In a discussion with a group of friends, the question was posed, “What is more fun, preparing for an outdoor adventure, the adventure itself or, reliving the outing long after it occurred.” Up in Montague County this past week with my friend Don Gresham, scouting his beautiful ranch and setting up some feeders in preparation for next fall’s hunting season, I’d have to say if the actual hunting proves to be half as much fun as the day we experienced, we are in for a real treat!
The group of friends I spent the day with would have a great time regardless what they were doing, just as long as it was in the great outdoors. This was the first time my ‘running buddies’ Larry Weishuhn and Jeff Rice, Paul Moore and his son Collin and I had visited the Gresham Ranch and we were all amazed at the beauty of the land and the size of the antlers of the bucks Don has on his den wall.
Don and I have been friends for many years. We first met at an outdoor show when Don was displaying his state-of-the-art wild hog traps. Many of you probably remember Don’s company, “Goin Fencing”. His company was one of the first if not the first to market hog traps with gates activated with a cell phone App. In the early days of remotely active traps, Don was monitoring his traps over several states, keeping landowners informed when it was time for them to collect the pork he had "dropped the gate on." Today, there are many companies offering the technology that was then cutting edge.
While scouting for places to set the feeders and ultimately hunt this fall, it was interesting watching my buddies read the land. All were very experienced hunters with a good idea of what terrain features would create good spots to set up to hunt. Having been raised on the ranch and spending a lifetime patterning the wildlife, Don obviously knew exactly where the best areas to hunt were. We would drive into an area and Don would ask us what we thought about where to set the feeders in relation to stand locations and terrain.
I didn’t make a lot of comments since I was in the presence of deer hunting legends but I did observe and was amazed that without exception, we all quickly locked in on obvious hot spots for deer travel. Open area that would serve as travel routes between two wooded areas were obviously prime spots to target as was a well used trail that traversed the top of a very deep canyon.
It didn’t take long for us to determine where we wanted to set up to hunt. There were well-used game trail connecting the wooded tracts and old rubs were evidencing the travel routes of bucks this past season. After a few hours driving through the ranch, we headed back to the camp house which will serve as headquarters for the hunts we are planning this fall. Don’s family has resided on the land since 1950 when his great-great grandfather John Keenon first brought his family there from Germany. Many of Don’s ancestors were stone masons and the rugged land has plenty of stone to work with, the oldest structure in Montague County is a stone house on the place, one of the first structures built by Don’s relatives.
Don tells of a month-long trip his grandfather took with a team and wagon up into Arkansas to haul back a load of apples. It’s difficult to imagine today the rough country and roads that were navigated to reach Arkansas. I also wondered, “why apples?” Texas has never been suited for growing apples as a staple crop and I assume the tasty fruits were in big demand back in the 1800’; after all, folks back then couldn’t order online and have groceries delivered to their front door!
Comanche were still raiding settlers in the area well into the 1870s. If only the old stone walls of that little cabin could talk, the stories we could learn about how folks lived in a very different era and in what had to be a very rough and unforgiving land.
It’s going to be great fun hunting this land where Don’s roots run as deep as the canyon that traverses the ranch. When and if I am fortunate enough to take a buck off the ranch this fall, I will surely give thought to a time when the harvest of game meant life to some of the early settlers. If successful, I will have tasty venison for the freezer but if I’m not, fresh meat is available as close as the grocery store. This was not an option for hunters back 160 years ago! Large family ranches are becoming fewer each year across the state as tracts are subdivided into smaller parcels. It’s great to see a big ranch that is still largely intact. I am sure Mr. John Keenon would be pleased.
