11/25/2025
It’s taken me a bit of time to gather my thoughts and collect my feelings about my friend and “Mentor” Chuck Ray. Quite frankly every time I start typing my eyes blur up and my chest gets tight. It is just a miserable place that I can’t seem to fix but pushing through it. There are only a few people that come into your life that really affect the trajectory of our lives. I can remember the day I called Chuck and introduced myself as a brand-new bird hunter, a late onset hunter they call us. I was given his contact, as someone who helped me learn to hunt. Anyone that knows Chuck knows that is what he lived for. He said come up to my place and we will go. So being a newbie, wanting to learn so badly I jumped in my truck with my dog and my gun, dropping a pin to my husband, and went to meet a stranger. Thank God it was Chuck waiting for me.
I had no clue that Chuck was a Hunter Safety Educator and trainer of shooters, what kind of intervention was working here. Chuck and I became friends, hunting buddies, and a mentor and mentee. A few months later Chuck brought me to a Pheasants Forever meeting, another nudge into my new life and its passion. In just a few more weeks, Chuck had me as the “Outreach Chair”, a new role for a new “Rookie”. Chuck was an encourager for me to join the new Washington- Women on the Wing, Blue Mountain Chapter. Chuck followed our growth, so many phone calls, talking and walking with him. He was an ardent supporter of us gals, offering to help with events, especially the shooting ones. On Nov 14th at Bird Camp, us gals shared memories, appreciation, and grief over Chucks passing. I for one, don’t think I would have been there without Chuck showing up in my life as he did, a true Mentor.
So many of my great days in the field were with Chuck, my husband and I had a joke about him finding my gun and dog gone during lunches. He knew Chuck probably knew where to find me, since he was the one I called. I will always be grateful to Chuck for another “great beginning” introducing my new pup “Blaze” to her first hunt at about 4 months old, her first wild bird shot and what can only be described as a crazed retrieve, she still is that way. Chuck changed lives young and old, sharing his passion, being the best “Mentor”, this woman could ever have. How lucky am I that he said, “Come Now, Let’s Go Hunting!
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