What is your most prized Hunting possession?

My knowledge and experence out in the woods. I come from a non hunting / non gun family and although grandpa did hunt, it was out of necessity and the info wasn't passed on when times were better. I was in my early 30s when I skinned and gutted my first squirrel. 38 for rabbit. It took me years to figure out the basics and I'm still learning. I carved a backstrap out of a deer that was (very recently) hit by a car but didn't prefer the meat so will stick to small game. Bumbling around in the woods for years as an adult sucks. Pass it on.

By far, my Friends.

My most prized hunting possession is the 16ga Parker that my mother's uncle purchased new in the 1920's.

Ugly Sauce said:

I sure like the way you did the tacks on that. I have a TC Hawken, I must duplicate them some day...with Mr.Farmers permission of course.

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I think i would do it differently next time.
I'll send you a pm with a pic and explanation.

Well I'm a gonna do it just the same. Really like it.

besk said:

My most prized hunting possession is the 16ga Parker that my mother's uncle purchased new in the 1920's.

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A 16 gauge Parker...that's not a bad prize. I could live with such a gun.

I just thunk of something. This Belgium side-by-side 12 gauge hammer gun is pretty dear to me heart. I'm not sure if this was my Great Grandfather's and then my Grandfather's after he died, or if he (Great-Grandfather) bought it for my Grandfather as a gift. After my Grandfather died, my Grandmother brought us his guns, and I instantly claimed this. I was 12 years old, and the first time I shot it, the recoil gave me a bloody nose, so I call it "Bloody Nose".

Later when I left home I took it with me, and in my early 20's hunted lots of ducks and quail with it, and grouse. Not realizing it wasn't a smokeless powder gun, I shot it pretty loose with modern shells, put it away for many years, but in recent years I tightened it back up. Now I reload black powder shells for it. Got a turkey with it not too long ago. It's a great trekking/exploring/hiking/map-n-compass work gun, with a .690" round ball over a ton of Swiss it will give Grizz a headache, (quite accurate with round ball actually) and of course will take any and all small game. Not a bad wilderness survival gun.

My father never used it, but the gun spent many years and went many a mile in the wilderness of Northern Canada in a canoe with my grand parents, as canoe camping was their "thing". So, it's a pretty good prize.

I have to say my 30-06 I had built on an F.N. Mauser action in the early 90's. Everybody told me I was crazy. My gunsmith said it would be cheaper to buy a new Winchester model 70 and rebarrel it but it was something I'd wanted to do since I was a kid in the early 70's. With a 26 inch Obermeyer barrel it is a literal tack driver and I've killed a lot of deer with it.

Yeah, crazy like a fox. 26" barrel on a .30-06, that's a good kind of crazy. FN Mauser or Model 70...I'll take the FN. I totally understand that rifle. I only have one rifle in .30US, an original condition O3A3 that the father-in-law hunted with, and sometimes the wife would go with him and that rifle. She remembers that rifle, and bought it from him a long time ago as a Christmas present for me.

So It's a pretty good prize. I've hunted bear with it in the past, (but never got one with it) but just don't hunt with them new-fangled rifles anymore. Once in a great while I will take it scouting in the hunting grounds just for bear and wolf repellent. I think the '06 is the "best" cartridge.

I don't have pictures but my #1 treasure would have to be my Grandfather's model 60 Winchester single shot 22. It has been through bike wrecks, dropped, fallen on and, to be honest, wouldn't bring $20 online, but I wouldn't take a million dollars for it. My #2 would be my other Grandfather's homemade turkey call. It is a box call that doesn't come close to sounding like a turkey, but it's mine.

My most prized possession is my late fathers 1957 winchester model 70 featherweight in 308.He deer hunted with that rifle every year until his health prevented him from doing so.I have many fond memories of hunting with him .

Ugly Sauce said:

Yeah, crazy like a fox. 26" barrel on a .30-06, that's a good kind of crazy. FN Mauser or Model 70...I'll take the FN. I totally understand that rifle. I only have one rifle in .30US, an original condition O3A3 that the father-in-law hunted with, and sometimes the wife would go with him and that rifle. She remembers that rifle, and bought it from him a long time ago as a Christmas present for me.

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I have a Smith Corona 1903A3 but I turned it into a 30-06 target rifle. It's pretty old school for a target rifle now but it has an early Mike Rock 26 inch barrel with an 8 groove flute. From a bench with my handloads it will put bullets in the same hole without egg shaping the hole at 100 yards if I do my part. My Mauser oddly enough shoots the same loads but makes tiny little cloverleafs at 100 yards.

I thought about turning it into the Army Version of the sniper rifle, I forget the designation of the 03A3 sniper. But, I made a SMLE into a bogus No.4(T) sniper (it is sub-MOA, got one .50" group out of it) so I think I'll just leave the Remington as-is. A .30-06 with open sights and 180 grain RN bullets loaded hot is a great comfort in the brush for trekking and exploring, which is what I would use the rifle for these days.

Ugly Sauce said:

I thought about turning it into the Army Version of the sniper rifle, I forget the designation of the 03A3 sniper. But, I made a SMLE into a bogus No.4(T) sniper (it is sub-MOA, got one .50" group out of it) so I think I'll just leave the Remington as-is. A .30-06 with open sights and 180 grain RN bullets loaded hot is a great comfort in the brush for trekking and exploring, which is what I would use the rifle for these days.

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The sniper rifle was the 1903 A4. If I had a rifle in its original configuration I'd keep it that way with the prices they're bringing now. I gave next to nothing for my Mauser and A3 compared to what they bring now. I've got a numbers matching G 33/40 that would make collectors cringe if they saw it now.

Truth. (G33/40! DANG!) I noticed not too long ago that the 03A3's were going high. The Remington I have is in really nice shape too. Not so much the wood, which is nice, but mechanically she's perfect and tight, pristine bore, etc. Don't think it saw any use, everyone was getting M1's by then. (don't remember if it's 2-groove rifling or not.) Has a 1943 date on the barrel, and was a rifle released to the NRA after the war that the members could buy cheap. I have the receipt. !

Ugly Sauce said:

Northern Canada

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Ugly Sauce said:

, but the gun spent many years and went many a mile in the wilderness of Northern Canada in a canoe with my grand parents, as canoe camping was their "thing". So, it's a pretty good prize.

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Just for kicks
.

Utube >Lost Lakes ,
I've been watching this guy paddle some of the most beautiful Lakes in Ontario. It's a good subscription for anyone who loves the remote outdoors.

I'll check it out. Yes, Northern Ontario was where they lived, in a little gold-mining town way out up North in the boonies. Grandfather shot moose with his Luger to lay in the winter meat. !!!

My most treasured items are my old boy scout compass, steel camping cup, and a cheap, floppy boonie hat. Each one has special memories of good times and not so good times. The compass brings back memories of land navigation competitions and hikes in the woods. The boonie hat has kept the sun and rain off me for many years and has been a lifesaver during those long summer hikes. My steel camping cup has made many cups of coffee, soup, and other beverages while sitting by the fire with good friends. As far as hunting specific gear I would say that is an old blaze orange watch cap I bought when I was 12 or 13 years old. I bought it from K-Mart at the start of the season and wore it with a friends family when we went tree rat hunting and scouting for deer. It is threadbare and stinks to high heaven, and will soon be retired for good. It has many trips to the woods and a few good off color stories it could tell.

Yep, the little things count. Something I've overlooked is my Imperial "CampKing" pocket knife. Always been with me, don't remember where or when I got it. I keep it tethered to a belt loop, as losing it would be terrible.

Ugly Sauce said:

Truth. (G33/40! DANG!)

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Yeah, I got it already sporterized. Whoever did the metalwork was a master smith. He stretched and reshaped the original bolt and left the serial number intact. The wood looked like it had been done by a 12 year old with a pocket knife. I bought a nice figured stock made out of European walnut but it was rough cut and man is it hard. I can't do anything with it. 60 grit sandpaper won't touch it. I'm in the process of putting it in a 1903 A3 sporter stock.

The Glock knife my Dad gave me for my 15th birthday. (He had to spend his uniform allowance before Dec. 31st., my BD is the 13th)
It has field dressed all my deer, and my dad's moose. I liked it so much, I bought one for each of my sons. My Dad gave my older son a Buck Kalinga, that would have to be his most prized hunting possession.

Better than all my guns and knives and more are the pictures I have of me hunting or after the hunt with my 2 boys (grown and living their own lives now) and my wife.... those were shining times....

I feel like my wife and kids are on loan from God, so I don’t consider them possessions, but I also would never say that in a derogatory way to those who posted their spouse or children. I’m on the fence about whether dogs are possessions, but I pay taxes on them so I guess they are. these young ladies may not look it, but they’re blood trailing machines. I recently had the chance to try their deer blood trained noses on bear blood (I may post more on that later), and they didn’t flinch. Right to it. They’re a pretty great asset when hunting (after the shot). Or when sleeping in a cold night.

I have a piece of my grandfather's blaze orange vest.
I never knew him. I was a year old when he died in 1981.
He was an avid hunter and the good Lord only knows how many deer fell to his gun over the years.
My uncle found an old vest of his and cut it into squares and gave all of his nephews (his father's grandchildren) a piece of it.
I thought it was a great gesture and I cherish it.

courtgreene said:

I feel like my wife and kids are on loan from God, so I don’t consider them possessions, but I also would never say that in a derogatory way to those who posted their spouse or children.

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Oh, yep, I get it, but it's the photos of my hunting with wife & kids. No offense taken.