Contributors to this thread:
Please communicate a story about Dave Doran. The Oregon bow hunting community recently lost one of its finest! Dave Doran of Bend was a hero traditional hunter. My favorite Story he relayed to me was his solo bull moose hunt in Alaska. Dave shot a big bull with his recurve near where he was camped on the river. After butchering, hanging and waiting for outfitter plane he got word plane would not land on frozen river! Dave was told to get everything up to high ground! Dave packed it all alone in a marathon day. Just about killed him but reached the tent opening and collapsed in. Only trouble he passed out with his tired feet left out to frost bite over night. Survived intact with fine trophy. Retired from ODFW, ran the best little traditional shops around and solo hunted for years. I will miss him dearly but Daves spirit is vast, he will be with us when the going gets tough!
I met Dave many times at different meetings and he was always a pleasure to talk to! He will be missed and was a great asset to ODFW!
I grew up with Dave, attended the same church and our youth group went on many campouts and we shared hunting trips and arrow flinging outings. One trip to the Siuslaw campground, DAve was late getting up so three of us decided to shake him out of his sleeping bag. He was strong and tenacious and we finally gave up trying.
About 1960 Dave introduced me to Bill Sweetland who made Forgewood compressed cedar arrows and had a lot of archery gear. I bought my first "real hunting bow" a used Bear Alaskan recurve, 45# and a dozen arrows- 6 field tips and 6 Bear Razorheads. Those light blue shafts sure showed up in last light and helped find many an errant arrow. We hunted up the Coburg Hills NE of Eugene and never even took a critter shot while together but I still have memories of our time together. We both attended Cascade College in Portland where Dave continued to play trumpet and wrestle. He later played with the Eugene Symphony.
Dave served with the Marines and got out after his Viet Nam tour. I went into the Army as a helicopter pilot and stayed for 20 years. We met while I was home on leave several times and though I had taken up wheel bows and Dave was into primitive, make it all yourself gear we still found lots to talk about and share. I hadn't seen him after he moved to the Bend area but thought about him often.
Greg Eastman
Pictured back row: Unknown, Eric Erickson, Dave Brinker.
Front row: Walt Miller, Dave and Nancy Doran
Pictured back row: Unknown, Eric Erickson, Dave Brinker.
Front row: Walt Miller, Dave and Nancy Doran
Nice write up, Greg.
What I'd give to have known Dave better. I'm a late traditional enthusiast. Dave and his wife and done immeasurable positives to our hunting community.
This is a picture of some my fellow Stott Mountain Archers at Hart Mountain with Dave. I watched the video that goes with this afternoon. Priceless.
Grabbed this off the Leatherwall- More like the Dave I knew but the red has turned gray :)
Looks like the P&Y Shoot, Greg.
First row, right, 3rd Btn. HQ East of Hoi An.
First row, right, 3rd Btn. HQ East of Hoi An.
I served with Dave in Vietnam, 1st ANGLICO, Sub Unit 1, Detachment 5, supporting the 2nd ROK Marine Brigade, 1967-68. We spent most of our time in two Marine teams with the Korean infantry companies, but we had breaks back in the 3rd batallón CP where we met our brothers. That’s where I met Dave, and I thought the world of him. He was, to me, an incredible photographer, and he shared som great photos with me. I have some of him somewhere. FYI, the 1968 Tet offensive is when we won the war. You could go for miles without leaving the stench of death, NVA bodies on the trails and floating down the rivers. We expected orders to head north, but Secretary McNamara had already convinced Pres. Johnson that we couldn’t win. I suspect that Dave was as bitter as I remain. Dave was awesome, as I knew him in 1968.
found this thread,,, it got me thinking about Dave. I did't know him like a lot of you,, but I do have a story: About 20 years ago my family was at the pope young shoot,, my son was about 10 years old. I had bought him a long bow for christmas that year. It was somewhere around 20lbs at 20inches,, he was shooting the heck out of that bow. So we go to the p y shoot and go down to Dave's trailer and my son finds a long bow that is 29lbs at 20 inches. Dave and Don string the bow up and go out and shoot it, Don puts the bow back on the the rack and we go back to camp. We are puttering around camp and Don wants to go shoot his bow,, he comes back to camp and tell me he really liked the bow at Dave trailer. I ask him if he wants to see if he can trade bows with Dave,, his face lights up and he says yes. I tell him to go see if he can make a deal. He takes off by himself and I give him 3 or 4 min. I head over to Dave's trailer and Dave is looking at Don's bow,, Dave sees me and says is dad ok with this I tell him trade straight a cross Dave nodded yes and i walked away. Dave and Don finished the deal. Dave had the ability to make a 10 year old boy feel like a man.
