I was a member and also my cousin Johnny Ray Coley, now deceased and we could have a guest hunter to hunt with the approval of the land/club owner who was a "control freak" and still is in my humble opinion.  I think the one time fee was about 10 bucks, but not sure of the amount. 

During the time period after 1983, our Pastor at the Wadesboro Church of God was Pastor L. R.  Gasaway, now deceased and he was a deer hunter which hunted with a .30 caliber (30-06) bolt action rifle that had been sportarized with double set triggers.  It could have been a Springfield Army rifle model 1903, but not sure of that.  He said he had never missed a deer with that rifle and I certainly did believe him.

Pastor L. R. Gasaway and his wife Sandra Maney, both deceased now.  Photo taken from a Polaroid picture by Carmon Williams on 11-27-2023.  Pastor Gasaway went to work as a security guard after retiring from the Church of God ministry.

Mrs. Gasaway baked a black bear roast and shared it with us and it was tender, juicy and had a wonderful taste.  That is the only bear meat that my bride and myself have eaten and have not forgotten that to this day!

I remember him harvesting a spike buck on the land that belonged to Virgil Chance, now deceased that the club had permission to hunt and I showed him one of the permanent stands on the property which he used.  I think he called me from Virgil's home and I came and helped him get the deer to Terry James who was processing deer at that time.

I noticed right off that the forward top scope ring was missing from the scope mount and the scope is to the rear too much.  Carmon said he had the upper forward scope ring.

Pastor Gasaway's 30-06 WWI Springfield rifle that was sportarized.  Photo by Carmon Williams 11-27-2023.

That same year, not sure of the exact year, but believe it was after 1983 when Pastor Gasaway's Grandson came down for a visit and wanted to go deer hunting.  His Grandson was 12 years old or early teens at the time if I am not mistaken, whereas  I failed to call the land/club owner letting him know that Pastor Gasaway's Grandson would be hunting that Thanksgiving morning also.

Sometime in the early to mid morning, I got a call from Pastor Gasaway that he needed my help to get his car started; battery was dead and to load a deer and get it to the processor.

When I arrived, I believe I had a 1973 GMC truck at the time that was used as a farm truck and apparently hauled some corrosive fertilizer because the truck bed and fenders were badly eaten away.  It looked like  a bunch of mutant moths with carbide and diamond teeth had a taste for sheet metal and did a number on the truck. The truck also keep the mosquito population down because it burned a lot of oil.  I would check the oil level before filling with gas, grin if you must.  I am not sure about owning that ole GMC truck at the time since that had been about forty (40) years ago.  I remember hauling out many deer using a 1964 Chevy Biscayne model that had a low ratio rear end that pulled like a truck and a 135-hp, 235-cid six-cylinder engine.  Top speed was 90 MPH.

NOTE: After talking with Carmon Williams, Pastor L. R. Gasaway's Grandson on 11-27-2023, he stated the deer was loaded in the back of his Grandfather's 1980 Dotson!

Pix of the ole 1973 GMC farm truck and myself checking the zero on my Remington  BDL left hand in .270 Winchester caliber.

Now back to the story which is my normal modus operandi to get side tracked!  When I arrived at the field Pastor Gasaway and his Grandson were hunting, the Pastor's yellow Dotson car was in the edge of the field pointing to where he helped his Grandson put up a portable climbing tree stand while it was still dark. The Pastor stated that he had his lights on while his Grandson and himself were putting up the climbing tree stand and after putting up the climbing tree stand, the car would not crank due to the battery being to weak/dead and had to leave the yellow Dotson  in the field.  This definitely is a No, No for sure!

They both continued the hunt and sometime after daylight, the Pastor heard three rifle shots from where his Grandson was hunting and later got down to see what was happening.  When Pastor Gasaway got to his Grandson, his Grandson stated a large buck came across the field from his right and about midway across he fired his 30-30 and the buck turned around and went back the way he came from and he fired another shot as the buck went into the edge of cover.  A few minutes later some does came out on the other side of the field and he fired one shot at them, of which he missed.  We later looked for any evidence of a blood trail, etc., with nothing found.

A pix of the Marlin 30-30 Carmon Williams used to harvest the buck.  Photo by Carmon Williams on 11-27-2023.

Pastor Gasaway and his Grandson went to where he last saw the buck enter into the woods and low and behold it was a monster 10 point? buck with about a 18 inch? inside spread. This no doubt was the deer the land/club owner had been trying to harvest the past few years.

Pastor Gasaway's Grandson related that the buck as he exited back into the woods on the right side of the field, he fired a fast shot at him.  There were two bullet holes in the buck; one in the rib cage heart/lung area and the other one had broken his spine. That buck was a 200 pound class buck for sure.  The buck got himself tangled in a grape vine where he expired.

We got him loaded onto the back of the ole GMC truck and/or his Dotson or my 64 Chevy (don't remember which) and got his car jumped off and were heading out the dirt road when the land/club owner met us.  He was one sick puppy for sure when he saw the size of that buck and I guarantee you, he has not forgotten that buck to this date; I certainly have not!  The land/club owner had killed a number of deer in the past, but nothing like that buck!

NOTE:  Carmon Williams, Grandson of Pastor L. R. Gasaway stated on 11-27-2023, the deer was loaded in the back of the 1980 Dotson.

When, I said beginners luck, the Pastor's Grandson had never seen a deer before, never been deer hunting and connected with two shots on the buck crossing the field and returning back to the woods that he came from. 

I remember later being showed a picture of the buck and he was a trophy deer for sure.

I lost contact with Pastor Gasaway when he moved to another Church and/or retired and do not remember his Grandson's name either, but the story and mental image of the events are still locked in the memory bank and I call it my  “Mind’s eye.”

I wish I had taken some pixs as I had an excellent Nikon F2AS 35mm camera, but it was awkward and bulky to take around and didn't start taking many pixs until the digital age came around the year 2000 for myself and with the internet! 

NOTE:  I  am currently trying to locate Pastor Gasaway's two daughters and his Grandson that harvested the big buck!  Pastor Gasaway passed away on June 20, 2000 in Gastonia, NC at the age of 77.

Web page uploaded by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 11-11-2023.

CARMON WILLIAMS, PASTOR GASAWAY'S GRANDSON LOCATED ON 11-26-2023

UPDATE:  I first did an obituary search of Pastor L. R. Gasaway which listed the names of his two daughters and did a monthly subscription to Intelius people search website on 11-26-2023 and generated a report for Lynn G. Gregory of Rockwell, NC which was one of Pastor Gasaway's daughters of which had a ton of information and eventually on 11-26-2023 located Pastor L. R. Gasaway's grandson who is Carmon Williams of Gold Hill, NC via his email address contact.  Carmon Williams related to me on 11-26-2023 via email, the deer was a 9 point buck with one antler tine broken off and weighed 195 pounds and his rifle was a Marlin 30-30 with open sights that his grandfather had given him.  I am hoping there is a pix available of that buck to add to this short story.

I updated this story with information received from Carmon Williams via his email and after talking with him over the telephone!

I called Carmon Williams on 11-27-2023 and we had a very good and long talk about the deer harvest and his Grandfather Pastor L. R. Gasaway. 

Above is a pix of the Grandfather clock that Pastor Gasaway left his Grandson Carmon Williams.  Their is a story behind the above Grandfather Clock with comments from an email from Carmon Williams as follows: 

"The last few days have been really weird with you contacting me about the hunt and I have to tell you.  We have the old grandfather clock that the church gave him on pastors appreciation day. That clock hasn't chimed in years and I've been meaning to have it fixed.  However, in the last few days the clock mysteriously started working and chiming.  My wife says that my grandfather is trying to send me a message and we laugh about it.  Is funny how strange life is."

 NOTE:  Carmon Williams related to me that he will take a pix of the mounted deer head which he has in their out building and will send it to me and/or locate the pix taken back in the mid 1980s of himself with the buck and send a pix of that. 

CARMON WILLIAMS AND HIS BUCK

Here is the picture of a picture (Polaroid) of a young Carmon Williams with his buck that he harvested on November 28, 1985. He has a smile going for sure!  My bride reminded me that it was Thanksgiving day and she was a little upset because I was running late getting back home, grin if you must!

I had to grin when Carmon said his wife would not let him keep the deer mount in the house.  My bride had me to put the only deer head that I had mounted on the stairwell going down to our basement, grin if you must!

Carmon said he was going to get the deer head mount repaired, but I wanted to post it which shows a better pix of the deer antlers!

WILLIAMS FAMILY

Carmon sent me a pix of his family on 11-29-2023; left to right:  Brinley, Cayden, Julie, Carmon and Logan.  He told me he was going to let his son Cayden do some turkey hunting when the season comes in.  I sent him a special walnut on walnut box call to get Cayden started!  Cayden and Carmon plan to take the hunter safety course together and further stated that he plans for him and Cayden to deer hunt on their property in Gold Hill, NC.  Carmon had not deer hunted since that deer harvest and with his Grandfather passing away, couldn't bring himself to deer hunt again.

I believe this story has a special meaning and purpose for Carmon and his son Cayden.  God does work in mysterious ways!

Pix of custom walnut on walnut turkey box call I gifted Cayden Williams!

Cayden with his Porter Custom Calls walnut on walnut box call.

THIS SHORT STORY HAS BEEN A JOY FOR ME

While talking with Carmon, it was very evident that he loved his Grandfather, of whom they spent much quality time together.  It brought back memories of Pastor Gasaway too, both in our Church services and hunting as well!

In closing, as I have stated so many times on this website, "Two of the Greatest Ships that ever Sailed, Friendship and Fellowship."  Time waits for no one and we must live each and every day the best that we can with the help of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, because we are not promised tomorrow, but we are promised eternal life if we are a born again Christian!

Web page updated by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 11-26-2023, 11-27-2023, 11-28-2023, 11-29-2023 and 12-01-2023.

LEAVING ON A SPIRITUAL NOTE

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please take this moment to accept him by Faith into your Life, whereby Salvation will be attained.   

Ephesians 2:8 - 2:9 8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Open this link about faith in the King James Bible.