Hunting With Pop

[Stan Hoover]

I didn’t grow up a hunter, my father tried deer hunting when he was a teenager but decided it was not for him.
My dad’s father, (Grandpa) was an avid outdoorsman, hunting and fishing were his favorite pastime, for sure after retirement. He taught me and my brothers all about trout fishing and fishing in local ponds when we were young.

Probably what comes to mind first when I think of fishing with Grandpa was fishing Pine Creek here in Pa. While at his small cabin in Cedar Run with family every year in June, we would wake up early and leave as quietly as possible with Grandpa to head down to the creek. When we returned with the mornings catch, learning how to prepare them properly for the pan, great memories.

So I never received a squirrel rifle or shotgun for Christmas, but maybe a fishing line that I’m probably forgetting. When I was a maybe in my late teens or somewhere’s around there, I decided I would like to try dove hunting.

I went to 2 local gun shops , no idea what I wanted . The 2nd shop, Kerper’s Gun Shop, they had a 20 gauge Ithaca Model 37. It is a King Ferry Ithaca 2 3/4”-3” and it has an English Stock. That was my first gun and it sparked an interest in Ithaca Gun and it’s history.