Poper
Member
I wrote earlier of our Quick Deer Hunt here: https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/quick-deer-hunt.878554/ this year in Bennet County in southwestern SD. We all tagged our deer before noon on opening day.
The following morning, Sunday, we broke camp. The deer were loaded into the back of Brother Poper's F250 diesel truck and the camping trailer hitched and connected for travel.
Bro then drove his rig and my son drove his 1/2 ton Chevy 4x4 to Kadoka where we parked Bro's rig and all piled into #1 Son's truck for a quick trip to the site where we spread Dad's ashes about 6 miles east of Devil's Tower in the Bear Lodge Mountains of the Wyoming Black Hills. I wrote about spreading his ashes back in 2007. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/parting-shot-with-dad.321680/#post-3985110
This year we showed up the weekend following the Wyoming opener after the cabin would have been full of hunters.
The gate was unlocked and we drove up the access lane to the fenced enclosure around the cabin itself. This fence was to keep cattle away from the cabin when the property was leased for grazing with the total enclosure being approx. 1/4 acre. We parked the truck then hiked around the enclosure and up the trail out of the canyon up to the "Big Meadow".
Dang! That trail gets steeper and steeper every year! The 3" of snow cover this year didn't make it any easier to negotiate either. We took several breaks in the 3/4 mile hike up out of the canyon and were glad when we got up to the high ground and trail that led to the "Big Meadow" where the old, abandoned disc laid and where we spread Dad's ashes.
Once out of the cabin canyon, the 1/2 mile hike to the abandoned disc was relatively easy through the shin-deep grass and light snow. The day had warmed to the low 40's. The sun was bright and high in the sky and the usual Wyoming breeze kept us from getting overheated.
Walking side by each, we reached the old disc with the weathered remnants of a purple Crown Royal bag and gold colored drawstring dangling from the old release handle. #1 Son bent over and careful of the glass remnants of the previous bottle, cleared the dirt and grass from Jim's concrete brick. Bro Poper reached inside his jacket and withdrew a small bottle of Crown Royal wrapped in a purple bag with gold colored drawstring.
"Hello, Pop!" Said I. "We thought we would stop by and enjoy a bit of the Wyoming deer season and a swig of your favorite spirit with you!"
We stood facing the disc and into the breeze out of the northwest and holding hands, we said a brief prayer for our father, and my son for his grandfather. Then Bro Poper broke the seal and opened the bottle of Crown Royal, took a sip and silently handed it to #1 Son who took a drink and offered it to me. I took a strong pull and then as I poured an ounce or two on his concrete brick, I said: "Thank you, Dad, for the love of the hunting sport, the favor of wild game meat, and all the wonderful memories with you; those since you passed, and those yet to come. We all love you, Pop. We pray you rest peacefully knowing you are loved, appreciated and missed very much."
I handed the bottle back to #1 Son. He raised the bottle in salute and said, "Until next year, Grampa!" He took another drink and passed it on to Bro Poper who drank. "Goodbye for now, Dad. We still miss you so much, even after all these years." Said Bro Poper with a very noticeable sob in his voice. Then passed the bottle back to me again. I took another sip. " 'Bye, Pop. We'll be back."
I placed the now nearly half empty bottle into the purple velvet Crown Royal bag and hung it by the gold drawstrings on the release handle of the old disc. Eventually the sun would rot the bag enough that the bottle would fall free and smash itself on the steel of the disc below, giving Dad another taste of his preferred liquor.
The return hike was silent all the way back to #1 Son's truck, but the return drive to Kadoka was lively with the stories we shared with each other about Dad and especially those about hunting with him.
We'll be back next year, too.
The following morning, Sunday, we broke camp. The deer were loaded into the back of Brother Poper's F250 diesel truck and the camping trailer hitched and connected for travel.
Bro then drove his rig and my son drove his 1/2 ton Chevy 4x4 to Kadoka where we parked Bro's rig and all piled into #1 Son's truck for a quick trip to the site where we spread Dad's ashes about 6 miles east of Devil's Tower in the Bear Lodge Mountains of the Wyoming Black Hills. I wrote about spreading his ashes back in 2007. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/parting-shot-with-dad.321680/#post-3985110
This year we showed up the weekend following the Wyoming opener after the cabin would have been full of hunters.
The gate was unlocked and we drove up the access lane to the fenced enclosure around the cabin itself. This fence was to keep cattle away from the cabin when the property was leased for grazing with the total enclosure being approx. 1/4 acre. We parked the truck then hiked around the enclosure and up the trail out of the canyon up to the "Big Meadow".
Dang! That trail gets steeper and steeper every year! The 3" of snow cover this year didn't make it any easier to negotiate either. We took several breaks in the 3/4 mile hike up out of the canyon and were glad when we got up to the high ground and trail that led to the "Big Meadow" where the old, abandoned disc laid and where we spread Dad's ashes.
Once out of the cabin canyon, the 1/2 mile hike to the abandoned disc was relatively easy through the shin-deep grass and light snow. The day had warmed to the low 40's. The sun was bright and high in the sky and the usual Wyoming breeze kept us from getting overheated.
Walking side by each, we reached the old disc with the weathered remnants of a purple Crown Royal bag and gold colored drawstring dangling from the old release handle. #1 Son bent over and careful of the glass remnants of the previous bottle, cleared the dirt and grass from Jim's concrete brick. Bro Poper reached inside his jacket and withdrew a small bottle of Crown Royal wrapped in a purple bag with gold colored drawstring.
"Hello, Pop!" Said I. "We thought we would stop by and enjoy a bit of the Wyoming deer season and a swig of your favorite spirit with you!"
We stood facing the disc and into the breeze out of the northwest and holding hands, we said a brief prayer for our father, and my son for his grandfather. Then Bro Poper broke the seal and opened the bottle of Crown Royal, took a sip and silently handed it to #1 Son who took a drink and offered it to me. I took a strong pull and then as I poured an ounce or two on his concrete brick, I said: "Thank you, Dad, for the love of the hunting sport, the favor of wild game meat, and all the wonderful memories with you; those since you passed, and those yet to come. We all love you, Pop. We pray you rest peacefully knowing you are loved, appreciated and missed very much."
I handed the bottle back to #1 Son. He raised the bottle in salute and said, "Until next year, Grampa!" He took another drink and passed it on to Bro Poper who drank. "Goodbye for now, Dad. We still miss you so much, even after all these years." Said Bro Poper with a very noticeable sob in his voice. Then passed the bottle back to me again. I took another sip. " 'Bye, Pop. We'll be back."
I placed the now nearly half empty bottle into the purple velvet Crown Royal bag and hung it by the gold drawstrings on the release handle of the old disc. Eventually the sun would rot the bag enough that the bottle would fall free and smash itself on the steel of the disc below, giving Dad another taste of his preferred liquor.
The return hike was silent all the way back to #1 Son's truck, but the return drive to Kadoka was lively with the stories we shared with each other about Dad and especially those about hunting with him.
We'll be back next year, too.
Last edited:
