Ask someone with a passion for double guns if they are going to Ernie’s, and it seems like everyone knows your talking about Hausmann’s Hidden Hollow. It may be no where near nothing PA and hidden but folks drive a long way and find it, even if your GPS takes you a different way than last time. As Kenny wrote above, and at least for me it’s about the people. That and having a precious few days fully immersed in the double gun dream state of mind. I think we all shot about till we dropped. I am still trying to figure out that left to right slight crosser that came out 20 feet below the station, and first became a target about 35 yards out. Bill figured it out, and Pete said something like almost 40 years of hunting together and he never shot like this before! And those moments are why you go to Hausmann’s. Also when your buddy Allan let’s you shoot a round with his 0 frame 16 top lever hammer gun and also a Holland! Or maybe it’s peeking at a Grade 6 Parker hammer gun that looks like it left the factory last year. Or watching someone uncase a lifetime treasure of a 28 ga Skeet gun. Sharing a biscuit with Fancy, watching Grace be a guide dog. That’s why I want to be at Hausmann’s.
This year we missed a few of our boys, Edgar, Frank, Eric and Rich, Smitty. Folks mentioned you fellas frequently. When it looked like Edgar for certain was going to be absent, he still got the ribs there via his wing man Allan. A big thank you to both Edgar and Allan for that not so small chore. Who else but the Ole Grouser himself Harold, would show up with smoked grouse? If you didn’t get any it’s because I ate it all! I did leave a bit of the smoked pheasant Harold also had brought. Parker and Fox’s dad, Daryl delivered with buttermilk batter fried pheasant. The no canoe beer was in full observance, with cold Bass, and a proper Scottish ale of bottled Belhaven. Thanks to everyone who made the trek to the back of Paul’s field, hopefully next year Edgar will hold court once again.
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