I’m sure this is a sign that I’m now officially an “ old fart” but today I started remembering special things from my childhood.
Hunting was right at the top of the list . I still remember my Dad and Paw-Paw letting me tag along with them until they were sure, at the ripe old age of 7, I would be ok on my own.
The First Great Hunt !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got out of bed just before 4 : 30 and had all my stuff laid out from the night before.( I didn’t seem to need as much gear back then .) Blue jeans, my favorite flannel shirt, red and black of course, boots and socks, cap, ½ box of 22 long rifle shells , and a Remington bolt-action single-shot . I almost forgot the game bag that Paw-Paw carried , it was homemade out of what was once a feather pillow ( ticking ). Although it was large enough to hold at least 10 fox squirrels ( I had seen my Paw- Paw come home with that many before ) I just knew it wasn’t gonna be big enough for today’s hunt !
After swallowing 2 fried eggs and some sausage and biscuits as fast as I could , out the door I went . It was just light enough to find my way up the trail that ran from in front of the house up into the woods . I knew where the squirrels were gonna be feeding - in a big hickory-nut tree over on the second ridge from the house . This was where the massacre would take place !
Fifteen minutes later, I was sitting with my back against an old cotton-wood tree about 25 yards from the big hickory with all the cuttings under it . I had carefully and quietly pushed the fall leaves back far enough that if I had to shift or stand up I wouldn’t make a sound . Now in the early light I slid the bolt back and reached into the box of shells placed just to the right of me on the ground . (This was a trick that I had learned from my Dad , put your shells at arms length so ya don’t have to take your eyes off of the squirrel to reload) I closed the bolt and checked the safety , DEATH was at the ready !
Just as I could start making out the leaves that were still in the tops of the trees , I saw a limb bounce way down the ridge . Then another limb a little closer , then nothing…….. where did he go ? Minutes passed ( seemed like hours) then from out of nowhere a gray appeared on the trunk of an oak about 10 yards on the other side of the hickory. The little Remington came up , settled the bead in the rear notch , safety off , right behind the shoulder , breathe , let half the breath out , squeeze . The little gray clung by a claw for just a second and then fell to the ground with a mighty thump !
In my excitement , I jumped to my feet but then remembered what Dad had said “ just sit there and wait for the next one, that one ain’t going nowhere “. It took all I had to sit back down . It seemed like an hour passed before I saw another squirrel as he jumped from limb to limb headed my way from down in the hollow. I raised the rifle but he was still too far. He was in a hurry though, and he was in the top of the hickory in no time. I could hear him cutting and the bits falling in the leaves, but I couldn’t see him . After straining my eyes for a few minutes I saw him sitting on one of the top limbs chewing on a hickory nut. The little rifle spoke again and he hit the ground with a thud not 15 yards in front of me.
MORE than this kid could stand !!!!!!! I went and picked him up and after looking him over good went to the first one and got him . Then it hit me , I had messed up , I slipped back to my spot as quietly as I could and sat down . I didn’t see anymore squirrels that morning but that could have been because I was too busy admiring the two on the ground at my feet .
As I headed home, the game bag that I thought would be too small seemed full with just the two squirrels .
I can’t seem to remember what I did this past Fri. but I think when I forget this hunt……………… my days will be over !
Rifle-Man www.gutpilestyle.com Squirrel Hunting
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