I grew up hunting and fishing.

My family migrated to California in the mid-to-late 1800s, settling near San Francisco. My great grandfather was a watch-smith, fisherman, hunter, fireman, and cycling enthusiast. He was a part-time market hunter for waterfowl as well. They hunted and fished for the meat, which was a major source of their protein especially in lean times such as after they lost their home in the '06 earthquake and fire and moved back toward Santa Cruz to start over.

This photo of my great grandparents and their kids is from about 1890. You can see a few fishing poles and creel on the left front corner of the tent. I think the location is south of Monterrey in what is now Los Padres Nat'l Forest. They were living in that area at the time. My grandfather wouldn't arrive until 1902.
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I think this photo is from about 1910. My grandfather (on the left) is holding a 16ga single shot he was given when he was 5. He used it to great effect. That gun now lives in my safe, along with the Model 71 and A5 he bought in the 1930s that were his main guns for the rest of his life. He was the best shot I've ever known, and a terrific story-teller as well. He was 67 when I was born, so I didn't get to be with him in his prime, but I was there when he used the .348 to kill his last deer in 1978. He neck-shot a running buck at about 70 yards after complaining all day about how he couldn't see anymore. He liked neck shots with the .348 because, he said, they didn't waste any meat. [Linked Image]

My family has always liked well-appointed camps. All the family photos are of horse-and-buggy or car camps. My dad was a teacher, so we had many 3 and 4 week long camping/hunting/fishing trips as a kid. I'm the only backpacker.

I think I got the bug for backpacking from the writings of John Muir, whose home was in the town where I grew up. I was fascinated by how far he could travel carrying almost nothing. And the stories of the Sierras and Alaska captured my mind. So when I turned 16, I started backpacking and fell in love with it. Later, as the numbers of my hunting partners dwindled, I realized that I could hunt out of a backpack as well.

My son is now 5 and he's been camping in the style of my family - lots of gear, spacious tents or popup trailers, etc. We started 'practicing' backpacking this summer and next summer we'll take some trips. He loves the outdoors, fishing and hunting, so I think there is a good chance the traditions will carry on in my family.