The Clan of the Wolf

A number of new Muzzleloaders joined our ranks this season, which brings us to today’s topic…

We have a very eclectic band of brothers and sisters in the world of Buck skinners. If you visit rendezvous to visit a friend, you might need to know BOTH of his or her names. Buck skinners frequently earn nicknames or “handles” as the years pass, and some funny occurrence is usually what generates them. For example… our friend J.P. McCarthy (sadly gone under) was known as Two Toes McCarthy. Two Toes while somewhat inebriated, split his big toe through his moccasin while playing mumbolty peg! Long-time member Mike Severs, is known as Tree Frog, after a tree frog jumped into his tin cup of beer on a cold rainy September night. Ritchie Zane was known as Sleeping Thunder for obvious reasons!

We also have our own version of clergy attend in the form of Ken “the Reverend Dollars” Lantzy. Ken would go to the lodge of the previous nights most intoxicated participant (early like 7:00 am) and sermonize to them about their sinful ways. He managed this without having to dodge a round ball. Other handles were Ted Jayson/ Pathfinder. While at the wedding reception of a
skinner from Western Wayne, Ted was so drunk he had to keep asking where the rest room was, so a path of bread crumbs was laid out for him to follow! Also from our brothers Western Wayne who was Fire Starter, he set his beard aflame while using flint and steel to start his campfire. Then there was Burnt Bowl… he left his would bowl too close to the fire (not that interesting except I enjoyed waiting until he had a bunch of people at his camp and then I would walk by and shout “Hi Burnt Bowel”! He would get agitated and yell “that’s BOWL not BOWEL! There’s no E in it!!! lol. Lets turn to a past member named Frank (Opossum) West… Frank and his wife and his 3 kids would walk in a line… Frank (the tallest) followed by his wife and then the kids… like an “Opossum family. Lastly, the story of my handle, Ox Dog. Our friend and longtime Clan of the Wolf
member Jim Foley and I were wintering in 1987 (along with Gary Bratton, Bill Gruber and a few others). There was a path through the deep snow and I was headed north on it when I spied Hair Face Foley coming south. No words were spoken as we both already knew the other was not going to vacate the path for the other. As we stared one another down, Foley raised his shoulders, extended his chest and ran at me like a mad bull. I reciprocated and we crashed into each other. We both ended up on the ground in deep snow. Hair Face sat up and exclaimed “You BIG OX DOG!!” I’ve been known as OX Dog since. There are more names and amusing stories but not right now.

Come visit rendezvous (third weekend of May) who knows? YOU might get your own handle!
Gene (OX Dog) Lund