MORE BUCK FOR YOUR BANG Getting up in the morning isn’t something I enjoy, and going out into the brisk cold before dawn appeals even less. So to hear that those are two of Karl Fournier’s favorite aspects of hunting made me wonder what the 27-year-old Riverton native considers to be the worst part? “Packing elk out of a pretty tight spot,” he answered, as well as worrying about mountain lions, wolves and bears -- oh, my! -- when he was getting his prize deer down from the mountain last fall. “Gunshots are dinner bells for grizzlies and wolves,” Karl informed me as he told the story. Karl and his dad, Dale, had only seen two does in the whole area. “You’ve gotta catch ‘em first thing in the morning, or you’re chasing ‘em all day,” he said, and it had been a long day. It was literally the last hour of deer hunting season but they weren’t giving up. Karl took up high and his dad took down low to see if they could spook anything out. Karl spotted “this big ‘ol deer track” and knew the animal was nearby somewhere. Dale had about given up (“passed out”, I think were the words Karl used) and Karl was messing with his binoculars and looking around, and suddenly the deer was there, about 1,000 yards away from them. Karl thought it was an elk at first; Dale took a shot (he got up in a hurry, didn’t he?) but Karl didn’t think he’d gotten close. The deer must’ve sensed safety approaching with the end of hunting season because instead of running the other direction, the huge buck came down closer to the hunters. Karl wasted no time in closing the distance, got the deer in his 30.06 sights and the animal was down. No small buck, indeed: Karl placed second in the Big Buck Contest last year at Precision Power & Sharpening. The antlers were measured at 31.5 inches wide. Karl’s brother-in-law Mike Hegwood mounted the deer for him as a Christmas present. Karl, who works as a roustabout for Dave Maddock out of Lysite, started hunting rabbits at age 12 and earned plenty of target practice. His favorite hunting pals are his dad, brother Brandon and brother-in-law, Mike. The group can be found at their favorite hunting destinations up above the Dubois and Lander areas. “You gotta layer up, it’s brisk in the mornings,” he said, like that’s a good thing. Getting up in the mountains is Karl’s third favorite part of the hunting experience. And when I asked him if he eats what he kills, he looked at me like I’d grown another head, as if he couldn’t believe there are people who don’t care for game. “Half of it’s steaks, the other half is jerky,” he replied matter-of-factly. Karl’s a straight-to-the-point kind of guy, and I’m sure his hunting style is much the same. He’s known as an excellent shot by those he hunts with: “Karl never misses,” Dale Fournier told me proudly as he showed me the photos of his son’s trophy buck. “One bullet, one kill,” Karl confirmed with a smile. He hasn’t been so blessed every year but hopes to get another deer this season, and maybe get a chance to pack out his own elk for the first time. Best of luck on that, Karl. You stay out of any “pretty tight spots”, I’ll stay in bed past dawn, and everyone stays happy. |
 |