Its has been many decades since I spent anytime in Bend, Oregon and I had forgotten what a beautiful corner of the world it is! Lots of other people have discovered it also! The sign on the entrance to town said 56,000 people in the limits and urban sprawl was well underway! When I was a teenager I spent every summer in the Madras area working in the mint fields and hay fields! Hard work this and I shot my share of Varmints while there each summer! I am guessing there were 2,000 people in Bend the last time I spent a day there!
But now! The Nosler Bullet Company is in Bend! Unfortunately the 9 days I spent there ending last Thursday, were busy guarding a bank official that had been threatened with death! I did manage to get away from the job on Saturday but the bullet factory was closed. Right next door to the factory though is a small but well stocked Gunshop. They had the Nosler bullets in complete supply including bags of factory seconds in all sizes and styles! I spent two hours there and got a feel for Varminting and Big Game Hunting in the area from the shop personel and the steady stream of customers!
The shop personel showed me groups they had shot with the Nosler factory seconds that proved they shoot well! There is an underground 100 yard range under the shop and factory (NO WIND!) and the targets were they shot were impressive!
Unfortunately I was working 11 hour days and I never made it to the factory! The factory did have a sign up saying now hiring or now taking applications! The Bend area was so beautiful I almost stayed an extra day to put in an application but I got to thinking about the "rural" qualities of where I live in Montana and said "naw"!
Many excellent restaurants and shops in Bend! Including an L.L. Bean outlet store! I spent some bucks there!
I did all the Gunshops in both Bend and Redmond on that Saturday and bid on a couple of arms but no luck!
I wanna go back and sneak into the Nosler factory and see how they make their fine projectiles some day!
The BR Pivot (shooting bench) Company is in Bend but I could not get an address for them! Maybe next time!
If in central Oregon be sure and spend a day (spectacular sunrise to spectacular sunset) in Bend!
I quit Hunting in Oregon for Varmints many years ago because of the outrageous price for a non-resident "Hunting License"! That is a shame! There was some wonderful Varminting in all of eastern Oregon!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Varmint Guy:

I live in the SW part of Oregon, but get up to Bend often. Lots of fun things to do in the local area, but it has become a trendy place since I first went there in 1977, while stationed in the Army in Washington.
With all that, comes a lot of the Liberal " get back to mother nature" transplant crowd. Much the same as is ruining Missoula in your state of Residence now.

A good friend of mine's wife was the daughter of a Gentleman with the last name of Wade that became a silent partner of John Nosler back in the 1960s or so and moved it to Bend, since he got a lot of concessions from the city of Bend on land and taxes at the time. Funny listening to his wife, describe Little Bobby ( Bob Nosler)
when he was a kid. Kathie Wade is her maiden name if anyone that knows the Noslers is reading this.

She talks about how originally John Nosler made the bullets in his garage, and as his business grew so did the garage. The business was originally located here in SW Oregon in Ashland. ( Now a big Yuppie town full of crackpot liberals) John Nosler was making a living owning a small trucking company at the time. She talks about what a genius John Nosler was, and what a poor business man. However, her Dad who became a silent partner and saved the company from bankruptcy ( Mr. Wade) always saw a lot of promise in Bob Nosler.

He later sold out his interest to the people he knew at Leupold and Stevens, as he was personal friends with them also. Her husband, my friend was a Doctor( Dentist) here in Grants Pass. His dad was the owner of the Old San Francisco baseball team back in the 1940s and 1950s when it was the Pacific Coast league. He talks about knowing Joe Damagio and some of the other famous guys when they were rookies and he was the team bat boy.

Dr. Miller died while out varmint hunting with me on March 2, 2003. Having hunted in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and Borneo, his favorite thing became varmint hunting. He was looking forward to coming with me to Montana to shoot prairie dogs this past summer. It was one of the things that he had never done. ( Funny knowing someone who has done all the hunting that the real die hards wish they could do, and that persons biggest two goals was to go to Montana and shoot prairie dogs, and to shoot a coyote.)

It was sad loosing such a good friend and a dear gentleman like Damon Miller while out hunting. However, he died doing what he loved most. Being out in nature varmint hunting. We varmint hunters are in good company at times aren't we?


[ 09-22-2003, 10:14: Message edited by: seafire/ B17G ]

Seafire/B17G: Funny you should mention that liberal slant to the Bend folks! By coincidence the folks in Bend were going to have their second annual 2 hour long tribute to and celebration of the lost lives commemorating the 9/11 disaster! One of the Bend city councilmen actually publicly decried the event beforehand and refused to attend because "GOD" was going to be mentioned and last year "GOD" played a large part in the ceremony! The fool actually went on local radio (1240 AM) just prior to 9/11 and submitted to an hour long interview (roast!). It was obvious this poor guy had smoked a little to much tainted (Paraquat!) dope in his life! He was trounced! Anyway our clients schedule interfered with the early evening commemoration and I did not know where the river park was it was being held at anyway. I later found the beautiful park not to far from Noslers place. But then on Sunday I was watching TV in my motel room and they played a rerun of the whole 2 hour ceremony. It was exquisitely filmed and the sun set during the ceremony and the speakers and relatives and chaplains and soldiers and government officials that spoke were just sensational! The music and singers were mostly local very talented and inspirational! Absolutely wonderful and inspiring program to say the least! I wept for 2 hours. Thankfully my partner was out for the evening. I fully intend to attend the ceremony next year! Beautiful place Bend. Shame about the hippies!
That is a very interesting background story about the Nosler family and the business! I appreciate you relaying it to us!
I always use Noslers when I Hunt Elk, Bear, Mt. Goat, Mule Deer, Whitetails and Blacktails! Have for decades! No surprises just consistant and relaible accuracy and performance! Long live the Nosler Company!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Seafire/B17G: I forgot to add my condolences on the loss of your friend and Varminting partner! I hope you have pictures and many fond memeories of your Hunts together!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Varmint Guy;

Thanks. When I was heading to Montana twice this last summer to shoot PDogs, He would have gone with me. I am sure you two would have hit it off well.

Minus Bend being full of the liberal "BS" of the world, it is still Oregon ( Not the Portland/Eugene/Salem crowds). People are conservative, because they have to work for a living instead of being born with a silver spoon in their mouths. People still believe in this country. They pray to God and have no problem telling some Arab/Islam asshole to shove his MUSLIM WORLD up his ass.

Just like you can't judge Montana by some Fool in downtown Missoula with dreadlocks denouncing God and Demand we Promote Islam in this country.

I look forward to looking you up one of these days when I am in Montana. If you ever want to come back to Oregon to Elk hunt do ground squirrel shooting, let me know. Got a home base set up for you right here.

Seafire/B17G: Thanks for the wonderful invitation! I think the last Varminting "permit" (Hunting license) I bought in Oregon was $75.00! I would so much rather spend that on brass or gas or bipods or anything other than paying to Hunt Varmints! But I may just have to try some more Oregon Ground Squirrel Hunting some year with you! Thank you very much for the kind invitation! Elk Hunting is a kind of secret passion with me! I only do it anymore when things are just right! I am spoiled I guess and I do a lot more Mule Deer and Whitetailed Deer Hunting than Elk. Especially since the fires 3 years ago destroyed my super secret late September Elk bugling area! I still have not recovered from that loss! My partner and I called in 27 mature Bull Elk in 10 days of Hunting there in 1993! Never launched an arrow though! Those smart old Bulls would circle us every time and get our wind then bolt! I would not trade those 10 days of Huning for anything though! Yeah, special is not a worthy word when describing that Hunt!
Anyway I concentrate mostly on Mule Deer anymore. I have been the buddy/packer for two of my Big Game Hunting partners when they killed 7x7 Bulls here in Montana in 2002 and 2001 repsectively! Makes me want to get back into Elk Hunting with both feet. Still they are almost to big to eat and I have a steady supply of Deer, Antelope, Buffalo, Ducks, Geese and other game (including Elk) meat from my friends and I always get an Antelope of my own and a Deer or two! My freezer is just now starting to thin out a bit from last years game!
Thanks again for the wonderful invite! I just have an embarrassment of riches already when it comes to Big Game! Good luck to you this season!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

seafire

Get ahold of me prior to venturing toward VarmintGuy's location - I'll guide you safely through the gauntlet of Missoula's tie-dyed hermaphrodites.

When you eyes and nose start burning, you're too close to the university!

Redial
Surly curmudgeon

Redial,

Thanks;

Nowadays my stops in Missoula is to get off and get fuel at Costco, eat at the Buffet Place across the street ( sometimes, hit Fuddruckers) and then hit The Axeman on the way out.

Use to be more, but nothing worth seeing anymore.
It is the area AROUND Missoula, I enjoy more.

Seafire

Oregon is still a great state as long as you stay east of Bend, south of the People's Republic of Eugene, and 30 miles or more from Ashland. In the 1950s & '60s, Bend was the greatest little town in the world in my eyes. Now it is Malibu North without the redeeming feature of an ocean.

SW Oregon is called "The Green Triangle" and you can danged near get high just breathing the air, but the people are for real even if they smoke a little. Good hunting, good fishing, mostly honest folks who generally distrust and dislike government in any form.

SE Oregon is a varmint hunter's paradise. From K Falls to Christmas Valley/Lakeview you can't possibly carry enough .22 LR ammo on your person to handle all the "squeaks" (AKA Sage Rats...I think our "green intellectuals" call them ground squirrels). From Christmas Valley to near Vale, you'll be hard pressed to not run over jackrabbits, cottontails, or antelope, and not see coyotes.

Vale area is rife with Quail and Pheasant. North of Vale and west through areas like John Day, Mitchell, Fossil, etc., you'll see more elk and deer than you can shake a stick at. Lots of cougars too. A party took 4 of the cats in one day off the ranch in January three years ago. I've seen more than 2,000 elk in a single day on the ranch (where we hunt - 28,000 acres).

Just today at another site I was posting pictures taken out my kitchen and bedroom windows this afternoon...wild turkeys within 20 feet of the house, and deer & racoons watching them peck their way past the riding arena into the pasture.

Hell, I've lived in Oregon three times over my lifetimne. They're not gonna get me outta here again 'cept maybe in a box.

AC

[ 10-14-2003, 10:06: Message edited by: Alberta Canuck ]

Alberta Canuck: I am so glad you are happy there in Oregon! Both of my parents were born and raised on homesteaded ranches in eastern Oregon (Baker City to Eagle Creek area)! I have done most of my Hunting and Varminting in the central Oregon and north east Oregon quadrants. I like the LaGrande area for looks and Varminting as well as further north from there. I have always wanted to tour/Hunt the south east corner of Oregonand Steens Mountain areas (spelling?).
Good for you and the Oregon Elk Hunting!
Long may Oregon "hold together" under the onslaught of green types!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

My ex-father-in-law used to manage the Payless Store in Grants Pass. He was a fairly avid hunter and also ran jet boats on the Rogue and was a pilot. A good guy. His name is Jerry Laizure. He lives up in The Dalles now, but was in Bend for a while with his wife, Sue. I still have a couple rifles he gave me. It is beautiful country, all right.

VG

Here's a picture of the Steen's for you, I took it a couple weeks ago....

Spike: Thank you so much for the beautiful picture of the Steens Mountains! Yep I just have to get there soon! That IS MY kind of country!
I hear the Antelope are dooing well out there in that area! I can see why!
Thanks again for the super photo and taking time to post it!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

What I do when I get to Bend is to keep driving and think to myself how much more I like it back home in eastern Oregon.