Western Pa, about 45 minutes from Pittsburgh in 1953. Could shoot in my back yard (and did, a lot). I routinely carried an old Spanish side by side in the trunk of my car to school for hunting after school (just imagine that today!). I hated my gym teacher, but never thought of walking in and shooting him. Went to a public high school that closed for opening day of deer season. Most dads in the neighborhood were WWII vets and everybody had guns (although I don't remember anyone "clinging" to them). Worked college summers in the local mills and whoever wrote the "Deer Hunter" must have been there too, because that's exactly what my experience was like in '72, '73 and '74. Spent 3 years in Hawaii getting a master's degree after college and relocated to Ohio after medical school and residency in Pittsburgh. Ohio has some darn good deer hunting. I pretty much only bowhunt now, at least for deer. Always liked side by sides though and like to shoot sporting clays...