It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years. It seems like just yesterday that I ambled into my office, like I do most mornings, to check emails and see what was happening on social media. When I glanced down at my phone and saw that I had a half dozen text messages, I was keen to see what all the fuss was about. But I began to feel sick to my stomach as I read the first one. It wasn’t confirmed in the media yet, but all indications were that my friend and college, Jason Peterson, had crashed a light airplane the previous evening and had been killed. I quickly searched on-line for reports of the hunting accident and all that was reported was that a 43-year-old man from Saskatchewan had died in a plane crash near Grande Prairie, Alberta, but it left little doubt in my mind that Jason was gone. I’d known Jason for nearly 20 years. I met him when he was a wet-behind-the-ears cameraman for Kim Hicks in Texas and I took to him right away. Jason had a no-nonsense attitude that is rare in the hunting industry. He said it like it was, whether you liked it or not but at least you knew where you stood with him. I watched his career grow from talented cameraman to host of his own television series and then he added outfitter and booking agent to his portfolio; all at the same time he was raising a young family. Jason was driven but not so driven that family didn’t come first. I enjoyed watching his posts on Facebook and hearing the stories of his hunting adventures with his wife, daughter and son. Jason really epitomized old-school values.
A lot of people were jealous of what Jason had, and I guess in some ways I understood that. He did appear to be living the dream life. But, what people don’t typically see is the hard work, dedication and sacrifice that goes into what Jason had made of his life. Jason was totally self made and only got the breaks he made for himself. Nothing was handed to him and he spent many lonely nights away from his family, while all the time appearing to live the dream. This isn’t said to garner pity for Jason; he made his decisions and lived with them but it’s definitely not all roses and there’s a reason few ever make it to where Jason excelled.
What’s not often considered are the inherent dangers of hunting, and there are many. Jason is but one of several friends and colleges lost over the years to accidents that were a result of their chosen passion. Hunters place themselves in dangerous situations far more often than the average Joe ever does and that’s primarily because of the number of days spent afield but also because of the desire to push further and harder. Most serious hunters are strong “A” type personalities with a drive to succeed that pushes them to take risks. I’m not talking frivolous risk here but things like spending more time in small aircraft or in bear country or third-world countries. All these things come with inherent risk and the more you do it, the more likely you are to have an incident.
Aircraft Accidents
I’m not sure two hands would be enough to count the number of people in the hunting world that I knew that were killed in airplane and helicopter crashes in recent years. The smaller the aircraft and the more remote the destinations, the greater your risk. I’ve had my own share of near crashes and controlled crash landings in airplanes but have so far beat the odds and walked away. I’m not doing anything better or smarter; I’m just luckier! I remember flying out of a lake in the Yukon in Cessna 180. As we taxied down the lake, I looked over at the fuel gauge and it was pinned on empty. Sensing my concern, the pilot told me not to worry, that the gauge wasn’t accurate and that the second tank was full. I nodded, trusting he knew what he was doing. The plane was heavily loaded and as the pilot pushed the throttle ahead, the little plane struggled to get up on plane. As the end of the lake drew nearer, the plane broke free of the water’s surface tension and began to climb. We were going to make it before we ran out of lake. Then, the engine sputtered and I could see the panic on the pilot’s face. He pulled back on the throttle and the plane hit the surface of the lake hard and then we crashed into the shore. There had been less fuel in the tank than he believed and even though the other tank was full, at full throttle the engine had sputtered, causing it to momentarily lose power. If that had happened another 50 yards into take off, we’d have surely crashed into the trees and rocks. We’d been lucky. Many others I know haven’t been.
It was just shortly after we’d hunted with Apie Reyneke at Serapa Safaris in South Africa in 2012, that he crashed in his helicopter along with his family. Apie was killed instantly and his wife, Yolande, faced years of physical therapy to treat her injuries. Outfitter, Cam Lancaster, crashed in 2008 and was killed and only a year later, two hunters were killed in a helicopter crash going into the Lancaster’s Nahanni Butte outfitting area in the Northwest Territories. Almost unbelievably, Cam’s twin brother Clay, was involved in a helicopter crash in Kyrgyzstan in 2017 but thankfully he lived to tell the tale despite losing sight in one eye. This is a family that has made their living hunting and outfitting in the most remote corners of the earth and they have paid the price.
Vehicles – Land and Water Accidents
Aircraft are not the only dangerous mode of transportation either. I’ve had friends killed on hunts driving all-terrain vehicles, highway vehicles enroute to hunts, and on horseback. My closest call came in a jet boat on the Sopochnaya River in Russia. We were in a 22-foot jet boat heading down river when the operator failed to negotiate a fairly tight turn in the river. As we came into the corner, I could tell we were going too fast and that we weren’t going to make it. I yelled at everyone to brace themselves. The boat hit stern first into the bank, violently throwing six of the eight occupants out. I somehow managed to stay in the boat but could tell my hip was badly injured. The boat, still under power, raced across the river and struck the other bank sideways, causing it to roll over. Along with the driver, I was thrown from the boat as it rolled over top of us. As I emerged from the frigid water, I could see the boat was right side up and still revving at high RPMs. I waded to the driver’s side and pulled the throttle back. Somehow, everyone survived the wreck. There were a few severe lacerations and a couple broken bones but we managed to get everyone back in the boat and we slowly cruised back to camp. In true Russian fashion, we all drank Vodka to celebrate surviving the wreck. Those with the most severe injuries were given more vodka. Outfitter, Greg Suttley from Grande Prairie, Alberta wasn’t so lucky while trying to negotiate a particularly tricky stretch of Bear Creek and his boat was drug beneath the water’s surface, sinking it. Greg was lost to the icy water.
While aircraft and motorized vehicles seem to claim more than their share of hunters, so too do horses. Spend enough time on horseback, especially in rugged terrain and it’s not a matter of if you’ll get hurt, but rather when. I’ve been relatively lucky with only a busted-up shoulder to show for my countless days on horseback, but I’ve attended funerals of several friends that have not been so lucky.
Vanessa had a horse bolt on her in May of 2020 and the ensuing wreck left her with several breaks in her skeleton, many broken ribs and a punctured lung. Thankfully EMS could get to her and transport her to hospital quickly. Had it been a more remote location, she may not have survived.
Dangerous Game – The Big 5
The animals we hunt also pose considerable danger. We hunted in Tanzania a few years ago with Paddy Curtis, the same Professional Hunter that was with British Columbia outfitter and hunter, Bob Fontana, when an unseen cape buffalo charged the group at a waterhole, instantly killing Fontana. Paddy himself was gored only couple years later while following up on a wounded buffalo and it was touch and go for several weeks as to whether he’d live or not. Just days before we arrived in Tanzania, Professional Hunter Luke Sumaras had been beaten up badly by an angry hippo. Thankfully the client was able to shoot it and break off the attack.
The past few years have been particularly bad in Africa with Professional Hunters being killed or badly inured almost monthly it seems. From cape buffalo to elephant to big cats, to crocs, there have been many tragic incidents recently. Gerrie Theron, an outfitter with whom we’ve shared many camps, was badly gored by a wounded buffalo earlier this year and spent many months in hospital recovering. If you know a minimum of two African Professional hunters, chances are at least one of them has had a run in with dangerous game.
Grizzly Bear Attacks
And, grizzlies right here in North America have taken the lives or badly mauled more than their share of hunters. A friend of mine, Carmelo Sylvestro, was lucky to walk away from a grizzly attack in Alberta this year while he was elk hunting, but not without some severe mental and physical scars. It was the same bear that had killed David Lertzman three years earlier. That same week, two hunters in Montana faced the wrath of an angry grizzly, leaving one badly mauled. Thankfully his partner was able to dispatch the bear with his handgun. A grizzly attack in Alberta that still haunts me today was when Rick Cross’ life was taken by a sow with a cub in Kananaskis Country in 2014. Only a couple days previous, we were hunting an adjacent valley and had a sow and cub coming running at us after shooting a sheep. She had undoubtedly heard the shot and was hoping to claim the kill. We ended up throwing snowballs at her to back her off and she finally did. We all laughed about the encounter, but knew deep down that it could have gone wrong. It was two days later that she killed Rick as he accidentally stumbled upon her guarding a kill.
Dangerous Terrain
Even the terrain we hunt can be fatal. A few years ago, only weeks after we were on a mountain goat hunt in the same area, a young guide, Jeff Ripley, fell to his death in British Columbia’s costal mountains while making his way back to camp with a client. These were unquestionably some of the most dangerous mountains I’d ever been in and recall saying to Vanessa that someone was going to get killed one day. Little did I know it would only be a few weeks later.
I remember crossing a really steep snow chute in Kyrgyzstan one time and I could hear my hunting partner talking behind me. I turned to see what he was saying and found him talking to his video camera, saying goodbye to his family in case we didn’t make it across. I glanced down the slope and he wasn’t wrong. One slip and person would tumble several thousand feet to the valley floor. I’d had a bad fall in a similar situation on a snow chute near home in Alberta a couple years earlier that I was fortunate to survive. I had a two-day walk out after the fall and my leg became severely infected during the trek, resulting in two-weeks of IV antibiotics.
If you are a serious hunter, guaranteed you’ll know several fellow hunters that have died in the field. It’s easy to look at these incidents and say these hunters died doing what they loved and there’s some truth to that, I guess. They did live big lives, doing what they loved but I can guarantee everyone of them would have rather returned to their family. There is no love in dying but saying it does bring peace to loved ones. Jason lived more life than most people ever will but at 43 years old he certainly didn’t live a full life; not even close. He was taken from us and his family way too soon. He had so much more to share and to experience.
We all know the risks when we head afield but none of us truly expect not to come home. You have to be an optimist to be a hunter. But just as we aren’t successful on every hunt, so too do some never make it home. Life is about calculated risks and many of us are willing to increase that risk just to feed that primordial urge to hunt that resides within us. Sure, Jason made his living in the hunting industry, but he didn’t hunt to live. He lived to hunt and he paid the ultimate price for that obsession. I have little doubt that some anti hunters will revel in his demise. They didn’t know Jason. God speed my friend…. I’m glad I got the chance to know you.
