KOSSUTH, Pa. (EYT) — Hunting stories were told in early December when brothers Denny Weaver, David Weaver, and Gary Weaver ended up together where they hunted over 50 years ago near Kossuth on the same property. Each of them came home with a deer.

(Photo: Denny, David, and Gary Weaver.  Photo by Kirk Byerley.)

“We all shot the deer where we were born and raised on 322 near O’Neill’s,” said Gary. “It. just happened that two of us went hunting together and didn’t know the third one was there. We ended up in the same hollow on the same day. My two younger brothers shot a doe, and I got an eight-point buck.”

All of the brothers started hunting when they were 12 years old under the direction of their father, “Wick” Weaver.

Gary, 70, is the oldest of the three brothers and said there were plenty of stories.

“When David shot his first deer, he only had a 12 gauge pump, and he had 12 shells. My older brother Arnie had told him ‘Don’t quit shooting until the deer stops moving,’” Gary said.  “He ended up hitting the deer 10 times.  The story was that neither one of them had a hunting knife at the time, so my brother Denny went home and got two paring knives out of my mother’s kitchen, and they ended up skinning the deer. As long as they’re sharp, any knife will do.”

Denny still takes care of his own deer, but Gary and David used Hepler’s Meat Processing in Emlenton.

While Wick took his sons out hunting when they were young, Denny, David, and Gary all had daughters and no sons.

“All three of us had girls, and they hunted awhile, but they’ve grown up and have families and haven’t hunted in the last few years.”

Asked about his loved of hunting, and Gary sites a primal urge.

“I think it’s a kind of a pioneer thing.  Back then there wasn’t Riverside, Foodland, and Bi-Lo.  You either planted what you ate, or you shot or harvested what you ate.”

“Being outdoors and you see things out there that you’ll never see on TV and stuff like that. It’s nice being out in the woods.”  

“The big city people have no idea what we have out here.”

All three of the brothers are involved in the community.  

Denny is a is a minister, used to run the ELA Soccer Team, and was an Eagle Scout.

Dave is on the Knox Library Board.

Gary has been vice president of the Clarion County Sportsmen for Youth for years.

“We’re getting bigger and better. There are 11 other counties that put this on; in five of them, the registration is open for 90 days, and in the other six, their registration never closes and allow walk-ins, and they have trouble getting 100 kids. For our registration, we have 475 kids sign up in eight minutes.”

Gary, a Vietnam veteran, is also on the honor guard of the Knox American Legion.

Some people also remember Gary as he drove around the area in a hearse.  He said the “hearse” died and wouldn’t pass inspection, but he plans to get another one in Cammo. Hunting is never far from his mind.

“A few years ago I was bear hunting with some people, and we shot four bears just outside of Knox, and the closest check station was closed. We had to haul them clean up to Marienville.  I told them I could just get some plastic and throw it in the back of the hearse, and we can throw in the bears. They haven’t ever forgotten that trip.”