Caribou Gear Tarp

7000 posts....

JohnCushman

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 27, 2009
Messages
13,258
Location
South East Colorado
I've been on here for 8 years now and haven't done one of these posts. So, I suppose it's about time...

My name is John. I'm originally from near Rochester, NY but live in South East Colorado now. I was a combat medic, retired from the Army after combat tours in Desert Storm, Bosnia, and Iraq. I started out my career as a corpsman with 2nd Marine Division, then got out and went in the Army. I was wounded in Iraq in my second IED, which ended up being an ambush, and I was shot twice while taking care of the other guys in my vehicle. I ended up with multiple brain injuries, a shoulder that was pretty much torn apart, nerve damage in my left arm, 4 herniated disks which are now fusing together in the wrong place, shrapnel in my knee and shins, and a sweet scar on my right cheek, plus the two bullet wounds and the Army and VA say I'm batshit crazy. I fought my medical board for 2 1/2 years, but was finally medically retired after 15 years.

I started shooting a bow at age 12. I found an old recurve in my grandmom's shed and started shooting it. I got to where I was shooting squirrels out of trees and decided I was good enough to hunt big game. I started hunting whitetails with a bow a few years later. The land I was able to hunt only let me shoot does, so I went to work on the population. My mother didn't want guns in the house, so all of my hunting was done with that recurve. I went to bootcamp a few days after I graduated high school, and that kinda put a damper on my hunting while I was in. I was out of the service for a few years, but I was working 2 and 3 jobs to make ends meet, so I didn't do very much hunting. I moved to Colorado when I retired from the Army because I watched all of the shows on TV with elk hunting and antelope and mule deer and whatnot and wanted to do that. I bought my first compound bow and rifle and haven't looked back. I'm still mostly a bow hunter, but have no problems taking the rifle for a walk. I finally shot my first branch antlered buck about 7 years ago. I have shot several antelope with a bow and rifle and muzzleloader. I'm 0-8 on archery elk, but it's my own fault and a story in to itself. I shot a couple of cows on private land tags. I have branched out to other states and have hunted in WY, MT, and OK. A bear is next on my list of animals I want to hunt seriously. I always get an archery tag, but mostly as a just in case tag. I have taken a bunch of turkeys with my bow, and a couple with a shotgun.

I founds hunttalk while watching an episode of On Your Own Adventures years ago. I was a total recluse back then and this was the biggest 'social' interaction besides facebook. I jumped in here full bored and made an ass out of myself a lot of times. I was a real asshole for a while and I know I ran people off the site, and was pretty close to getting kicked off of here a few times. I calmed down and became the kinder gentler Cush and life has been much nicer. I started fly fishing to get me out of the house, then I reluctantly started meeting people from here and hunting with them. It was a huge leap for me. I started out with a couple of antelope hunts, and made friends for life and hunting buddies. I got in to the bear hunt and it has been an amazing thing for me. To have a group of people so socially diverse accepting me with my quirks and anxiety has been very theraputic. Randy surprised me with a deer hunt to Montana this year. It's such a powerful experience for me I decided to try to put together an elk hunt this year.

So, this is me...
 
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Welcome to the site John! :p
Seriously, I'm sure folks on HT appreciate you. I know I remember you way back before my account became corrupt. Guess I'm now new as well. lol
Good luck with the bear hunt.
 
A lot of info jammed into a couple of paragraphs. Well put, Cushman....though I'm a little disappointed there's no mention of the CSEH and CWEH awards.
You'll get that bull soon enough. Looking forward to hearing that story in December!
 
If I remember correctly I believe you one of the first, if not the first to welcome me to the site when I started posting a few years ago. I've taken 2 bear in Quebec, over bait...but I'm just not really in to that type of hunting. I really want to do a spot/stalk bear hunt in the spring someday. Good luck this season John.
 
7000 posts in 8 years, that has got to be some kind of record. Always enjoyed your take on each subject and thread you have shared on. We are all pulling for you to get your bull this year. Good luck on your hunt with Randy as well. Are they going to make a Fresh Tracks episode out of that trip? If so, I hope he has a good Audio Editing program in place.:rolleyes:
 
Thank you for making me feel welcome when I joined this group. God bless and thank you for your service!
 
Thank you for your service, John. God Bless and good luck this season.
 
I have always liked your posts and your sense of humor. And I would like to officially thank you for your service.
 
Welcome John, you keep it interesting for sure. I am glad to of met you and look forward to 2018 here chasing whitetails.
 
Welcome John. And yes, thank you very much for your service.
 
I think you were still the older, rougher Cushman when I joined the site. I recognized that most of your posts were made in jest, especially to the new folks asking where to hunt. Not everybody took it the right way though.

I have really noticed that now, your posts are the most friendly and encouraging as anyone on the site.

I also sampled some of your cooking in 2015 when Tyler and I stopped by bear camp for a quick howdy. You're a great cook!
 
Cushman,

Never met you and that is my loss. You are one of my favorite posters. Friendly to everyone and stay out of the conflict threads.

Welcome, many years later.
 
Thanks for your service as both a soldier and marine. Am glad the anger has mellowed. You saw some messed up stuff and if you did not carry around some anger then would be odd. Good luck on your adventures. I have bear on my bucket list and have built bear points in CO and AZ to use when life is less hectic. Go figure out the bear thing the next few years and post some tips for us rookies.
 
Glad to hear you are alright after a helluva few tours, channeling the past into a future isn't a easy task and I'm glad you've found yours. Hope you finally break that elk curse, I've got a few Air Force good luck coins I carry if you want to borrow them. ;)
 
I wasn't around for the old Cushman, but I enjoy the friendly, funny foodie that is so welcoming to newcomers here now. Thanks for sharing your story, thanks for your service, and good luck with the bulls and bears!
 
John,
Thank you for your service. I can only imagine what you have seen and endured throughout your military career.
I do look forward to your comments and cheerful greetings.
Somewhere out in Colorado there is an elk with your name on it and you will find him.

Good Luck
 
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