Casually Kristen

LOUISVILLE, Colorado — Bowhunting. Elk. Game meat. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, few things sum up a Colorado lifestyle quite like the way the Mathews family lives in Louisville.

“Learning to bowhunt has been one of the most character-defining moments of my life,” Fleetwood Mathews said. “It has tested me in ways few things can and forced me to learn and adapt. I look forward to spending some alone time in the woods every season. It is one of those very few times where no one can reach me and the decisions of the day and objective are simple. I’ve definitely matured and grown as a person as a result of it.”

Fleetwood Mathews picked up bowhunting seven years ago, and it quickly became part of his identity. So much so that he’s on the board of the Gamelines Archery Club in Boulder, and even built a full archery range on his family’s acre of land.

Mathews’ dedication to the sport turned into his desire to live more sustainably– resulting in two freezers full of meat that he either hunted himself or bought from a local ranch.

“I haven’t bought a steak from the store in probably three or four years,” Mathews shared, “I had a whole Elk, but hadn’t even had the first backstrap steak yet. Last year, I worked with two local ranchers; I got a half beef from a buddy of mine with the archery club and another half beef from Flying B Bar Ranch out East – that beef was Colorado wagyu and I had been saving all the good cuts for a special occasion. It just crushes me to think that there were thousands of dollars of meat in those freezers.”

Mathews uses the past tense in that sentence because his family was one of many victims of the Marshall Fire– a devastating wildfire that broke out in Boulder County in December 2021.

“When I went back to see what was left of my home, it looked like a warzone – like someone dropped napalm on our property,” Mathews said. “There was only ash and twisted metal. I spent a few minutes looking at my old freezers and all that was left were some charred bones and elk knuckles that I was going to make beef broth out of. I picked one of them up and it just fell apart in my hands. Beyond feeding my family, there were lots of memories associated with that meat and how I got it.”

In an effort to get back on his feet, Mathews emailed CPW about getting his late-season list C Elk Hunting License reprinted. He was hoping to get another copy, and hopefully be pointed toward a problem herd in the community to boost his meat supply.

What he got in return was so much more.

Instead of simply replying to the email, CPW forwarded it to the entire team. Wildlife officers responded that they had recently seized an elk carcass from a person who illegally obtained it. When this happens, CPW says if the meat is salvageable, they donate it to people and families in need.

So on Friday, Jan. 28, wildlife officer Sam Peterson delivered Mathews an entire elk.

“I love elk meat – my whole family does,” he said. “My buddy, Matt, helped me process it real fast and because I wasn’t in the field, we got to make some fun cuts. I’m beyond pumped. My mom is cooking the neck roast as we speak – she was just as excited as I was to get it. It’s going to feed everyone in the family in 2022.”

Now, the Mathews family is back on track thanks to this meaty donation from CPW!

A quick note though– that’s not all CPW has done to help with the Marshall Fire.

According to their website, “In the days following the fire, CPW’s field services made contact with incident command and worked with Northeast Region staff to schedule officers 24/7 to assist for seven days post-fire. In all, 43 wildlife and parks officers responded from as far away as Rangely, Colo., and there were many more officers who volunteered to help than shifts available. These officers ran roadblocks, patrolled impacted neighborhoods, and helped respond to calls.

A special thank you to everyone in the community helping out their neighbors!