Future of Parker Collection and Double Gun Collecting

[Harold Pickens]

I see part of the problem, as the lack/difficulty of upland hunting opportunities. It used to be that a youngster got involved with hunting and guns by small game hunting, rabbits and birds. Now it is the almighty deer that drives youth hunting and you don't use doubles for that. I have been a chapter chairman for the Ruffed Grouse Society for 30 years now, and most of the people that attend haven't seen a grouse in 10 years, thus the interest in that kind of hunting doesn't develop. My son, 27, has shot deer and turkeys, but has never shot a grouse--he has shot game farm pheasant. When I was in college, I was reading the works of Spillers, Woolner, Evans, Knight, etc and within 6 weeks of graduating from optometry school bought a Brittany, and a 16 ga Fox SW Deluxe and 16 ga Parker VH 16( still shoot both) because that was what in my mind were the proper guns for upland hunting. My father was a hunter, but he died when I was 7, luckily, I had mentors in my Uncle Sam, and my best friend's(Terry) father who looked after a poor(and yes, we were quite poor) boy and took me hunting(rabbits and grouse) frequently. I killed my first grouse with a 12 ga SXS, one of those Stevens with the nylon stock--boy did it kick--and I have been shooting SXS's since.
I know this is kind of a long diatribe, but we must first get the youth interested in hunting upland and expose them to double guns so that when they are older they can appreciate good/fine guns and continue our passion.