Walter Eugene “Gene” Mongold’s most memorable hunt with his son, Kevin Mongold. As told in
his own words to his daughter, Kristin Watts and his granddaughter, Natalie Watts exactly two
weeks before he passed away from cancer on July 29, 2018.
“The most memorable hunt was when me and Kevin went in Lairs Run. We went in there the
day before and oh it was cold. So we had seen some bear and a couple of deer. So we decided
to go back the next morning. So I rolled up my coveralls to put ‘em on my back. We went up
there and I got to where I was gonna go and Kevin went on up above me. Well, about 8:00 here
come this deer and a couple bear running down by me. I thought well I wonder what run them
out. Well needless to say, Kevin got cold, so he was walking around. Well, the ground and the
leaves was froze and the frost and stuff on ‘em. After a while, I heard something coming off the
other ridge and I knew it was a deer ‘cause I could tell the way they walk – crunch, crunch,
crunch. And it was laurel over there, I mean it was thick. I couldn’t see nothin’. After a while, it
got down almost to the hollow where it was opened up and it stuck its head out of the laurel.
And I looked at that thing and I said, man, I believe that’s a spike. My, oh that’s an awful wide
spike. So I didn’t even get my gun up. Well, the thing must’ve winded me and it turned and
started walking back up the ridge. Well, there was an old log there laying down like that and it
walked in under that log. And I say, ah, even if that’s a spike it’s a big one and it’s the last day of
deer season, so I’m gonna shoot it. So I shot and I listened and I knew if it would of run or
walked off I would of heard it and I didn’t hear a thing. So I sat there and I thought well how in
the world am I gonna find that deer clear across on that other ridge in that brush, laurel brush.
So I hollered for Kevin and he said I’ll be up there. Well I waited, and I waited, and I waited. So
finally, I thought, well if I walk straight, surely I’ll find that tree that’s hung up over there. So I got
over there and there laid that old deer underneath that tree. Well, here come Kevin up through
the laurel and he was huffing and puffing. He got up almost to me and I said Kevin, I said now if
you was sittin’ over on that other ridge and lookin’ over here, I said wouldn’t an old doe really
look like a big buck under this thing here standin’? He said now dad, I’m tellin’ you right now, I’m
not draggin’ no doe outta here. He said I told you that. He said we made a promise this morning
when we come in here that we wasn’t killin’ nothin’ but a big one. I said; well would you drag an
old spike out? No, I ain’t draggin’ no spike out. I said well come up here and look at this thing
and see if you will drag it out. We come up there and there laid a big old nine point. He said I
outta just shoot ya. But that was, that was enjoyable.”
