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Show November 15 02.qxd 12/7/2021 2:58 PM Page 9 THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Volume VII Issue III November 15, 2002 The One that Didn’t Get Away This rack, now owned by Craig Petersen of Huntsville, came from a buck killed by John Lindsay in October of 1966 with a 30 – 06. Lindsay, who resided in Eden at the time, shot the buck on Powder Mountain with hunting partner Doug Wilson, also of Eden. The two couldn’t find the deer high in the rocky terrain. Lindsay returned the next weekend and found the buck in the exact same spot where he had originally shot it. The wounded buck jumped up and began to flee, but only a few yards into the escape, fell and died. The rack is unique because of the palmation on the top of the tines. The buck has a 37inch spread, and is listed in Biggest Bucks by Robert l. Warren, holding the standing record as the largest buck Craig Peterson of Huntsville with the largest recorded taken in Weber County. buck taken in Weber County. Bears and Prayers By Janet K. Cazier What do bears have to do with prayers? Michael Dunn knows. He related his story to a group of young men and women from the Huntsville Utah Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at a Thursday evening Standards Night fireside. His discovery took place on August 24, 1994 when he, his wife, and three children were on vacation. He arose early to go on his daily run. It was a beautiful day. The Michael Dunn sun was just coming up as he ran through Grand Teton National Park. As told on his CD “BEARS and PRAYERS,” he was enjoying the quiet when, “From less than 30 yards away, a bear was coming out of the brush and headed for me at full speed. It was an incredible sight— teeth bared, growling, ears laid back. And then I spotted the hump. The hump on his back told me that this wasn’t just a bear I was dealing with— this was a grizzly!” He told the youth of his 16 major wounds, three surgeries, and 300 stitches—and these weren’t small stitches. They were about 3 ½ inches each. He recalls that he looked like a quilt. He told about the great support of his friends. A group of these friends sent him a huge basket with a card that said, “Dear Mike, We haven’t seen you in a long time. What’s been eating you?” He also received a button pin to wear that read, “LIVE CAREFULLY or this could happen to you!” He showed the youth his sunglasses that a ranger found near the attack site. They had a dent from a bear claw. That morning he had the thought to grab his sunglasses and take them with him, even though it was dark when he left the cabin. He was glad he listened to that inner voice. He has kept the glasses for the last eight years to remind him how blessed he is. He still likes bears. After all, he is known as the “Bear Man.” He still runs and enjoys it. He came to Eden six or seven years ago to run a half marathon. He stated that he loves our Valley. He runs the annual marathon in St. George, and ran in an Ultra Marathon called the Wasatch 100, where he had to run through the night from Kaysville to Midway. As you can see, his bear attack didn’t scare him enough to make him stop running. He said he has never had nightmares about his attack. When asked what was the most profound truth he learned from his attack, he answered, “I learned that life is short and precious, and I want to take advantage of it. I learned that I need to follow the rules, listen to the spirit, and live life carefully.” He loves to share his experiences with others. He travels worldwide, sharing his story. He has been on many television programs such as Inside Edition and Prime Time Live. He grew up in Salt Lake City, where he still lives with his wife Linda Poulson Dunn, and his children Jeff, Brady, and Emily. He owns Dunn Communications, where he creates TV commercials, corporate videos, and documentary films. He is an Emmy award-winning writer for a commercial titled, “Splash.” As I interviewed Mike his scars were “bearly” noticeable. But if you looked closely, you could see where the bear’s claw had ripped through his cheek—almost to his ear. During the evening with the youth of the Valley, Mike related many miracles of his escape from death. Park Rangers are still puzzled about the incident—they can find no evidence of what may have scared the bear enough to make it leave the victim in the middle of the attack. Mike knows the answer—it was his prayers. He soberly stated, “God saved my life.” Licensed Contractor Delbert Morris P.O. BOX 507 EDEN, UT 84310 Tel: 745-1709 Cell: 791-7420 Grading Dirt Hauling Snow Removal Landscaping Rock Work Backhoe Service Tear out & Replace Driveways Celeste C. Canning PLLC Attorney at Law 2456 Washington Boulevard, Suite C Ogden, Utah 84401 Local: 801 791-1092 Office: 801 612-9299 Email: ccanninglaw@aol.com Meeting the Legal Needs of Small Business and Their Owners FREE Initial Thirty Minute Consultation. Appointments in Ogden Valley upon request. One of Largest Bucks in the World Taken by 17-year-old Of the four horseback hunters riding the sage on Moore’s Ranch that day, Scott Moore was too young to hunt. Verl Creager, only 17, was on his second hunt, but had never killed a deer. Verl’s brother Don, and father Les were hoping Verl could get a shot. It was fair weather, and they were riding east of Rees Creek, south of Castle Rock [in Morgan County]. As they rode below a grove of quaking aspen, they heard deer bouncing up into the quakies. Don and Scott circled the grove, and rode up to the ridge above. Verl and his father dismounted, and stayed in the bottom. Before Don and Scott ever got into the trees, two deer burst out at the bottom right, in front of Verl who was holding a model 72 Remington .270. Les, who had seen and killed most big bucks, thought the buck had caught up a bunch of brush in his antlers and had shaken it out. The doe turned back into the quakies, leaving the buck out in the wide open. It was clearly Verl’s opportunity of a lifetime! His second shot flipped the huge buck into the sage without dis- lodging the brush he appeared to carry in his horns. Don and Scott rode down while Verl and Les held their position. Don saw “Some of those brown weeds that grow in sage” rear up in front of him as the wounded buck tried to escape with both hocks shot out. Don finished him, and the four hunters stared in amazement! A 17-year-old’s first buck lay there with 27 points on antlers that were eight inches in circumference at the bases! Velvet hung in tatters from the eerie white rack. The enormous buck would weigh 239 pounds field dressed. They packed him out on a pony because the horses were deer-shy. The thick, long horns on Verls’ trophy, together with 27 flattened, palm-like points, some still covered with velvet, make this one of the most beautiful mule deer trophies ever taken. Verl’s first buck scores 18th best in the world, according to North American Big Game, 1971 Edition. Note: This information was taken from “Utah’s Biggest Bucks” by Robert L. Warren, 2nd Edition, published in 1988. Historical Photo Seventeen year old Verl Creager with his first deer. Photo courtesy of the Creager family of Eden. The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS is looking for Ogden Valley and Ogden Canyon historical biographies, stories, and photos to use in its publication. Please mail, email, or call Shanna 745-2688 or Jeannie 745-2879 if you have material that you would be willing to share. Donate blood at St. Florence’s on November 12. Call Cynthia at 745-0827 for more information. Page 9 |