INTERVIEW with DOUG CHASE by Bill Baker.
	Doug :- I’ve given Ozbow a little insight into your background but tell us a little more about your family and where you live? I live on a small acreage near Boise, the capital city of Idaho, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, not far from the Continental Divide. The Continental Divide is the top of the mountain range where water either flows east and to the Atlantic Ocean or West and the Pacific Ocean. I live with my beautiful wife Kathy and our rambunctious four year old son Kevin, who has had a bow since he was only 6 days old and loves to shoot. Daughter Stephanie, who just turned twenty-one years old spends the summer with us between school years at the University of Idaho, where she is an honors student studying biology. We raise llamas, for use as packers when we go on family backpacking trips as well as for hunting trips to pack game out of the woods. We also have bees and sell a bit of honey. I am also a commercial taxidermist and writer, with my articles appearing in several publications. Doug :- Tell us a bit about that bow mate and just how you became a serious Bowhunter? I’ve loved shooting and hunting since I was barely old enough to carry a BB gun or tiny bow. I shot various hand me down bows all through my youth, but never started bowhunting until I went to college (university). When I was of hunting age, living at home with my parents and older brother, my dad, brother and I would go on only one big game hunting trip each year. Just 30 miles from home were some of the biggest mule deer bucks on the planet, and we would go up on opening day, and bring home the biggest ones on the mountain. End of hunting for another year. I still spent many days out shooting birds, rabbits and other small game. When I went to college my roommate was a bowhunter and my brother and I bought recurve bows. We shot them every chance we could get away from the books. We actually went elk hunting one weekend, but only saw a bear with twin cubs, no elk. The following year I shot my first big game animal with a bow, a Pope and Young whitetail. That was in 1973, and I have been hooked ever since. My brother was a jet fighter pilot living in New Mexico and met famous bowyer Harold Groves. Shortly thereafter we were both shooting Groves recurves and I was a dealer for selling Groves bows. The work of art I brought with me to Oz this spring was one of those original bows. Some bows are natural born killers, while others are trained in a few short outings, and some fight you every step of the way. Every Groves bow I have ever owned had the instinct built right in. I have killed a long list of critters with my Groves bows, and they took very little training. I have always been most enamoured with utilitarian things. No frills, no glitz or glamour. That applies to my bows, the airplanes I fly or the cars I drive. Why have a pretty bow that you are afraid to get scratched or doesn’t know how to kill? I always paint them up with green and brown spray paint anyway. My bow is a three piece takedown and the handle is metal. It is kinda heavy, but I think that makes it better to shoot. I shot longbows for almost ten years, and killed lots of animals with them, but migrated back to the reliable old Groves when I got in a little shooting slump several years ago. I enjoy shooting again now. Doug :- I know you’ve taken a wide variety of game over the years. What critters have fallen to the stickbow? I believe I’ve shot 19 different species of big game. The list includes Yellowstone elk, mule deer, blacktail deer, whitetail deer, Alaska Yukon moose, Shiras moose, Barren ground caribou, Quebec-Labrador caribou, mountain goats, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, California Bighorn sheep, Russian boars, black bears, antelope, Javelina, Spanish goats, wolverine, turkey and a myriad of small game and fish. Doug :- What’s your most memorable hunt and why? That’s a pretty tough question, because there are so many of them. My recent trip to Oz really stands out, but I think my hunt(s) for moose would top the list. I hunted 39 days for a bull in 2001, without getting one on the ground. I was hunting in the same area where I hunt elk, and moose encounters are usually quite frequent. Not so when I finally had a tag in my pocket. The next year my friend and I both got tags in a remote wilderness area. We took five of my llamas and backpacked 26 miles in to the hunting unit. We soon discovered that the wolves had reduced the elk and moose populations to just a handful of animals. I finally located a moose and he was a dandy. I stalked to within 8 yards of him before taking the shot. He didn’t appreciate getting shot all that much, and fortunately after we had a stare down at 7 yards, he turned and ran as I was loading the second arrow for a follow up shot. I also stalked and shot a nice black bear the day before taking the moose. The difficulty of the hunt, the remote country and the unselfish friendship of my friend made the hunt very memorable. I figured we walked over 140 miles on that trip. Taking care of the 400 pounds of boned out moose meat, 150 pounds of bear meat, capes, hides and antlers all added significantly to the experience. I very much enjoy hunting new species of animals in new locations. Those hunts where you never know what might be around the next bend or over the next ridge are very exhilarating. Doug :- What’s the worst experience you’ve had while Bowhunting? In 1985 my mate Mark Ulschmid and I went to Alaska for 3 weeks. We both shot record book caribou and moose. An Alaskan moose weighs about 1600 pounds on the hoof, and yields almost 800 pounds of meat. The capes and antlers add another 150 pounds. We spent a lot of time butchering and packing meat. We had to cross a small lake that was about 5 miles in diameter to get to the lodge where the float plane was to pick us up. A terrible wind storm came up and we were caught in 10-12 foot waves in a rubber, Zodiak raft, towing another raft, loaded with most of our meat. The raft we were towing, that held the majority of our meat, ended up overturning, and our meat ended up in the bottom of the lake, which was estimated to be over 1500 feet deep. We barely survived ourselves. All that work and tasty meat down the drain. It was a very painful experience, since we pride ourselves in utilizing ALL the meat of our game animals. Doug :- What would you consider the most challenging animal you’ve hunted with stick and string and why? Each one can be very difficult, depending on the circumstances. Without a tag in my pocket I can find scores of large bull moose, and have no worries getting within spittin distance, but add that tag and they somehow turn into an incredibly wary animal. Sheep and goats usually live in very difficult terrain, but I have shot two goats at 3 and 5 yards and the sheep at about 15 yards. Elk are sometimes very stupid when rutting, but wise up incredibly fast and turn into runners at the slightest hint of a hunter’s presence. Early season mule deer are sometimes difficult to find, but are generally not too tough to stalk, but actually killing one is another story. Late season mule deer in crunchy snow and open terrain can cause real headaches. Caribou can be few and far between, or exist in herds of hundreds the next day. Antelope possess outstanding eyesight, but can be patterned or decoyed. Bears and pigs have generally poor eyesight and can sometimes be a pushover, but at other times are very wary. Whitetails can also be patterned or called, but when on the ground with them you are dealing with an entirely different game. Red deer are extremely wary, but during the height of the roar can have some serious weaknesses. Chital deer are entirely stalkable, but can seriously kick your butt with their duck and jive quickness. The little southwestern whitetail that lives in Arizona and New Mexico, the coues deer, is hands down the most difficult I have ever hunted. They are very alert, have excellent senses, live in hostile country, which is difficult terrain to deal with, and their quickness will leave you dumbfounded as they duck your arrow, even from close range. Doug :- I know you hunted Reds, Chital and Boars here in Oz this year, how did you enjoy that? My Oz hunt in April of this year was incredible. I had the pleasure to meet many new, friendly people and form some great friendships. As I have stated, I greatly enjoy hunting new species in new country. The red deer roar was totally unbelievable. Hearing up to a dozen of them, all roaring at the same time, from all corners of the valley was mind boggling. They proved to be a vary wary adversary, though. If I could find a valley with that many elk, all bugling with that intensity, I would be in heaven. I was fortunate enough to take home a very nice double 6 stag, and am very thankful for the experience. The chital and boar hunt was equally enjoyable. My favourite hunt is a spot and stalk type hunt, which fits the chital and boars perfectly. Shooting just any old pig isn’t all that difficult, but trying to get one of those toothy basalt warriors is a totally different task, especially when the pigs are scattered and the grass is thick and tall. But then again, the added challenge helps make the experience even more enjoyable. The Chital are very beautiful and a worthy challenge, but the timing of our hunt was directed toward the red deer roar and was less than ideal for the chital and boars, and they won the first round. I am determined to return and give them another go. Doug: - Are there any critters that you’d particularly like to come back and hunt here in Oz? I can’t wait to go another round with the chital deer and look forward to stalking the basalt warriors again. I also look forward to experiencing the red deer roar once again as well. However, I most want to pursue buffalo, as they represent the ultimate Oz quarry. I would enjoy a whack and stack hunt sometime. I have heard numerous first hand accounts and seen Oz hunting video of pig and goat hunting that includes lots of stalks and shots. I have never experienced such a hunt. We typically get to hunt for a total of only a couple months each year, and shots are few and far between. I envy the Oz bowhunter who can hunt on any and all days of the year, for numerous species of game. Doug: - I know you breed Llamas and that both you and Rik Hinton pack them up and hunt with them. Fill us in on Llamas as I’d bet there’s not too many Aussie Bowhunters that have spent the night in the bush with a Llama or two? For many years we loaded up a heavy backpack and sweated our way into the back country. One of our favourite elk hunting spots involved a four hour pack into some remote country where we never ran into another hunter. Just at daybreak one morning I came around a corner in the trail and ran headlong into a bunch of llamas tied out in a meadow. Dwight Schuh and Larry Jones had discovered our secret spot, and the result was one of their early elk hunting videos as well as lasting friendships with Dwight and Larry. That experience convinced me to stop carrying my own hunting camp and game meat on my back but to rely on some llamas for those tasks. My mate and I purchased our first two llamas in 1988. The herd has grown to nine of the woolly packers out in the pasture. Llamas are very easy to care for, are gentle on the environment and won’t kick, bite or stomp on you as will a horse or mule. They have allowed us to go farther and stay longer, with a much more comfortable camp. They are so gentle that my four year old son can lead one without the worry of injury. Llamas can normally carry 70 to 80 pounds on a daily basis, and we’ve actually loaded them up to 140 to 150 pounds for short duration meat packing efforts. The only drawback I know of is their inability to carry a hunter, but walking along with a light day pack, leading a pack string of llamas has never been a big deal. Llamas are very easy to transport, and mine have been in airplanes, jet boats and vans. I normally carry three llamas in the cab high camper shell in my full size ford pickup truck. When more than three are required I pull a stock trailer with additional packers inside. Doug: - Rik tells me that you are an excellent Taxidermist. What got you into Taxidermy and what was your most challenging mount? In 1978 I shot a mountain goat, large black bear and antelope. I wanted a couple rugs and a head mount made and after a visit to several taxidermists, I decided I could save that money and learn to do it myself. I met a local taxidermist who shared some technical expertise, I dove in head first, and the rest is history. I now have a house brimming with mounts, as well as a long list of satisfied customers. Taxidermy is a lot similar to hunting. Some days it’s pretty easy and things just fall into place. Other days are a real struggle. One evening I was mounting an antelope on consignment from a fellow taxidermist. The cape was old, paper thin and very fragile. The skin kept tearing and required lots of extra sewing. It was about 3 am and I finally had the mount complete and took the head from the mounting stand and hung it on the wall. I reached up to make one final, minor adjustment of a couple hairs. The mount fell off the wall and landed on the horns. The skull plate broke in half. I stood there in disbelief, and wanted to scream. It was nearly sunrise before I had it put back together. Doug: - I know that you have had a number of your hunting stories published over the years and that you keep a journal on every hunt have you ever thought of putting them into book form? Actually I have considered the prospect of writing a book. Numerous readers have suggested I do so, but with a wife, four-year old, llama herd, small farm, full-time job as a civil engineer, taxidermy and writing articles, not to mention an occasional hunt all demanding my time, it has been put on the back burner. Doug: - What other outdoor activities do you enjoy? My first and foremost enjoyment revolves around bowhunting. I also enjoy taking my family and a string of llamas on summer trips to remote fishing and camping locations. We also own a nice travel trailer (caravan) and we enjoy camping trips with more luxury including hot and cold running water, shower, bathroom, furnace, stove and oven, stereo and nice comfortable beds. I used to attend lots of archery tournaments every year, but these days I tend to prefer just wandering around in the foothills and mountains stump shooting with my little boy and a friend or two. Doug: - Lastly mate what’s the future hold for Doug Chase, Bowhunter, Taxidermist and Adventurer? I hope the future holds many more great adventures, after new species of game, in far away places. I hope to still enjoy doing all this when my little boy gets old enough to go along and participate. I would love to watch him stalk in and shoot a big basalt warrior someday. I hope to pass on my love of the outdoors and bowhunting to him. I have spent a great deal of time and effort in the past 20 years working with state and national organizations, fish and game departments, lawmakers and other sportsmen in efforts to preserve and perpetuate bowhunting opportunities. I fully expect to continue with those efforts. I also helped establish the Idaho Traditional Bowhunters organization and served as president for 12 years. We became a well known, respected and successful group. I expect to help the organization continue that success. On behalf of Ozbow I’d like to sincerely thank Doug for taking the time to share this interview with the folks from Down-under. Thanks mate and good hunting. I hope you have enjoyed my comments. We have some great hunting opportunities in Idaho and I invite Oz hunters to cross the big pond and give it a try.