By Paul Parsons
From the moment he could walk, my son Bronson Parsons loved watching wildlife. He excitedly pointed, first his pudgy toddler fingers, then his toy gun at deer as they walked by his windows at our woodland home in Northwest Montana.
He waited impatiently to turn 12, the magical age when he could enter the woods with a big game rifle and a tag of his own. After he completed the Montana Hunter Safety course, I began to take him out on his own hunting adventures. He always had exceptional eyesight and would pick out game in heavy brush or timber, making him a great asset in the woods.
Bronson also had remarkable luck in big game tag drawings. His first year of hunting in 1994, he drew a moose permit and shot a large cow moose in early fall. The same year he filled his doe permit, and he harvested a near-record-book whitetail buck! It was a stellar year for any hunter, much less a newbie.
Two years later, he drew a cow elk permit for the late-season hunt near Gardiner, just outside beautiful Yellowstone Park. Bronson, a family friend and I each killed an elk, Bronson taking his very first one.
In 1998, at the age of 16, Bronson drew a coveted mountain goat permit for the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness area. After hard hunting in the difficult terrain, he was triumphant. I will never forget his excitement when he walked up to touch the shaggy white fur of his goat. Our house was beginning to fill up with his impressive big game mounts, and the family’s pride in his hunting ability grew.
In 1999, as a high school senior, Bronson applied for the Kootenai Face sheep permit. Between school, football practices and games he had limited time to hunt. On any free weekend days, we would head out to look for sheep. On a Sunday morning in November, Bronson and I woke up to thick fog covering the mountain, so I suggested we go to church first and then head up the mountain to search for a ram. Bronson was sporting a walking cast from a recent football injury, but that did not dampen his enthusiasm to start climbing up Kootenai Mountain. After a short climb to get above the fog, Bronson spotted a nice ram and killed him with a single shot from his 30-06. He and I were so thrilled about this incredible luck and his skilled marksmanship. Later, one of our friends did a green score on the horns and thought it might be large enough to enter the B&C record book. It later officially scored at 178, just under the record book minimum. The full-body-mounted ram resides in our house to this day, showcasing Bronson’s incredible hunting talents.
I believe that Bronson’s early success in hunting and other outdoor pursuits was God’s way for him to accomplish a lifetime of fun in his short time on Earth, because Bronson didn’t live to see his third decade. On January 1st, 2008, at the age of 25, Bronson died after being hit by a car in East Missoula, Montana. The drunk driver fled the scene. The aftermath, funeral and court hearings were devastating for everyone close to Bronson. His family and friends loved him so much, and he is grievously missed.
This time of loss for our family became a time of hope and a second chance for six other families. Bronson was a registered organ donor and gave the gift of life to six waiting recipients. The family has become close with his lung recipient. In some ways, Bronson continues to live on, with part of his legacy being his memorial membership to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
Note from RMEF: Bronson Parsons clearly lived an incredible outdoor life, and we are grateful to have him as a memorial member. Our hearts go out to his family.
(Photo credit: Parsons family)