cc: file, Sara and Des, Diane Cluff, Tony Hafen, Darrell and Nancy Krueger, Eric and Annette Krueger, Eric and Renee Miner, Claude and Katherine Warner, Forest and Amy Warner, and Ivan and Chell Warner.
"Kids in Utah don't have school next Monday because of the deer hunt. I realize some of you were off last Monday for Columbus Day. However, it seemed like you might be interested to know another small cultural difference between how you grew up and how I grew up. I am writing early this week because I leave for Utah in a few hours and will not be back until possibly Wednesday evening next week. I'm not planning on going hunting. However, I wouldn't mind having some deer meat this winter.
When Sara came over for dinner on Wednesday night we had some onion rings which turned out to be like the fried onions served with onions & liver. Brother Law mentioned how much he liked deer liver and onions. Sara said why don't you go shoot a deer. I said I havn't shot a deer since right after I got married, and most of that deer was turned into jerkey and deerburger to feed us that first winter. Then I explained how I have no desire to shoot Bambi, nor anything else. I did enough of that for several people in my youth hunting rabbits, wild cats, skunks, squirrels, and especially at Nelson Meat Packing Plant.
When growing up I went on every deer hunt with my Dad from the time I was about 8 until the fall of 1973, except during my mission. We always went over south of Enterprise in the mountains between Flat Top, Pilot's Peak, and the east side of Calf Springs Ranch.
I seldom remember getting a deer. I remember once we were up on Kolob and I didn't know I needed glasses yet (sometime before 5th grade). We saw a deer and Dad encouraged me to shoot it. I shot several times with my little rabbit hunting 22-caliber rifle and it did not move. Then Dad shot over my shoulder and it dropped. I could only see the white tail and had shot it in the best part of the meat on the back leg. I think that is when I went to the eye doctor. I remember Grandpa Hafen, Glenn, Tony, Uncle George Snow, and the California hunters always getting several deer. However, I seldom remember Dad getting a deer. I think I only shot two deer in all of those years, and the one Dad brought down. But we sure walked farther than anyone else. We would start over on Flat Top and before we went back to Cedar would have walked all the way around the Ranch a couple of times. It was fun to be out there with Dad and out in the mountain air.
Once, a few weeks before deer season, Grandpa Hafen and I were riding up the trail to Flat Top on horseback when across the road came a whole group of big bucks following one after another. As I recall there were 13 of them (maybe Tony or Grandma Hafen remember because the story was told a lot of times). They were absolutely beautiful. Grandpa said he always believed they got together and had a conference before deer season. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience which still brings goosebumps as I recall the images of those big deer going across the trail and across the mountain side.
Dad liked to slip off from the other hunters and go fishing. Once when I was about 6 he caught an 8 pound trout in the upper pond. It was as long as I was tall. That story was always brought up at the deer hunt, and I'm sure Dad went fishing a lot of times to see if he could repeat the accomplishment.
When I was in Cedar a couple of weeks ago your Aunt Sara gave me a sack of Pinenuts. I really enjoyed them. As I drove down to St. George I would see how fast I could peal them and throw the shells out the window. I remember Grandpa Hafen talking about this guy who could leave a steady trail of Pinenut shells when driving 30 miles per hour. Of course, I always believe everyone, and so I remember being really suprised when I was told he was pulling my leg.
I remember one year Uncle Glenn had caught a little fawn and had a halter on it. I got to pet it and lead it around and get pushed down. If I recall right there is some footage of that deer on the Hafen video tape Uncle Tony put together several years ago. I hope you kids have the same kind of good memories I have that you can call on to lift your spirits when times are hard. It was really nice to have Sara join us for dinner. She shared a very nice poem with me, and except for my fears about the consequences of her watching 90210 instead of going to Young Women's Meeting, I thing it was a very nice evening. Hope as you settle into your fall routines you all are finding time to create some enjoyable memories."