I was looking through my " Great Ram book collection" and see Jim throughout. Just wondered if he's still kicking. What a sheep hunter.
I guided for Hoppy several years in the late '80s and filled in a few other times. He claimed (and I have no doubt about the truth of it) to have killed, guided to, or been there when over 25% of the Dall's sheep in the B&C book were killed. He killed some monsters and his ability to judge sheep from the air was amazing. Not so much on moose, but incredible on sheep. He just wanted to cowboy... He was solid gold to work for.
Jim had problems with wives... during my tenure Dee was not my best friend. She had a reputation for sneaking off with guide tip money...
After he left he came back up to speed a summer documenting plane crashes in the Pass and found several decades-old wrecks that had never been found. They had been laying in plain sight for a very long time and the families had not known.
Hearing the story of Tony O. and Hoppy in college in Mexico with both in the room is still about the funniest story I have ever heard.
