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Hunt'nFish, Mike Knifong killed in car crash

35K views 189 replies 149 participants last post by  AtItAgain 
#1 · (Edited)
I received a devastating call a minute ago from Michelle Knifong letting me know that Mike was killed in a car accident last week. Apparently he was coming home from hunting in Eastern Oregon when he went off the road, over the side and plunged 80 feet in his truck.

Services are still being planned, possibly Oct 22nd in Enterprise, OR. I will keep you updated.:pray:

If you have photos of you and Mike in the field hunting, fishing, boating, or at the OWF, post them up. I am sure his loved ones would like to see how he touched us all.
 
#165 ·
It’s hard to hear such sad news after returning home from a hunt.
Mike and I both worked at Tektronix and frequently cross paths on the job and afterwards working on our special projects in the engineering machine shop after hours.
Had the pleasure of visiting his home on many occasions and meeting his wife and daughters.
Mike was a pedal to the metal sort of guy, no matter if he was at work, in the field, or on the water. He lived life with gusto, but never losing sight of what really mattered.
My favorite non-sporting memory of Mike was him running the stairs at work to get into better general physical condition. I should have known he was actually preparing for elk season.

Mike, you will be missed.

John
 
#166 ·
It’s hard to hear such sad news after returning home from a hunt.
Mike and I both worked at Tektronix and frequently cross paths on the job and afterwards working on our special projects in the engineering machine shop after hours.
Had the pleasure of visiting his home on many occasions and meeting his wife and daughters.
Mike was a pedal to the metal sort of guy, no matter if he was at work, in the field, or on the water. He lived life with gusto, but never losing sight of what really mattered.
My favorite non-sporting memory of Mike was him running the stairs at work to get into better general physical condition. I should have known he was actually preparing for elk season.

Mike, you will be missed.

John
I remember when he did that. He gradually increased the amount of weight he was packing and how many flights of stairs he did. He got into really good shape for that hunt. Between him and his family they had something like 4 spike elk tags that year. From his hunt report they had all 4 elk on the ground within the first hour of the first day of the hunt.
 
#167 ·
I have followed this on my facebook page as some of my friends have spoke of Mikes passing. I have never met Mike, and thought it was funny so many of my friends knew this guy but I didn't know who they were talking about. Now that I can put a moniker to a name thru this thread, I feel as if I knew him. RIP
 
#169 ·
Ok I just spoke to Cascade cigar on 82 here in Clackamas Cascade Berry Blend is one of their house blends they are out right now but will have more next Wednesday. I will be going down and buying a few ounces to smoke in remembrance to Mike
 
#172 ·
I posted right after it happened, when it was a fresh punch in the stomach. I just didn't know what to say other than it hurt to lose a friend whose qualities for giving were as admirable as they get. I still don't know what I'd like to say other than it's simply not getting any better. So sorry Mike. Just one of so many that will never feel right about the loss. When I think about how many times you've driven down that grade without a care.....
 
#176 ·
I just spoke with Michelle and a date for the local celebration of life has been set. It will be Thursday, November 17th at 6pm at McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse in Hillsboro. Address is 4045 NW Cornelius Pass Rd.

-jokester
 
#177 ·
I finally have the gumption to post a response. Mike has been like a brother to me. We met nearly ten years ago at a coyote hunt that Rusty put on near Brothers. Mike and I have fished, hunted, camped together and went together as partners on stock. I received a call from his brother the day it happened and was in disbelief. Mike has helped me pack many animals out of the woods and we already had plans for future hunts.

I have been in contact with his brother, Ken, and he wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers and kind words.

"Kill'em where you find'em"-Mike Knifong
 

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#178 ·
I have to say I wish I would have contacted him this summer when I had some questions. He was local to me and I liked what he had done with some of his dyi pack builds and was gonna build one myself. I am not one to reach or ask for help do to being a little shy sometimes. I have no doubt we would have hit it off and he would have helped me anyway he could. I kick myself for not making the call to meet with him.

I will be at the Celebration of life though thats forsure.

Still praying for his family and friends!!!
 
#180 ·
RIP, Mike. Times never forgotten. Sometimes its the luck of the draw, the people you meet.

What a man he was.

I thought I would add that on this trip to SI, Mike told me about photobucket on the walk back to the rigs, as a good way to store photos, and that it was easy to post on ifish once they were in photobucket. These were my very first pix on PB, must have been 10-12 years ago.






 
#184 · (Edited)
Spent the weekend in Enterprise saying good bye. Lovely service that was well attended, so much so they needed to bring out more chairs at the church for people to sit in.


A group ifisher toast at Terminal Gravity Brewery. Around the horn left to right: Blake = hunteraholic, Eric = Duckmaster, Sam = QuackAttack, Rich = ReelKnotty, Lonny = Brotherwolf, Rob = Orjagar, Joe not on ifish, Rob = OldGuysRule, Yours truly headhunter.


Mike's brother Ken called and invited us over to his house where we shared Mike stories around a very large campfire.


Seeing where he grew up, you can see how the area shaped his life. I can imagine Mike in his youth getting his hunting & fishing supplies here in Joeseph, and perhaps a future ifish hunting and fishing monkier too.


The hills he loved.


Save some for the rest of us Mike.
 
#188 ·
Spent the weekend in Enterprise saying good bye. Lovely service that was well attended, so much so they needed to bring out more chairs at the church for people to sit in.


Very Nice... Thanks for sharing :cheers:
Got the Celebration of Life on the calendar for Thursday, November 17th at 6pm at McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse in Hillsboro. Address is 4045 NW Cornelius Pass Rd.
 
#187 ·
After the service it didn't seem right to be standing around indoors on such a beautiful day and in such a beautiful location. Inevitably, a bunch of friends, new and old, migrated outside to reminisce of time's past and of memories shared.

Even though we had just said goodbye, it became apparent to all present that Mike would always remain with us when a very familiar chorus began to echo over the valley. It started with just a few faint notes originating from behind the church. At first you couldn't see them but we all knew the song. What started with single notes soon turned into a full autumn symphony when a hundred westerns passed low overhead, winging their way to places unknown. Goodbye, old friend. Until we meet again, goodbye.
 
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