This is a picture of my dad hunting, sometime around 1920. He started taking me hunting with him and one of our beagle dogs when I was nine. We would walk across the street, load the gun and start kicking rabbits, and on occasion a rare pheasant, out of their cover. When we were away from "eyes" he would allow me to carry the gun, a single shot Iver Johnson .410. I shot my first rabbit at age nine. When I was twelve I could hunt beside him and his 16ga Winchester Model 12.
Our neighbor became my adopted grandfather, he had a wonderful 16ga Parker GHE. Everyone admired that Parker but it was far to expensive for any in my family. After I was discharged from the Navy in 1970, my adopted grandfather passed away and to my surprise he left his Parker to me. I have collected other Parker shotguns since then but that 16ga GHE is by far my most prized Parker. I hunt with it every year and enjoy walking in the field holding it even if I don't see any game. I would love to have the Iver Johnson .410 but it was stolen from our home while I was away in the Navy.
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