The Cupertino Courier

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Senior citizen, 87, bags buck--80 yards away--with first shot

By MICHELLE MAGRIBI

Longtime Cupertino resident and community activist Pete Camarda will celebrate his 88th birthday in October and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon, as evidenced by a recent successful hunting trip where Camarda brought home a three-point buck.

Camarda was born on a prune ranch in Cupertino on Blaney Avenue in 1918 and currently lives on another piece of property purchased by his parents in 1925. Married to Evelyn for 63 years, Camarda considers himself fortunate to still be enjoying life.

"I told my wife we would dance at our 64th wedding anniversary next July," Camarda said.

Camarda was recognized as Cupertino Citizen of the Year in 1983 and has been active in organizing an annual community event since 1964 called the Fish-a-Thon. Hosted by the Cupertino Lions club, the event benefits children and adults with special needs. "My father used to teach us that you treat your fellow man the way you'd like to be treated," Camarda said.

In August, he senior tracked a full-grown blacktailed buck, bagging it with the first shot. The family frequently visits the privately owned hunting camp managed by Pete's brother, Joe Camarda Jr.

Every year, Pete and his nephew, Joe--known to family members as Pepe--spend time together at the BK Ranch on Mount Hamilton.

The ranch has a six-week hunting season. Each year, six or fewer older bucks are harvested, helping to control what has historically been an overpopulation of deer at the ranch.

"We do not harvest any young legal bucks," said Joe. "The ones we chose are all older."

Pete Camarda has hunted since the age of 8 and believes in eating what he harvests. In August, after he killed the 125-pound blacktail stag with its antler spread of 20 inches, he put a lot of venison in the freezer.

Pepe admires his uncle's active life. "I asked my uncle before we went out [hunting] if he felt lucky," Pepe said. "He told me, 'I'm still alive, ain't I?'