Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Romantic notions and the outdoors...

I pride myself on being logical guy. Engineer, aviator responsible and accountable for what I say and do but I realize that I have a wide romantic streak when it comes to my outdoor activities and it seems to be growing as I accelerate through my mid-50’s

Pat Powell pointed in a recent thread, quit accurately, that no serious clay shooter would use a side by side shotgun and while I do use an over and under for clays (a 30 year old Beretta 682), I’d much rather carry a two trigger side by side in the field even though it likely hurts my bird to shell ratio.

I was doing some 6.5x55 Swede reloading this afternoon and looking over the stack of dies, I realized, with the sole exception of the 7-08, that the cartridges I load for are all 60+ years old and a couple are closing rapidly on a century or in the case of the Swede and the .22 HP more than.

When fishing there is little place I’d rather be than on a trout stream with dry flies and a bamboo rod even though I know that unless there is an active hatch that most of the trout are likely to ignore me.

I do make compromises, good scopes to deal with middle aged eyes, an ultra-light vice the fly rod when fishing from the kayak, modern bullets and certainly modern dry/light clothing but I find when thinking about the best of times in the outdoors it seems to be something I prefer to look backwards instead of forward. Perhaps too much reading of Ruark, Buckingham and Traver and Sparse Grey Hackle as an impressionable youth?

How about you? (and note when I say "romantic notions, it doesn't mean the .223AI )

This is exactly why I will never own a 6.5 Creedmoor...

Yep.

Guilty. Sxs shotguns, Mauser and Mannlicher Schoenauer rifles. Wooden boats, cork decoys. I've got it bad. Hammer guns, damascus guns, Gordon Setters. I'm a dinosaur.

I mean if people would just stop talking about all this new stuff.....I might take a look at it.


Of course, my stubbornness and pride have made it so I miss out on neat and fun things in the past....and no doubt will in the future.


I am good with that.


They got this new thing out now.....bacon that comes already sliced!!!!


I would not get to use my Grandfather's "bacon knife" if I bought that schit!

This^^^. Im too good to need one, and that doesnt mean im good, either. Im just a whole lot better than i was before range finders.

I shoot our 5-stand sporting clays and skeet leagues w/a 20ga Beretta SxS (626), and I hunt pheasants and sharptails with it as well. My hunting rifles are mainly SS Classic Winchester actions in McMillans, new twist on an old classic maybe?

I always think about Bell when hunting with my 7x57

I was expecting pictures of your nearly naked sweetheart and a story about doing the beast with two backs in the outdoors. What happened?

Well, I have the Swede as well as other romantic notions, such as courtesy, Liberty, and even sometimes chivalry. I revere woodsmoke and camaraderie, birdsong and sunrises. I love being in the elements, but respect - make that fear- the bitter cold. I do like wool and leather but understand the need for the best materials for the worst occasions.

I still carry my M2 lensatic compass. two sources of ignition, and a knife, though it seems I can't get out of sight of my garage. I still get excited when I can hear the river when hiking to it. My old platoon mates are coming over and old Sammy, the Samoan SF NCO, is going to cook a pig in a pit, Island style. The pit is going to be dug in my backyard and the most romantic notion so far is that I can still do it all by myself. Just give me three days.

I was hoping to cook my own wild pig from Texas, felled by my own cast 45-70 bullets but my failing marriage put that off for a year. I won't that stop me from dreaming of a hunt or two in the wild, me trudging along with rifle in hand, stoked with my own handloads.

Note Well: I have no romantic notions of mosquitos, field dressing the game, hauling it out, or crapping in the field.

Sorry about your marriage.

No worries. I still have the 'Fire and the outdoors. I have another romantic notion that I can survive her mood swings and her girlfriend's material influences long enough for reality and maturity to calm her down. The good news is that she knows something is wrong with her and she will see a doctor. In the meantime, I am here for the kids to help them weather their mother's emotional storm. The best news of all is that they like going out to the woods with me. My the eleven year old loved that photo of your daughter on horseback, and she is hoping to start riding this year. After I get the money to fix the settling house and replace the windows.

Best wishes!!!

Does that answer yopur question?

What a worthless bait and switch thread title.

I hope things work out for you Ranger Green!

Thats a fairly realistic looking stunt COCK rooster next to your shotgun Charlie.


Where on earth did you find that?


No way you killed it with a SxS!

Likewise RG.

Tough times, RG. I hope she comes around for ya.





Yep - my favorite tools are the old ones. I'll take new tech when it's needed and makes sense, but I see no reason to ditch the old stuff that works.

You are always welcome to come up and ride our horses!