At 77 yrs of age, I look back and analyze how my hunting activities have changed. When very young {6-10} in northen Minnesota, the main game were wood chucks and gophers along w/ one inadvertent whitetail and all w/ a .22. From there {11-16} the slingshot came into play and plenty of pheasants, rabbits and squirrels were killed w/in the city limits of a large metropolitan area and provided many meals. When the "adult" stage of hunting started, it was back to northern Minnesota and under the tutelage of my uncle, the "best poacher" in the area, we fed a family of 7 most of the year, mainly on venison. Back to the metropolis because of educational needs, and the hunting became a minimal endeavor. Because it was impossible to hunt while attending college, again my "deer hunting" took place in Minnesota only during the Christmas vacation. After college,the army and a 5 yr tool and diemaker apprenticeship, my hunting became an obsession and finally settled on ruffed grouse, deer, rabbit and squirrel hunting. Seeing I'm not built as a sitter, both physically and mentally, deer hunting wasn't equal to the other three, but still was an annual event because of family. Then came a "disastrous" event that changed my hunting forever...my first solo MLer elk hunt in the Rockies. This so "grabbed" me that for many years, the entire year was in preparation for the MLer elk hunt in Colorado. Judging from the steep terrain and altitude, elk hunting is a young man's sport and I deeply regret that I didn't elk hunt earlier, but then I would have surely regretted not having the numerous hunts for grouse, squirrels, rabbits and deer....and still, much hunting wasn't experienced because of various time restraints and obligations and the insatiable desire to hunt was never fully satisfied. Thanks for letting me digress a bit....Fred
