I have to give some credit to my Dad and Mom. My Dad isnt what you would call a hunter, he used to go duck hunting with his grandfather when he was a young teen, but kinda got out of it. Well I've always had a thing for firearms and fishing, and then that developed in to hunting. My dad has always had a firearm, well up untill i was 12 it was just a .22 Ruger pistol, and 2 .22 rifles, a lever action winchester, and a model 62, the hammerless slide action.
My parents gave me a BB gun, then I got a Bow, a really nice Hoyt youth bow, and I shot that but never went hunting. Then I finally got my first firearm, a New England 12 gauge single shot shotgun. After getting that I also went on my first pheasant hunt, a youth hunt that is at a local wildlife area that the Oregon Dept Fish and Wildlife has each year. Well I didnt shoot anything, saw only one bird, it was just me and my mom, trying to walk up some pheasants. She wasnt hunting just the Adult that had to be with me. My parents were divorced by that time.
Then I went the next year with my Dad, and my younger brother too, and I shot two that year but I also got a new shot gun the year before a Mossburg 500. So even though my parents didnt hunt they still suppored me and gave me the opportunites to go even if they were limited. I got my first Bird dog at 16, a German Short Hair Pointer, for my birthday,which I trained him my self. He would point Pheasants all day by the unmowed field by my house. He wasnt perfect, but I got him steady enought I could go flush the bird. Never could get him to really fetch very well, had to force it upon him. (still have him hes with my dad at the moment while im stationed at fort bragg). I trained him for about a year, till one 4th of July, thats when he was ruined, by fireworks, They launch the big style display fire works by our house, there close about a 100 meters away, well the loud bangs and explosions, made him gun shy. Ive worked with him on it and hes made a little progress, but never have hunted him and now hes about 9 years old, and im 24, I havent seen him in almost 3 years and miss him. I just havent been home much after getting married and all the deyployments. Im looking foward to getting him back once I start Recuiting in Texas though, that way I can have my dog back.
Anyhow, I was fortunate enough to have parents and grandparents that were supportive of my wanting to hunt, and helped me out. Also my grandma was and old south dakota farm girl who, loved pheasants so, I mostly birdhunt, but I got in to big game when I turned 18.
My parents gave me a BB gun, then I got a Bow, a really nice Hoyt youth bow, and I shot that but never went hunting. Then I finally got my first firearm, a New England 12 gauge single shot shotgun. After getting that I also went on my first pheasant hunt, a youth hunt that is at a local wildlife area that the Oregon Dept Fish and Wildlife has each year. Well I didnt shoot anything, saw only one bird, it was just me and my mom, trying to walk up some pheasants. She wasnt hunting just the Adult that had to be with me. My parents were divorced by that time.
Then I went the next year with my Dad, and my younger brother too, and I shot two that year but I also got a new shot gun the year before a Mossburg 500. So even though my parents didnt hunt they still suppored me and gave me the opportunites to go even if they were limited. I got my first Bird dog at 16, a German Short Hair Pointer, for my birthday,which I trained him my self. He would point Pheasants all day by the unmowed field by my house. He wasnt perfect, but I got him steady enought I could go flush the bird. Never could get him to really fetch very well, had to force it upon him. (still have him hes with my dad at the moment while im stationed at fort bragg). I trained him for about a year, till one 4th of July, thats when he was ruined, by fireworks, They launch the big style display fire works by our house, there close about a 100 meters away, well the loud bangs and explosions, made him gun shy. Ive worked with him on it and hes made a little progress, but never have hunted him and now hes about 9 years old, and im 24, I havent seen him in almost 3 years and miss him. I just havent been home much after getting married and all the deyployments. Im looking foward to getting him back once I start Recuiting in Texas though, that way I can have my dog back.
Anyhow, I was fortunate enough to have parents and grandparents that were supportive of my wanting to hunt, and helped me out. Also my grandma was and old south dakota farm girl who, loved pheasants so, I mostly birdhunt, but I got in to big game when I turned 18.