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 (Moms, 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 couldnt train dogs. He loved his Setters, but, they were an unruly lot, and he knew it better than anybody. He wasnt 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 Im 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, Ive 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 dont know if it will, he shows absolutely no interest at this point. I havent hunted deer in 40 years, but, that has more to do with my Setters, than anything else.
Best,
Ted
