9/22/94 - 9/25/94 Fall Dove Retreat

 

 

Over 30 men and boys had a great time at the 4th Annual Fall Dove Retreat on 9/22/94- 9/25/94 at the Camel Mills ranch near Pearsall.  The hunting was the best yet with over 700 dove taken.  Thanks to Mark Weaver for preaching his usual excellent sermon and to Paul Wilson and Derrich Pollock for running the event.  My son, Ryan and I, Randy Rowley, hunted Sunday evening after everyone else had gone home.  As we were driving from one side of the lease to the other, I noticed a dove walking along the ground in front of me.  I stopped my 2-wheel drive Ford Ranger, got out my shotgun, flushed the bird, shot it and retrieved it.  As I was walking back to my truck I noticed that the rear of the truck was considerably lower than the front (the rear wheels had settled in the sand).  Efforts to drive out only dug us deeper in.  We abandoned hunting and proceeded to dig.  For four hours we dug with a shovel and frying pan.  We also jacking the tires up and put logs under them to no avail.  With the advent of darkness we hoofed it more than two miles towards the farm to market road.  Fortunately, a farm worker came along and picked us up 100 yards before the road.  He took us to his house where we transferred to his 4-wheel drive truck.  He then took us back to the lease and pulled us out of the sand.  We arrived home at 12:05 AM on Monday.  Although it is true that several two wheel drive vehicles drove over the same stretch of sand that we got stuck in, no one other than me was dumb enough to stop in the sand.  Afterwards, several friends have informed me that if anyone is ever in a similar predicament again, they can get themselves out by letting some of the air out of the affected tires.