I tasted Marty's smoked salmon even before I met him. I had arrived at hog camp in Louisiana early and set up, went out hunting and came back and someone said "you have to try this!" Amazing smoked salmon.
Next thing, I meet the guy who made it. Here comes this tall lanky guy with a baratone voice and I instantly liked him. There was nothing not to like about Marty. His calm almost lazy demeanor... and yet that light in his eyes - man he loved the hunt!
His eyes would light up when we would be talking about hunting. His appreciation for every part of the hunt, especially the comraderie of those he hunted with came through in a pure way, unassuming, no unrealistic expectations.... just whatever comes is good.
Having hunted in Alaska for moose myself, I was so intrigued by his recounting all the moose he encountered as well as his deer hunts on Kodiak. Moose that would come too close and he would have to "shew them away." Crazy!
I will never forget his answer to my question, "Marty, why did you come all the way to Louisiana to hunt hogs?" Marty said,"Because they don't have hogs in Alaska!"
I guess the biggest compliment a guy could have with the story of his life is that someone would want to emulate him in some way. I would like to be more like Marty in the way he approached hunting and the way he treasured the people and the experience. I make it about the kill too much.
I don't know if Marty was a spiritual man but it sure seemed to me that he marveled at what God had created and it seemed that he was on a mission of sorts, to explore as much of God's Creation as he would be allowed to.
I am sad that Marty is gone but so glad he was laughing and enjoying himself right before he left us. I hope he is smiling still.
Topic: Saying goodbye to a Trad Ganger (Read 1835 times)
