Huntin in the "olden" days was accomplished a couple ways. If we weren't usin the beagle hounds for rabbits--along with clubs--then we used shotguns. Of those types of shotguns two were the "norm". First was the blackpowder kind--muzzle loader! They worked just fine as long as it was dry and not rainin. Those old dudes had a tendency to missfire or hang fire. Very dangerous situation when ya'll had a rabbit runn'n away from ya'll, the trigger pulled, hammer fell and a small "poof". Nothin more, no report of the old firestick---just erie quiet! AFraid to move, afraid to let the gun down and afraid to even breathe!! After standin there for what seemed an eternity a new cap was installed on the nipple and the whole process tried again. Very awkward if it failed again. Dig out the toothpik and clean the nipple. Drop a grain or two of powder into that nipple tube and try again. If that didn't work then next thing was to ---go to the house! After leavin the gun set overnight in the barn--pointed safely away---next day remove the charge! The "screw end" made short work of the embedded and failed load!

The other way was to use the old single barrell 12 guage shotgun. Sometimes we'd be out of shells for a 12 ga so we would scrounge 16 ga from our brother in law. Take an empty 12 casing, cut the paper off and use it to "bush up" the 16 ga shell so it would work in the larger 12 ga. It worked! The real thrill came when we acquired a couple boxes of blackpowder 12 ga shotgun shells. Almost as much fun as fire'n the old muzzleloader! Many a rabbit fell by these means. Not nearly as many fell by the "beagle/club" combination tho.

Baked rabbit, carrots, onions, taters with some homemade biskits and white gravy. Cooked slowly in the oven of the old Home Comfort wood cookstove. Top it all off with some still warm homemade donuts. Man, that brings the "growls" to my old empty belly!

"Wars, rumors of war, Earthquakes in divers places, hurrican's and pestilances" throughout the entire world. The rapture of the church is at hand. The temple in Israel has to be built yet before His return. That can be built overnight! About all thats' required is an altar with a small roof over it. Are ya'll ready? ole hoot. Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), August 08, 2001

Answers

Hello Hoot, its been a while since I have been hunting. My son does all the hunting for me, but I am well stocked with rabbit and deer. I would go fishing now, but with it so hot and humid, even the fish are laying on the bottom. Later

-- JERRY TRAVIS (travis938@excite.com), August 10, 2001.