This is where I'd like to share a few stories  regarding my love for the shooting sport. These tales have lasted in my memory for a lot of years.  Some may bring a tear or a smile (at least they do to me).  I hope others will enjoy reading them too.

Bob

The first involves the first gun book I  ever owned.

Here's how I got my first Gun Digest.  I was a young teenager and used to help my dad when he would go out on refrigeration calls.  I especially wanted to go with him when he went to the supply house.  It was just about a half block down from a gun shop and some of you old timers from this area may remember it...the name of it was Jesse Harp Custom Guns.  While my dad was buying supplies, I would run down the block and look at the guns.  


Well, this one day, I went in and they had 10 brand new Gun Digests and they were $2.95 each and, as usual, I didn't have any money.  So, while going back home, I tried to figure a way to come up with $2.95 + tax.  


About a week later, I went with my dad again as he had to go buy parts and once again, I ran down the street to the gun shop.  There were only 3 of the books left.   I could just see them slipping away and I would never get one.  I had 2 quarters in my pocket and I went up to the clerk with the book in my hand and asked him if I could pay 50 cents down and maybe 25 or 50 cents a week, and buy the book.  He was a big tall fellow, about 6'4" and I remember him looking down at me and smiling and saying, "Yeah, I can do that".  It took several weeks before I got it, but finally I had it in hand and I was really "hot stuff" on the block because I had a new Gun Digest and all the kids would come over and read it with me.

Now, it was many many years later, as I thought about this mans genorosity, that it dawned on me, he was just a clerk in the store and he had to pay for that out of his pocket and it took so many weeks for me to pay him back and I couldn't help but think what a nice guy he was to a broke kid. 

The story makes me realize how even small acts of kindness can have such a memorable impact on a person.  I still have the book and still treasure it.

Bobby...have you seen my duck?????

Now this story is one I'm not necessarily proud of, but it did make a lasting memory.  I was around 13 years old and our property connected to the property behind us with a pond on both pieces of property.  I got my .22 and was gonna go back to the pond and shoot some frogs and as I walked up to the pond, I saw this Muscovee duck in the water and I thought...wow, he must have just flown in and all I could think of was DUCK FOR DINNER.
I got into position where I could get a good shot and sure enough, 1 shot and he was down.  


I ran out into the water and got him and proudly went back home and told mom, "we're having duck for dinner".  The first thing she says is "Son, that's not a wild duck" and I said, "Sure it is, it had to have just flown into the pond".  Anyway, I cleaned the duck and prepared it for dinner and it was GOOD!!!!

It was a few days later when I decided to go back down to the pond and the old fellow that owned the property was out by the pond.  I hollered out, "Hi, Mr. Bailey, how are you?" and he says, "Hi Bobby...have you seen my duck?"  And I said, "DUCK, you have a DUCK?" and he says, "Yeah, I got it a few days ago and I can't find it".  And I said, "Well, Mr. Bailey, I gotta go now."  I remember him telling me goodbye as I ran away and I went into the barn when I got home and I cried.  I felt so bad about shooting his duck, but I never did tell Mom and Pop about it.