I had the good fortune to hunt elk in the Bridger/Teton National Forest last week with a group of Cowboy State natives- Shane Clark, his wife Cindy, and their 17-year-old son Donnie. I had met Shane on a late season deer hunt in South Dakota and we quickly became friends. The Clarks live the Western lifestyle, residing in a small town, own, break, and ride horses and make the most of the limited economic opportunities that Wyoming has to offer.
Donnie wants to attend the Naval Academy despite an academic record that earns him a full scholarship at the University of Wyoming. Unfortunately, he’s not that well connected to get the political nomination he needs so he’s taking the ROTC route with his sights set on Arizona State University.
Opening Day
The elk rifle season opened to some of the strangest weather imaginable for the Rocky Mountains. The remnants of a monsoon struck the Northwest and spilled into southwestern Wyoming. Rain began to fall the eve of opening day and absolutely poured the entire night. Even with the excitement of opening day, it was a gloomy launch as we saddled up in the darkness and falling rain.
Justin Leesman accompanied me on the hunt and we novice horsemen took quite a beating that first day, covering about 20 miles on horseback. We arrived back in camp at dusk where Cindy Clark shared her dinner with us. I made a large breakfast for opening day and the reciprocity was greatly appreciated.
Day Two
Bedtime came just after dark and I awoke the next morning remembering I hadn’t done the dishes, not a pleasant prospect. Getting dressed in my meager trailer camper, I noticed that Cindy had done the dishes and completely cleaned up the kitchen area. I was immensely grateful and quickly got to work preparing bacon and eggs again.
Sunday morning, Brandon Clark, Shane’s nephew showed up with a new horse he was breaking to mountain travel. Brandon had been guiding hunters in a week off school in his senior year. “He’s the most polite young man you’ll ever meet,” said Aunt Cindy as we enjoyed breakfast sandwiches before departing. I quickly learned her words were spot on. Brandon, like his first cousin Donnie, was polite, helpful, respectful, and otherwise great to be around in the few hours we had together.
As we headed up the mountain, I witnessed the greatest picture I never took. We rode past an SUV at the trailhead and a young couple was just leaving their vehicle, rifles over their shoulders. As I looked down at the young woman, I noticed the head of an infant peeping from her insulated jacket, the wee lad or lass wearing an orange stocking cap. Still too young to crawl and yet hunting legally.
Later that morning we crested the mountain at 10,000 feet and met a local father/daughter hunting team who had climbed for hours to get into the promising location. Dad looked to be in his mid 30’s and his daughter about 13 complete with braces and designer jeans. We chatted for about five minutes and then took our separate paths.
Reflecting Back
Normally, I leave a hunting trip enthralled with animal encounter scenarios, mostly unsuccessful, yet each a learning situation. This hunt was all about the extraordinary people I met from Wyoming. The current political climate is so charged with privilege, race, lack of responsibility, and other turmoil brought on by a nation blessed with abundant opportunity that’s mostly squandered.
I can’t help but think if all Americans were born into families where chores, animal care and hard work are an expected way of life how much more responsible we’d be. Life in Wyoming is challenging, yet the two teenage Clarks’ had excellent academic records and were the kind of young men any family would be proud of. I can’t stop thinking of the hunting family who took their infant into the mountains. The Wyoming lifestyle begins early and kudos to this young woman who teamed with her man to do the things they love together. I would never wish the current American society on the residents of Wyoming, yet my home state of Maryland could surely learn a lot from them.
