This may get a little drawn out for some so in advance I apologize but I've had some time to think on it, and it has to be posted for my sake.
I have been home now for about 48 hours from a hunting trip to Oklahoma in pursuit of the wiley quail. While the results of the hunting trip were not what I had dreamed is was good. We moved enough birds for it to be interesting and had fun. My only companion for the trip was my best hunting partner, Dad. While the days of he and I setting off on an ardent journey at sun up only to return to the truck for lunch or close of shooting time is over the 2 hours we get to spend meandering around behind our setters (he gets tired after a couple hard hours now) is still greatly appreciated by both. What did dissappoint me is the lack of enthusiasm toward upland hunting in general. We stayed in a wonderful little town called Beaver in a quaint little motel. There were a couple of good eating places in town, and anything else you could ask for in a town of 1300. There is 24000 acres of public hunting that is within 2 miles of Beaver. Everything was there sans one thing... The quaint little gun shop or gun rack at the hardware store. The people were friendly but all seemed to ask why we where hunting birds and not deer. Actually they kind of look at us like we were a little silly. Now I know that chasing upland game behind a fine dog (you can fill in the blank here mine just happens to be a setter) doesn't have the swagger of shooting a "book" big game animal but it is my passion and what I grew up doing. With all the "TV hunters" now it seems as though deer hunting rules. The "bird" guns seem to have dried up at smaller shows and those little shops that have some on a dusty old rack seem to be like finding hens teeth.
I can remember going on hunting trips with Dad when I was younger and we would hunt mornings in a strange place, drive around the little towns and stop to oggle the local fair and generally find some of these little shops. Sometimes there was a prize to be had too! Seems like we can't find them anymore. What is to "blame"? The internet has certainly increased availablity to a broader market and has had some influence on price as well.
My biggest fear is that once my Dad is no longer able to go hunting with me that I will be with out a hunting partner. I have tried to introduce people to my sport around here but to no avail. The dwindling bird population in Iowa doesn't help I'm sure... At 28 years of age I fear that I will see the end of my/our sport before I am ready as I don't see many people under 35-40 participating anymore. When I go to gun shows I see younger people but the general audience is for black rifles and handguns. My quite unpopular, I'm sure, opinion on hand guns and black rifles is- Hey you wanna play army man and go out and blow up 2000 rnds of ammo in a couple hours fine, join the service!! This younger generation I belong to doesn't seem to care much for "sport" To me the hunt is not all about the kill, it is a whole expirience that culminates with everything going right at once, A beautiful day, a nice gun, a good hunting partner, and a dog performing at peak level, the icing being a perfect shot followed by a retrieve. When I admire that bird, fold his beautiful plumes and tuck him neatly in my vest, the day and the moment are next to nirvana. I guess you can say it's my addiction. Cap the afternoon of with a pleasent conversation over a fire, and the smell of tobacco, Irish whiskey, and Hoppe's #9 and man I'm there. Sadly though I see this fading away all too quickly. Perhaps partially through the mortality of it all, perhaps because I can't seem to find someone that enjoys it as much as I do. (Even Dad calls me a gun yuppy sometimes) There's always hope for my children, but alas they are very young yet, and I don't know if I will be able to pursuade them to join me in my endevours.
I hope the senseless ramblin' didn't put anyone off too much, I guess that's why I enjoy this board so much we seem to be a like minded community. It's just something I had to get off my chest.
Last edited by Steve I.; 01/09/11 11:46 PM.
