doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com A Silver day.

Three boys, all grown and with their own families now. Dang, that happened quick! My boys, once they reached their teens were my exclusive hunting buddies, displacing nearly all my usual hunting friends.

I started them picking up doves and following me while quail hunting. When they wanted to carry guns, I'd let them carry a .22 with the bolt in my pocket. When we graduated to .410 singles off they went.

They go through a stage when they're sixteen or so when they want to deal direct. They still want to hunt Dad's places but with their own friends. That's ok too if you are satisfied their gun safety and common sense is sufficiently developed. But then they come back to dad after they've climbed fool's hill a while.

I didn't raise any rocket scientists, but they all support their families. You could enjoy a morning in a duck blind with any of them. Now, I am attempting to corrupt two sons in law to the dismay of my daughters...Geo

You had a lot of kids.

I went through the phase where I hunted with buddies. My Dad knew it was coming, and was good with it. I moved out, bought and trained my own Gordon Setter, a dog that came to work with me every day, and who could sleep next to a Heidelberg KORD Printing press that was running wide open.
My Dad told me hunting with that dog was almost cheating, he pointed the birds, and found them to retrieve them back to hand. His Setter (Mom�s, actually) was a show dog that would hunt, but, you were on your own for a retrieve. He would linger a few moments near a dead bird, which helped immensely.

Dad couldn�t train dogs. He loved his Setters, but, they were an unruly lot, and he knew it better than anybody. He wasn�t much of a shotgunner. He never really considered anything but a 12 gauge autoloader for himself, and, never understood my interest in double guns of any sort. But, the gift I�m giving my Son, piece by piece, at this point in his life, was given to me, the same way, by my Dad.

I think the reason my Dad struggled with a shotgun was all the time he spent with rifles, and training people with same. It was standard for him to have a new rifle or scope on a rifle, on bullseye in two rounds. Thinking back to my Dad, I�ve held the rifles in the safe back, until Chris has the shotgunning dialed in, first.
When he gets older, there are a few center fire rifles on hand, and we will work with them, and see if big game might be of interest to him. I don�t know if it will, he shows absolutely no interest at this point. I haven�t hunted deer in 40 years, but, that has more to do with my Setters, than anything else.

Best,
Ted

Great story Ted. Thanks for sharing.

I am the first of my immediate family to be a passionate hunter and general gun guy. I actually brought my brother and Dad into hunting kind of late but we have made some memories all the same. Now I have two girls that I am nurturing to be in the outdoors.

It is a blessing to see them avail themselves to some great core values and to leave the I-phone behind.

I am sure your son appreciates your time and attention. Keep that up as he is going to be making policy for my retirement and I want his kind doing so .

Yup. Went back out today, pretty sure I�ve lost the 28:




Best,
Ted

Ted, you're doing the right thing. Spending time shooting or in the woods with a teen age son sure beats having to get up at daylight to go bail one out of jail...Geo

Travis,
A guy who doesn�t have a mentor in the outdoors is usually not going to be an outdoorsman. My hat is off to someone who takes the initiative to do it on his own. You are to be commended for introducing others.

Good work.

Geo,
Pretty sure my folks weren�t going to consider making my bail. If I got myself there, it would be up to me to figure my way out.
My Dad did 30 years in the Marine Corps. I would gladly have dealt with law enforcement instead of my Dad in the era when that was a concern.


Best,
Ted