how things have changed

[rabbitsmoker]

When i was a kid i hunted squrril rabbit deer and thinned out a few coyotes all in 1 trip

[Beagle Huntsman]

In 1982 I was a student at the University of Cincinnati. I had a speech class and there was a presentation required that called for us to make some sort of demonstration. I demonstrated how to use a 20 ga double barrel shotgun. I walked across campus in Cincinnati with my shotgun in its case, then into the building and into class. Can you image what would happen today if someone carried a gun into a classroom? I don't remember what my grade was for the presentation, but I'll never forget the gasps from the girls when I aimed the gun out the window and pulled the trigger and it went "click".

[Bunnyblaster]

Sometimes I can't even imagine how I'm going to explain to my kids the way things are now and how they are going to be down the road. Even at the young age of 32 I remember how things used to be and IMO still should. The best I can do is teach them to be honest, ethical, responsible, respectful and try to help them understand the ramifications if they are not all of these things. It can take months or even years to get permission on private land these days but it only takes a moment or one bad decision to loose it. I have places to hunt for everything from whitetails and rabbits to blackberries and asparagus and I try to take my kids along whenever I get the chance so they can learn by example. The guy that lets me pick berries with my kids I met through Ron and we make sure to take him at least a pint of blackberry jam after we get it made each year..........and yes my kids go with me to deliver it. Not just because he likes to see them but because they should see first hand both sides of the give and take. He always tries to refuse it so the kids can have it all but I think he understands why I make them stop by to drop it off. It may be seem like a minor thing to some but to me that's where it all starts.

[Shady Grove Beagles]

I'm 59 years old and before I could even get a hunting license in Massachusetts [age 15 ] I would take the old 12 Ga. single shot and lay it across the handle bars of my bike and ride through a section of town to a big dairy farm over the R.R. tracks and hunt pheasants and rabbits all day.I'd come home with game tied on the bike and no one ever hasseled me about it.I was probably 12-13 at that time.
During deer season after I turned 15 and got my hunting license my mom would meet me out front of the highschool at 2:30 P.M. and have my gun and hunting clothes in the car.I'd change in the back seat while she drove me to a section of woods.She'd drop me off and I'd go to my stand and hunt till dark when she would come back and beep the horn a couple of times so I could walk out in the dark.