harris
In the past year , Mark has been more supportive to me personally that any of you know.
to say I will miss him is a huge understatement.
God's speed to you Mark, Keep the wind to your back and the sun in your face.
I am very sorry for the loss of your friend. I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers....
Sorry for your loss... He lives on in your memories..
I hunted on Mark's place the past three years with Charlie, Gary, Chris, and Tom. Mark was always busy with the logistics of the guests and would sacrifice his own hunting getting something ready for us. He always had a funny story to tell, and a laugh larger than life. He always greeted me with a handshake and a smile and made me feel like an old friend even though I would usually only see him a couple times a year. Some of the best times were spent at the bunkhouse around the fire telling stories. I'll really miss that. Thanks Mark.
Sorry to hear about your loss. at least he sits at the big fire with the greats of archery who went before him.
God bless him and his family and friends. Mike
Very sorry for the loss guys.
Sorry for your loss. Prayers sent from KS
I just read this Chris. Tom had told me he lost a good friend, but I didn't realize who he was talking about. I'm so sorry for the loss to all of you who knew him. I unfortunately didn't, but if he was your friend he was mine. God's speed to him and may God hold him today and forever!
Chris and Tom Sorry for your loss.Never easy to lose a close friend that is like family.Take care Kip
prayers sent.
Prayers for the friends and family.... :campfire:
Sorry for the loss, and prayers sent for the family and friends during their healing.
Good friends like this are worth their weight in gold. It's always a shame to hear of the passing of such a respected Man.
I hope everyone remembers the pleasant times You had together in this time of sorrow. Prayers sent for all friends and family.
bretto
Sorry for the loss fellas. My thoughts are with his friends and family...
Travis :campfire:
Sorry for your loss.Prayers sent.
Very sorry for your loss. It is tough to lose a buddy, especially one that you have liked for so long. Condolences and prayers are offered for all that share in this loss.
Sorry to hear it. I wish you all the best.
-Charlie
sorry for the loss of your friend.
he will me missed.
It's been several months since Mark passed away but I thought I would bring this thread back to share something hopeful. Mark's widow Ann Harris has continued Mark's generosity by extending an invitation to those of us who hunting with him to continue coming out to the farm.
Frequently this summer I've thought of Mark. Over the summer I have come out to the farm to put in food plots and manage some habit. I've gotten trail camera pictures and my boys have done some fishing. All of these things were enable by Mark's work. To that end I wanted to find a way to remember him and in my own way pay homage to Mark similarly to what has happened with Chris Surtees.
To that end I talked to Ann and asked her if I could purchase one of Mark's bows and make it into a pass around memorial bow amoung Mark's friends. She quickly told me that Mark would want us to have it and gave me the bow. Mark had lots of cool bows including a Schafer, Zipper, and Black Widow. But I picked a simple Bighorn recurve that I had seen. It was a plain jane model and that gave me the idea to spruce it up a little.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/ckinslow/1344449906166.jpg)
I took it to the shop and worked it over with a file and some sanding to round out some of the edges and take some weight off the limbs. Charlie Lamb gave me his expertise and helped put the final touches on it when I visited him this summer.
Then I took it and had it camo dipped in Predator camo. I got it back yesterday and put some arrows through it last night. It's a good shooter and looks pretty cool.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/ckinslow/DSC06763.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/ckinslow/DSC06765.jpg)
My plan is to harvest a deer with it this fall. That way Mark can come along with me on another hunt. It will be one I will not forget! I'm anxious for the season to start. It's going to be exciting to see what the bow has in store for me this fall.
Then this bow will be given to Charlie Lamb, Andrew Kinslow, and any of Mark's other friends who would like to hunt with it. Maybe we can all put our initals on it and that can be our tribute to him and a way to keep him in our group.
Here's to you buddy. Thanks for letting me use your bow. I'm going to do my best to shoot it straight!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/ckinslow/DSC06767.jpg)
Hopefully in a few more weeks or months I can update this post again with an animal taken with Mark's bow.
Very nice tribute sir!
He will be watching over all of you in the woods good luck and god bless
Great tribute to a special friend. God Bless Mark, his family and his many friends. Some day you will all meet again around that big campfire in the sky. Think of the memories you will share when that time comes to be. :pray:
Wow Chris, dont know how I missed this back in March. I remember having quite a few entertaining conversations with Mark on that hunt. One heck of a great guy. He was so proud of that javelina... it was awesome! Glad I got a chance to meet the man. Truly a loss for you, his friends and family. Have fun shooting his bow in his memory.
Norb
Prayers sent up for those left behind!!!!
The bow looks great bud!! Thanks for getting me all misty.
Very cool!
Hey Chris,
Sorry I missed this earlier.Sorry to hear that you guys lost a great friend, but I think what you are doing in his memory is something special...Lonnie
The inestimable and endearing impact on our lives experienced thru friendship remains an altruistic bestowed blessing.
>>>Much sorrow for your loss of a closely guarded frienship<<<
Like Norbert, I somehow missed this one back in March, and sure am sorry to hear of his passing now. I really enjoyed that trip with him and remember him well. He was a pleasure to share a camp with, and as Norb mentioned was so excited with that javelina. If I remember correctly it was the last morning, wasn't it? That was cool!
Great job on the bow, and a fine tribute to a fine man. He would be proud.
Very nice buddy the bow came out great! :thumbsup:
Awesome way of showing respect to a great man.
Tracy
Like some of the others. I don't know where I was in march...
Either way. Sorry for the loss to all of you and his family. Sounds like you lost someone truly special.
Fantastic way to commemorate the man!
Looking forward to some great stories with the bighorn.
:thumbsup:
The bow looks great... I think that Mark would be very proud of this fine tribute!!!
Dam I missed it too Chris.I was one of the unfortunate ones who did not have the pleasure to meet Mark.The memorial bow will keep his Spirit alive.
I would love to try and anchor a critter with it even though I am a LEFTY,BUT I would not do it justice.
Good Luck gents with the pass around bow.I am sure Mark will be watchin from above as part of him goes afield.