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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 27, 2019)
A10 Wallowa County Chieftain NEWS Wednesday, November 27, 2019 A DREAM HUNT Photos by Ellen Morris Bishop The bison that was the subject of the hunt was a big 6 year old bull that Stangel Bison Ranch had planned to cull from their herd. Stangel bison hunt supports Creating Memories And a Sutherlin hunter gets his trophy bull By Ellen Morris Bishop Wallowa County Chieftain O n a blustery bone-chill- ing Sunday morning with weather aiming to snow, Jim Allen, his son Cash, and friend and hunting adviser Stan Sophia, set out to make a dream come true: a buffalo hunt and a trophy bull. There was more at stake than just the meat and the massive trophy head. Allen, a dry-wall contractor who lives in Suther- lin, Oregon, had won his hunt through an online auction to benefit Wallowa County’s Cre- ating Memories: a 501C3 that provides outdoor experiences to disabled youth. The Stangle Bison Ranch donated the hunt itself, includ- ing guiding and transporta- tion of the buffalo to The Daily Grind in Joseph for processing where the animal would be cut and wrapped. All that was needed was for Jim Allen to bring in his buffalo. The bull was six years old, an animal in his prime. But bulls of that age are prone to wander. They are not the best breeding stock, said Marta Stangel, who is one of the ranch’s chief buffalo wranglers and works with her dad, Bob, to manage the herd. This particular animal had a few other quirks, including one eye that was not functioning prop- erly. While he was a prime spec- imen for a hunt, he was not high on the Stangel’s list to become a dad. The Stangels turned the bull out for a last few days of solitude on grassland east of Ant Flat Road. Allen gladly took suggestions from the Stangels. On the prop- erty there’s not much to worry about except an old tractor that bullets might ricochet off if you miss, and a house that is more than a half-mile away. When you hunt a buffalo, the best kill shot is well below the hump, at a spot behind the elbow. Allen nodded. Then a small caravan of trucks headed up Ant Flat Road. Allen, and everyone else, wanted this to be a hunt, not a drive-by shooting. And so the group stopped on a hilltop, where Allen, 10 year-old son Cash, and friend Stan Sophia, began a hike to find their quarry. A few minutes out from the vehicles, Allen stopped abruptly and pointed to a small TOP Jim Allen (left) and his hunting friend Stan Sophia make a plan to meet up with a buffalo on the move while Cash Allen (right) shoots a photo. LEFT Jim Allen sights in on the buffalo bull and takes aim. He downed the 1200-pound animal with a single shot from almost 300 yards. RIGHT Bob Stangel (left), Jim Allen, and Stan Sophia (right) search for the entry wound. The clean shot that downed the bull never bled, making it difficult to find. BOTTOM Jim Allen (right) and his son Cash with the bull. The hunt supported Creating Memories, a local non-profit that provides outdoor activities, including hunting and fishing for disabled youths. brown dot on a distant hillside. The group paused, determined the wind direction and approxi- mate distance and planned their long stalk. They crossed a val- ley, and climbed a hill, keeping downwind of their quarry. But it’s hard to remain undetected on a windswept, open grass- land, even if you are wearing camo. By the time they reached the top of the hill, the buffalo had noticed the presence of humans, and ambled across the valley and back up the hill they had recently descended. The hunting party followed, keeping their distance. Allen tried once to set up a shot, but the now-wary bull’s position did not allow a clear shot. The group moved again. This time, Allen used his backpack and his son’s as a brace. He sighted in the bull. He took his time. He exhaled. Cash put his hands over his ears. One shot from Allen’s Nosler 30 shooting a 180 grain round took the bull down. He stayed where he fell. It was over. Allen is no stranger to bring- ing down big game. Last year he traveled to South Africa, where a hunt with Joubert Pro- Hunt netted him a cape buffalo, sable, jackal, stem buck, water buck, heart beast and a bles- buck. But he had never hunted an American bison, although it was a long-time dream. “Creat- ing Memories is a really worthy cause to support,” he said. “I’m glad I could help them out, and make my own memory at the same time.” Creating Memories board member, Jack Burgoyne, said that the hunt and Allen’s con- tribution, along with the contri- butions of Stangels and others, would greatly help the nonprofit continue its programs for dis- abled children and their care- givers. Creating Memories pro- vides outdoor activities and adventures for disabled chil- dren, including fishing, hunt- ing, archery, and time outside in the back-country. Their board of directors and volunteers includes former big game guides, fish- ers and hunters, award-winning trap shooters, and others versed in outdoor activities. Recently, Creating Memories acquired the 97 acre Boy Scout Camp at Wal- lowa Lake, and has renovated the buildings to be handicapped accessible, and in fact, handi- capped inviting, Burgoyne said. “Donations and contributions like Jim Allen’s help us maintain our programs, and provide great experiences for kids who other- wise might never get a chance to be ‘way out in nature.”
