My father passed when I was ten.
My uncle became my mentor in the outdoor world. He was a reader of Jack O'Connor and Zane Grey, and a genuine rifleman. As a kid I remember the Weatherby catalogs, modified falling block actions with after market barrels, TD Browning 22 rifles with fixed custom barrels and full size Redfield scopes mounted with 003" clearance.
He was a varminter, a reloader, shooting MOA 22-250, 6mm BR, custom 22 BR rifles but not into big game hunting. He was a uplander hunting rabbits and I was into birds. I wanted to hunt deer and so we began hunting big game on his best woodchuck pastures.
So my hunting and collecting can partially be attributed to my uncle's fanning the flame of interest but the fire was already inside thanks to my desire to spend as much time in the out of doors as possible. Unfortunately, my uncle is in declining health and our days afield are behind us.
