Boar hunting for Favre

[GrnBay007]

Former Favre teammates expect him to become 'ghost'

Associated Press
Updated: March 9, 2008, 4:15 PM EST

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Even in retirement, Brett Favre is still looking for big game.

The Green Bay Packers icon apparently spent the first days of the rest of his life hunting wild boar.

Former Favre teammate and close friend Frank Winters said Favre sent him a text message during the hunting trip he took after holding his retirement news conference Thursday - a preview of the laid-back life former teammates expect Favre to settle into now that he has hung up his helmet.

While the idea of Favre going to work for a television network is popular, Winters and others think he's simply going to disappear for a while.

"I really don't think he'll really get into that stuff right now," said Winters, who was in Green Bay on Saturday for the Packers' annual fan fest at Lambeau Field. "Maybe a few years from now. Who knows?"

Favre cited fatigue as the reason for his retirement, and said he didn't have any plans for the future - other than to rest and get out of the spotlight.

Favre's favorite receiver in recent years, Donald Driver, laughed when he heard the quarterback bring up the idea of coming back to Green Bay for a ceremonial pregame coin toss next season.

"First thing I said is, 'He ain't coming back for no coin toss,"' Driver said. "He's going to be a ghost. That's the thing - he has to get away from the game for a little while."

New Green Bay Packers president and chief executive officer Mark Murphy said Favre hasn't officially filed his retirement paperwork with the NFL yet, but only considers that step a formality.

And while Driver wouldn't completely rule out a Michael Jordan-style comeback for Favre - "I don't know," Driver said. "It'd be hard to say." - his hunch is that Favre is finished with football.

"I think in his mind right now, he's probably said, 'If I ever leave the game, I'm done. I'm not coming back,"' Driver said. "And we make jokes all the time. He said, 'When I'm done, you'll be the only one that can find me,' because I know exactly where he lives at."

Murphy, a former All-Pro safety for the Washington Redskins, said retirement can be a tough adjustment for athletes.

"I think he really wants to take some time to just kind of get away from everything," Murphy said. "And as a former player, I think the transition away from playing professional athletics and playing in the NFL, it can be difficult. And every circumstance is a little bit different. But I think the hardest thing will be those games in the fall."

That's when retirement hit Murphy the hardest.

"I didn't really miss training camp, didn't really miss the minicamps," Murphy said. "But when the games came around in the fall, that's when it really becomes difficult to see your teammates and friends playing. But people have gone through it. And he obviously thought it through. He really knew that it was time for him to step down."

Former Favre teammate Marco Rivera said Favre might struggle to come to grips with the "weird" notion of not having to live within a regimented NFL schedule, but that feeling will fade.

"After a few months, you start to settle down," Rivera said. "You kind of just relax and say, 'OK' - start making some phone calls, get in touch with some of the people you knew in the past and move forward."

Driver was surprised when he heard of Favre's decision because he never saw any sign that the NFL's only three-time MVP was fatigued during the season.

"He never showed it toward us," Driver said. "Every week, he was preparing himself for the best game he can play. I never saw it, sitting next to him, talking to him."

Driver was in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, celebrating his anniversary when he heard the news last week. Driver hasn't spoken to Favre yet - but did talk to him after the final game of the season, just in case.

"I told him before he left after the last game, I said, 'When my time comes to retire, I just hope I have the same respect from the media, the fans, and everyone else around the world that you have,"' Driver said. "He smiled and said, 'You think I've got a lot?' I said, 'You have plenty."'

Winters said Favre wouldn't have much trouble finding other things to do in retirement - like "knocking down trees and stuff" on his tractor.

"Sooner or later, you feel enough is enough," Winters said. "No matter how much money you make, you want to get away from it."

[RashanGary]

Favres compound is beautiful. The home itself looks fantastic, but it's surrounded by beautifull hardwoods and is very private. That would be like heaven on earth, just to be away from people. I don't like being around people and I'm not famous. I can't imagine what Favre goes through.

[packrulz]

Favre has always enjoyed hunting and fishing, I know he caught a Muskie his first time out in Wisconsin, not an easy task, and I'd bet he's shot some nice bucks in his day, but I haven't been able to find any photos of him with his game. If anyone can post some I'd like to see it. Thanks.

[green_bowl_packer]

http://www.classicsportsoriginals.com/images/en_US/products/00032.jpg


Good Favre hunting story here too

http://www.storybookbucks.com/favre/index.html

http://www.storybookbucks.com/favre/images/favrepicbig.jpg

There is a world-renowned maker of hunting bows in Sparta, WI . Green Bay's trio had ordered custom bows from here & they called the bow-maker to go hunting here. They flew into Sparta on a private plane and told the bow-maker that if there was any press hoopla, they would fly away. They hunted on a farm near Sparta and apparently spent some time with the family there. They were in the barn and Favre got a kick out of the cows' names being posted above their stalls. I guess he was quite funny-big surprise. This was just a couple of weeks ago.

Here's the article from the Jackson County Chronicle...

Any true Packer fan dreams about meeting quarterback Brett Favre. It would even be more extraordinary to have Brett Favre come into your home. Al and Nancy McCoy can proudly say they were hosts to three Green Bay Packer players.
" I'm still bouncing off the ceiling," McCoy said.
Brett Favre, Doug Pederson and Wesley Walls made a trip to McCoy's woodlands to make an attempt to bag a buck on Oct. 17. The Packer players also stopped for a visit inside the McCoy's house.
" It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Nancy said.
The McCoys knew someone was coming to hunt deer on their property that day, but they had no idea who they might be. The McCoys own a farm on Highway B near Cataract. Fort McCoy was named after Al's grandfather.
Favre, 34, is quarterback, Pederson, 35, is backup quarterback and Walls, 37, is tight end for the Packers. All three men are from the Louisiana-Mississippi region, with Favre graduating from Southern Mississippi, Pederson from Northeast Louisiana and Walls from University of Mississippi.
John Dudley, professional archer and salesman with Mathew's Inc. in Sparta, had hunted on McCoy's property several times. About four weeks prior to the Packer players' arrival, Dudley asked Al McCoy if it was alright to bring in some celebrities to hunt on his property. "I said it would be fine as long as I can meet them," McCoy said, although he had no idea what celebrities Dudley was talking about.
Earlier in the day on Oct. 17, Dudley called McCoy and told him, "You might want to be around this evening." McCoy saw the trucks roll in about 4 p.m. He got done milking cows about 6:30 p.m. and 15 minutes later, the trucks drove up to his house.
Al and Nancy were shocked to see Favre, Pederson and Walls walking into their kitchen.
" They seemed like ordinary guys," he said. "We didn't talk about football at all. I treated them as hunters."
Pederson bagged an eight-point buck and Walls had an opportunity to get one, but he had his bow release on backwards. Because of that misfortune, Walls was the subject of some ribbing by Pederson and Favre.
Favre mentioned he likes the hills in the area. "I told him they get steeper every year," McCoy said. "He told me the football field gets bigger every year, too."
The three Packers flew into Angelo Airport on Fort McCoy that day, then toured the Mathew's Inc. hunting bow plant in Sparta before driving out to the McCoy farm. Dudley had been back into McCoy's woods several weeks prior to the Packer players' arrival and he had the tree stands ready for the celebrity visitors.
" He had it all prepared," McCoy said. "He knows his hunting."
" The icing on the cake is that he (Pederson) got an eight pointer," McCoy said. "They were excited."
Favre's pilot took a picture of Favre, Pederson, Walls, and Al and Nancy McCoy in their kitchen. But a picture is not the only keepsake to remember the chance meeting. "All three players autographed my kitchen table," McCoy said.
" They are very big guys. You can tell that from the picture," McCoy said. "I shook Brett's hand and mine was pretty small compared to his."
McCoy said he didn't know whether or not Head Coach Mike Sherman knew if the three were hunting on his property. Perhaps the hunting trip caused some distraction from football, he said. "But I'm not going to take responsibility for the team losing the following Sunday to the Rams," McCoy said jokingly. "I'm not responsible for Brett's broken thumb, either."[/url]

[BallHawk]

Anybody hear Ty Detmer on NFLN telling the story about going hunting with Favre?

[Deputy Nutz]

Anybody hear Ty Detmer on NFLN telling the story about going hunting with Favre?

"You sure got alot dogs running around here."

"Those aren't dogs Brett, they are deer, you know what we came here to hunt."

[packinpatland]

I just like the fact that Brett's photo is with a dead BEAR. :twisted:

...........after taking another look., is the bear alive?

[BallHawk]

Anybody hear Ty Detmer on NFLN telling the story about going hunting with Favre?

"You sure got alot dogs running around here."

"Those aren't dogs Brett, they are deer, you know what we came here to hunt."

Yup, that's the one.

Highlight of the whole program was that story. :D

[packrulz]

Thanks Green Bowl, I love that stuff. I think Brett would be a perfect candidate to host a hunting show, like Brian Noble and Ted Nugent.

[LL2]

I think Favre will truly become a "ghost". I really believe he never played the game for fame (maybe fortune), but because he loved the game. Favre could've done hundreds of commercials like Peyton Manning, and a lot of TV appearances. When he wasn't playing football he just faded away. I do not think he will ever get into radio or TV broadcasting, although he could make a lot of money doing it. Favre probably wants to ability to go to a gas station, grocery store, or amusement park and go about just like we would without being bothered.