The Courier
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Bull Fighter Makes Comeback at the Gooding County Fair & Rodeo by Brett Marshall
If Nate Jestes has his way about it, he will be back doing his full-time job at the Gooding Pro Rodeo’s 94th edition next week - August 14-17. A professional bullfighter for nearly the last decade, Jestes was one of three who had been voted on to work the 2018 National Finals Rodeo in the Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas. On opening night the 13th rider (out of a total of 15 rides) came out of the chute resulting in an unusual accident. “I was down low on the hinge side of the gate,” Jestes recalled of the moment that will forever be etched in his mind. “But the bull came out spinning, and as we always do, I tried to get his attention to safeguard the rider. I was trying to get the focus away from the others.” When the bull first made contact with Jestes, he landed with his right leg completely straight. The bull, weighing about 1,800-pounds, continued to charge through Jestes, forcing his upper body over top of that extended straight leg. Wearing knee braces to protect any sort of knee injury, the hamstring was the only thing to give. It was my hamstring muscle that was torn away from the pelvis. The tendon stayed attached to he pelvis but the hamstring muscle was stripped off of the tendon. Losing that connection to the pelvis. “It separated the hamstring from my pelvis on the right leg,” Jestes said of the severe injury. “The tendon remained attached to the pelvis, but the hamstring muscles was stripped off the tendon, causing him to lose that connection to the pelvis. “It tore two of the three hamstrings completely, but honestly at that moment, I had no pain,” Jestes said. “When I got up off the ground, I thought I just had a charley horse. I picked up my hat, took a long step and because I didn’t have a hamstring to work, my brain’s signal to the leg just didn’t function.” In the medical world, Jestes said, the brain just shuts down if there’s no communication to the body, and it does so to protect the leg. His leg nearly collapsed and he wobbled to the chute area. continued on page 6...
News from the Heart of Idaho Camas • Lincoln • Gooding
August 7, 2019
Vol 43 Num 32
Open House on South Fork Boise River Road Relocation Project
The Fairfield Ranger District and Camas County are firming up the alternatives to relocate segments of the South Fork Boise River Road (Forest Road #227) around existing washouts in order to reconnect the road between Featherville and Big Smoky. The District will host an Open House on Tuesday, August 13th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Camas Senior Center (129 Willow Avenue West) in Fairfield to provide information regarding the South Fork Boise River Road Relocation Project. Everyone is encouraged to participate and provide feedback. Please contact David Skinner, Project Manager at 208-7643202 for additional information.
2nd Chance at Big Game Tags
By Mike Demick, Staff Biologist
Hunters who were unsuccessful in the first drawing for big game controlled hunts still have a chance at over 2,540 tags available in the second controlled hunt drawing. There are 1,123 tags for deer, 1,259 tags for elk, 127 for pronghorn, and 34 for black bear available. A list of tags by hunt number is available on Fish and Game’s website at idfg.idaho.gov The application period closes midnight August 15th. Hunters can apply at Fish and Game license vendors, by telephone at 800-5548685, or online at Fish and Game’s website. The application fee is $6.25 for residents and $14.75 for nonresidents for each species. Results of the drawing will be available around August 22. Any tags not drawn after the second drawing will be sold first-come, first-served August 26 at 10 a.m. Mountain Time. For information on rules and dates for specific hunts, consult the current big game seasons and rules brochure or the Fish and Game website. Controlled hunts aren’t the only way to get premium hunts, and there is still time for hunters to apply for the second drawing for Super Hunt tags. Species-specific Super Hunt tags allow you to hunt in any unit open for that species – general and controlled hunt. You enter for a Super Hunt tag as many times as you like. The application period for the second Super Hunt drawing runs through August 10. Super Hunt entries are $6 each. Super Hunt Combo entries are $20 each. The second drawing will be for two elk, two deer, and two pronghorn, and one moose hunt.