Arvid F Benson was an avid outdoorsman, a distinguished rifleman and an exceptional hunter. The time that he so generously gave of himself to the next generation of hunters, including me, was a blessing and greatly impacted the direction my life would take. He taught me to shoot, to trap to hunt, and to appreciate the outdoors. Those very early days spend with Mr. Benson on the range or in the field invariably helped cast the die for the Fish and Wildlife professional I would eventually become. His loving wife Dorothy was as eager to get out as he was and often accompanied him on hunting adventures across North America. One of his favorite destinations was the Cassiar Mountains of British Columbia with his friend and guide Frank Stewart.In his lifetime Mr. Benson achieved a Distinguished Marksmen award and collected one of every species of North American Big Game. He had two Grand Slams on North American Wild Sheep, the animals he most enjoyed hunting.In the years I had the pleasure of tagging along beside him in the field I learned a great deal. The day he died was the day I graduated from High School and the day before I was off for Alaska. I know he liked the idea that I would be seeking adventure in the “Great Land”, as he called it. He is of the generation whose names cannot easily be “searched” or “googled”. Mention of him can be found for his offerings in a book entitled Grand Slams for North American Wild Sheep, an original copy, with his dedication to me, is a treasured possession of mine.Upon his passing, all of his mounted trophies were donated to Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia. There were over 117 mounts, many of which were B&C Record Book entries. He was a great friend and a great man.
