Back in the late 70s I received an old single shot 22 from a Potter Co. uncle, that my dad had given him in '41 when pop went in the Army. Knew that uncle had the rifle, but he never found it until he retired and they sold their house, moved to another place.
Thing looks like it led a hard life. Nothing but patina on the metal and the stock has several chunks gone from it, but with some repairs and TLC, it shoots just fine.
When I got it the rear sight was bent flat onto the barrel, so I asked unc HTH that had happened. Said that rifle was his "meat getter" during WWII (and I suspect, long after that). Recollected he had to throw it over a bank one night in the middle of nowhere, when a dep. game warden pulled in behind him.
IIRC, the old devil said it had taken him many weeks before he found the rifle in the brush. Long rumored in our clan that this particular uncle had been a dedicated deer poacher most of his life, but he never killed any more than they needed to eat, back in his younger days.
His son used to claim he'd never eaten beef until he'd graduated high school, left home and got married.
I got to hunt deer with that uncle many times after he retired and I went up to camp. He used to tell yarns about other family members and hunting companions from back in the old days and everyone but him did the "funny stuff" when it came to taking deer out of season, or doe in buck season.
Another uncle once told me that most of those deer camp yarns were autobiographical. I said yep, figured that part out long ago. ;o)
