From Randy's Web site
www.randyulmer.com Interview with another Forum.
Last year you had a chute plane accident. Can you explain what happened and what went thru your mind when you crashed?
I drew a tag on the AZ strip, the holy grail of mule deer tags. There is no separate archery tag for that unit, it is a rifle hunt. I'm a mule deer fanatic and I felt that this was my chance to shoot a truly giant deer with my bow. Unfortunately, this country is not conducive to bowhunting. The deer density is extremely low and much of the country is flat pinyon /juniper country. Most rifle hunters shoot their deer after jumping them up in a vehicle or on foot. That's not an option with a bow.
I went up for a week of scouting, glassing etc and found very few deer and no huge deer. I felt a little desperate and felt that the only way I could kill a big deer with my bow during a gun season was to find a big buck before the season, figure out where he was drinking and sit water. I thought the only efficient way to find a big buck in that country was to fly. I told my friend, Greg Krogh, what I was going to do and, to his credit, he begged me not to for several reasons. But I was struck with irrational exuberance. From what I had been told, many of the big bucks that are killed there are found by flying pre-season. And though it is completely legal to scout by flying, it sure feels awkward when you are doing it.
For the record, let me say that I have never found an animal from the air and then went back and killed it. I'm certainly not passing judgment on anyone who chooses to scout that way. I think it is a personal choice how one limits themselves scouting and in the field as long as you obey the game laws. In this case I think I justified it in my mind because I was hunting with a bow and was at such a disadvantage to the rifle hunters. And if all that sounds like an apology or an excuse, maybe it is.
The bottom line is I made the decision to do it and I did it. Apparently I wasn?t very good at it and crashed.
To answer the second part of your question, the only thought that went through my mind as I was headed down was that it won't be fair to my boys if I die.