I have been going over to Central Oregon for more years than I can remember to hunt and fish. Traveling via Hwy 26 through the Warms Springs Indian Reservation (The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs) or turn off at Warm Spring Junction to head due east on Hwy 216. Traveling via Hwy 216, the length of driving through the timber is short and one will come into Pine Grove on top of the plain. It is an old town with well warn homes that you see from the road. In the town itself there have been a number of stores that have gone by the wayside over the years!
Like I said it is an Oasis in the Plains! There have been a few changes since this picture was taken!
Walters Corner is located near Wapintia and the flat area between Maupin and Pine Grove which is called Juniper Flat. Bake Oven Road starts on the east side of maupin by the Deschutes River Access Rd and goes up through Bakeowen towards Shaniko!
An early morning buck caught on the plains of Pine Grove near the store on a backroad!
It is called Bake Oven Rd for a reason as one better have water and air conditioning. Eugene Walters who owns Walters Corner has been there for as long as I can remember, always having cold pop, hot coffee, ICE, and whatever else one would need for the road. Hours of Operation are from 7:00 AM to 6:30 PM! What he also has at his store is history, which includes stories of game taken from the hills on public land. Walters Corner market has many big Cascade Bulls on the east wall with a few mule deer bucks and some dandy Antelopes also there. Now I would not say Eugene is going to give you his secret spot for monster bulls of the Cascades or even how he called the bulls in, but he might give you an area of interest. I will always fill up my truck’s tank up when I stop, as it is important to have a store like Walters Corner in an area of few jobs and mostly ranches. Eugene is also the man in the area when there is house fire or range fire to be first on the scene. There have been a number of times when traveling over to Maupin that Eugene is out fighting a fire for the community. There is even airstrip (Wapinitia Airport)in the area at the junction of Kelly Cutoff and Old Wapinita Rd. So if you looking for a place that you can spend a few dollars and relax while on your way to fish, hike, hunt or just see the country side, don’t hesitate to stop at Walter Corners.
The following picture was taken no more than 1 1/2 miles from the store on the Old Wapinitia Rd:
This buck was on the way to the cool area of the White River Canyon! A great deal of dust was blowing hard causing the picture to look like haze!
Do sons give credit to their dad’s for the paths they take in life?
While my father is still alive, I thought I should write things about him that is important to me over the years! First off, this is a young man back in about 1953 that takes on a ready made family. I was about 3 and my brother Steve was about 2 when Bill Biggs met Barbara Trumble, a widower at a very young age. Our natural father died in the Columbia River going back to the ship in an automobile accident in 1952.
It is funny how one as they gets older have total recall on the past, yet can’t remember where they put their truck keys, guess that is why most of us have a special draw or bowl for short term memory!
Having not known my natural father that I can remember at he was a Merchant Marine, Bill Biggs aka Dad from here out in this writing took us boys as his own. As I look over the years I would have to say it was that way and we always looked to him as Dad. No I never called him daddy, just dad! He was in the U.S. Navy for a number of years and this I can remember, so it was for some years forward to about the age of 6 for me. He served during the Korean War as a Navy Radar Man, in those days they would have to write backwards on a see through board so the CO and XO see what was going on in the Command Center. When he wrote is was always in printing and never script. His A’s were always flat on top!
I know we lived in Astoria, Oregon up on top of the hill while station aboard the U.S.S. Oriskanyhe was on was station at the once famous Tongue Point at Astoria,OR. I know that he never caught sneaking out of my bedroom window and going to the outside refrigerator to just crack open the Coke bottles and sip a little pop. I made sure they were all at the same level, each and every bottle!
CVA-34 Known as the Big O!
Later Dad was stationed at Alameda,CA as the ship he was on the U.S.S. Oriskany, a famous aircraft carrier that was used even in the Vietnam War. The circle of that ship is pretty small, for as a kid in Tongue Point, I was able to go aboard the ship. Later while I was stationed in the Philippines in 1970, I did Comms with the COMSEC team aboard the ship. I had a chance to go aboard the ship TAD, but chose Vietnam with the 5th Marines instead! My brother Steve was over in Vietnam at Yankee Station aboard the U.S.S. Coontz DLG9, running cover for the U.S.S. Oriskany in the battle group. Steve was there when the Oriskany had a major fire aboard the top deck! You could see the fire from more 18 miles away with the naked eye! Glad I was not aboard!
My dad was of Danish & American Indian ancestry and was a statue of a man with broad shoulders, tall, lean and jet black hair with green-blue eyes. In the old days out at Janzten Beach there was a swimming area with high dives. One that was brave could got to the high dive and actually dive into the Columbia River. I still remember as a kid, him doing that in a Swan Dive and having perfect entrance into the river. One would have thought that John Weissmuller was diving into a lagoon.
Now getting to the future with Dad! I remember his hunting trips with Uncle Dave and when he bought the Mannlicher Schoenauerin 30-06, from the once famous Foster Sporting Goods in Portland, OR. He and Uncle Dave bought one each. Over the years, which are many times, I have given a bad him time about not getting that rifle. The truth is Dad it was more of a jest, as that darn thing is right handed and has such a high comb, it would definitely beat me up. I would hope that Dad did give some hunting or sporting thoughts to my sister’s son Michael and pass it along to him. That rifle can not ever be replaced in the 21st Century!
I remember a Bobcat skin that I had in my room that Dad had shot as a young man on the Feather River outside of Sacramento, California as a young man. He was riding on the fender of an old pickup and killed the Bobcat with a 22 rifle. He was a crack shot.
There are a couple of short stories as a teenager that I could have gotten into trouble, but Dad was pretty cool about it. When I got to go on my first Goose hunt to Summer Lake in Oregon, I remember being on a dike in the middle of Summer Lake. I had 5 boxes of shotgun shells and shot every one of the shells. When I got back to Dad and his hunting partner, with no birds or shells, he asked me “what were you doing”, as they had a stack of Snow Geese on the ground. I told them, I shot at every goose and duck that flew over me and none fell out of the sky. He just shook his head, and later at Sauvies Island, I learned how to lead a bird! Shooting targets with a 22, I never had to lead!
Another time while I was still at home before going in the Navy, I would have to be at work at 1:00PM, but would get up at 0300 and if not caught going out the door I would head over to the Deschutes Riverat Warm Springs to fish forRedsides. If caught by mom I would have to back upstairs and get up at 0600 and fish for hatchery fish on the Clackamas River. I would race over to the Deschutes in my 54 Ford at 4000 RPM; it would take me an hour and 15 minutes to get there. Never got a ticket once going there. Anyway this particular day I did not have work, so I got back at about 1700 Hour and had the Redsides in the kitchen sink and Dad got home and looked in the sink. “Son those don’t look like ClackamasRiver trout” With a smile he turned and went into the living room with a cup of Coffee!
When High School, I was going to Benson and I was on a rifle team with my cousins with Lucky 22’s. They all had 22 target rifles and I did not have one. My dad talked my mom into getting a German made Anchutz 22LR Target Rifle in left-handed for me at Meyer & Franks’, yep in those days they sold rifles. It was a really big deal to get this rifle and not have to borrow one. Later they both allowed me to switch from Benson Polytechnic and go to Franklin H.S. so I could shoot on their rifle team. He put up with my political fight with the school district to make it a Varsity Sport, which happened after my senior year!
There is a lot that I remember about Dad over the years, like the time while I was in Vietnam he sends me a picture of a Boone & Crockett Canadian Moose he killed up near Fort St. Johns in B.C. That picture was pretty famous with my Marine counter parts.
When I got back from over seas, we hunted a number of years together for Blacktail deer and Mule deer. The last hunt was pretty special as I saw him make a very long range shot with that Mannlicker outside of Ashwood, OR on nice mule deer buck. That was a great hunt as we both got bucks on that trip. Then there was a Blacktail deer hunt down by Falls City, OR, which I learned on that hunt was never to say, “There’s a buck”. As when ever that was said, a Blacktail never got shot! I have taken that forward in all of my hunting!
Dad also took me on my first deer hunt when I was in the 5th grade and not yet able to carry a rifle. The following year I took hunter safety.
“My first hunt that I went on with my dad was with Uncle Dave and his group of hunters, such as Uncle Harry, Uncle Monroe, Uncle Floyd, Jack Carroll, Danny Carroll and Bill Biggs (dad) to Egypt Wells, outside of Riley, Oregon. With the old 55 Studebaker loaded to hilt and trailer loaded also. Of course that group all tagged out on Mulie bucks up in the Silvies.”
In closing we also did a great deal of fishing and spent many trips up to Ollialie Lake near Mount Hood and many trips to the Metoluis River at Camp Sherman.
One last memory of how tough he was is during the gas shortages in the 80’s, he had the Chevron Station at the Memorial Coliseum on Broadway. Tough time with fights in getting gasoline for cars and all gas being allocated. Dad wore a hand gun (Colt 357 6″) on his side during the many months of this scam by the government and oil companies. He never got robbed or confronted at his place of business!
Thanks Dad for guiding me in the correct direction to the Right!
P.S. The Navy was ok also, giving responsibility in Life!
Commander Rod Briece U.S. Navy Retired was a Believer, a Father, a Husband, a Leader, an Educator, and a Friend. Plus hunting and fishing was a passion for him in his off time. In the later years Rod, found his grandson to be his new partner in the field. That will surely be missed forever, but not forgotten for his grandson!
My name is Frank Biggs aka Frank Trumble when I first met Mr. Briece in 1969 at the Naval Security Group Activity in Imperial Beach, California. He was a young Lt. Jg. Line Officer attached to Admin at the Naval Security Group Activity in Imperial Beach, California. I was a young enlisted Petty Officer attached to a different Division in COMSEC. I had heard that we had someone from Portland, Oregon at the site and I just had to meet him. I was able to see Mr. Briece one day and found out that he love to duck hunt. Well I knew all of the places to hunt ducks outside of San Diego, plus along the Mexican border. I quickly invited him to duck hunt on my 80 hours off. The hunt as an outing was great but no ducks, yet the day before I had jumped more than 500 ducks and geese in the marsh land between the Mexican and U.S. border.
I did not have much time left at that base, as I was going overseas. I met Rod & Cheryl one day near Ream Field, Imperial Beach. They had their two twin daughters Janel and Anne with them. For some reason, that I can’t remember, I was able to hold both of the girls, one in each arm. In reference to the above sentence, some years later like about 10 years I took my daughter Rebecca to the reserve center and Rod held her, she was about the same age in reference to the time I head Janel and Anne. Ironic the circle of life and happenings.
It was some time later in 1972 that I was able to reconnect with Rod at the Naval Security Group Activity in Portland, OR. It was a Reserve U.S. Naval Security Communications site at the reserve center doing active military work. Rod later became my Commanding Officer for the unit I was attached to. Great Leader of men and women! I would have to say Commander Briece was hands on Officer. At this point, I always refer him when on duty as Commander Briece!
Over the years I feel that Rod and I became great friends, nice thing about the reserves you can fraternize in civilian life. While Rod was teaching Political Science at Mt Hood Community College, Rod helped me with projects with career at Burns Bros., Inc.
There is a great deal that I can tell you about Rod & my relationship over 40 years! I do have to mention that whenever I called Rod, Cheryl normally answer the phone with a great voice and always say I will get Rod for you and “how are you doing”!
During the summer months when Rod wasn’t having to do an Reserve Active Duty Training and the college was close you could find him working at Norm Thompson Outfitters, where he would be working fly fishing or gun section. In those days Norm Thompson was the place for the best in hunting and fishing. It is during that time frame that Rod met Jack O’ Connor, the legendary hunter who traveled the world was known as that man that shot the Winchester 270 for everything. Rod acquired a Winchester Model 70 in the 338 Win. Mag caliber from Jack. I was fortunate enough to see the rifle on an elk hunt with Rod. That was Rod’s elk hunting rifle!
He guided me on my first Antelope hunt in Oregon, which was hunt of a lifetime and the meeting of new people. Later Rod introduced me to Wild Bill Campbell on a deer hunt outside of Pilot Rock, Oregon. Wild Bill Campbell and I would become great friends over the passing years.
This was a great trip with Rod, my GMC truck working the hills and having 3 game plans. Boone & Crockett Pronghorn
Rod was always working on us Navy boys to come closer to God and he introduced me to Good Shepherd Church and the men’s group for early Morning Prayer on Tuesdays.
Then there was the summer that I was invited to the Good Shepherd Camp out at the Fairgrounds (Hunt Park) in Tgyh Valley, Oregon, bringing along my son and his buddy. The boys camped outside in a tent and I had the luxury of Rod’s Camper. The boys were able to fish and later we all went on an Exotic Sheep hunt with success. That was the talk around the campfire that evening after the hunt!
I would have to put the biggest deal in my life when I was invited to the Sportsman’s Dinner at Good Shepherd. It happen to be the time when Dennis Agajanian came and gave testimonial to all us that were there. I was very enlightened and when Dennis Agajanian asks of those in the audience who was ready to come to the Lord. Stand and be known, touching Rod on the shoulder and doing so was of great feeling and the great feel of the chill when you touch the Lord.
I thank Rod for everything that he gave out to everyone he touched. I am sure that Rod will continue on this new adventurer with Jesus! Rod you will be remembered by all of us in our Hearts my friend! God Bless!
Fritz (Fredrick) Kribs H & B Loan Portland, Oregon. If there was a man that knew weapons, guns and rifles it was Fritz Kribs. He was the man behind the firearm counter at H & B Loan Company in Portland, Oregon.My background with Fritz and his wife Madaline would have started when I was knee high to a grasshopper in the last Century. Madaline would babysit my brother and I in the Sellwood district where my Grandma Elsie lived. My mother and father were close friends for a long time.Many did not know that Fritz was a diver in his early years. He would bring Abalone to our house that he got off the Pacific Ocean Floor. He also worked on the many of the dams that were put on Oregon & Washington Rivers. That was pretty tough work and Fritz got hurt many times on the job. I always loved it when he would talk about the monster fish that he would see, especially on the Green Peter Dam outside of Sweet Home, OR.Anyway Firtz was the go to guy on buying or selling guns. You were sure to get a pretty good deal if you knew him. He would call whenever he got something new in or was of interest to most of us.I also bought a lot of Leupold Scopes from Fritz and saved about 50% on them.
Fritz was also a hunter, love to shoot Picket Fences (small rat like squirrel), Rock Chucks and Gray Diggers. The ranchers over in Central Oregon would always have him over, as they knew he could get rid of a lot of them.
One place that Fritz and his old timer gang go to hunt for deer was the McKay Ranch outside of Antelope, Oregon. He was very close friends with Sandy McKay and Sandy’s boy Herb McKay. The bucks were big and they got a great number of them.
The year was somewhere around 1998 or 1998, I had been hunting area near the Tower of the Rancho Rajneesh. We had permission to hunt the Old Baily place and given Forman some money to access to the area. What a hunt it was going to be, Ben and myself in there all by ourselves on the closing of archery season. It wasn’t long after getting into the bottom that I spotted a monster buck that I had taken a picture of while he was in the velvet during a pre-hunting season scouting trip.
The buck was at 45 yards lying down. I went to full draw with the 85lb Martin Onyx that I was testing out for Martin Archery. I thought for sure that the buck would get up and I could release my arrow. He was looking straight at me, but never moved but his head. I could not hold any longer and felt I had the shot. The arrow went straight at the buck’s chest cavity. He got up and fell over on his back. Oh! Dead buck and what a trophy. Wrong! He got back up and took off at high gear up the draw. Ben and I spent the next couple of days looking for this buck. Never found him! Did not find the arrow anywhere either, just simply disappeared.This is where the story gets going. It wasn’t long until I was told by another hunting buddy that was down at H & B Loan buying something from Fritz that he told the story of a monster buck with an outside spread of 35″, the biggest buck that they had ever seen or gotten. Oh! There was much more to the story though…I had to go down to Fritz and see what the buck looked like. I had a funny feeling about the whole thing. I enter the store and there was Fritz behind the counter, he sees me and has a big grin on this face. His comment was “since when do you wear pink panties”, I said “what the hell you talking about?” “Well you shoot short Pink fletch arrows, I thought maybe you wore the same in panties.” “Fritz, I shoot Pink Fletching so I can see it fly and hit the target, and how do you know that, as it is a secret amongst my hunting partners.” My friend MJ let it out about my arrows that I shot with the extra long over draw that Mel Stanalaski made for me. I would shot 24″ Easton XX-75 arrows with Thunder Head 100gr three blade broadheads.“I know because I found a big buck you got during archery season next to McKay’s fence line with this short ass Pink fletch arrow in it chest.”I never got to see the hunting pictures or the buck hanging. One of the guys at Les Schwab took the horns and put a new cap on the buck. Who knows where the buck hangs these days.I never lived it down, but it happens to all of us sometime to loose a game animal. They can travel a lot further than we can in a short period of time and even in death will disappear in the landscape. So I do have a live picture of the buck with his buddies…
Fritz was always good to take one of my Weatherby’s in to fund one of my trips to Hawaii with the Navy. It made it possible to hunt on one of the islands. My Weatherby’s would always be worth a grand to hock on loan. As soon as I got back I would take them out of hock. I do believe one time I walked in to H & B Loan with Doug Graven to drop off my 340 Weatherby Custom for a trip out of Conus. We had just got back from a mission into the Big Muddy. Fritz grabs the Weatherby and clears the bolt… Guess I was to ready on this past trip. There were some Portland PD that we all knew in there. Fritz had to have the last word!
“Frankie how many times do I have to tell not to bring them in loaded?” It didn’t help that the round all dropped on the glass case though. Always on the ready in those days! I sure as heck didn’t want him to keep the ammo at about $4.50 a round would I? That was a really great moment and worth some laugh in the store…
It just isn’t the same when the persons of the past leave us. I’ll and a lot of other old buddies with miss Fritz…
You have to read the last post to this story from Mike Willis!
A little update since the writing of this post! Recently after all these years I have found that Diane Campbell, Wild “Bill” Campbell’s wife is still living on the ranch in Pilot Rock, Oregon! 06-09-2018. Diane put up with all of us that frequented the ranch! One of the greatest places to ride horses, hike and hunt for pheasant hunt, elk and deer hunt!
This picture was donated by Linda Mathison Bill Campbell is on the left…
I had an email a while back from an old friend; well he is younger than me. He had been on a Texas deer hunt with his kids on a friend’s ranch. Mention about a dear friend that is no longer around and that the tradition of the hunt would change. How true his words were to me that day! Over the past 30+ years or more I have had the privilege of hunting a number of private ranches. Some were rancher friends that I have met via hunting with someone else, met in the road near their place, through work and from knocking on doors.Relationships with ranchers change with the times and the conditions of life.This reading with me is about a rancher that I met during a deer hunt near Pilot Rock, Oregon that I was invited on from a Naval Officer that I first met when I was stationed at the Naval Security Group Activity in Imperial Beach, CA. Rod Briece was from the Portland Metro area and was on his active duty obligation. I took him on an unsuccessful duck hunt along the Tijuana border. The day before there were more than a 1000 ducks and geese held up in tidal flats…? This story about a rancher; he went by the name “Wild Bill Campbell”, a rancher that lived up on East Birch Creek outside of Pilot Rock, Oregon. Bill Campbell was a Cattle Rancher, Horse Trader, Husband, Peacemaker, Hunter and mostly a Friend of mine.
As I said earlier I first met Bill on a deer hunt with Rod. Rod was hunting with his usual deer hunting group. I was the outsider invited to the hunt; I came ready to deer hunt prime private property on eastern Oregon Cattle & Horse ranch.Bill’s ranch was along East Birch Creek and had boundaries south near Pearson Creek and the Umatilla National Forest. There are many notorious places that are still thought of by the hunters or persons that roam the area. Such places that might be alone the 4230 road such as Foggy Knob, Four Corners, Little Pearson Creek, California Gulch, Government 80, Sagebrush Flat, Dark Canyon, Merle Canyon, Tamarack Gulch, Cold Springs Canyon, Hascall Spring, Pole Mill Rd, and Spring Hollow just to name a few spots that are like having a GPS with waypoints when talking.Right from the get goes; I knew that I was going to like Bill a lot. Bill looked like he came from out of the “Old West”; never saw him without a Single Action Revolver and or wearing suspenders.
On this hunt Bill gave me knowledge and taught me to be patient, go with the flow. On one particular day I was riding with Bill, he would stop and talk with every other rancher or ranch hand he knew. In my mind I am going is this ever going to get over with, it’s daylight out and I need to be hunting and not BS’n. There had to be a big buck waiting for me in the timber. Later I find out that with Bill talking with everyone, he is gaining knowledge on game and getting us permission to maybe get onto another rancher’s property…
Since that time I have learn to take time out during the mid-day and slow down. Bill was a man of many stories of past times. Bill had a cabin up near Sagebrush Flats that all of us would jockey on the use of the cabin. On the walls were written passages of days spent on the cattle trail moving cattle from the out of the mountains to the valley floor. I remember one passage written by Bill when he was with his father-in-law, “the snow was more than three feet deep, with drifts over your head, wind blowing hard, 10 degrees out, horses tired and a pack of coyotes following their every movement”. If one had foresight they would have taken pictures of these passages on the wall of the cabin. I understand that the cabin is gone, as an outfitter bought the property some years back from Bill’s widow. Being and old horse trader, or better yet a gun trader, I have always felt it to be a privilege to hunt someone’s property. Not much on paying with “Green Backs”, but with something that every rancher might want to rat hole. Has anyone every known a rancher that might not want a new rifle, possible good pair of bino’s, knives or how about a master case of 30-06 Remington 180 gr. cartridges.
Well Bill was always one that would want something new that he has never had in his gun cabinet. Being able to get some items demo out to me or be able to pick up a new rifle for wholesale, I could not past up the opportunity to do this barter system.We always had a place to stay, leave our horses, go anywhere, do anything, hot meal in the evening and even drive Bill’s truck up into the back country. Bill would be ready to go on a hunt at a moments notice. No one ever had to worry that he would not be ready.
His truck was never without a rifle, six shooter, knives or ammo. On the Ready! The following are a couple of short thoughts and happenings with Bill Campbell.
Remembering when I had a small group of bro’s hunting with me, we were staying at Bill’s and Diane’s House. One of my buddies Steve Pomp was staying thee also. We all bunched in the living room. Yelling all of sudden when Bill’s big black cat jumped up onto Steve’s face. Pitched dark… The object at the time went flying through the room. Steve must have thought he was back in Vietnam…
Oh! Bill was a Reserve County Sheriff and would go out on any call. One look at Bill and I think an outlaw would just put their hands up. One afternoon Bill and I had to go into town to the local market, we had just come out of the canyon above Bill’s main house. We were packing iron on the hip. Getting out of the truck I started to remove my holster and belt. Bill quickly said “Frank no need to do that, we pack here”, so it is probably first and last time that I have walked into a store with handgun on he hip… Looking at us would have most likely seemed like a picture from the past.
Another time Bill had the county veterinarian come out and look at one of his horses that was sick. The county vet., said that he would have to put the horse down, he felt the horse was contagious to the rest of the herd. Bill slowing put his hand on his hip, of course where his 45 Colt was and look straight into the Vets. Eyes and said “I don’t think so Doc”. The Vets eyes went to the size of golf balls and he left most hastily.
There was the time that Bill gave me a pink lariat for my Birthday on an early scouting trip in June. Inside of the package was a set of chaps from the turn of the century and this pink lariat. Bill, his wife Diane and Stick gave a really bad time to me on this gift. It was given to me because I thought I was a macho cowboy from the valley… Anyway I still have the lariat. My lariat was always tied to my saddle, even when I was in the bottom of Hells Canyon.
It reminded me of the great times I spent with “Wild Bill Campbell” at his ranch. One of the most memorable hunts that I had with Bill was a middle of the season deer hunt at this place. Bill had dropped Ben and I off at the head of California Gulch for a two person deer drive. Ben and I split up on the two walls of the canyon and worked our way down into the timber. Ben was a great partner, when working canyons we seem to know were and what the other person was doing without ever seeing them. Anyway I had beat Ben to the bottom of the canyon and was working my way up the center into some down timber and grassy area. All of a sudden I jump a large black bear that was sleeping. The bear jumped up and was on top of a down tree broadside at 50 feet. I had my 257 Weatherby at the time. I quickly shoot into the boiler room of the bear, nothing happen, so I shoot again at the bear into the same spot. The bear is off the tree and running. I shoot twice again at the bear as it is moving left to right into the same spot but on the opposite side of the animal. The big black bear expires in the creek bottom! Now what I said to myself. One has to remember that while shooting the last two rounds I had yelled up the canyon for Ben. Ben came running down and thought that I had a small war going on. To his surprise there was a bear laying dead in the creek and not a big buck. In my mind I wanted to skin this bear and be able to have a life size mount done. We could not budge the bear out of the creek as the creek had steep walls due steepness of walls from spring flooding. We skinned the bear in the creek which took some time to do. No we knew that Bill would want the bear meat, being an old mountain man. Just getting ready to quarter the bear and we hear a truck coming to us down into the canyon. Bill with his Blue and White Ford F250 pickup stopped at the edge of the creek wall. You have to be kidding me, Bill drove to us. Morale of this story, have patience, a rancher can get anywhere to pickup game.
Sometime in 1987 Bill Campbell “Wild Bill” passed away in his favorite sitting chair in the living room. I suppose he had a glass with good aged whiskey in it. He had honor, give you the shirt off his back, lone you a weapon if short and he would open his home to you to stay.“Wild Bill” I hope you are still chasing elk and deer up in the clouds!
These are my words on the history and impact of ENMCPO David H. Pflegl U.S.N. Retired, who was my Uncle Dave on my mother’s side to me.
I would have to say in the early years of knowing my Uncle Dave that he was a tough bird and one never won an argument with him. One would never want to cross Uncle Dave or you would have an understanding of old school.
I remember when my Grandmother Elsie would watch us down in the Sellwood area of Portland and Uncle Dave would come home from a hunt. Always was successful in hunting and even fishing. He lived upstairs in those days of her house, before he got he got remarried and moved out to Oregon City with purchase of Aero Acres up on Leland Rd. The whole upper area of the attic was full of hunting and fishing gear, a kid could be mesmerized by it all. Uncle Dave and Great Uncle Dave would do a lot of fishing, such as up in the Bull Run when it was legal. I remember on fishing trip to the Willamette River for Spring Chinook up by the falls with Uncle Dave and Bill Biggs (dad). Mom had packed me a lunch for the day, which included a banana. Uncle Dave said “bananas are bad luck in a boat, get rid of it.” We saw a lot of big Salmon jumping by the spillway, but we did not catch any Salmon. I never went in a boat with Uncle Dave again.
Yep! Uncle Dave at that time had a 1937 Taylor Craft plane and later a PT-19 Fairchild, which I did get to up once before I went into the Navy. I still remember the plate on the dash, that said do not do wing rolls in excess of 183 mph. I do believe that Uncle Dave even raced the PT in a couple of air shows in his 50’s.
PT 19 Fairchild Fixed Wing Trainer
Uncle Dave gave a lot to everyone that he touches over the course of 85 years. Uncle Dave would give you his shirt off is back, maybe even a transmission you need for your 1954 Ford that was in a car out on the airstrip. He had 5 sons by two marriages. There are 4 of them still around with David H. Pflegl (Butch) the oldest.
He taught all of his boys to be self sufficient and all them can twist a wrench and fix anything. One thing for sure about Uncle Dave, that if you needed something fix, he could get it done no matter the size of it.
As for hunting and fishing he left that legacy also with most of his sons and a few nephews. My first hunt that I went on with my dad was with Uncle Dave and his group of hunters, such as Uncle Harry, Uncle Monroe, Uncle Floyd, Jack Carroll, Danny Carroll and Bill Biggs (dad) to Egypt Wells, outside of Riley, Oregon. With the old 55 Studebaker loaded to hilt and trailer loaded also. Of course that group all tagged out on Mulie bucks up in the Silvies.
There is Boone & Crockett Blacktail that hangs in the log home in Oregon City up at Aero Acres to this day that was harvested in the Saddle Mountain area many years ago. Uncle Dave love to hunt with bow and arrow on the Hwy 26 Summit to the coast in the swamp. Just yesterday a customer came and we was talking about hunting the exact spot as Uncle Dave in the swamp with a rifle. Both would camp in the rest area and hunt the area.
Uncle Dave and his group hunt a great deal of Oregon, such as the Snake River Canyon when you could get two deer, Madison Butte and Texas Butte outside of Heppner, Oregon, there was the summit of Hwy 26 at the coast for archery elk, there was Northside Oregon for deer. I would even include the Steens Mtns., which he hunted later in life with the aid of his horse Brandy. Many of my own hunting partners from the past would run into Uncle Dave in the field and make friends with him. I could a report on Uncle Dave almost anytime from the field.
I remember in about 196- when Uncle Dave and Bill Biggs (dad) both bought Mannlicher Schoenauer Rifles with the Baush & Lomb 2.5 to 8 variable scopes on them in 30-06.
What great rifle to look and maybe get the chance to hunt with. Double set triggers, with the wood out to the end of barrel and high comb cheek piece. I have always thought I might get Dad’s someday…
As for Uncle Dave’s Navy experiences, I would say he was a WW II hero and was a Submariner during WW II and Korea.
“FRANK I AM RESEARCHING MILITARY HISTORY. DAD WAS ON THE USS CROAKER SS246 FROM COMMISSIONING TO DEC 1945. http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08246.htm
USS POMFRET SS391 1950 TO 1952. http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08391.htm
Google: WILLIAM ANDREW PFLEGL GO DOWN PAGE TO “ROSTER” SEE DAVID PFLEGL USS CROAKER SITE BY CLICKING ON ROSTER NOTICE THE CROAKER AT GALVESTON SEPT 45.. READ THE REST THERE. HE WAS ON THE USS POMFRET, WITH PRESIDENT (LTJG) JIMMY CARTER 1951 THRU 1952. LOOKING FOR DENNIS A “SHIPWRECK” KELLY OF FOUNTAIN VIEW, CA WHO WAS ON THE POMFRET SAME TIME AS DAD IN KOREA.” Butch
I remember seeing pictures of him coming off Boat to fight Japanese on the islands. I still believe that Butch has a 6.5 Jap rifle that he brought back from a fight. After the Korean War, Uncle Dave joined the Naval Reserves in Portland, OR. The base on Swan Island had a Submarine there for him to teach on.
He spent over 40 years in the Navy and retired out as an E-9 and was well known in the Naval Community. Funny I had old retired Submariners come into my work and they all knew him. It truly is a small world out there and one never knows who they run into from the past.
It was Uncle Dave that when I had 12 years in and having issues with work and Navy say “for no reason do you quit and give up on the Navy, work with just have to live with it.” With that I got Burns Bros., Inc worked out with the help of my Commanding Officer and I stayed in for a total of 27 years. The U.S. Navy nominated Jack H. Burns the CEO of Burns Bros., Inc. for Employer Recognition to the U.S. Naval Reserves and their duty.
Uncle Dave ashes will be spread out in the elk hunting country of Madison Butte outside of Heppner with Uncle Bobby (retired Colonel U.S. Air Force), plus one other person in their hunting group from the past who has yet to go. Maybe he will live to be a 100, as he has made it to 90. It seem the other or third person Uncle Floyd passed away also just recently within a month of Uncle Dave. I talked with Floyd Jones Jr. or Spike as I have called him for almost 5 decades, he told me that Uncle Floyd had made comment after the passing of Dave, that “he has loss his hunting partner and what is the use to stay around”. They hunted for more than 70 years together in the vast Oregon Territory from the Snake River Canyon to the Tillamook Head…
I do believe that one of the greatest Elk hunting trips was in 2001 when I was guiding Butch in the Grizzly Unit. Uncle Dave, Aunt Lillian, Butch, and Uncle Dave’s two other sons Mike and Henry were there on top of Horse Heaven. Uncle Dave had set up a huge camp with a squad tent the size of Grand Central Station. I have my son along with us, I told Frankie; I want you to remember this time, as it will be a memory to last a long time.
God! Watch over Uncle Dave and may he stay in Elk Camp. Frank
1937 Taylorcraft 80hp
PT 19 2010 Present Day Condition-Henry will have to finish it!One of the friends of Dave coming to AeroacresThe Blue Super Cub is Henry’s new plane!There was some 20 planes on the Deck!One of the planes leaving!Bill Biggs with Korean War Vet Hat!Off and away!
August 8th, 2010 there was a fly in for Uncle Dave, or lets say a wake. I found it very touching to see more than a 100 people, including family member. Uncle Dave touch a great deal of people in his life. There had to more than 20 planes there. According to Aunt Lillian there were more planes on the hardeck than any other time. I wish I had taken more picture, but I am sure that Dave’s son Butch will send me some to add. I got to see family that I have not seen in many years… Before long the team from the past will have all of their ashes up at Madison Butte.
As with many people that touch our lives in the course of more than 30 years, they do pass. One such person is Bud Lucas from Klamath Falls, OR. I first met Bud back in 1978, when I first started Burns Bros., Inc. as an ASE Certified Auto Mechanic. I had been introduced by Jim Dunlap the CFO of Burns Bros., Inc (Truck Stops). Bud Lucas was quite the hunter and did a lot of Mulie hunting down out of the Trout Creek Mountains in SE Oregon.
Bud had MS, but could still get around with the use of a Quad. He was always one that hunted the big mulies along the Oregon – Nevada border. Over the years Bud harvested many a monster mulie and pronghorn.
Bud Lucas had own a furniture store in Klamath Falls, OR. He was surely missed by me, the community and his daughter. Bud and I never did get to hunt together over the 20 years that I knew him, but anytime he was in Portland visiting Jim Dunlap we always had lunch and spun a yarn.
