ricky racer
Well-Known Member
Back in February of 2016 I started a new chapter in my life, at least in my hunting life. I'd been privileged to hunt with a good friend for many years. When we first started hunting together, I was only 19 or 20 years old. That last season, I was 61. Gene Ritchie was 20 years older than me and was originally from Pennsylvania. He came to Michigan and opened a motorcycle shop and race track. I was a motorcycle racer at that time and when he found out the I bow hunted there was an instant connection.
Gene hunted in PA when he was younger. In fact he was one of only a handful of bow hunters who hunted in Pennsylvania's first ever bow season. He hadn't had much chance to bow hunt after moving to Michigan. Together we hunted for years all over the state of Michigan, we hunted elk in Idaho and deer in his home state of Pennsylvania. Gene was one of the best natural hunters I've ever know and he's killed some huge bucks.
Over the years Geno had plenty of health issues, two open heart surgeries, knee and hip replacements and to complicate it all, diabetes. Through it all Gene proved to be one of the toughest men I have ever known. He continued to try to do the things he loved doing when most others would be setting on the couch waiting to die. The last few years he couldn't walk far from the truck so I'd drop him off close to where he wanted to hunt then go park the truck some distance away. We hunted in PA for the last 7 or 8 years spending a week out east and had a great time. Anything I ever did with Geno was an adventure.
One of Gene's favorite times to hunt was in the muzzle loader season (mid-December) in central Michigan. Him and I owned a hunting camp "up north" for years and always loved hunting that area. This last year he wanted to go up north again for a weekend of muzzle loader hunting, He took a 4 wheeler (quad) with him to help him get around. I thought it was a good idea. Gene knows that area like the back of his hand, However this year, things were different. The first time out on the quad he was lost most of the time undoubtedly due to the dementia that was effecting him to a degree. Gene realized that he wasn't quite right and sat quietly while we ate supper that night. He knew he was loosing it.
He asked me to shoot a deer for him because "I'll never get another deer again and I'm out of deer meat". I really didn't think I would get a chance to shoot something decent and wasn't going to shoot a small deer. Lake County, Michigan isn't know for decent bucks, mostly you could expect to see spikes, fork horns or small basket rack bucks. On that hunt with Gene I had a goal, to shoot him a decent buck so he could fill his freezer with some venison. That next evening the Good Lord delivered a beautiful buck in front of me at about 25 yards and I had Geno's deer. We left for home the next morning not knowing that this would be the last hunt we would ever have together. Gene died before he could get the meat back from the processor.
He was a good friend and I am much richer for having known him.
Gene's Deer
Fast forward to present, Gene's widow has decided to sell their house and move in with one of their daughters since she's also getting up in age and everything is getting harder for her to do by herself. She asked me to come over and see if there was anything of Gene's that I wanted. The family had been through everything but there was still lots of Gene's stuff left that had to go. They offered me one of his deer mounts and I accepted. The mount is a beautiful pedestal mount. I had to laugh, when they offered it to me, I told them I had nowhere to put it but my wife said "we could put it in the living room"!! SHOCK!! I put one of my mounts in the living room years ago and she put her foot down and said "no more deer in the living room"! Since then, I'd have to put any mounts in my basement or out in my shop so I couldn't believe it when she offered to let my put it in our living room. I think they look pretty good together in there!
Gene hunted in PA when he was younger. In fact he was one of only a handful of bow hunters who hunted in Pennsylvania's first ever bow season. He hadn't had much chance to bow hunt after moving to Michigan. Together we hunted for years all over the state of Michigan, we hunted elk in Idaho and deer in his home state of Pennsylvania. Gene was one of the best natural hunters I've ever know and he's killed some huge bucks.
Over the years Geno had plenty of health issues, two open heart surgeries, knee and hip replacements and to complicate it all, diabetes. Through it all Gene proved to be one of the toughest men I have ever known. He continued to try to do the things he loved doing when most others would be setting on the couch waiting to die. The last few years he couldn't walk far from the truck so I'd drop him off close to where he wanted to hunt then go park the truck some distance away. We hunted in PA for the last 7 or 8 years spending a week out east and had a great time. Anything I ever did with Geno was an adventure.
One of Gene's favorite times to hunt was in the muzzle loader season (mid-December) in central Michigan. Him and I owned a hunting camp "up north" for years and always loved hunting that area. This last year he wanted to go up north again for a weekend of muzzle loader hunting, He took a 4 wheeler (quad) with him to help him get around. I thought it was a good idea. Gene knows that area like the back of his hand, However this year, things were different. The first time out on the quad he was lost most of the time undoubtedly due to the dementia that was effecting him to a degree. Gene realized that he wasn't quite right and sat quietly while we ate supper that night. He knew he was loosing it.
He asked me to shoot a deer for him because "I'll never get another deer again and I'm out of deer meat". I really didn't think I would get a chance to shoot something decent and wasn't going to shoot a small deer. Lake County, Michigan isn't know for decent bucks, mostly you could expect to see spikes, fork horns or small basket rack bucks. On that hunt with Gene I had a goal, to shoot him a decent buck so he could fill his freezer with some venison. That next evening the Good Lord delivered a beautiful buck in front of me at about 25 yards and I had Geno's deer. We left for home the next morning not knowing that this would be the last hunt we would ever have together. Gene died before he could get the meat back from the processor.
Gene's Deer
Fast forward to present, Gene's widow has decided to sell their house and move in with one of their daughters since she's also getting up in age and everything is getting harder for her to do by herself. She asked me to come over and see if there was anything of Gene's that I wanted. The family had been through everything but there was still lots of Gene's stuff left that had to go. They offered me one of his deer mounts and I accepted. The mount is a beautiful pedestal mount. I had to laugh, when they offered it to me, I told them I had nowhere to put it but my wife said "we could put it in the living room"!! SHOCK!! I put one of my mounts in the living room years ago and she put her foot down and said "no more deer in the living room"! Since then, I'd have to put any mounts in my basement or out in my shop so I couldn't believe it when she offered to let my put it in our living room. I think they look pretty good together in there!
