It was a half century ago right now when the world’s space race was moved to a world-class hunting event held here in obscure Wyoming.
For years, the space programs in the USA and the former USSR had been discussing how they could possibly help each other in the case of a space catastrophe.
By 1974, a half century ago, the solution was to build special standardized connectors into the capsules used by each nation, that would have the ability for each to dock with the other. Thus, they could rescue each other in case of an accident. But it needed testing and the crews needed to work with each other prior to going into space.
A three-man crew of astronauts from the USA and a two-man crew of cosmonauts from the USSR were picked to participate in this pioneering program.
First, It Was Off To Wyoming
But first, there was this event in Wyoming that they were going to participate in called the One Shot Antelope Hunt in Lander.
By 1974, some 12 astronauts had already competed in the annual One Shot Hunt and it was one of their favorite activities. Wouldn’t it be fun for the Russians to join the Americans at this event out in the hinterlands of America?
Back then, I was publisher of the Lander newspaper and covering the One Shot was one of the high points of the year. Later I became the historian for the One Shot Hunt and when asked what I thought was the most significant hunt of all time, I always said it was 1974. It was just an amazing event to see these international space men in person working together.
The US team competing included Stuart Roosa, Joe Allen, and Dave Scott. The Russian team was Alexei Leonov and Valery Kubasov. Leonov was a giant in the history of spaceflight as the first human to ever walk in space, which he did in March of 1965.
Their ultimate goal involved docking an American Apollo command module with a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft. It became known as the Apollo-Soyuz Joint Mission.
But first, the five men had been training together in Florida and Houston and now it was time to go to Wyoming for the One Shot.
For the first time, a cosmonaut and an astronaut greet each other in space. (Courtesy: NASA) 
The three Russian Cosmonauts on stage at the One Shot Banquet with club president Harold Meier. (Courtesy: Bill Sniffin) 
The three-member Russian team poses during the One Shot Hunt in Lander 50 years ago. From left: Valery Kubasov, Gen.Vladimar Shatalov, and Alexei Leonov. (Photo by Hack Hackford, provided by Bill Sniffin) 
Artist rendering of joint docking in space between Apollo and Soyuz. (Courtesy: NASA)
Shocked By All The Guns
Leonov was a very funny man and with his broken English he thanked the people of Wyoming for their hospitality. However, you could honestly see how visibly shaken the two Russians were by all the high-powered rifles being carried around by civilians during their time here.
The event involved target shooting at the local range and then “sighting in” their rifles in Sinks Canyon. The sounds of high-powered rifles going off was almost constant. To these men who lived in a country where fire arms were restricted, you could tell they were shocked and at times, uneasy.
Everywhere you looked there were pickup trucks with rifles hanging in the back windows.
The One Shot is a classic event that calls itself the Super Bowl of Shooting Sports. It has been around since 1949 and has attracted celebrities, government officials, and sportsmen for years.
That hunt 50 years ago, besides the Russian and American astronaut teams, included Attorney General William Saxbe, actor James Drury, Gen. Curtis LeMay, and five governors: Colorado’s John Vanderhoof, California’s Pat Brown, South Dakota’s Richard Kneip, New Mexico’s Bruce King, and Wyoming’s Stan Hathaway.
Hanging around were Past Shooters, the actor Roy Rogers, singer Lauritz Melchior, and military heroes Jimmy Doolittle and Joe Foss.
The hunt is patterned after a traditional Shoshone Indian hunt where the hunter, using a bow and arrow, is limited pretty much to one shot. Thus, in order to win the hunt, you have to kill your antelope with the first shot. Animals are not allowed to suffer so if a second or third shot is needed, it is required, but it no longer counts as one shot kill.
‘Tough Shitski’
Long-time guide Jack Scarlett recalls the hunt as the “most competitive” one he was ever involved with.
And typically, all five astronauts scored kills with the win going to the American Astronauts. Since the teams had to each have three members a Russia general Vladimar Shatalov also competed but he missed, costing the Russians the chance to win the event.
Shatalov’s guide, the late Jim Guschewski, told the general “Tough Shitski” when he complained that someone had given him a wooden bullet for his first shot, and thus he deserved a second try?
After the hunt, Leonov recalled that he was ready to shoot his antelope very early in the morning but “my guide said, no that was a very old jackrabbit.”
A very exclusive club connected to the One Shot is the Past Shooters Club, which is limited only to people who have competed in the prestigious hunt.
Space Docking Successful
Later in July, 1975, the US astronauts and USSR cosmonauts conducted a very successful rendezvous in space with the docking going just as planned.
We ran a big photo of the event on the front page of our Lander newspaper under the banner headline: ONE SHOT PAST SHOOTERS HOLD REUNION IN SPACE!
Bill Sniffin can be reached at: Bill@CowboyStateDaily.com
