Thompson Award for 2009

Gentlemen and Sandy,

The time has come, after much consideration and deliberation I have made my decision as to the lucky recipient of the much anticipated and coveted Thompson Award.

Chris is ready to hand over the belt or torch or crown, whatever it is.

I will attempt to recall the season as I remember and start by saying this was in my humble opinion a very strange year. The stands where I saw the most deer last year produced nothing. In fact when filling out my cards each evening I actually got very proficient at making zero's.

Even our members didn't show their faces as often, which some would say is a good thing.

D. T. Anderson for example, what a great member, he comes to work days, cuts up trees, wears out two chain saws, pays his dues on time and doesn't even show up one day to hunt.

Don Gentry didn't make the scene too often I suspect due to the fact he has a significant financial interest in a Thai restaurant in Loganville. Many say this is a good thing, I won't comment.

David Brown was as the song says was, On the road again.

My little buddy Rateau was absent more than I like and I suspect but won't actually say that Don had something to do with that.

Thanks to his wife Barbara, Bobby wasn't around as much as usual. We are all so happy he bought the house in Brunswick, even the deer got a break from the harassment around camp.

Scott White bought a McMansion and was told to stay home and bring it up to his wife's standards. She is of the mold of her father, can you imagine Scott's challenge! The fact that Scott wasn't able to hunt much may have caused him to miss the two does he shot at. They did find one of those but couldn't determine whether a shot killed it or heart attack.

Harold Green did his best to beat Rateau out of the most shots fired category. Scared the hell outa me. I thought somebody was shooting doves. Anyway the deer is still running I think.

Sandy didn't kill anything but I must give her credit, she was up and in the woods many mornings when some of us slept in.

I'd like to mention everyone but you must kill something or screw up real good to get on the front page. You know who you are and I think the world of you anyway.

Then there's Bloom.

From opening day of bow season we had the opportunity to hunt 112 days and I think Bloom made all but about 10. After all those naps in the woods and imaginary sightings he finally takes a shot  at a good deer on his last hunt of the year and misses.

Hanging in with the retards this year was young Joe Miehe. He tried to hang with the old farts and managed to hold his own.

OK, I now must get to business, what was killed and by who?

Ricky and David Brown started off with a big doe each and I thought Oh hell, they won't stop now, but they did.

Rateau managed to shoot at enough to bring one young and tender yearling into camp. Don't say you heard it from me but he killed a second one as food for the coyotes.

Congratulations to Little Buckaroo who killed his first deer, I'm sure it won't be his last.

Dave came through with a doe but not without a lot of effort.

Last years recipient of the award rebounded in a big way as I suspected he would and killed 3 does and a dork head.

Of course I must mention the buck that Greg Martin killed although it wasn't posted in the book. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the size of the little fellow and was just an oversight. I was told that it was almost a 10. Wester wouldn't have been that rough on you, fess up!

On the Rock Eagle side Big Fred killed his best ever, a nice 10 pointer that scored 134 and change. He also took a doe as well.

Joe who I mentioned earlier hung in quite a bit and killed four does allowing his brother Little Fred to kill their pet Bob.

Also at Rock Eagle Kingsley and Gerry Gilbert killed does.

Now to the final course.

I actually struggled this year because two of you guys were neck and neck but I must announce that Jerry Bloom is the winner of the 2009 Thompson Award.

Any man who can be in the woods as much as Bloom and not kill something is deserving, and I just hope that the one he missed comes to see me next year.

What a wonderful world!

JT