My bud Chuck has been battling cancer for the last 1.5 years. He didn't get to make the WI deer season this year because he was bed ridden. He wanted desperately to have one final hunt, and, perhaps a chance to put a good one on the ground.

The only option open to us just prior to Christmas, and, before his short window closed, was a game preserve. I was seriously conflicted about that sort of thing but was hell bent on making a final wish come true.

I searched to find one that could accommodate a last second schedule and special needs of getting around. The place - the 1000-acre Forest of Antlers in Minoqua. It's a three hour drive from home and hospice wouldn't hear of him staying overnight so we planned on several days of driving back forth if need be. (actually, hospice didn't want him to go, period )

The owner, Ron Lee and his staff didn't have high hopes as the weather was spitting freezing rain.

With a fair amount of work we got Chuck into the elevated blind overlooking a food plot and bundled up for the afternoon sit.

Well, the big guy was looking down as he made for a pretty quick sit as a couple of bucks entered the food plot. I had a "budget" deer in mind, but true to my prediction, Chuck would want a bigger one. After a lot of positioning and repositioning, I got my .243 in the right spot for him to anchor the one he wanted. I didn't even have time to get my ears covered as Chuck put one through the buck's boiler at about 90 yards.

Lots of tears and laughter ensued. I was both happy and honored to have been able to share that last hunt with him. A huge thank you to Ron Lee and his staff - finer folks you'll never meet.

We laid Chuck to rest yesterday. RIP buddy.

Powerful story there and a priceless photo. Wonderful that you guys were able to make it happen and I'd wager that both of you took a lot away from that last hunt. I'm sorry that you had to let him go....

Man that really pulls at your heart strings. I reckon he would have done the same for you.

Great story, thanks for sharing.

Wayne

This.

Scott, you are one of the most stand up guys I am still yet to meet. My hat goes off to you for what you did for your friend Chuck and may he now RIP.

Wow.. Your a good man and a hell of a friend Skane. Kudos to you. God bless your friend and may he rest in piece.


Roy

Scott,

That is a great tribute to Chuck. You surely were a great, caring friend to him, no doubt. Godspeed, Chuck.

Beautiful post, story, hunt, and experience, Scott.

Sorry about losing your friend. Hopefully he is RIP, with that smile still on his face from the successful final hunt.

Don't know about all that. Chucks buddy seems like awfully fine folks to me. Sorry to hear about Chuck but tickled to see his wish come true. He'll thank you in due time.

Tom

That brought tears to my eyes, good for you for doing that for your bud. I guess there is a good use for high fence hunting afterall!

Wow....don't know what else to say. Looks like it was great for the both of you. Glad he had a friend such as yourself to do this for him. Thanks for sharing.

Nice job - both of you. RIP Chuck.

He had a great friend in you. Sorry for your loss but glad you got to do the last one with your friend.

Damn, must be allergies again here....

Well done! You net a halo for that fine job. A notch above the call for sure.

Our sympathies and condolences for family and friends and RIP as noted.

KNow that you did the very best you ever could for a good friend.
May that console you the best it can.

Jeff

Skane, thats a fine thing you did for your friend. May your friend rest in peace, and may you have much luck & good Karma.

What a story... You will be rewarded in kind someday.

I'm glad to see and hear you two got one final hunt in.

Very sorry to hear about the loss of a great friend.

Wayne, yes, most likely. But if the tables were turned, I'd likely have sat for as long as it took to see one of the biggest animals the property had to offer � he'd have the rest of his life to pay off the bill. ***grins***

Thanks for the comments gents - many here would do the same for a pard. A lot of thanks goes to his wife for her understanding and for trusting me to return her hubby. And we had a modicum of joy in telling hospice "I told you so" - they insisted he wasn't up to it...

I couldn't say it any better. You did a good thing Skane, a very good thing there. I'm sure this is a memory you will not ever forget. I absolutely love the picture. God bless you both.

Wow, just reading that was emotional. RIP to your friend. You're a great guy, Skane!

Thanks for sharing. It is refreshing to read such positive experiences.

The best any of us can ever hope for us that we can share some of our time with good friends and family.

Bless you both.

MR SKane...your a GOOD MAN!1....and a true friend..may God bless you both

Your old man is damn proud of you, son!

You are a true friend Skane.

RIP Chuck.

Good on you both.

Your a good man Skane! Could of easily cried.. Rip Chuck.

Good buddies are hard to find, and Chuck sure had one of the best! high fence or not, you both got the final hunt in, and the pic says it all! Ill bet Chuck will be with you, on the rest of your hunts, RIP Chuck!

Thanks SKane. We read so much crap about shootings, Democrats, economy, etc...and how everything should be fixed. Some things just can't be fixed, but it's awesome to hear about doing all you can do regardless of the situation. Thanks again!

Sorry about Your Friend. May he RIP, That is a great thing you did

Well friend, I figured it was going to be soon. What a wonderful gesture pulling off that hunt together, we need more folks out there like you...well done.

I don't think that anyone that does not hunt could fully understand the heaviness of this.

Scott , that was an awesome gift to give a friend and I believe that he may have left you with one as well and that is the memory made in that deer blind that day.

Kudo's bro!

Just an incredible thing to do there Scott... and a great buck for Chuck on his last hunt. That's what it's all about.

Excellent. You are to be commended for spending this kind of quality time with your friend.

What a special time.
Very cool.
RIP bro.

Well Done! May Chuck Rest In Honored Peace.

Scott,
Thanks for sharing. He was very sick and he needed to go where we all will some day. May he rest in Peace.

It's very hard to add to what's been said.

"there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother" Proverbs 18:24.

I know this from both sides of the principal.

Fantastic; Kudos; Skane!!!!

I sympathize with your loss AND you'll have GREAT memories the rest of your life.

Jerry

Good on you Scott....

You should be. He's a good man, like his dad, but you already knew that.

Skane, my hat is off to you. Sorry about the loss of your friend.

I don't have the words...he was blessed to have a friend like you. We should all be so lucky, thanks for sharing.

These are the kind of hunts I like to read about. Good on ya SKane.....

That's awesome right there.....I see far more joy in his eyes than pain. Very special.

Scott;
Thanks so much for sharing this special hunt with us.

Please accept my condolences on the passing of your friend, my thoughts and prayers are with Chuck's family and friends left behind.

Like so many others have already articulated, this story has struck a chord with me as well Scott - on very many levels.

It brings back memories of my own last hunts with my late father and then too hunting and shooting mentors, though in my case I didn't know it would be my last time on the mountain with them.

Anyway I'd like to send you my most sincere thanks and a tip of the hat for doing that for Chuck. Extremely well done sir.

Thanks so much again and all the best to you and yours in the upcoming year Scott.

Dwayne

You did good Scott, it all happens for a reason.

Condolences to Chuck's family........

RIP Chuck.

You're a good man SKane! I'm sorry for your loss.

Scott,

Congratulations on the blessings you enjoyed by being Chuck's friend, and my condolences on your loss in his passing.

What a precious memory you now have, and what joy you helped bring Chuck in his last days.

Well done.

DJ

True friends are hard to find, but you have proven they exist. Good work Mr. Scott.

You're a good man and a good friend Skane.There aren't that many around and I'm sure Chuck appreciated your friendship over the years.I've done my last hunt now,but though I didn't take a buck I have the memories of that day with two generations of friends and their young children.Those I will take with me. Monashee

Good on you sir. Should we ever meet the first one is on me. You say he shot the deer with your .243? You can't sell that rifle now. Sorry for your loss but good, really good on you.

RIP Chuck. That's about as touching a hunting story as there is. Well done sir.

My sympathies to you too.

We all face "THE LAST HUNT" for our friends & ourselves. I can see that day coming in the too NEAR future. My oldest hunting pard is 70 y o now & I'm 63.

I hate to see those days GETTING too close.

Monashee,

I'm sorry to hear that. Well-meaning people look for "the right words" to say in situations such as this. Unfortunately, there are none.

Godspeed, my friend.

You sir, are a fine individual. Thank you for posting that, and thank you for making the time to help a friend out. We would all be blessed to have one friend like that.

Now, I have to go because there must be dust in here...can't seem to see clearly.

Awesome Scott, just simply awesome. I bet that took the pain off Chuck's mind for a bit. You'll never forget that hunt.

Sorry for your loss. RIP Chuck.

Well done Scott! May your friend rest in peace.

Scott,

I had you pegged from the very beginning -

I have had two similar situations and both times, the person didnt' get to do something he loved one last time.

Thanks for this.

My hat is off to you, Scott! That was a fine thing that you did.

My prayers go out to your friend's family and all others that will miss him.

Well, I had to wait for my eyes to dry up so I could type and think.
Scott that is such a nice thing you did for your friend. I'm sure it was most rewarding for the both of you. A hunt like that on one's last days is a true blessing.

May your friend rest in peace.

I'm sorry for you loss. Hard times for sure, you are a good man.
God Bless

I've spent a day trying to think of the right words and I'm still coming up empty. Hell of a deal Scott....you are one hell of a guy......

Well done Scott, well done!

Best story I've ever read on the Campfire - hands down. You're the epitome and measure of what a true pal is.

God bless you both! A true friend!

Glad it worked out so well....RIP Chuck.

Very telling story about your character, well done and great way to go out for Chuck. Thank you for sharing.

Scott

It's the time that mattered on both ends. Loyalty and love are the best virtue of a man. RIP Chuck.

God bless you and yours for that gesture and story.

What a way to share the love with a passing friend.

great post,nice story ,very impressed.thanks for sharing this.

Damn! Just damn! I'm sorry for your loss but it is such a blessing to have friends like you guys were

youre a good man Scott. remarkable story and it will stick with me. thank you for sharing

Your a Good Man Scott!!
Sorry for your loss but what a memory your friend took with him!
God Bless

That was a hard story to tell. My condolences on the loss of your friend and my glass is tipped at you and your efforts to see his last hunt through. Your character is overwhelming sir. God Bless you and your departed friend.

Chad

Chad put into words what I was feeling. Kudos, my friend.

Scott: This simply demonstrates what a genuinely good and decent human being you really are....one of the CF's Top Dogs and guy anyone would be proud to call "friend"...

Chuck RIP.

Scott-

Chuck couldn't have had a better friend.

God blessed you and Chuck.

God bless my friend.

Scott,

Thanks for sharing part of your life with us. Knowing this was coming didn't make it any easier to read.

God's peace and mercy be with Chuck's family and friends.

Sorry to hear about your buddy Chuck passing. That hunt be some good memory's for you. Thanks for posting the story/pic.....that's a great buck Chuck shot!

Looks like that place has some big ones! I'm glad you shared the experience, and sorry for the loss of your good friend.

You're a stand up guy and a good friend Skane. May your buddy rest easy.

Best story I've read. I think we all have considered that "last hunt" and the "what ifs" that go along with it. One thing I can say for certain, we all would be lucky to have such a friend. God bless you and may your friend rest in piece.

YES. Kawi

All choked up here. Thanks for sharing your story. God bless you.

Well done.

Awesome story... thats what friendship is all about.

Scott, unreal! Awesome story and glad you got to spend it with him. I know I've talked with you about Chuck over these last few months and I know it has been hard for you. Congrats on a special time. My MIL died on Jan 5th too and that's why I've been a little scare around here. Sorry I missed this when you first posted it. Great pic and one you will cherish for a long time. Very proud of you!

Lee

Lee,

So sorry to hear of your MIL's passing. Whaddya say to a couple of big bucks on the ground this year in honor of the dearly departed?

Skane,

What a noble gesture and a great story. You are an inspiration to each and every one of us. I wish I'd have had the opportunity to put a buck in front of my best buddy, who happened to be my dad too, on his last hunt. We lost him the following spring. May your friend Rest In Peace, and know that the two of you will hunt together again some day, but hopefully not for a good while yet. We're not done with you here!

In a world where true friends are damn hard to come by, it hurts to the bone to lose a close one.

Great tribute to your fallen compadre.

You were blessed to have each other for this short time that we call life.

If I could chose my exit on this stage I prolly couldn't choose much better than your pal Chuck did.

Thanks for allowing us to share in your heartfelt farewell.

Well done Skane!

Most excellent. Wouldn't mind at all if I took my last breath in such a setting. I hope it hangs on your wall.

Nicely done brother

Scott, you are on! Let's make it happen. I've got a couple things working. I will be in touch.

Lee

Dang.

I never visit the deer forum and only opened this thread because it's Scott's thread. Bless you Scott for helping a friend. I lost my best childhood friend to Leukemia. I only wish I'd been able to do something like you did for a dying man.

No fan of canned hunts, but this is one case where making an exception is a no-brainer. Making a man feel a little more alive in the face of death is no crime.

wow Scott!! you are a great guy!!

Thanks for sharing......

Hell, even if the hospice had been "right" and he hadn't made it back from the hunting trip, YOU still would have been right for getting him out as he wished -- IMNSHO.

You, sir, are a real class act.

John

Scott,

May your bud, Chuck, rest in peace and may you find peace.

Tony

Sorry to hear abut your friend but loved reading the story. Friends like you are a rare breed.

Chuck's last hunt was what all of us want from our last hunt. Success and smiles with close friends. Good on you Scott.

Scott,

Tell us the rest of the story. Please.

Did you or a member of the family keep the rack?

Jim

Skane you did the right thing, an example we should all follow. RIP Chuck and a fine deer to both of you.

A great tribute Scott, to your humanity. I'm sure your buddy really appreciated that last hunt. We all should be so lucky.

Jim,

It may or may not get a shoulder mount. The funeral home director insisted on making it part of the wake so we put it on a plaque in the interim. Either way, his wife wants it to reside in their northwood's lodge - perfect spot for it.

Not much to say except "Thanks for sharing" and "RIP Chuck".

Dale

I'm glad you made the most of your chance to let Chucks heart soar one last time, Well done!

Wow!

Scott,

I just caught this post for the first time. You Sir are one fine man and your buddy must have been as well! May God Bless you both.

Scott my friend, you are a true class act. I hope all is well with you, Im sorry to read of the loss of your friend.

Coop.