Six years ago I met my future hunting buddies Ben and Kelly through this Louisiana Sportsman’s website. A simple post about trading guided duck hunts for a new hunting puppy led to a close friendship that was unfortunately cut way too short yesterday. Sadly, Ben did not survive a single car accident on a routine day doing routine things.
Ben’s “Routine†was all about EVERYONE ELSE and never about HIMSELF.
After our original weekend hunting together in Delacroix with his wife and a few of his self trained started hunting dogs, we became good friends. By the following season, he moved a trailer to our property and became a fixture at our duck camp. Over the past six years he has not only hunted with us every weekend but was the person that helped with everything around the camp. Wether it was clearing the lot, installing the stove, fixing the water lines after a hard freeze, rewiring the breaker box and electrical lines, fixing and tuning up boat motors, he would drop everything and take care of all the problems that seem to pop up at a camp. He never wanted to impose an inconvenience on others but would jump at the chance to make it easier for everyone else.
He, along with Kelly, also trained all of our hunting dogs.
I will mostly miss his presence around the camp. His constant smile and positivity made camp life just that more relaxing and enjoyable. Ben and I were usually the first to arrive at camp on Friday and that last to leave on Sunday.
Ben always made sure our stock of firewood would never run low for the constant campfires where we spent so much time together reliving the past hunts and planning our next journey.
It will not be the same without him around. It will be impossible to ever light another fire at the Island without thinking of Ben, and each fire in future years will be a tribute to him. Just like many others, Ben has left his Mark and Legacy as a member of our Duck Hunting Family.
Ben’s “Routine†was all about EVERYONE ELSE and never about HIMSELF.
After our original weekend hunting together in Delacroix with his wife and a few of his self trained started hunting dogs, we became good friends. By the following season, he moved a trailer to our property and became a fixture at our duck camp. Over the past six years he has not only hunted with us every weekend but was the person that helped with everything around the camp. Wether it was clearing the lot, installing the stove, fixing the water lines after a hard freeze, rewiring the breaker box and electrical lines, fixing and tuning up boat motors, he would drop everything and take care of all the problems that seem to pop up at a camp. He never wanted to impose an inconvenience on others but would jump at the chance to make it easier for everyone else.
He, along with Kelly, also trained all of our hunting dogs.
I will mostly miss his presence around the camp. His constant smile and positivity made camp life just that more relaxing and enjoyable. Ben and I were usually the first to arrive at camp on Friday and that last to leave on Sunday.
Ben always made sure our stock of firewood would never run low for the constant campfires where we spent so much time together reliving the past hunts and planning our next journey.
It will not be the same without him around. It will be impossible to ever light another fire at the Island without thinking of Ben, and each fire in future years will be a tribute to him. Just like many others, Ben has left his Mark and Legacy as a member of our Duck Hunting Family.
