Friday, June 18, 2021
A long time ago, after getting permission from the rest of the camp hunters, I guess, Bill Sandford took me up to the Winnie Hollow Camp for 1st week of Pennsylvania Whitetail Buck season. The Camp was historic and wonderful. I was astounded to be in the deep old Pennsylvania mountain forest. The other hunters were character laden unique, mostly dedicated Pennsylvania Deer Hunters. But I remember Les. Les wore the traditional red and black wool hunting outfit. As new guy luck would have it I killed an 8 point Buck opening day morning after Bill put me in the right spot before sun up. I remember Bill was quite proud of me for shooting the Buck because he became the celebrity of camp that season for taking me to the right place. Les had also killed a Buck first day. For the rest of the week Les showed me around his mountain. Since we had filled our Buck tag and couldn't hunt, Les took me visiting the close camps where he knew all of the hunters. The other camps were delighted to see Les and I could feel the respect these other hunters had for him. We had coffee at five camps that week and the stories of our hunting success became more exaggerated at every camp to the delight of the other hunters. And us.
That hunting week was most precious, I kept in some contact with Les after that magical hunting time. Les had taken me under his experienced wing, much like Bill, and I found him to be a gracious, wise, mentor, and sincerely good man(with a neat sense of humor, too). I missed Les' funeral and I am late in recounting this but every time I go into the Pennsylvania hunting lands I remember Les Mills. Garent Gunther ...I apologize if I have done the wrong thing, here.