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Alan Decroo (TxRattler)

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    Alan Decroo (TxRattler)

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    Alan was probably one of the most inspiring members of TexasBowhunter.com. He fought a very brave battle with cancer... and inspired all, with the way he handled the cards dealt to him. He kept us in the loop with his battle, and seemed to always find humor in the most dire situations. He lived quite a bit longer than the doctors had given him. I'm pretty sure it had something to do with his signature here on TBH...

    Don't judge a warrior by the battles he chose to fight but by those he had to fight!
    Unfortunately, Alan lost that fight and I think it is safe to say he is missed greatly. Below are some of Alan's last posts. His constant humor, despite the situation, was incredible.

    #2
    Txrattler Update

    Hello guys and gals. Sorry for not posting any resent updates. I didn't mean to have anyone worry, but I was just too sick and weak to get on the computer for any length of time. The plural effusion where they drained 3 + pints of fluid from the lining of my lungs seems to have worked pretty good. They say there is still some left but I can breath okay so until it fills back up they are leaving it alone. Yesterday was the first day in about 3 months that I felt pretty good. I can actually count on one hand the days that I wasn't vomitting over the past 3 months. They stopped the chemo and are waiting for a couple of weeks before starting a new version of the first chemo that they gave me. I took it really well so am hopeing that I will do the same with this new version. I have spent the last 3 months vomitting everything I put in my stomach, even water which comes out pretty easy...laffs, so my weight is down from 205# before the cancer operation to 125# right now which is probably why I am so weak. Now that they have stopped the chemo I hopefully will be able to put some weight back on and get some energy back.

    The upside of all of this is that this month makes my 24 month of fighting this cancer. Statistically they say that only 5% survive 24 months or more who have cancer as bad as mine. Y'all's prayers must be working....thanks to all of you and to God for giving me so many oportunities since I came down with cancer. The best part is if you can make 24 months there is a real good chance that you will make 5 years so here's crossing my fingers that I'll get in a couple more hunting and fishing seasons.

    I really wanted to attend Bownanza this year but with a depleted immune system and inability to walk more than a few feet withut having to stop for a rest I don't see that happening. Besides...I would much rather meet everyone when I don't look like the scarecrow from the Wizzard of Oz and have some of my weight back on....laffs! Wouldn't want anyone feeling sorry for me and handing me a sign to take home saying "I'll work for food!"! I hope everyone enjoys themselves and please remember I'll definitely be there in spirit. Keep the coals of the campfire glowing and hopefully next year I'll be in a position to meet and share that campfire with Ya'll!!!!!!!

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      #3
      Txrattler back from the hospital again...

      Ended up back in the hospital on Monday with another shortness of breath. They ended up doing another plural effusion and removed just over 3 liters of fluid from my lungs once again. The oncologist feels it (the fluid development in lining of lungs) is being caused by the latest chemo so we will begin a new one starting next week. Breathng has become a luxury lately...laffs!

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        #4
        My Best Weekend

        I suppose it could be the weekend a few years ago when guiding for Eddie Barnet. I picked up my hunter on a Friday, loaded up two saddle horses and one pack horse to ride into an area that I had just cut out that summer. It was called the Monarch Mountain and hadn't been hunted since a fire ran through the Carbon River over 15 years ago leaving windfall like pickup sticks for about a one mile wide swath. My hunter was from Minnisota and as we crossed the Carbon river he was amazed at the mess the fire had made. It got better as we climbed elevation though. The trail I had cut out meandered along the mountain side until it opened up through some serious willow just below timberline. The whole trip once the horses had been unloaded and the pack horse packed took all of four hours or so. I set up camp at a nice little pothole of a lake above timberline just below the rocky edges of the real mountain, turned the horses loose and made a pot of coffee for supper from a campfire of the wood I had cut and stacked early that summer. By the time we ate there was just enough time to scope for mountain goats. I saw a dandy and planned the stalk for the following morning.

        Daylight came early and after checking on the horses that were hobbled to help keep them from heading back down the mountain to home we we ate a fast breakfast, packed a small lunch and headed out. It was about noon by the time we got up where we could walk aroun the mountain to find our goat. Sure enough by 1 PM i spotted him not 35 yards away on a ledge just above an avalanche chute. I watched as my hunter took aim and dropped him on the avalanche chute. After handshakes and picturews I started to cape the goat out. I picked up movement lower down on the avalanche chute and grabbed my hunter by the arm. A big ole grizzly was working his way up the chute. Must have smelled the blood from the downdraft. I got my hunter settled in and waited. I told him that once the bear showed up between two rock outcroppings about 30 yards away from us to take him. Sure enough the bear kept to his path and my hunter took him with one shot. I stood and watched him slide most of the way down the chute. We finished up with the goat and packed him down to the grizzly where I started all over again. It was dark by the time we got back to camp. After eatting and getting a good nights sleep I packed the pack horse with the goat and meat and my saddle horse with the grizzly hide. The walk down wasn't bad since I didn't believe much in riding horses down mountains anyways.

        Once we got to the truck and horse trailer I unloaded the pack horse and loaded up the horses to head into the old logging camp where we would be hunting moose and black bear. It was now late saturday afternoon. About five miles up the deserted logging road a really nice bull moose walked out and stood broadside in the middle of the road. My hunter got his rifle, loaded it, climbed out of the truck and shot the 53" moose. I cut the antlers off the moose and quartered it out throwing it all with the goat and grizzly in the equipment compartment of the trailer. About a mile from the camp I spotted a good black bear feeding along a meadow with a small burn in it. I knew that there were some berry bushes there that would keep him busy so kept on to camp. Unloaded the horses into the corral and unloaded the trailer. I had my hunter jump back in the truck and we went and put on a perfect stalk on the black bear. Between the two of us we managed to load him whole into the back of the truck and headed back to camp. I spent Sunday skinning the black bear and looking after the hides and meat while we waited for Eddie Barnet to come pick my hunter up and send him home. It was the easiest hunt of my life but this wasn't my BEST weekend.

        You see my BEST weekend just happened. My youngest son Chris drove in from Florida to visit me. Although I was too sick for us to do anything but sit around and talk it was long overdue and a weekend I'll remember the rest of my life!

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