Couesnut Report post Posted August 22, 2008 Tragically, Bill Saathoff of Hereford Az. was killed in a plane crash on Wed. My heart is acking so I'm telling a small part of his story. He was my mentor & friend for the last 25 years. One of the best men & hunters I've ever known. Bill was a "modern day pioneer." Back in the late 70s he was one of, if not the first, to put big binos on a tripod (long before swarovski) to hunt Coues & desert mulies. When very few cared & tags were plentiful, he guided countless number of hunters to big Coues using this "NEW" technique. He let me tag along & help out. Actually, he could'nt get rid of me, I was hooked! When I finally started guiding for him I was in heaven. Along with his son, Adam, who I watched grow into a fine man & friend as well, we hunted & outfitted all over the Southwest & Mexico learning what we did'nt know together. He was always willing to help, teach & promote this "NEW" Az. Coues deer hunting. He helped founded the "Huachuca Whitetail Club" (past Pres. many times), Past Pres. of the 'Desert Trophy whitetail club' in Tucson as well Helped develope the Shooting Range in Sierra Vista & always promoted Youth shooting sports. He was a Master Taxidermist learning his ART under John Doyle, he did all my mounts for virtually nothing. A Son, Husband, Father, Grandfather,Teacher (Dean@Cochise College),Friend & Mentor, he will be deeply missed. So when all of you are on top of a hill this season, looking thru you're big glass trying to find that Big Buck & seeing all those other hunters using the same technique, You now know by who & how this craze got started. I know I'm grateful for being with him, & he'll always be with me on the Mt. "GOD SPEED BILL" DH Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted August 22, 2008 couesnut.....Sorry for your loss. Sounded like he was a special guy who really cared for the sport of hunting and helping others. My thoughts and prayers go out to all his friends and family. May God Bless! TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bullwidgeon Report post Posted August 22, 2008 Dave, That really is terrible news. Bill was a helluva hunter and really nice guy. My thoughts and prayers go out to Adam and the rest of his family and friends. Bret Mattausch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coues7 Report post Posted August 22, 2008 Didn't know Bill but he will definitely be missed. My prayers go out to his family. Coues7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted August 22, 2008 Thanks for posting the tribute. I had heard the guy who died was a hunter, but it's great to hear more details about his passion for Coues. It's a tragic loss to the family and friends....my heart goes out to them. Amanda Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snapshot Report post Posted August 22, 2008 Sorry to hear about your friend! Best wishes to the family. The V.P of FICO pecan farms just died in a small plane crash in the Santa Rita's in the area that we did the quad ride on before the CWT party. He was flying back from Bowie. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CB1 Report post Posted August 23, 2008 Sad to hear it, he was a good guy....he mounted a mexico buck for me and went out of his way to make it extra nice by going out and finding a unique piece of manzanita to mount it on, definitely one of the original fathers of southern az. coues hunting....i enjoyed his spirit.....rest in peace. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COUESAZ Report post Posted August 23, 2008 Man sure is a loss when a great coues hunter is taken. At least he got to pass on his passion to you and his son. And the things you will pass to others as well will live on as a tribute to this man. Small planes have been doing alot of damage latley. Some frinds of our were just in a plane crash a week ago up in st.johns. they were flying from there family ranch in new mexico back to mesa. They are a you couple with four small children. Both parents were burned very bad and and the mother is not in the safe zone yet and will not be for a long time she was burned so badly. My brother wanted to fly over our unit with a guy at work just to see what it looked like from the sky. We know what it looks like from the miles and miles on the ground. I told him it will be a cold day in heck before i get in a small plane like that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fatfootdoc Report post Posted August 23, 2008 My condolences and prayers to you. Those little planes can be dangerous. My wife probably saved my life, she told me if I got my pilots license she would leave me so she would not have to go to my funeral. That made my decision easy. ag Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ehunt Report post Posted August 23, 2008 sorry to hear about your friend Bill. my prayers are with you and his family. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couesnut Report post Posted August 25, 2008 A celebration of Bills life will be held in Sierra Vista on Thurs. I'll drink a cold one in honor. DH Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GRONG Report post Posted August 25, 2008 Oh man................ That's rough. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billrquimby Report post Posted August 25, 2008 I was advertising manager at Jacome's Department Store in the mid-1970s and one of the fashion artists who reported to me there was Chrissy Saathoff, Bill's wife. Although the Saathoffs moved to Hereford I kept bumping into them over the years. I wrote several articles for the Tucson Citizen about Adam attending the NRA shooting school in Colorado and competing on the U.S. Olympic team, and Bill later mounted one of my mule deer. He was John Doyle's student in many things besides taxidermy, including the use of quality optics and "Moses sticks" for hunting in Arizona. (John and brothers Jim and Seymour Levy were the first and stories Sam Fadala and I wrote about them helped spread the word.) Bill was a great guy, quiet and unassuming, and hearing about his death comes as a great shock to me. Rest in peace, Bill. Bill Quimby Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues 'n' Sheep Report post Posted August 25, 2008 Dave, Sorry for your loss and for the loss that Bill's familly is suffering. My thoughts are with you all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peloncillo Report post Posted August 25, 2008 Sorry to hear of his passing. He was a dedicated coues hunter and a good welding instructor. I remember when his son Adam came down to Douglas and showed us how to glass with the big Zeiss binos. He will be missed. Keven Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
