Volume 10

Volume 10, Issue 4 (Web Edition) April 2007

A Cowboy’s Loss

Betty J. Hicks

April 21, 2007

The Tennessee Mountain Marauders are sad to report that Doc Harleyday lost his mother. She passed away at the Rhea County Hospital and she was laid to rest on Wednesday, 25 April. Doc would like to thank all the cowboys and cowgirls for the thoughts, prayers, words and support at her funeral.

Notes from the President: Our April club meeting went very, very well and I will not bore you with the details, but just provide the actionable items the club voted upon.

1. The membership had a very lengthy discussion about “hot weather” shoots and what we could do to reduce the possibility of injury. We will have a definition of “hot weather” by our next meeting, using the medical standards outlined to define weather conditions that could lead to heat stroke. Many options were discussed, including fewer stages, shorter stages, shade, water, relaxing dress code, etc. That being said, several actions were taken.

a. Monthly shoots in July, August and September will begin at 8:30 sharp with the first round down range at 9:00 AM . This will be put on the website and announced in the Newsletter between now and then.

b. Membership voted to provide shade on every stage and the lunch crowd for the summer months (primarily June – September). They will also be used to protect during inclement weather. The purchase of several 10’ X 20’ canopies was approved and there was a lot of discussion about placement, securing the frames, and extending the life of the coverings.

c. Membership voted to provide water on every stage and the purchase of at least five 5-gallon water containers was approved.

2. We had a confusing end to 2006 as far as club officers were concerned. The club had two volunteers step forward, offering to cover two of our officer positions. Trailbones offered to replace Sundance as Treasurer, giving him a much needed break after eleven years as club Treasurer. The membership approved this move unanimously. Double Barrel volunteered to serve as Vice-President for the remainder of 2007. Cruel Hand Luke has been increasingly pulled away by work and other interests and Double Barrel offered to help out. The membership approved this move unanimously.

3. The membership had a very short discussion about target placement. It was brought forward as a discussion topic and it became quite evident there was no interest to move targets any closer than the SASS recommended minimums. A motion was made, seconded and unanimously agreed to that we would stick to our current range safety guidelines.

4. The Cops and Cowboys match was discussed again. We now have Co-chairs for the committee. John ny Meanstreets and Tennessee Bounty Man will be pulling together a committee to take this item from concept to reality some time in the Fall.

5. There was a brief discussion about an annual cowboy event, i.e., Ball, Picnic, etc. There was no chair, but an old fashioned picnic and barn dance for all the surrounding clubs was discussed. The idea was tabled until next month’s meeting.

6. Angie Oakley’s recommendation for entertainment for the retirement homes was discussed again. We tried to talk about it, but really need Angie to explain the concept and maybe chair the committee to get this off the ground. This item was tabled until next month’s meeting.

7. The Stage Building Committee reported out on the average cost of completed buildings which ranged from $500-700 dollars for a façade/fascia type building, up to $6,000 for an anchored 24’ X 36’ platform with porches on three sides of a 12’ X 24’ enclosed building. Once again, the idea of getting sponsors for the stages was discussed, but the membership agreed it was time to invest in improving existing buildings and adding more buildings to existing stages. This item was tabled until next meeting when drawings and recommendations can be discussed.

8. Holding a “Cowboy Yard Sale” to coincide with a Saturday shoot was discussed. So was setting up a “Cowboy Classifieds Bulletin Board on the range. As time for the meeting was running short, these topics were tabled until the next meeting.

Range Safety Officer (Doc Harleyday) noted we are in need of some bolts, springs and butterfly nuts to replace those which are wearing out. We also discussed the need for some additional “tripod” target stands. These seem to work much better than the straight stands and we could have them made in different heights. Tabled until the next meeting so we can get some prices and dimensions. Josey Buckhorn mentioned we needed to get more paint before out next shoot and would like to set up a “clean up” and building day on the next month with 5 Saturdays.

Overall, a good meeting with a lot of activities being discussed. As a reminder, our next meeting will be:

What a wonderful spring day it was Saturday at Mystery Dog Ranch. Some 52 cowboys and cowgirls, in total, possed up with them Tennessee Mountain Marauders, hitting the trail early to right wrongs and set things straight. It started off as a nice day and just got better and better as the sun climbed up the Eastern sky. It was a perfect day for socializing, making smoke and throwing lead.

Right off the start, we learned one of our pard’s Ma and Pa had been burnt out by hands workin’ fer that low down, land grabbin’ Dajango Kid. Seems his kid brother was kilt in the raid and we stopped by Boot Hill to pay our respects. Well, I guess the Dajango Kid got word we were heading into town, because while we was there, he sent out a “welcoming committee” to meet us. It was more than a little tense, but when our old pard yelled out, “I’ll see you boys in Hell for what you done” as he drew his smoke wagon. At that point it went down hill pretty fast. Smoke filled the air and lead was flying as thick as flies in the summer. When the dust settled and smoke cleared, some of us had holes in our coats or hats, but those hombres will never ride another raiding party.

We headed back toward the ranch and were taking a little break at a line shack when some pretty rough long riders showed up looking for trouble. Unknown to us, that same pard we just got in a gun fight with, was sweet on that cute little Angie Oakley and has been for some time. Now he tells us them boys out there, loaded for bear, are her brothers who ain’t taking to kindly to his attentions on there sister. According to them, no range riding cowboy is every going to be good enough for her, so they intend to run him off or shoot him down. Well, we ride for God, country and our pards, so we had to throw in with him. Once he saw we was going to back him up, he tried to throw up his hands and told them, “Boys, I ain’t lookin’ fer no trouble with you.” It didn’t seem to matter. Rifles started belching smoke and we gave better than we got. I guess our old part has a free range now, but we ain’t seen, or heard from her daddy yet.

We swung by to see an old cow hand who had given up the range for a little claim up on the Brazos River . He was always good for some mescal and usually had a side of elk hanging in his smoke house. We would usually just sit around and tell lies about the old days, catching him up on all the latest news out of town. When we arrived, he looked like death warmed over. He said he had been up night and day for weeks trying to keep Tennessee Mongo and his gang of cutthroats from jumping his claim. He said they were relentless and had been at him night and day for longer than he could remember. We told him to hit the sack and we would keep and eye out. Sure enough, it didn’t take long for them to appear and this time they had lit sticks of dynamite, which they threw toward the shack and the mine. The trail boss hollered out, “Not today boys” and we lit into them. Two of our best shots started shooting at the dynamite fuses while the rest of us drove off the gang. In the end, we saved the shack and the mine, but we had to dig some holes to put the trash in.

By then we was pretty hungry so we headed over to the herd to see what our cookie, ol’ Shawnee Lee had cooked up for us. Between him and Miss Dixie Ree, they have always fed us right and honestly, probably the reason many of the Tennessee Mountain Marauders stick around. Appears he must have spent some time huntin’ that morning, because he had a grill full of sage hens, beans, biscuits and some pudding for dessert. Talk about stretched bellies and loosened gun belts, but boy that was some good vittles.

We decided it was getting pretty late and decided to head on back, but we swung through Homestead to wet our whistles before the long ride home. Just as we were riding up, we say Wildcat Wilkey and his bunch head into the saloon. Now old Wildcat is known about these parts as a quick gun and a hard kill. He also travels with the likes of Fast Harley and Last Kiss, who also shoot first and ask questions later. Wildcat’s gang rustled some of our cattle and shot up one of our pards pretty good, about a month ago. Since we have them cornered in the saloon, we figure it is time to settle the score once and for all. We line up around the doors and windows with our lead dispensers at the ready, and the trail boss hollers out, “Your rustling days are done boys.” We knew they wouldn’t go without a fight, or at least that was what we were counting on. There will be no more rustling of our cattle, at least not by that group.

The sun was sliding down the Western sky as we finally headed toward the ranch, but as we cut trail across the Snake River , we were put upon by Yankee Dutchman and his gang. Now we have been a burr under his saddle for many a year as we have hunted down his gang for bounty, or for some wrong they had done. It appears that his mind has finally gone, because he just lines up his gang and comes a charging in like some bunch of lunatics. One of the cowboys hollered out that it was, “Just like shooting ducks in a barrel” and it was. When we was done, we weren’t going to be bothered by Yankee Dutchman or his gang any more, and we were going to be splitting up a pretty good bounty on most of the group as well.

If you missed shooting with the Tennessee Mountain Marauders at Mystery Dog Ranch this past Saturday, then you missed almost a perfect day for Cowboy Action Shooting. Spring and Fall are my two favorite times of the year for this sport and it really was one of our best days of the season. I know I will see most of my pards at different shoots between now and then, but I hope to see everyone on May 19 when we will posse up for another day of fellowship, fun and good eats. See you there.

Mystery Dog Ranch will be sponsoring the 200 yard Buffalo Shoot again with a Trophy Buckle awarded to the winner; and this year we have added another buckle for the 100 yard shoot! Ladies!!!!. The buckles will be awarded next June 2007, so get in line and try your luck – or expertise - at these skilled events!

NEXT SHOOT – The Tennesse Mountain Marauders invite you to join them every THIRD SATURDAY at the Mystery Dog Ranch for fun, fellowship, and a daisy of a cowboy shoot! The next shoot will be MAY 19, 2007 with registration, buffalo shoot and coffee from 8:00 to 9:00 and the safety meeting following. If you need directions to the shoot and ranch check out the MDR website - www.mysterydogranch.com See ya there!