doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com How many hunting seasons for you?

It's been 63 seasons and a couple of years before that when I was allowed to come along, but not shoot. Began with a Winchester Model 37 single shot .410, which I still take along once every year.

I picked up on dove shoots and followed my grandfather bird hunting from about age 8 or earlier. My actual hunting seasons began when I was 10 ( which was 59 years ago) and I've never missed one so far.

I began with a Stevens model 94 youth model .410. When I was 12 my grandfather gave me his Marlin Fourtenner lever action 2.5" .410 and two trained 15" rabbit beagles. I supplied the neighborhood with rabbits for years.

After a few years I graduated to Bobwhite Quail and bird dogs. The birds down here ran out in about 1990. I went through the usual duck hunting obsession and still make a trip to Sask. every Fall to hunt both waterfowl and game birds.

Turkeys came along here-abouts right along the time the quail ran out. I'm still hard at that...Geo

I was blessed with two grandfathers who both hunted. One hunted quail mostly with my handicapped uncle and the other hunted waterfowl, both would fill in with squirrels and bunnies given the chance. Both were happy to take me when ever I could go. I was the only grandson for one and the only hunting grandson for the other. I doubt I went hunting over a hundred days with them and I wish it had been more. Caring and good to me they were but they were farmers who liked the land and respected game which they taught me was the entire point. If we had a good day and saw a lot of birds we would stop early just to give the birds a break as they would say. Limits were not the point and still are not for me or my kids. I learned their lessons well.

38 since age 14, would be three more but I missed those while deployed. Two of the 38 were partials as I missed a big chunk because of other deployments.

46 years since the fall of 1971. I shot a pair of Greenwing Teal in Salem County New Jersey. I come from a long line of South Jersey duck hunters.

This will be my 58th dove season. I will be 66 in October, and went on my first dove shoot with Grandaddy at age 8. I had been given a .410 S x S to care for, and a dove lit on the ground about 20 yds. from me and I swatted him. Nobody knew I didn't kill him on the wing, and I didn't tell them any differently.

Grandaddy took me squirrel hunting with that .410, soon after it was given to me, and all I killed was an owl. Hey, Grandaddy said to shoot it and I did. Grandaddy was the closest thing to God that I knew.

I have a friend, Gess, a bit younger than me, who relayed this story about his first duck hunt with his Dad. They were crouched on the dam of a small pond, early morning, when his Dad said there were ducks coming their way, and for Gess to remain squatted down until Dad said for him to jump up and take them. Gess said that when his Dad said to shoot .... he jumped to his feet and looked straight ahead. At that instant a teal hit him square in the chest and knocked him off his feet and on his back. He said ....... "It hurt!!!". I'll just bet it did.

SRH

63 seasons

bill

47. I tagged along for most of a decade before I was allowed to carry a shotgun, but, I would have gone along another decade just to be out with my Dad.
I come from a very small family, and Dad was it.

But he was all I needed.


Best,
Ted

My dad would take us down to the dump on my grandfathers farm and teach us to shoot with his Winchester 62.

My uncle Jim, one of the best men I'll ever know, along with my dad, came and got me from the farm house one day and practically dragged me a short ways out into the woods back of the house. I say dragged though I was very willing, but my legs were much shorter than his. He stuck a 410 in my hands and pointed out a squirrel out on a tree limb and said shoot it. I think he was surprised I hit it, and he dashed out and retrieved it so the dogs wouldn't get it. I think the dogs maybe treed it, I don't know for sure. I was nine. The legal age in PA is 12, so 51 for me. What's the statute of limitations on shooting a squirrel at nine years old?

I turn 60 toward the end of the month. My uncle Jim let me tag along on a goose hunt when I was five. Even then he let me carry an unloaded Daisy BB gun.

I've missed a couple of seasons along the way for various reasons, but for the most part it's been over fifty seasons.