This was really interesting, scary, and informative. I am an outdoor writer and award winning wildlife artist. I’d like to write about this myself at some point and perhaps create some artwork that illustrates the reality of that day.
My grandfather survived this. Hunting around Mississippi county, Arkansas. He had been hunting and found shelter in a shack, had his ducks to eat, and firewood.
Born and raised in Southwest Florida so this is the first I have heard of this event. There is a lake in central Florida the Indians named the sleeping tiger because it can go from flat calm to 6 feet in a few minutes. You don't go out there without checking the wind forecast first. It still claims boaters on a semi regular basis. Thanks for the great production.
The Des Moines Register did an article on the Blizzard on the 50th anniversary in 1990 IIRC. Many hunters on the Mississippi and slough's in northern Iowa got caught out in the open also. I can't imagine how some of those men survived.
Thank you for this detailed and dramatic look back on how this record early Blizzard that caught so many Duck Hunters in open water to far from safety. This was a record storm coming so early and then so much snow falling. I am sure Duck hunters were not the only ones that lost their lives that day. With that severe a storm cattle and horses and some wild animals had to perish also.
Thanks for this video. I had an experience in Iowa that demonstrated how fast weather can change. We were living on a farm se of Nashua, Iowa at the time. On the last day of the Pheasant Season in 1969, I left the house, the sky was clear at 8am and the temp was in the 40’s. We. Walked the fence line west for 1/2 mile. No birds. We then went south 1/2 mile along the line fence. By this time, the clear sky was gone to clouds, the wind was picking up and the temperature was dropping. As. We approached the corner, I saw that the giant Burr Oak tree was full of Pheasants. Apparently didn’t want to be on the ground with the wind and blowing snow which would bury and suffocate them. We swung away from the tree to avoid spooking the birds and causing them to fly to an unknown fate in the face of a developing blizzard. As we turned east for the next 1/2 mile, the wind and falling. Snow on intensified. By now, I just wanted to get home! At the next corner we turned north into the wind. The visibility was zero. I kept a hand on the fence and my dog tucked in tight behind me as I broke the path in the rapidly drifting snow. Without the fence, it would have been very easy to become disoriented and lost in the 1/2 section. I thought about the stories about people freezing between house and barns in the plains blizzards. I also thought about the ARMISTICE DAY BLIZZARD. When we got to the house, the thermometer on the yard light post read -20 Fahrenheit! I went in the house and took a hot shower to get warmed up - used up all the hot water. I was lucky, had some frostbite issues on my face, fingers and feet. I wasn’t dressed as warmly as I would have been if the temp was zero or so when heading out. When we arrived to the gate and turned into the grove, I was nearly spent. In the trees, the wind was much reduced
These late fall cold fronts continue to kill people from coast to coast even to this day. They always seem to be preceded by abnormally warm temperatures. Even with modern forecasts and mobile phones at our fingertips people ignore the warning signs. Less than 10 years ago we had one blast through the Chesapeake region causing all kinds of issues and killed several fishermen. We knew it was coming and watched the radar getting off the water and tied up securely at the dock a few hours in advance. It was dead calm all morning with Temps in the 70s. We sat in the marina and witnessed the wind pick up to 60 mph and the temp dropped over 40 degrees in less than an hour. Many coast guard rescues and several deaths.
I knew of Max Conrad from his work in the 50' and early 60's. But not of this. Your report shines a bright light on a more pivotal and substantial individual than someone just going for a new record. This man cared and showed his true colors. Way to go Max!
wonder how many actually would have checked the weather...most likely tgey just went. Surprising to me is that they did not know extreme cold weather survival...since there was so much snow could they not have dug in for shelter? The story is very heartwrenching but i just wonder if more could have survived. i was always taught to be prepared for anything...outdoorsmen..weren't tgey taught tgat, especially those around lakes where weather is unpredictable anyway, and especially as seasons are changing. Better to take more than you think you need..and just bring it back, than to need and not have. cabins in the north should have a stock of dry wood, dry goods, dry food. it just surprises me. i was taught a lot by my dad...this was his generation...WWII marine, sabateur, spy, guerilla, trainer...about being prepared, etc....and by Girl Scouts! So this story surprises me the general lack of preparedness. Plus, just being smart when outside...no matter how good the hunting, the excitement...safety is FIRST. they shoukd have just headed home when conditions changed... but hindsight is better than foresight.
i am torn ..my dad was a deer, rabbit hunter...went every year, but most times came back empty handed. he once told me he just enjoyed walking in tge woods and just watching them. it was comraderie with the otger men, camping, talking, playing cards rather then just bagging a deer or rabbits. I hear terrible stories of thise who practice shooting but still shot off legs, wounded....etc deer...and the finishing them off, etc. I love animals. i get the over popukation thing, kinder to them so they don't starve but it is the rest of this tgat does not sit right with me...and just killing for fun, "sport"...nah! sure tgey will eat the meat but does tgat make it right? Decoys, etc puts the advantage with hunters, not fair. IF they DEPENDED ON KILLs FOR SURVIVAL...ok, but this is "fun". Bottom line...I am NOT a fan. And now...how few there are of birds, bison, FISH even....overhunted, etc. What happens when they are gone? GONE FOREVER!
I remember reading about this in Sporting Classics magazine. I have not seen any other mention of this till now. Good job putting this together. It was very interesting
If anyone can give me more information about the hunter and dog pictured at 27:35 of the video, PLEASE leave a comment. That dog is a curly-coated retriever, a very rare breed that I have owned and hunted for 4 decades. More info about the hunter and the dog can help us fill in the history of the breed in the U.S. Thank you.
One of my uncles was driving his car days after that blizzard and noticed a strange light in a snowbank along a country road. He stopped, got out and investigated, it was the headlights from a car buried in the snow, the driver very cold and barely conscious. The holidays of the following years found him in uniform enduring the winters of Italy and then Germany.
Hello, for those of you interested in a great book to read on the subject of the Armistice Day storm pick up Dan Bomkamp's 2011 book called, "Whiteout the Armistice Day storm". Dan dedicated the book to his Dad and in memory of his Golden Retriever Katy. Dan was gracious enough to let me talk with him about his books with his little dog on his porch in Muscoda Wi. At that time Dan had already written 10 books, which I can also highly recommend for reading if you enjoy the great outdoors. I loned Dan's book, "Whiteout the Armistice Day storm" to my Dad and my duck hunting buddies. We all liked Dan's book ! I bought the book in memory of my Dad's story about my Grandfathers survival on the Wi. River at Hookers Resort in Columbia Co. WI., those souls who perished, and the hero's that risked their lives trying to help or save those caught out in the elements that fateful day November 11th, 1940. Learn, enjoy, and remember.
My grandpa had to leave all his decoys on the slough he was hunting but he said there was so many ducks moving ahead of the storm. Him and his dad barely made it home in Western Minnesota. They were on a small slough over by Boyd, mn
My dad and his father and their dog survived this storm. The story was told after many a family Thanksgiving dinner. They said the temperature drop was so quick and the wind came up so fast they had no time to return across the river to their car. They stayed put huddled together and the next day were rescued and left at a cabin for another day as the rescuer continued to search for other hunters. They had to go back to their boat days later to chip their guns out of the ice in the boat. Their decision to stay put saved their lives and they didn't even get frostbite. But when they told the stories their eyes showed the depth of the trauma they had experienced.
Wow" that was the year " "galloping gerdy" (The Tacoma Narrow's Bridge) fell apart. I am from Washington State & have been over that bridge hundreds of time's.😊 I remember my Grandma talking about that fateful 1940's day. The whole winter was bad, that year alot of people froze to death.
The fellas caught hell that day, they were only wanting to shoot some ducks, warm spells wouldn’t push the ducks out of their summer range. Frustrating for sure when one wants to shoot ducks. That was one bad weather system. Never heard of that from back when. Good job explaining things. Thanks
