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Author Topic: How did you get your "Mountain Name"?  (Read 1432 times)

Offline Mad Irish Jack

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Re: How did you get your "Mountain Name"?
« Reply #15 on: June 16, 2020, 05:04:31 PM »
My F&I  (1750-1820) is "Mad Irish Jack O'Donnell" and been using it for those period events since the mid 1990's. O'Donnell is 3rd Gen on my grandmothers side. Second generation is Rodgers and there are to many using that. And, I am related to Mr Rogers of TV fame. The O'Donnell persona was built on my Irish/Germanic temperment and carefree demeanor. I also have a  VG Accent that drives folks batty. The next is a little lengthy.
MY Fur trade/ mountainman Persona is "Mad Buffalo Jack" I used since 1978. That's when I won my first flintlock and the hook 'bout ripped my jaw out.  I "White Manned" the name up when I started the skinning game. I was in a NE JrCo in 1967 through 1969. I was a FB/Track scholarship athlete. In '79 I played DE/OG for Fairbury Jr Coll. in Fairbury NE. Last Saturday in Oct. We were playing a homegame vs. Haskell Indian JR Coll of Lawrence, Kansas. On a reverse sweep their back (5'4" and 128#) ran back at me, I fended off the blockers and dove at his juking. I grabbed the collar (illegal today) on the shoulder pad as I was falling from the blockers collision. I pulled his light body over myself and threw him to the ground, crashing his head to the hard turf. He went unconscious. He spent two days at our local county hospital and was release to go back to Kansas. In the spring 1978 I competed in the Javelin and discus events at the Haskell T&F Invitational. All the throws events were finished Friday afternoon and their throwers invited our guys and throwers from three other schools to a mixing social goodwill get together from 7-10PM. During this time two of the Haskell throwers mention to us, they were the linemen who got rocked on the play the little back was out on. My guys started pointing at me. everyone got some haha's. The one Haskell guy left and returned with the little back; that  caught me off guard. They informed him I was the guy. He walked to stand in front of a stunned me; extended his hand and said, "Nice to meet you. I need to thank you for leaving my hair in it's place." It broke the Ice and all was well. His name was John Viridis. He was renamed as was the christian part of the school. His native name was Guarding Rattlesnake and he was Ojibwe from southwestern ND. He passed to the next hunting grounds in 2004. He made me a blood brother in a brief ceremony there that night. I still have the small scar on the pad below my left thumb. He named me the Big Crazy Buffalo, Brother of the Prairie Rattlesnake. So, when I started buckskinning and made a slight mod to the name to "Mad Buffalo" Jack. I also had a troll email me the he was Mad Buffalo on line. Mine was spelled as Bufflo since the a was in a name already. He wanted to meet in a place to settle the dispute. I found previous he was a 16 yo from Buffalo NY. I was 32 yo back then. I told him look me up if he doesn't grow up. Kids. Go figure. That's the story and it's history.

Oh, yeah, there's a movie guys sent me, they inferred it's me. Regardless, It is a hilarious watch.
My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.
   The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.

Offline Oldetexian

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Re: How did you get your "Mountain Name"?
« Reply #16 on: June 19, 2020, 02:26:55 PM »
WOW! Now that's a Story! Great reading and just some danged good stuff. Thanks! Mine ain't near so exciting, but I'll share it in another post.

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"fiat justitia ruat caelum"
(let justice be done though the heavens fall)

Ray Buchanan

Offline Oldetexian

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Re: How did you get your "Mountain Name"?
« Reply #17 on: June 19, 2020, 03:04:22 PM »
Actually, now that I've read all the posts, I am even more impressed with all the monikers you guys have. Got to say they all seem good and proper to me (not that anybody asked...).

My own Rondy name is Crazy Snake. Like Spotted Bull's-, my Rondy name has spiritual connotations. Growing up in South Texas I collected snakes and became a herpetologist, something that has stayed with me to this day. I love all snakes and protect them whenever possible. I guess I could have been called Snake Friend...

At the same time, I am a United Methodist Minister who has a strong interest and affinity to Native American spirituality, especially that of the plains Indians. For me, Crazy Snake, like Crazy Horse, just means touched by the great spirit. The idea that all of life and our entire planet is related is a basic tenet of who I am...so Crazy Snake it is...
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"fiat justitia ruat caelum"
(let justice be done though the heavens fall)

Ray Buchanan

Spotted Bull

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Re: How did you get your "Mountain Name"?
« Reply #18 on: June 19, 2020, 03:39:29 PM »
OldTexian I have 2 snake friends myself! An approximately 10 year old albino corn snake and a 3 yo grey banded king snake.

Online Bigsmoke

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Re: How did you get your "Mountain Name"?
« Reply #19 on: June 19, 2020, 04:16:37 PM »
Friends, this has surely provided some interesting and entertaining reading.
Thanks so much to everyone who has contributed, and thanks in advance to those who will.

John (Bigsmoke)

PS:  Everyone should register for the letter writing contest.  The more people write, the better the forum is.  And that's a fact, Jack !!!
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest Up to God.

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Offline Oldetexian

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Re: How did you get your "Mountain Name"?
« Reply #20 on: June 20, 2020, 08:31:26 AM »
Hey David. Good for you. I haven't kept any of my "no hips" friends around for many years, but I am always on the lookout for them while bushcrafting or hiking. And everyone who knows me calls whenever they have a snake issue...that is unless they kill first...but then they know they are going to get "the lecture.
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"fiat justitia ruat caelum"
(let justice be done though the heavens fall)

Ray Buchanan

Spotted Bull

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Re: How did you get your "Mountain Name"?
« Reply #21 on: June 20, 2020, 08:37:28 AM »
Hey David. Good for you. I haven't kept any of my "no hips" friends around for many years, but I am always on the lookout for them while bushcrafting or hiking. And everyone who knows me calls whenever they have a snake issue...that is unless they kill first...but then they know they are going to get "the lecture.

And me as well. When I worked at the Christian Camp I was always the snake wrangler, quite often copperheads. They seemed to like warming themselves on the concrete around the hotels!

Offline Oldetexian

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Re: How did you get your "Mountain Name"?
« Reply #22 on: June 21, 2020, 09:15:37 AM »
And me as well. When I worked at the Christian Camp I was always the snake wrangler, quite often copperheads. They seemed to like warming themselves on the concrete around the hotels!
[/quote]

We also have a good amount of Copperheads here in this part of Virginia. At my son's farm and shop( about 30 mins from the city) there are also Timber Rattlers, but you only see them in the heat of the summer when the lack of water drives them off the mountains. Most common snakes encountered are Black Snakes and they can grow to 5' long.
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"fiat justitia ruat caelum"
(let justice be done though the heavens fall)

Ray Buchanan

Online rollingb

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Re: How did you get your "Mountain Name"?
« Reply #23 on: June 21, 2020, 01:48:01 PM »
Well it finally happened,.... my 80 lb. "pup" got tagged TWICE by a rattlesnake two days ago. One bite was behind the corner of his mouth, and the other one was on his ear, both bites were on the right side of his face.

The big dummy showed no ill effects from the bites, except for the blood from the fang punctures.  :applaud :bl th up

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Spotted Bull

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Re: How did you get your "Mountain Name"?
« Reply #24 on: June 21, 2020, 02:24:12 PM »
I think sometimes rattlers just don't inject venom. Or some dogs just aren't affected. I had one many moons ago get bit and lived a long time.

Online Bigsmoke

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Re: How did you get your "Mountain Name"?
« Reply #25 on: June 21, 2020, 03:57:40 PM »
OK, enough snakey stuff.
The topic of this thread is Mountain Names.
Please start a separate thread about snakes if you want to carry on about those darn things.
Actually, I just did.  It's called Snakey Stuff.

John (Bigsmoke)
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Offline Oldetexian

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Re: How did you get your "Mountain Name"?
« Reply #26 on: June 22, 2020, 10:51:40 AM »
Hey John. I agree that a new thread is needed. Just remember though, Snakes need luving too :lol sign
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"fiat justitia ruat caelum"
(let justice be done though the heavens fall)

Ray Buchanan