Hi All,
Well here I sit on my 70th birthday remembering the “good old days”, as they say, if I had known I would last this long I would have taken better care of myself. Actually that is not true, I am glad that I have lived my life as though I needed to do everything that I wanted to do right away!! At this stage in my life, I am not in the best of health yet I’m not bad off for an old fart!
I’ve been thinking about the predator hunting I did back in the old days, I was a member of the CSVCA and hunted in a couple of the “Nationals”. I was fortunate enough to meet the legendary Sam Dudley in Needles CA. at one of the nationals and had a great time listening to his stories. I started hunting predators in 1968 and won the chapter championship in 1969 hunting in California, Arizona, Nevada and Baja Mexico, I had a great time. Around 1973 life became complicated and raising a family took my free time, I stopped hunting, sold all my guns except for my wildcat varmint rifle and dedicated my life to getting by.
Finally by 2003 I had gotten my kids raised, gone through the requisite divorce, had a great job and started to get back into guns, amateur gunsmithing and hunting. I then joined the Predator Masters, the Texas Predator Posse as well as some other on-line hunting groups. I started hunting with the Texas group, both predators and hogs having a great time and some super adventures. I hunted mainly in Texas for the next few years especially with a good buddy who was a Texas Game Warden near Abilene, TX. As luck would have it, I got promoted and real busy, then I got promoted again and really busy so my hunting and gun work was put on the back burner again until recently (4 years) when I retired. My Mom, who lived with me, required more and more care until she passed a couple of years ago at 96 years of age, since then I have been trying to get my life sorted out and back to the things I love.
Getting back to the gun work has been a matter of cleaning up the lathes and mills, digging out all the parts, unfinished stocks, barreled actions and other junk accumulated over the years, not easy but not hard. I find that now I am completing these projects to sell them rather that use them. I realize that at my age real hunting adventures are probably behind me more that ahead. I would really like to get in at least a couple more predator hunts before it is too late.
I really appreciate this opportunity to reminisce about the old days as well as a reach out to fellow minded individuals. Maybe it is just me but having never been 70 years old before I felt that a look back was in order and I don’t think I could find a more understanding group.
I would love to get an invite to hunt some coyotes, any day, any South Western State, day or night calling would be fine.
Best Wishes
Marcos (elalto)
Well here I sit on my 70th birthday remembering the “good old days”, as they say, if I had known I would last this long I would have taken better care of myself. Actually that is not true, I am glad that I have lived my life as though I needed to do everything that I wanted to do right away!! At this stage in my life, I am not in the best of health yet I’m not bad off for an old fart!
I’ve been thinking about the predator hunting I did back in the old days, I was a member of the CSVCA and hunted in a couple of the “Nationals”. I was fortunate enough to meet the legendary Sam Dudley in Needles CA. at one of the nationals and had a great time listening to his stories. I started hunting predators in 1968 and won the chapter championship in 1969 hunting in California, Arizona, Nevada and Baja Mexico, I had a great time. Around 1973 life became complicated and raising a family took my free time, I stopped hunting, sold all my guns except for my wildcat varmint rifle and dedicated my life to getting by.
Finally by 2003 I had gotten my kids raised, gone through the requisite divorce, had a great job and started to get back into guns, amateur gunsmithing and hunting. I then joined the Predator Masters, the Texas Predator Posse as well as some other on-line hunting groups. I started hunting with the Texas group, both predators and hogs having a great time and some super adventures. I hunted mainly in Texas for the next few years especially with a good buddy who was a Texas Game Warden near Abilene, TX. As luck would have it, I got promoted and real busy, then I got promoted again and really busy so my hunting and gun work was put on the back burner again until recently (4 years) when I retired. My Mom, who lived with me, required more and more care until she passed a couple of years ago at 96 years of age, since then I have been trying to get my life sorted out and back to the things I love.
Getting back to the gun work has been a matter of cleaning up the lathes and mills, digging out all the parts, unfinished stocks, barreled actions and other junk accumulated over the years, not easy but not hard. I find that now I am completing these projects to sell them rather that use them. I realize that at my age real hunting adventures are probably behind me more that ahead. I would really like to get in at least a couple more predator hunts before it is too late.
I really appreciate this opportunity to reminisce about the old days as well as a reach out to fellow minded individuals. Maybe it is just me but having never been 70 years old before I felt that a look back was in order and I don’t think I could find a more understanding group.
I would love to get an invite to hunt some coyotes, any day, any South Western State, day or night calling would be fine.
Best Wishes
Marcos (elalto)
