At 95, Bob Rupp might be the oldest deer hunter to take to the woods Saturday when the state's whitetail season opens. But his tree perch won't be any lower to the ground this season than in any year in the past half-century.
In fact, it might be higher.
"I'll be up 10 or 12 feet or so,'' Rupp said.
Rupp, of Stillwater, will hunt with a gang of about 10 people, as he has in years past. A couple will be his contemporaries, more or less, including Gordy Gerling of Little Falls, 93, and Ray Gerst of St. Paul, 83. "I'll be bringing a birthday cake to camp for Ray,'' Rupp said.
Born in Nebraska, Rupp reported for duty the day after he graduated from college. Against the Germans in the Battle of the Bulge, he was a battery commander, and was awarded a Bronze Star with the V Device, signifying combat heroism.
"When the war ended, places to live were hard to find, as were jobs,'' Rupp said. "My wife had a sister living in St. Paul, and she and her husband gave us a place to stay and helped us get started here in Minnesota.''
In 1950, Rupp was hired by The Farmer magazine, produced by Webb Publishing in St. Paul, and served as its editor for 13 years before retiring in 1984.
"At the time, nine out of 10 farmers in Minnesota read our magazine,'' Rupp said. "One farmer told me, 'The only things I read are The Farmer and the Bible.' ''