DaveIN
07-02-2008, 11:22 AM
To my WhereIFish Family:
This another story I have written to my Grandkids about some relatives they did not get to know………….
Great Grandpa Wayne Reynolds
By the time when I was born, Great Grandpa Wayne Reynolds had met and married Great Grandmother Janette and they had your Grandmother Joann. Joann met and married your Grandfather Bill. Grandpa Bill was a career Army man and away a lot of the time overseas. Whenever he went someplace where we could not go, Grandmother Joann and I would go and stay with your Great Grandparents. By the time I was 7 or 8, when Grandpa Bill went to Germany, Great Grandpa Reynolds painting business had grown where he had eight full time painting crews. He had become the go to guy for the Vigo county school corporation and two of the local colleges as well as a fella named, Tony Hulman, a local, millionaire and Indianapolis 500 Race track owner. By this time Great Grandpa Wayne had shown me the sport of trap shooting of which he not only enjoyed but was also a crack shot. I quickly learned and became a fair a shot myself at this early age. Wayne not only enjoyed trap shooting but was an avid rabbit and squirrel hunter. After all, he was born and raised on a small farm in Riley, a small town not far from Terre Haute.
That brings us to this time when I was seven or eight years old. I had been bugging him to take me squirrel hunting with him for a couple of years now. Your Grandmother Joann was a citified girl and would hear nothing of this. She was semi mad at Wayne for teaching me trap shooting already. Finally, after gentle coaxing from Wayne, she relented and yes I could go Squirrel Hunting! Boy I tell you Nathan and Jacob, I could not sleep the night the night before the big hunt. The day before Wayne told me the rules:
We are leaving at 4:30 am. If I was not up and ready, I would not go.
I would use my trusty 12 gauge shotgun that I was already using for trap shooting.
I would not fire at anything without Wayne’s OK.
When I did fire at a squirrel I must hit it in the head or the conservation officer
would give me a ticket because I made it suffer.
At this point, what I DID NOT KNOW was, Wayne had no intention on this trip of letting me shoot at a squirrel! This trip, he just wanted to observe my actions in the woods as well how I would fair at seeing an animal killed.
The morning is here! I was dressed and ready a little after midnight. Man I was excited! Hunting with Grandpa, a dream that had come true! On the way we stopped at an all night diner and had breakfast. Gramp had his coffee thermos filled and put extra sugar in it for me. And away we went, going to the great Squirrel Hunt!
Gramp had timed where we would arrive at the woods during the breaking of the sun over the horizon. Gramp knew where to go in these woods as he hunted them many times before. The woods was owned by Ole man Poff the owner of the best sporting goods store in Terre Haute. They were great friends and hunting partners. We walked slowly about ½ mile to a grove of acorn trees next to a small brook. On the way to this spot Gramp stopped many times and identified many plants and trees for me and also we stopped a bit and watched a couple of chipmunks at play. I was in pig heaven! Grandpa was teaching me to become a woodsman. As the years went he would he would teach me all I know about being in the woods.
We come to the place where we sat down next to the grove of acorns, I with my trusty 12 gauge, he with his ever faithful black beauty 22 cal nylon auto with 4 X scope. It was an amazing time. Shortly after settling in, we watched a red fox chasing some rabbits and all of a sudden the woods became alive with sounds and sights of the birds. Gramp started his bird identifying lesson with me, which is something as you know I still enjoy today.
Then we saw the first squirrel running around in a near acorn tree! I said “Can I shoot it? Can I?” Gramp said no it was to far away for my thunderstick and that he should harvest it, and he did. As the squirrel was falling out of the tree I noticed out of the corner of my eye, Gramp was watching me for some reason. Of course later I would know the reason why. Well, I started to jump up to go get the vanquished squirrel. Gramp pulled me back down and quietly said that they usually traveled in two or more and lets just wait and see if another shows up. He was right. Just as I spotted another one, gramp had already saw it, shouldered his rifle and fired. I watched as that squirrel also fell from the tree top. We waited about 15 minutes then we went and got the two squirrels. I noticed Gramps really watching me and I did know why then, I do now. He carried one and I the other back to our sitting spot. Gramp asked how I was doing and I replied great but I would sure like to get one. He smiled and then said look where he had shoot them. Both squirrels had a hole in their heads, and he repeated his caution from the day before; you have to shoot them in the head or a conservation officer would give you a ticket. I did not know why he was that again till later. Next he asked if I would like him to show me how to field dress them. I eagerly said yes! He pulled an old, battered, frontersman pocket knife out of his pocket. He then slowly field dressed the first one, giving me instructions as he was watching both me and the tree tops. When he finished he asked me how I felt. I said great and could field dressing the second one? He smiled and pulled out of his pocket a brand new frontersman pocket knife! He said go ahead if I think I could. Well sir, I went at and did pretty good, so I thought, but he said not bad and gave me a couple of pointers. Gramp was wearing one of those hunting vests with the big pocket on the back side to put your game in. Gramp reached into it and pulled out a rubber bag that had ice frozen in it. He related that it served two purposes, to get the game cooled down and also to cool down your own backside. He placed the ice bag and the squirrels into that big pocket. He again asked how I was doing. I replied “Great!” I started to give him his knife back and he said no, it was now mine! I realized he had bought that knife just for this occasion! I still have that frontersman pocket knife today, except it now looks like his did back in the day, old, battered.
Well, we sat there and Gramps shot three squirrels telling me each time, no the squirrel was to far away for my gun. I was allowed happily to retrieve them and field dress em.
What a great time and boy did I learn a lot! The time came when we should be leaving and I did not to because I was having a great time just talking and learning from Gramp. I asked if we could walk slowly back and would he show me some more woods learning. He said yes and I was also wondering when we were going to run across the conservation officer who would check and see if Gramp had shot all his squirrels in the head which by the way he had. Told you was crack shot. We walked slowly and Gramp id so more plants, trees etc., then it happened. We were coming to the point where we were going to depart the woods, and reach the truck. I was walking behind Gramp and I saw splayed out on a maple tree trunk not more 10 feet from me was a squirrel! My time had come! I carefully raised my shotgun, chambered a shell which sound of doing so caught Gramps attention, I aimed at its head and fired………I got it! But the thing of it was, it was still splayed on the tree trunk, and I realized upon looking at it that I had hit a lot more places than just the head! Amazing what a 12 gauge can do to a squirrel from only 10 feet away. I ran back to Gramp almost in tears telling Gramp I was sorry I had it in more places than just the head and I would pay the ticket from the conservation officer out of my allowance,,,,,,,,,,,It is funny how Gramp had turned a shade of white, just looking at me and then at the squirrel. After a couple of minutes we both walked up to the squirrel and pulled it off the tree, carefully looking at it and then Gramp smiled and said “Good shot Dave!” We did leave the squirrel though; the meat was kind of messed up.
After we got to the truck and put our gear, etc. away, Gramp and I went to an old fallen tree and sat down. Gramp then carefully explained the following to me:
He had planned that on this first hunting adventure, I was not suppose to take a shot.
This trip was just to see how I would do in the woods, how I would do seeing an animal killed and also seeing how I would do field dressing a squirrel.
He only told me about the shot to the head to conserve the meat. He admitted a conservation officer would not give you a ticket for shooting it someplace else.
He then told me he would forgive me for taking a shot before I told him if, I promised to follow his instructions to the letter in the future. I said I would.
He then said he was very proud how I handled all the new experiences I just went through and that he loved me very much.
Nathan and Jacob, your Great Grandfather Wayne was a true outdoorsman and I only wished he lived long enough for you to have met him. I know your Father will teach and show you the woods ways. I love you both and I hope this little story will let you know a little about your Great Grandpa Wayne……………..
Grandpa Dave
This another story I have written to my Grandkids about some relatives they did not get to know………….
Great Grandpa Wayne Reynolds
By the time when I was born, Great Grandpa Wayne Reynolds had met and married Great Grandmother Janette and they had your Grandmother Joann. Joann met and married your Grandfather Bill. Grandpa Bill was a career Army man and away a lot of the time overseas. Whenever he went someplace where we could not go, Grandmother Joann and I would go and stay with your Great Grandparents. By the time I was 7 or 8, when Grandpa Bill went to Germany, Great Grandpa Reynolds painting business had grown where he had eight full time painting crews. He had become the go to guy for the Vigo county school corporation and two of the local colleges as well as a fella named, Tony Hulman, a local, millionaire and Indianapolis 500 Race track owner. By this time Great Grandpa Wayne had shown me the sport of trap shooting of which he not only enjoyed but was also a crack shot. I quickly learned and became a fair a shot myself at this early age. Wayne not only enjoyed trap shooting but was an avid rabbit and squirrel hunter. After all, he was born and raised on a small farm in Riley, a small town not far from Terre Haute.
That brings us to this time when I was seven or eight years old. I had been bugging him to take me squirrel hunting with him for a couple of years now. Your Grandmother Joann was a citified girl and would hear nothing of this. She was semi mad at Wayne for teaching me trap shooting already. Finally, after gentle coaxing from Wayne, she relented and yes I could go Squirrel Hunting! Boy I tell you Nathan and Jacob, I could not sleep the night the night before the big hunt. The day before Wayne told me the rules:
We are leaving at 4:30 am. If I was not up and ready, I would not go.
I would use my trusty 12 gauge shotgun that I was already using for trap shooting.
I would not fire at anything without Wayne’s OK.
When I did fire at a squirrel I must hit it in the head or the conservation officer
would give me a ticket because I made it suffer.
At this point, what I DID NOT KNOW was, Wayne had no intention on this trip of letting me shoot at a squirrel! This trip, he just wanted to observe my actions in the woods as well how I would fair at seeing an animal killed.
The morning is here! I was dressed and ready a little after midnight. Man I was excited! Hunting with Grandpa, a dream that had come true! On the way we stopped at an all night diner and had breakfast. Gramp had his coffee thermos filled and put extra sugar in it for me. And away we went, going to the great Squirrel Hunt!
Gramp had timed where we would arrive at the woods during the breaking of the sun over the horizon. Gramp knew where to go in these woods as he hunted them many times before. The woods was owned by Ole man Poff the owner of the best sporting goods store in Terre Haute. They were great friends and hunting partners. We walked slowly about ½ mile to a grove of acorn trees next to a small brook. On the way to this spot Gramp stopped many times and identified many plants and trees for me and also we stopped a bit and watched a couple of chipmunks at play. I was in pig heaven! Grandpa was teaching me to become a woodsman. As the years went he would he would teach me all I know about being in the woods.
We come to the place where we sat down next to the grove of acorns, I with my trusty 12 gauge, he with his ever faithful black beauty 22 cal nylon auto with 4 X scope. It was an amazing time. Shortly after settling in, we watched a red fox chasing some rabbits and all of a sudden the woods became alive with sounds and sights of the birds. Gramp started his bird identifying lesson with me, which is something as you know I still enjoy today.
Then we saw the first squirrel running around in a near acorn tree! I said “Can I shoot it? Can I?” Gramp said no it was to far away for my thunderstick and that he should harvest it, and he did. As the squirrel was falling out of the tree I noticed out of the corner of my eye, Gramp was watching me for some reason. Of course later I would know the reason why. Well, I started to jump up to go get the vanquished squirrel. Gramp pulled me back down and quietly said that they usually traveled in two or more and lets just wait and see if another shows up. He was right. Just as I spotted another one, gramp had already saw it, shouldered his rifle and fired. I watched as that squirrel also fell from the tree top. We waited about 15 minutes then we went and got the two squirrels. I noticed Gramps really watching me and I did know why then, I do now. He carried one and I the other back to our sitting spot. Gramp asked how I was doing and I replied great but I would sure like to get one. He smiled and then said look where he had shoot them. Both squirrels had a hole in their heads, and he repeated his caution from the day before; you have to shoot them in the head or a conservation officer would give you a ticket. I did not know why he was that again till later. Next he asked if I would like him to show me how to field dress them. I eagerly said yes! He pulled an old, battered, frontersman pocket knife out of his pocket. He then slowly field dressed the first one, giving me instructions as he was watching both me and the tree tops. When he finished he asked me how I felt. I said great and could field dressing the second one? He smiled and pulled out of his pocket a brand new frontersman pocket knife! He said go ahead if I think I could. Well sir, I went at and did pretty good, so I thought, but he said not bad and gave me a couple of pointers. Gramp was wearing one of those hunting vests with the big pocket on the back side to put your game in. Gramp reached into it and pulled out a rubber bag that had ice frozen in it. He related that it served two purposes, to get the game cooled down and also to cool down your own backside. He placed the ice bag and the squirrels into that big pocket. He again asked how I was doing. I replied “Great!” I started to give him his knife back and he said no, it was now mine! I realized he had bought that knife just for this occasion! I still have that frontersman pocket knife today, except it now looks like his did back in the day, old, battered.
Well, we sat there and Gramps shot three squirrels telling me each time, no the squirrel was to far away for my gun. I was allowed happily to retrieve them and field dress em.
What a great time and boy did I learn a lot! The time came when we should be leaving and I did not to because I was having a great time just talking and learning from Gramp. I asked if we could walk slowly back and would he show me some more woods learning. He said yes and I was also wondering when we were going to run across the conservation officer who would check and see if Gramp had shot all his squirrels in the head which by the way he had. Told you was crack shot. We walked slowly and Gramp id so more plants, trees etc., then it happened. We were coming to the point where we were going to depart the woods, and reach the truck. I was walking behind Gramp and I saw splayed out on a maple tree trunk not more 10 feet from me was a squirrel! My time had come! I carefully raised my shotgun, chambered a shell which sound of doing so caught Gramps attention, I aimed at its head and fired………I got it! But the thing of it was, it was still splayed on the tree trunk, and I realized upon looking at it that I had hit a lot more places than just the head! Amazing what a 12 gauge can do to a squirrel from only 10 feet away. I ran back to Gramp almost in tears telling Gramp I was sorry I had it in more places than just the head and I would pay the ticket from the conservation officer out of my allowance,,,,,,,,,,,It is funny how Gramp had turned a shade of white, just looking at me and then at the squirrel. After a couple of minutes we both walked up to the squirrel and pulled it off the tree, carefully looking at it and then Gramp smiled and said “Good shot Dave!” We did leave the squirrel though; the meat was kind of messed up.
After we got to the truck and put our gear, etc. away, Gramp and I went to an old fallen tree and sat down. Gramp then carefully explained the following to me:
He had planned that on this first hunting adventure, I was not suppose to take a shot.
This trip was just to see how I would do in the woods, how I would do seeing an animal killed and also seeing how I would do field dressing a squirrel.
He only told me about the shot to the head to conserve the meat. He admitted a conservation officer would not give you a ticket for shooting it someplace else.
He then told me he would forgive me for taking a shot before I told him if, I promised to follow his instructions to the letter in the future. I said I would.
He then said he was very proud how I handled all the new experiences I just went through and that he loved me very much.
Nathan and Jacob, your Great Grandfather Wayne was a true outdoorsman and I only wished he lived long enough for you to have met him. I know your Father will teach and show you the woods ways. I love you both and I hope this little story will let you know a little about your Great Grandpa Wayne……………..
Grandpa Dave