My First Sowmobile Adventure

It was in January 1960, my uncle Doug said. come over and see what I just bought. It was a brand new snowmobile and Bombardier Skidoo. The one with the wooden skis and a Kooler moter. A four cycle seven and half horse power with oil in the base. What a machine I told my uncle, he said give it a try, which I did. Man what a machine I told myself. He said you wanted to go hunting ptarmigans on saturday you can take the skidoo.

Saturday morning I was up early and ready to go, breakfast was on the table and my packsack with my lunch was ready. Grandmother said becareful and don't drive to fast with that machine a accident can arrive quick and your alone so be very careful. Blackie and Whitie were barking at me, probably jealous because I was out with the skidoo and not them. I tied the packsack onto the skidoo and wrapped the rope around the fly wheel and cranked, I just about pulled my fingers off. Was that hard to pull and let me tell you it was -25* so I guess the oil in the base was like jello. After crancking the machine about 30 times it finally gave a sound that it might start,which it did after a few more pulls. My arms wanted to fall off. I strapped the 12 guage double barrel over my shoulder and hopped on the skidoo I was on my way hunting. I had been riding for about half an hour when I saw my first 15 ptarmingans. I managed to get 11 of them and another 8 later. As I was heading for home I noticed a black spot moving on the river, as I approched it look like a fox as I got closer it was a big wolf a timber wolf. It started to run but all that snow, I said to myself I have a chance to get it. If I try and cut him off and make him turn around and that's what I did, he started running back. I went around and cutted him off again, this went on for about 45 minutes until the wolf sat down with his tongue out. I got off the skidoo, put two shells into the double barrel and walked up to him, I say about 40 to 50 feet. I pulled both triggers and struck him right in the neck and down he went. I just about went down also with those two shots at the same time. I walked up to it slowly and ready to shoot again but it did not even move an inch. What a big and beautiful wolf it was, it was a good 5 feet long. It was a timber wolf, gray and white. I pulled it on to the skidoo, tied it and got on top of it and drove straight home. I was was in a hurry to show it to my grandparents.

They said that's a wonderful wolf and big. My grand father sold that pelt for $150. that was a lot of money in those days.