[davidboyles]

It seems like when I go hunting these days I am the odd Duck with a gun that is nearly twice my age and I just turned 70. I agree with what you are saying the new hunters are more interested in horsepower and glitz not beauty or patina that was borne through caring hands. Everytime I'm in the field these days and I'm not with fellow SS hunters I am surrounded by plastic , carbon fiber and stamped metal if it even has any real metal on it. When I show up with a classic double like we all share passion for it takes a person pushing 50 to even ask "What's That" and then they may perk up to a response of it's a Parker, Model 21 ,LC or Ithaca. Something about shooting these old guns that hell most of the time don't even fit us modern frames makes me feel special and privileged to own and carry on the life of that fine piece of equipment. My last trip abroad was purposely made to do what the old explorers did and that I read about as a kid. that was to carry around a double barreled 12 pound 125 year old gun with hammers and shoot a 2000lb Cape Buffalo. Done just as dead as with a plastic stocked 416 Remington. As I preached in the article "American Heritage My Parker " I hope we can reach enough young hunters to carry the torch and handoff to the next generation. Too long winded I know but it's been on my mind as well as the rest of the readership. Thanks