I come from a family of urban dwellers (non hunters)but had a strong interest and curiosity about wild animals as a child,so read a great deal.I spent a lot of time in suburban woodlots chasing squirrels and pheasants with home made bows and arrows,and taught myself to fish,which I still do avidly.
But I had no hunting/shooting mentors, and no experience. (My parents encouraged the outdoor activity,but could not stop me from leaving the house in the middle of the night at 9-10 years of age to fish somewhere)....that is util my freshman college year when a friend invited me on his family's annual deer hunt over Thanksgiving in central Maine.I was not allowed to carry a gun,but helped the drivers.
As luck would have it,a big 10 point buck was killed on one of those drives and it lit a spark. I bought my first shotgun,and my first couple of CF rifles,and taught myself best I could to use them. I hunted grouse, woodcock,and other small game.Deer in New England were also hunted.
My maternal grandmother was raised on a farm in the "Old Country",and was thrilled with the squirrels, rabbits and pheasants, and grouse and was an outstanding cook in the Old World tradition. She cooked everything for me. The cycle was sort of complete.
I developed a keen interest in rifles, finished college and post grad, traveled, hunted,and shot a lot.I eventually met a solid bunch of citizens who were true rifle nuts, traveled widely to hunt BG and learned a great deal from them.The learning part never really stops when it comes to hunting and shooting.No two hunting scenarios are ever exactly the same.
And here we are...
