TimJ
Well-known member
Howard's Victor Decoy post and even Worth's post last week brought back some memories both good and bad.
I know memories are mine and those aren't going anywhere... but there is still that stuff we all have or wish we had that keeps those memories alive.
I have my Grandfather's Winchester Model 12 20ga. He passed away when I was too young to remember him so it reminds me more of my Grandmother who gave it to me. I normally hunt with a Model 50 that my father bought new in the 50s and it has never given any of us a bit of trouble over all these years.
There is a simple Martin fly reel that my uncle gave to me when I was about 8. He passed away when I was 11.
I have a silly little three point shed that I found while turkey hunting with my brother in law.... oh gosh I guess it has been 12 years now since I found that. The next year he would be gone from cancer, I knew when we were hunting it was likely the last time.
There are those stupid bolts on the ends of a few decoy lines that reminds me of my first few years duck hunting. My brother and his buddies all in their early 20's were quite the role models for a kid 10 years younger.
This brings me to what I wish I had. This nearly makes me sick to think about.
A year and a half ago an old gentleman who I have hunted with for years was moving to a smaller home. Understandable since he was about 82 at that time but you wouldn't know it looking at him, it was more that his wife couldn't get around the larger house anymore. So they have an auction and are getting rid of some of his bulky hunting stuff.
I have hunted with him for 30 years now. He was a teacher and a tough as nails football coach. My dad worked at the school and my mother worked for him and his wife at a greenhouse they owned. He's been a very close family friend for years.
At the auction the only thing I wanted were some hard plastic Herters decoys that I had carried many times while they clunk and clank against eachother and the anchors in their bag. You know that sound if you've ever carried those hard plastic decoys.
He had a cool Duck Twin motor and a few gnarly wooden crow decoys along with an owl (they all went for way more then I could afford). So it gets to his bag of old Herters hard plastics that look like those Victors and the auctioneer for some reason throws in some old waders.
I start to bid thinking nobody is going to want them but me. I'm almost right as all the guys who wanted the wooden ones are ignoring these. After a few bids I notice they are getting up to more then I thought they should and see it is one of his daughters bidding against me. I figure some of the kids might want them so I quite. I had been helping and talking to her father so I thought she knew who I was and wouldn't bid against me for no reason.
I go over to her afterwards and ask if she'd sell one of two so I could have something of his. Here is where it makes me sick. I had thought she was buying them, no she was asked to bid on them for someone else who had to leave. They wanted the freakin waders and decided with the decoys thrown in they would be good for their teenage grandkid to use/trash. She hasn't been around here much for years so had no clue I go out hunting with him and outbid me for some idiot kid who probably cracked half of them the first time out. They paid more then you could have gone to a store and bought good new decoys for.
It wasn't really her fault, I should have just asked him for them before the auction. He would have given them to me but I don't like to do that.
The past couple years I've pheasant hunted with him a few more times. He still out walks me and he would still duck hunt but he has been busy helping his son in law with harvest during that time.
Late last fall on a quick afternoon pheasant hunt with him I think was the first time I ever had to give him a hand getting up a little ditch he had stepped into. Not bad for a guy who was nearing 84, he has always been in awesome shape. We (well maybe just 'I') missed a couple birds and shot a skunk on that day.
A few days ago my mom learned he has cancer. I haven't heard how bad it is but it sounds like a couple spots so that is never good.
No matter what happens now I have those memories.... but dang I sure wish I had those decoys.... nearly worthless hard plastic decoys that make me think of him and my father talking on saturday mornings about the football game the night before.
Sorry for my long winded ramblings,
Tim
I know memories are mine and those aren't going anywhere... but there is still that stuff we all have or wish we had that keeps those memories alive.
I have my Grandfather's Winchester Model 12 20ga. He passed away when I was too young to remember him so it reminds me more of my Grandmother who gave it to me. I normally hunt with a Model 50 that my father bought new in the 50s and it has never given any of us a bit of trouble over all these years.
There is a simple Martin fly reel that my uncle gave to me when I was about 8. He passed away when I was 11.
I have a silly little three point shed that I found while turkey hunting with my brother in law.... oh gosh I guess it has been 12 years now since I found that. The next year he would be gone from cancer, I knew when we were hunting it was likely the last time.
There are those stupid bolts on the ends of a few decoy lines that reminds me of my first few years duck hunting. My brother and his buddies all in their early 20's were quite the role models for a kid 10 years younger.
This brings me to what I wish I had. This nearly makes me sick to think about.
A year and a half ago an old gentleman who I have hunted with for years was moving to a smaller home. Understandable since he was about 82 at that time but you wouldn't know it looking at him, it was more that his wife couldn't get around the larger house anymore. So they have an auction and are getting rid of some of his bulky hunting stuff.
I have hunted with him for 30 years now. He was a teacher and a tough as nails football coach. My dad worked at the school and my mother worked for him and his wife at a greenhouse they owned. He's been a very close family friend for years.
At the auction the only thing I wanted were some hard plastic Herters decoys that I had carried many times while they clunk and clank against eachother and the anchors in their bag. You know that sound if you've ever carried those hard plastic decoys.
He had a cool Duck Twin motor and a few gnarly wooden crow decoys along with an owl (they all went for way more then I could afford). So it gets to his bag of old Herters hard plastics that look like those Victors and the auctioneer for some reason throws in some old waders.
I start to bid thinking nobody is going to want them but me. I'm almost right as all the guys who wanted the wooden ones are ignoring these. After a few bids I notice they are getting up to more then I thought they should and see it is one of his daughters bidding against me. I figure some of the kids might want them so I quite. I had been helping and talking to her father so I thought she knew who I was and wouldn't bid against me for no reason.
I go over to her afterwards and ask if she'd sell one of two so I could have something of his. Here is where it makes me sick. I had thought she was buying them, no she was asked to bid on them for someone else who had to leave. They wanted the freakin waders and decided with the decoys thrown in they would be good for their teenage grandkid to use/trash. She hasn't been around here much for years so had no clue I go out hunting with him and outbid me for some idiot kid who probably cracked half of them the first time out. They paid more then you could have gone to a store and bought good new decoys for.
It wasn't really her fault, I should have just asked him for them before the auction. He would have given them to me but I don't like to do that.
The past couple years I've pheasant hunted with him a few more times. He still out walks me and he would still duck hunt but he has been busy helping his son in law with harvest during that time.
Late last fall on a quick afternoon pheasant hunt with him I think was the first time I ever had to give him a hand getting up a little ditch he had stepped into. Not bad for a guy who was nearing 84, he has always been in awesome shape. We (well maybe just 'I') missed a couple birds and shot a skunk on that day.
A few days ago my mom learned he has cancer. I haven't heard how bad it is but it sounds like a couple spots so that is never good.
No matter what happens now I have those memories.... but dang I sure wish I had those decoys.... nearly worthless hard plastic decoys that make me think of him and my father talking on saturday mornings about the football game the night before.
Sorry for my long winded ramblings,
Tim
