6th Prize
Hunting Journal with Weatherby Logo (100 awarded)
Tony Timeus, Oregon
“My dream hunt would be to watch my father harvest a trophy class bull elk in New Mexico. My father is the most unselfish person I know. We never had a lot growing up but we never went without. He worked for the local power company for 40 years. He drove a 1955 Willys jeep to work for as long as I can remember. I am one of three children. My father taught me how to hunt and fish. We live in a small coastal town in Oregon. We pretty much always hunted blacktail deer but on the rare occasion we would draw an elk tag and we would try our luck at that. In the few years we would draw a tag, I was the only one lucky enough to get an elk. My father is now approaching 70 years young! 2007 looked as if his luck would change, he drew a good tag in an area that I havested a small bull with my bow and I knew the area well.
We scouted hard and located several nice bulls, the scene was set this would be the year I would see dad get his bull. With my best friend George behind the camera filming we put him on a nice 5x6. The weather was terrible and visibilty was poor to say the least. I got my father within 250 yds but due to his poor eye–sight and failure to trust his guide (me). the bull wandered back into the tall timber. This was the first day of the hunt so I was still optimistic we would get my dad in on a bull. By the third day, we had not seen any more elk and dad was starting to feel the pressure of the five–day season drawing to a close. He was dicouraged but I was determined to not give up. He told me, ‘I think you want to get a bull worse than I do.’ I told him that if there was one thing I could do for him before he passes it would be for him to get a bull. I then said, ‘If you knew you were going to the happy hunting grounds the sky tommorrow would you not like to get a bull before you go?’ Dad’s reply was, ‘Well when you put it that way by golly I think I would.’ We kept hunting till he had to leave to take my mom in for a doctor appointment.
At 10:00 that night, my mom phoned from the hospital saying that dad was there for chest pains. He had been having them for three days but chose not to share it with anybody till he could not ingnore them any more. That night my father had a heart attack. The next day I flew with him to a cardiac care unit in Medford. On the trip over, I wondered if my dad was going leave without the thrill of harvesting a bull elk.
The following day he went into surgery to repair a blockage that was causing all of this. This is where fate comes into play, while waiting for the surgery to be over, I picked up a magazine where I found this contest. My mind wandered and thought maybe I could watch dad after all if I were to win that contest. I would entitle this ‘A story from my heart.’ If I won this, it would be for my dad, but I want to go as well so I can watch him take a bull.
As for my father, he is home now recovering and the doctors said he will make a full recovery without any lasting effects. He is upset that his season came to a close this way. I told him, ‘There is always next year Dad.’”