Wow, was this thread a good idea! I was also born in 1947, in north Texas, we moved to east Texas shortly thereafter where I grew up on the edge of the Sam Houston National Forest. It was possible to wonder for hours and see nary a soul, tho I stayed home during deer season. Shot lotsa squirrels and some rabbits. While in UT in Austin a friend took me dove hunting for the first time and I've been bird hunting ever since.

No one in my family hunted or even owned a gun so I had to learn from doing it myself, reading and watching others. Really learned a lot while stationed in Germany, where I went roe and red deer hunting and small game hunting in beautiful Bavaria. Had some really great times there. Mein Herz ist im Bayern!!

Was moved back to the USA in the late 1970s and went out for pheasants, dove, grouse and woodcock in PA, ducks and geese on the Eastern shore of MD. After the pheasants disappeared in PA I began travelling to Iowa or Kansas for Phez - still go to ND and Kansas once a year for birds.

I was transferred back home to Texas in the mid 1990s, retired and live in central Texas where I shoot sporting clays (poorly) quail, dove and travel to ND and Kansas. When it rains on the lease, I shoot more quail in 2 days than I shot grouse and woodcock in a year. Love the dogs (mine are GSPs,) the doubleguns, the birds and the tactics of quail hunting more than ever.

Quailguy



Quailnut

Virtute et Labore