A hunting guide turned friend…
You might be cool, but are you Johnny Cash on a moose hunt cool? In 1961, Johnny Cash was given the incredible opportunity to go on a moose hunt in Canada. While the image below seems to pop up here and there across social media, showing a rugged Cash during the hunt, the details of the Newfoundland, Canada, excursion were few and far between for many years.
That was until the son of Cash’s former business manager, Jonathan Holliff, was contacted by a man who said he found a box filled with images of The Man in Black in his father’s old storage locker. After connecting with the man to receive the photos and finding numerous photographs from the famed moose hunting trip, Holliff knew he needed to do something with these treasures.
With many of the images providing a more extensive backstory to the legendary moose hunt, Holliff got to work on creating a documentary and started reaching out to those involved with Cash’s visit to Newfoundland.
In 1961, Johnny Cash took a moose-hunting trip to central Newfoundland, and played some shows along the way.
But this year, never-before-seen photos of the trip were discovered…at a garage sale! See the Man in Black in black and white, and hear this fascinating tale. pic.twitter.com/y1382MdTIk
— CBC Newfoundland and Labrador (@CBCNL) October 15, 2020
One of the more critical conversations Holliff had during his research for the documentary When Johnny Got His Moose was with Cash’s hunting guide. Heman Whalen led the trip in October of 1961, and hearing it through his lens is incredible.
In a 2020 interview with CBC News, Whalen recalled it like it was yesterday.
“We were fortunate, I guess, in keeping it fairly quiet. But then, on the other hand… when this trip took place, Johnny Cash wasn’t as famous as he went on to be.
Everyone thinks of Johnny Cash as sort of being a tremendous entertainer and a musician. However, I saw Johnny Cash as a real good hunter.”
Not sure if any of you ever knew that Johnny Cash visited Newfoundland in 1961 on a moose hunting trip, but he sure as shit did and this majestic-ass photo (taken near Victoria Lake and Millertown) is proof of it. pic.twitter.com/4eRLHirTJJ
— Graven (@gravencanada) August 5, 2020
When Whalen led the excursion, Cash had yet to reach the peak of his career. Cash and Whalen were 29 at the time, and while Cash was well-known among country fans, he had yet to reach his peak of stardom. While it’s still unknown if the moose hunt was a four- or ten-day excursion, Whalen recalled being instantly connected to Cash as they both served in the Air Force. That instant bond grew over the few days they would spend together. Whalen was a country music fan and, ironically, was a fan of Johnny Cash, even though he was a smaller name at the time.
“He was in the station wagon, introduced himself, and I introduced myself. And from then on, I would say we were the best of friends.”
After being formally introduced, they were off to their cabin before heading out to hunt the giant beasts. Whalen told the news outlet that he put immense pressure on himself to ensure Cash took down a sizable moose.
“I was very anxious to see Johnny Cash get his moose first. Once he got it, it took a little bit of a burden off my shoulders. About 20 minutes out of camp, he had a moose.
I found out later that he was quite happy to get the much smaller moose, ’cause he was looking for the perfect meat. He wanted good eating meat, which is what he got. Generally, if I’m alone, it would take me 10 minutes to field dress a moose. It probably took Johnny Cash an hour.”
When Cash and Whalen were not on the move scouting game, they bonded over simple things like family, shared morals, and how they grew up.
“Johnny Cash was a very family-minded person. He grew up doing what his mother told him and his father told him. That was his philosophy in life… He was a very ordinary person. He thought Newfoundland was a beautiful place.… He had dreams of coming back again.”
After the two men returned from their hiatus to hunt, Whalen and Cash vowed their paths would cross again.
“We agreed not to say goodbye; we agreed to say that we would get together again. We both underrated how much we enjoyed the trip. We had a lot of admiration for each other.”
While Whalen has memories that will last a lifetime from this adventure, the more heartfelt part of the story is that his presence on the hunt might have been a factor in Cash getting his life together.
Allegedly, Johnny Cash was struggling with the use of prescription pills in the early to mid-60s, and he had stepped away from music quite a few times throughout 1961 due to issues he was having with his voice. As he became more famous, feeling the pressure to perform and growing dependent on his new vices, he quickly descended a slippery slope.
When Cash went on the moose hunt, this served as the off-the-grid time he needed to get back on track, and Whalen’s comrade could have been a factor in him getting back in the saddle. While this is not confirmed, hearing the fondness the two had for each other makes one wonder if he was a person who helped him turn Cash on the right path.
A few years later, Johnny Cash returned to Canada for several shows as a megastar and would later propose to his lady, June Carter Cash.
Johnny Cash proposes marriage to June Carter on stage in London, Ontario, before an audience of 7,000 people. She accepts and they are married on March 1, 1968. pic.twitter.com/4kwTMqwbeV
— Old Canada Series (@oldcanadaseries) July 14, 2023
If you want to learn more about Cash’s Canadian adventures, including more details about the famed moose hunt, Johnny Cash: The Lost Tour of Newfoundland is the motion picture for you. The release date has been pushed back to 2026; however, the trailer featuring the mind behind it, Jonathan Holliff, gives excellent insight into what to expect.
Johnny Cash lived quite the life, and stories like this keep his legacy outside of music alive and well.
