shoots-straight
Well-known member
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...... A little background to this story and why it was so much fun for me.
My mom has a large family; six brothers and one sister. One of her brothers, Elt, has been like a big brother to me. When I was a teenager and we lived in northern Minnesota, we spent every day possible, hunting, fishing, and trapping; mostly looking for reasons to leave the logging jobs early and do something we both loved far more than falling and skidding Jackpine. My parents divorced when I was eleven years old. Elt was there to make sure I never found the trouble that was always just around the corner.
Roll forward to 2012. Elt had just retired, having worked extra jobs his entire life, volunteering for any overtime, selling firewood, trapping, or whatever would provide him a few extra dollars that would hopefully allow him the opportunity to do more hunting, fishing, and trapping when he retired. Elt had been experiencing some headaches and vision changes that last few months of his work. Docs did an MRI and the next day they called him to come for a meeting. And, they instructed that he bring his wife, Barb. Bad news. He was diagnosed with glioblastoma - cancerous brain tumor.
Within a couple days, he was in surgery to remove a tumor the size of a hot dog. The tumor went from the top of his right ear, forward to above his eyes. It left a huge zipper scar from behind his ear, over the crown of his head. The surgery was followed by six weeks of radiation and a longer period of chemo. Even with subjecting himself to all the pain and misery those treatments impose; the docs only gave him about six months. They did not expect him to see Christmas of 2012.
Well, the docs probably have never had a patient as determined and bull-headed as Elt. He is still kicking, but in pretty rough shape. He did make it to Christmas 2012, and amazingly, Christmas of 2013. Attitude and determination can overcome a lot. His short-term memory is non-existent, but his long-term is remarkably good. His physical motor skills are much diminished.
Elt and Barb came to visit us just after Christmas. They live in eastern Idaho, so it is only four hours from our place to theirs. During that visit, Elt mentioned how frustrating it was that he was no longer able to trap, the activity he was always most passionate about. It was not unusual for him to catch 100+ beaver, 50+ red fox, 70-80 mink, and assorted other critters that were on the lines he was running. Thanks to good fur prices, there was always a little extra for Christmas at his house.
Seeing the look of despair as Elt told of his desire to go on a trap line again gave me an idea. I called a couple people I knew had spring creeks on their property and inquired if they had any muskrat issues. Besides my love of water trapping, muskrats are easy enough that it would be terrain where Elt could tag along, even with his impaired mobility. Not a chance he could do anything in the mountains. He needs a cane to get around, and even with that, his balance is very bad and his feet are pretty much numb from chemo.
May his traps be full, his lines be tight, and his guitar always be nearby.
The memories I have of time with Elt are summed up pretty well during Season 3 of OYOA, Nevada Mule Deer. Time with Elt was always fun when he got out his guitar in the evening. Take a look at that video here on this site if you have not already. I thank Randy for providing this record for all of us to enjoy...forever.