It were back in ’91 and after a powerful long spell of waitin, Wapiti Dung and me was given word we done had permission to enter into the all sacred Crawferd Mountain to hunt the wiley mule deer bucks.

Now, the Crawferds is some real mean country.  The weather be as harsh as kin be.  When the cold meets the wind, ya best be hid up good on the lee side or your butt ain’t gonna be round fer long.

We woke one morn an it looked like a good time ta head fer the Crawferds.  It were snowin hard in the valley and we knowed the time was come.

Wantin ta go wid us were two famous skinners named “Many Steps” ‘an “Tracker” and we was all welcome to have them company us.

Ridin hard as we could we got ta the Crawferds  an set up camp with still nuff time fer a look round afore dark.

Nows when I tell the secret of the Crawferds big muley bucks.  A hunter who is done after the sort of muley what is bigger than the space he has on is cabin wall ta hang the horns, has got ta be high.  Ya got ta be way up!  I’m not talkin half way, nor three quarter, I’m talkin where no tree kin grow.  When you be huntin the rugged Crawferds and find you is surrounded for near as fer as you kin see with no tree, you be exact where Wapiti and me was on our hunt.

Ever day we seed big bucks; ever day we had em near to run us down; ever day we was as high as a man kin git; ever day we seed the sorta thing what most only passes in a hunter’s dreams.  Septin us, cuz we was livin a dream hunt!

We hunted in cold that froze the end of my nose; when range herds of elk was bowed up like hunch backs trying ta keep what warm was left in theys bodies close ta theys heart.  I’m tellin ya it were cold, cause when it warmed ta zero ya near took ta heat stroke.

When the hunt was done ‘an we was back ta the cabins in the valley we both had some nice horn for the walls.  As it turned out neither of us had ta cut holes ta make the horn fit the space, but we done had seen some what woulda made fer a lotta work addin a room ta make it fit.

We is happy now and kint wait til we kin play in the Crawferds agin.

Bears Butt

Jan-Feb 1992