Roseau County Historical Society and Museum -

This week we continue Ray Geroy’s story “The Happy Hunting Grounds-Early Hunting in Roseau County”. Hazel Wahlberg, REMEMBRANCES.
Ray Geroy was an avid hunter, and interested in the history of the sport.
Ray Geroy talked with the curator, Ingvard Sunset, of the Roseau County Museum about the wild game in the county and what happened to the disappearing elk and caribou herds, they decided it was the loss of their natural habitat and depredation seemed to be the cause. Greed was also a big factor.
“Seventy-five years ago,” Mr. Sunset said, “Dan Nord, brother of Jalmer, had some hunters from Minneapolis here, and while hunting caribou, one of the hunters pumped out all the shells from his gun without firing a shot. He couldn’t figure out why he didn’t down a caribou.

“Going ahead to the year 1922, I recall, with appreciation that our family lived, almost entirely on the meat of the rabbit, partridge, and grouse. Deer were scarce and I never saw a moose although we boys hunted constantly. My father was a good hunter yet we had little deer meat and no moose meat at all. These statements may seem preposterous, but many men of my age back me up, that deer were scarce in the area at that time. So, although the deer were scarce, the rabbit, partridge, and grouse were plentiful, and I can clearly recall seeing a hundred of the bunnies sitting along a road just before dark. As we would go along with a load of hay or wood, we would shoot rabbits without stopping. Later on they became diseased and died off by the thousands. To this day they have never multiplied in such large numbers.
“Incidentally I would like to comment about some of the other weapons used in that day. Slingshots, BB guns, and 22 rifles almost completed our arsenal, although we had a 44 rifle for which we never owned a single cartridge. We shot 410 shot shells in this gun and it was a worthy gun for small game. I can distinctly recall the times we would shoot a partridge or rabbit with a BB gun or slingshot. We always had to run quickly and dispatch this game or it would come to life and run away.
“One of the greatest events of our childhood occurred the day we boys received a brand new 22 Hamilton gun in the mail. What a glorious event in the lives of three boys!!”
Author Ray Geroy was born at Spooner, MN, moved to the River and Pencer communities where he lived and worked in the lumber business most of his life.
RCHS FOOTNOTES
For those planning to visit the museum, we have switched to winter hours and are opened from 9 – 4 Tuesday through Saturday. The museum would like to exhibit toys during the next 6 months. To do this we need the help of county residents. Our focus for girls will be mainly on dolls, and in the area of boy’s toys: trucks, tractors, fire engines, anything that you have that was a favorite toy in your family. Contact the Roseau County Museum with these by calling 463-1918.
Are you interested in family history? If so the Roseau County Historical Society research center has the answers to your county genealogy questions. One section is an index of births, deaths/obituaries, marriages, and immigration/naturalization records. Used to reference Roseau County newspapers in both bound and on microfilmed editions as well as books used for filing for naturalization, this index is the first place most people access to see if they can locate family members. The research center is open Tuesday through Saturday and staff help is available to get you started in searching your family roots. Stop in and see what is available!
Newspaper Articles