My very first hunt was with my school buddy and his parents. It was for upland game birds on Mauna Kea on Big Island. We had a good day and harvested several pheasant, chuckar, and quail.
On the way home, a small herd of feral sheep crossed the road. We stopped and the father handed me a bolt action 22 LR. The sheep were then about 150 yds. out. The father told me to hold a little high over the sheep. I did and spined a ewe. He made me finish off the ewe with a knife and gut it. I was hooked from then on.

Geoff

Geoff, how well I can relate. When I was young my mother had no use for guns, but I always had an interest; maybe because I was a boy or because in the 50s every show was a western, who knows. but my experience with older shooters that took me out for ducks, skeet, squirrels, + even rats at the dump gave me the feeling that I was right where I wanted to be. It's kinda funny in a way but when I was 13 + we were up at my Aunt's ranch in North Texas + my Uncle Warner handed me a single shot 22 + when I held it I knew just how it functioned, it was like I was finally home. Silly maybe but that's what I felt. I have been a shooter ever since.

Hi Randy,
Yes, that first hunt was when I was only 14 years old but still remember it as if it was last week. Now, I'm 78 and have physical limitations that preclude big game hunting of any type. However, I'm grateful to have gotten more than my share of big game.

Geoff

I'm glad to have had the privilege + opportunity to pass it along to my sons. It might sound odd to some but over the years, for Christmas + birthdays, guns were always the gifts of choice.

quote:

It might sound odd to some but over the years, for Christmas + birthdays, guns were always the gifts of choice.

No, not odd at all! A tradition in our family for generations.

9 years ago my grandson came with Dad + saw a Martini BSA match bull bbl. that I had mounted a Leupold scout scope + when I told him he couldn't get it until he was 10, he just kinda rolled his eyes + said "Well you know i'm almost 10!" A brief explanation here via my own foibles concerning firearms ownership. During youth air rifles are O.K. providing respect is shown. At 10 a 22 rifle, at 18 a center fire rifle, at 21 a pistol; all from Dad, providing they earned the privilege to do so. Mine have. Although SOME might disagree, personally I consider it GOOD parenting!

NOrm,
You have a PM on a clasified request..

That said now as to when I first shot a gun, hunted deer or roped a cow, My 22 was a drop lock 22 short and I was 6, and shot my first Javalina at 8 best I recall, killed a deer at 10 and a bear at 12 and thats a story in itself!!! roped a cow at 12 and she took the rope with her, but we got her shortly thereafter with a little help from dad and big brother..I was raised on a 80,000 ac. desert ranch on the texas border out of El Paso,tx. and later ranched out south of Marathon, and for a spell in Maypearl, tx..so I was hunting shooting and living the good life from the beginning and nothing changed since other than I learded early the best way to survive cattle ranching is to have a good paying job and a working wife helps, so I was in Law Enforce until I retired from the dept of Justice DEA, and the USFS my last 5 years, all was pretty well out doors and I booked hunts for many years off and on and steady for the last 40 of those years, retired two years ago, well almost, still booking for some old clients who blackmail me to their will!! It started a hell of a ride and ended a hell ofa ride and ain't over yet. Horses, dogs,kids, rodeo, and being a cowboy and full time hunter blessed my world.

Richj,
Don't know you but live fairly close in Lake Grove and my hunting property/club is near to Cairo and Round Top in the Village of Durham, Green County. SMALL WORLD !

Hip

I just bought an 8mm film to digital converter. Digitized some of the hunting movies Pop made. We chuck hunted in Cairo and Wassaic. My uncle had a place in Roundtop

Use to be a GREAT gun shop up there on the road heading toward Roundtop and Purling going outa Cairo. Had a lot of old rifles there that I would drool over. Gone a long time know, owner was pretty old.

Hip

Too many REAL gunshops + Gunsmiths are gone these days. We aren't living in the 1950s anymore; mores the pity for a lot of reasons.