Hunting begins with finding ‘man to ride the river with’

In several of his western novels, writer Louis L'Amour often described his central characters as a "man to ride the river with." Being young and inexperienced when I first started reading his work, it took me a few books' worth, and a few of life's experiences, to understand exactly what L'Amour meant when he used that description. Actually, I'm still learning.

Three years ago, I went elk hunting in western Colorado with my brother, Chris, and our good friend, Charlie Gladden, along with his two oldest sons. We were hunting in an area where we had never been but soon found a level spot for the tent and set up camp. Our temporary home away from home was situated in a small depression no more than 25 to 30 feet below grade of the bladed dirt road that led into the area we planned to hunt.

To make a long story short, three days and plenty of rain later it was time to break camp and head for home. But the ground, comprised mostly of clay, was completely saturated and slick as ice. We had brought with us two two-wheel-drive pickup trucks, a Land Cruiser and a Jeep. The two-track that led from camp to the road was so slippery that at one point, simply to make it up the slight grade, we had to chain the Land Cruiser to the Jeep and the Jeep to a pickup. This configuration remained intact until we reached the nearest paved road almost 10 miles and two hours later. Then we made another trip for the other pickup.

Had we stayed in camp another day, the situation would have been much worse. Looking back, we probably should have left the day before. As it was, it took all five of us working together in order to extract ourselves before the oncoming snow fell and compounded the problem. After this and other similar experiences, I've learned that Chris and Charlie are men "to ride the river with." And Charlie's sons were learning how to become such.

I've also learned just how important it is to pick the right companions for your outdoor forays. The quality of your experience and even your safety might very well depend upon your choice.

Joe LePore and Max Sanchez of Las Vegas have been hunting together for 30 years, a relationship that has outlasted marriages and other trials that life can sometimes put in our way. I had the opportunity to visit with them recently about their hunting exploits. After our short time together, it was easy to see that they have learned to depend on each other, not only in the field but also in life.

"People think that deer hunting is the kill, the shooting and all of this. It isn't about that with me," Sanchez said. "It's more about the camaraderie that's made, the tales that you hear about the other individual around a campfire when the guns are put away, and you're able to express certain things that you sometimes don't tell your own family. And that's man to man -- you know, I love Joe like a brother, and that's what he has become to me, a brother."

Some years ago, Sanchez and LePore invited a man they called Boston Joe to join their deer camp. The young man was new to hunting but not ready to learn from those who had spent some time in the woods. That didn't set well with LePore.

"When you go on a trip like that, and you've never been, I think you need to listen and dummy up, but some people don't. They know everything," LePore said.

That first year in camp, Boston Joe ended up slicing Sanchez's hand as Sanchez was trying to teach him how to field dress a deer. That, however, didn't stop them from inviting Boston Joe back for a second chance. During that second hunt, Boston Joe put his hunting companions in a bind when he failed to recover a downed deer, then claimed he couldn't find it. Boston Joe wasn't invited back.

Speaking of the hunting experience, Sanchez said: "To me, it's a special time that I cherish when I am in those ridges and canyons. I look at those animals, and I don't look at them as, 'Oh, here's a deer. I'm going to kill it and take it to camp. I'm going to show off.' I revere them. I admire their existence in an atmosphere and in a setting that most people can't understand. I've stopped trying to explain myself to people who don't hunt because they don't see it. They can't feel it."

Sanchez and LePore said they want people in their deer camp that feel the same way they do about the hunting experience. They believe it is important to have people that share a similar philosophy and, perhaps more important, someone they can count on when the situation goes south.

"Picking a hunting partner," they said, "is like picking a wife."

Doug Nielsen is an award-winning freelance writer and a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His "In the Outdoors" column is published Thursday. He can be reached at doug@takinitoutside.com.