With the background of having been raised on a farm, and with several siblings pursuing the sport of hunting, it was only natural that interest in the outdoors and the avocation of seeking wild game has been part of my life. Having hunted and owned guns since early in my life, the interest in sport hunting remained with me, but to a lesser degree, as my military commitments placed me in differing environments. Arizona is an outstanding location for sportsmen, given that a great deal of the state is National Park real estate, and a wide variety of terrain and vegetation is available. Deer, elk, and antelope hunting is available, as is small game such as quail, rabbit, and dove.
With a long term assignment at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona in the 1950’s, I was able to pursue hunting endeavors during off duty days. Ray Bishop, a native of Sequin, Texas, and I, from Cumberland, Maryland, had common duty assignments as instructors teaching fighter pilots. We shared sportsman interests and became hunting companions. In 1959 we elected to enter a state wide drawing for the fall season in the pursuit of antelope and elk. At that time a form was sent to the state Game Commission to become eligible for the lottery selection allowing for participation in each of these hunts. The harvest of these two game animals was tightly controlled in order to maintain a good population. After accomplishing the administrative requirements we waited and were pleasantly surprised to be advised that we both had been drawn for both the elk and antelope hunt. As military members stationed within the state of Arizona we both were legal residents, even though from far distance locales. State residency was a requirement before one could apply for the drawing.
Having overcome the first obstacle of hunting these game animals, we then had to determine where to hunt. We had both previously hunted and killed mule deer within the state but the hunting of elk and antelope was new to us. In the course of our flying as part of the training curriculum, we exposed the students to instrument flying in the F-100F aircraft, a two place jet with a hood in the rear seat where a student could fly instruments without the benefit of clouds or low weather conditions, that rarely occurred in the sunny southwest. One of our instrument letdown procedures was over the airport at Prescott, in the high country in the mid section of the state. We would fly the published instrument approach procedure: over the radio station at 20,000′, establish an outbound heading while descending, then a tear drop turn back to the airport, and a low approach over the runway. This training was proven practice that gave the student confidence that he could recover to an airfield and land under deteriorating weather conditions when necessary. The ground track placed us over the high plateau country where open plains and grazing areas were conducive to antelope herd. We had on separate occasions observed antelope in this area. By this method we knew where we wanted to hunt.
Having observed the location from the air, we knew it was not sufficient for our purpose. We later took a weekend drive to become more familiar with that area. Arriving in the vicinity, we drove the dirt roads in the high ranch country. Shortly we came upon an cattle rancher who owned some of the land that we had identified for our forthcoming hunt. After explaining to the grizzled rancher our reason for being there, his response, given without any anger directed to us, was, “Son-of-a-bitch! I’ve been applying for an antelope permit for ten years and have yet to be drawn.” We then knew how fortunate we were, but at the same time felt humbled by this native rancher’s comment.
After we knew where our antelope hunt would take place we visited a local taxidermist who most graciously gave us guidance on his recommendation for the elk hunt. His suggestion was near Woods Lake, high up on the Mogollon Rim, near Payson, Arizona. That area is also known as the Tonto Rim, as written about in several novels by the western writer, Zane Grey. Having read some of his novels as a youngster, the area offered intriguing thoughts to me.
Both of the antelope and elk hunting seasons were of short duration, three days beginning on a Friday. That allowed us to get the time off with no difficulty. The antelope hunt came first and our good fortune continued as we both harvested a buck, Ray on the first day of the hunt, and I on the second day. We were successful by locating the herds and sneaking through the draws and gullies that meandered through the grassy open areas that allowed us to overcome the superb eyesight of the antelope. With good patience we got fairly short range shots at the 80 to 90 pound animals. Both of our bucks were of moderate size with horns that measured 13 and 15 inches. As first time antelope hunters we were elated with our success.
Two weeks later it was time for the elk hunt. Ray and I made the two hour drive from Phoenix to the Mogollon Rim on a Thursday evening. We set up a rough camp site near Woods Lake and rolled out our sleeping bags in the back of Ray’s pickup truck. Prior to daybreak I was awakened by the bugle of a male elk, a rolling, bellowing sound that once heard will be long remembered. Peeking out of the back of the pick up I saw two elk cows and one young calf. My intention was immediately directed to getting closer to the location of that elk bugle. Ray was one that could not get his day started without a cup of coffee. I hurriedly got dressed and with my gun proceeded in the direction of the loud bugle, while Ray was heating up water for his java fix. Two ridges dropped away from our camp site and I followed the ridge line to the right, noticing another hunter on the parallel ridge who had the same intentions as I. When less than a quarter mile from the camping area two shots rang out from the hunter on the opposite ridge, both apparently missing. Immediately I heard the thrashing of a bull elk crossing the hollow between the ridges and coming towards my position. As I spotted the elk he was making an angled ascent up my ridge in a full rapid stride. At approximately 75 yards I got off my first shot and saw no reaction even though I was sure of my aim. The second shot hit the animal in the neck and felled him to the ground.
On a Friday morning, September 25, 1959, 15 minutes prior to sunrise, my elk hunt was over, a rather anti-climatic ending to a highly anticipated event. Ray showed up a few minutes later, now fully awake and interested in hunting. He proceeded further down the ridge while I completed the after-kill gutting of the animal. When Ray returned we were able to get the 500 pound elk back to the camp site, but only after quartering the carcass. My first shot had impacted his chest and the second in the middle of the neck. The elk had a dressed weight of 493 pounds and possessed a symmetrical rack with twelve points, with a span of 43 inches. On the afternoon of the second day, Ray was able to down his elk on the edge of a clearing that we had located within a mile of the lake where we had camped. His elk was larger than mine at close to 600 pounds, also with a twelve point rack, heavier than mine, but with several broken tines. It was a weekend hunt that many dream about but few have actually experienced. As we headed home with some 1100 pounds of elk on board there was some discussion about what we would do with all this meat.
Ray Bishop and I were at that time serving in two different squadrons and we therefore made a decision to throw a two squadron elk barbecue feed, inviting all squadron pilots and their wives. Captain Emil Tipton, a member of my squadron, was married to a Phoenix native whose family operated a barbecue pit in the area. We then coordinated with Betty Tipton to prepare over 125 pounds of barbecued beef at her family’s business and then cater a dinner at the Luke AFB Officer’s Club. Sixty-five folks attended the gathering and thoroughly enjoyed the dinner with all the trimmings. The elk meat was no different in taste and enjoyment than any prepared from ranch raised beef cattle.
There were, however, some exceptions. Two of the wives were of a mind set that they could not possibly participate in consuming that wild elk. As a result those two had to order from the menu, an order that I wish I had been privy to observe. To this day I am convinced that if those two wives had simply not been told the source of the barbecued beef, that they would have sat back and enjoyed the meal as much as the other sixty-three hungry members in attendance. In spite of that Ray Bishop and I considered the event a success, one that we were pleased to share with our fellow squadron members, after our productive and successful hunting episodes.
Wings Over Cumberland 