doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Demographics-where you grew up, when, etc.

I was born in 1958 in Somerset County, PA a few miles from where flight 93 went down. I bought my first shotgun at 12 a Rem 870(that I just gave to my nephew) with paper delivery money and made a deal with my dad when I was 15 that if I could save 1/2 the money he would put the rest up for a 30-06 760. My dad will be 88 next week. I hunted mostly squirrel,rabbits and deer with my 2 brothers, dad, and a few uncles. When I was 16 he let me use his Hunters Special 16 gauge and that was my first double. I moved to Ohio 18 years ago but go back about every month. My dad doesn't hunt or shoot anymore. He will ride the cart and pull the birds for us at the clays course in Shanksville. It's really funny he has a hard time hearing but you better be ready when you click that safe off because he generally doesn't wait till you say pull. He hears that just fine. Never shot things like skeet,trap and sporting clays until 3 years ago. 2 years ago my wife wanted a dog and found one on petfinders, half english setter and half english pointer. I always enjoyed hunting but with this dog it has made me get out and hunt and shoot more than I ever have before. I now wonder why I never had a bird dog before. If any one is ever around NE Ohio or Shanksville PA when I am back I would love to shoot with any of you. I'm not very good I just enjoy shooting.
If anybody plans a trip to see the 93 crash site, if you have the time this is a pretty nice place to shoot. It has sporting clays and 5 stand. http://www.stoneycreekshooting.com

Born in 1945 in Ottumwa,Iowa to a career navy father and a former Wave mother. Grew up all over but spent most of my growing up years in the town of North East ,Maryland near the Chesapeake bay.Had a bb gun at 7 and a 22 at 12 and gave the squirrels fits as they were my favorite game.Moved back to Iowa in 1962 and learned to love pheasant hunting. Joined the marines and did a tour of Vietnam in '65-66 with a recon battalion and learned the absolute necessity of being able to shoot straight and being prepared for anything.When my youngest son passed away at 9 years old I decided that I didn't want to take any more life and pretty much stopped hunting.Spent 28 years at John Deere in Waterllo,Iowa and retired in 2005. I still like guns but now I am trying to get my oldest son started in collecting and shooting.I am absolutely in awe of the skill and flair that out current and past gunmakers have shown in the making of fine guns.This is a wonderful forum even when it gets a little "out there".

Born in Chicago 1951, but lived four blocks from Lincoln Park Traps. Worked as a trapboy and shot competitive skeet and some trap. Used to walk past Diversey Harbor with my Ithaca 37 in a soft case to LPT when I was 16--wonder what would happen today?

I kept that gun under my bed in college in DC and would occasionally hop two buses, carrying my cased Ithaca, through DC to Andrews AFB. Long-haired, young civilian with a gun during a war, never had a problem getting onto the base, but always seemed to get a lift around the perimeter road to the skeet field from the APs (saved about a 2 mile walk). Don't think I'd like to try any part of that trip today or ask the college about keeping the gun!

Started shooting rifles in college where the team was run by ROTC, because I thought my draft number made it a good idea to learn (in retrospect probably not my smartest decision--what happens to someone who can really shoot?). Luckily war wound down just as I graduated. Kept shooting for a year or two, but quit in law school and for twenty years after.

Came back to some recreational shooting and hunting in my 40s, but have not found it such fun recently since the vision in the right eye is gone--shooting lefty is a new experience, but doesn't feel right (pun intended). So, there's my Odyssey

Paul, A rock farm? Would you be so kind as to explain? I know what a rock quarry is but .....

Regards, Jake

Jakearoo,

Have you ever driven by an old farm and saw what looked like a low rock wall stretching along the boundary of a field/property? Those rocks were removed from the field and were stacked by the farmers kids/hired hand/farmer. Very rocky soil=rock farm!

That explaines alot Mike. Farm boy from southeast Missouri. Still in the hills of MO.
Shep

I was born and raised in Grand Rapids MI. My dad only deer hunted and I picked up bird hunting from my Grandfather and Godfather. Back in the 50's the area had a great number of pheasants and we had a cottage in northern MI where I hunted grouse and woodcock. My grandfather had a number of doubles and that is what I learned to hunt with. My dad bought me my first 22 when I was 10 or so and I still have that Ithaca. I never enjoyed deer hunting but I got hooked on bird hunting at an early age.