While making and discussing these plans I was also planning Spring Break with my boys. Justin is not much of a shooter with many other interests taking up his time. Brandon is really intense about shooting. During discussions of what I was going to do in CA, Brandon suggested he was the perfect candidate to go with me! Done deal - I moved the trip one week forward which would capture the last week of the club bird season and also the "special youth season - M.U.D. property". The other attendee was my friends son Cord, who has never been on an airplane nor out of Texas in his 22 years. His family owns a bird hunting club that he hopes to take over one day, so I thought he'd appreciate seeing how it is done elsewhere and at the same time fill his quest for shooting different species of birds. This area would provide an opportunity for wild Chukar, California Valley Quail and Gambel's Quail as well as pre-released pheasants. My club releases 27,000 pheasants throughout June-Sept on the 6600 acres of rolling hills and wetlands that are a natural habitat. Justin would get his four days with Dad and Brandon would get his four days.
First, Justin got two days in a row. One was at the indoor waterpark and the other at laser tag and car racing. Justin is finally big enough to drive his own electric powered race car that goes up to 50 MPH. Upon return from CA, Justin wanted to pick fresh vegetables, catch a movie and go to the zoo.
Once in CA we caught up with Dale Tate and his family. I apprenticed as a gunmaker under Dale and Dale and Charles Lee both left Purdey's to work independently in the US in two workshops on my club property. I helped myself to the tools and altered Brandon's 1939 Iver Johnson .410 shotgun so it fit him like a glove. Then I introduced Cord to my 1901 J. Clarke pigeon gun (marked on the barrels "Made to order for Johnson and Simpson - London".
I took Brandon out on the sporting clays course and he hit most of the targets. As most of you know it is difficult to get your own kid to really pay attention to your instruction. I had Dale take out Brandon and Cord, as Dale is a Level III Instructor. A half hour later we went through the 100 round course and Brandon hit every single target while Cord and I hit most. This course was the "smallbore" course which has target presentations that are closer than the intermediate and advanced courses. Later we shot 5 stand with good success. Then, Brandon amazed several adult on-lookers on the trap course. This trip was the first time he ever shot a clay target and his little gun was firing 1/2 ounce of #7.5 shot in 2.5" shells. Apparently nobody told Brandon about the inefficiencies of the .410 as he ran 25 straight on the trap field in front of an increasingly large crowd! I was approached by the co-chairman of the Nat'l Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation and encouraged to enroll him. We even had some sponsors offer support! I think this is too much pressure right now - he's only 7 years old!
Later in the afternoon we hunted quail with two pointing labs, Willie and Toby that belong to my friend Bud. While hunting we talked about Mike D. and how I met him along with our mutual interests. We talked about appreciating life and keeping in touch with friends. Brandon shot two CVQ's out of 6 shots (non-toxic only so he used 3" with #6 steel). On the way back we drove through the club grounds and released the dogs again. Brandon and Cord shot 4 pheasants each. That night we ate pizza in Jackson and looked at the old buildings and a haunted hotel.
The next day I had to work on some guns in the shop with Dale, so Brandon and Cord went out with Brandon driving the four-wheel UTV. They wandered all the target courses and picked up the empty shells that were lying around. They saw Columbia Blacktailed Deer, Turkey and many species of ducks. When they came back to the shop I was fitting a gun for a customer and we talked about how Mike D. came to the shop to get his gun fitted and it was a SxS too. This afternoon we went out to the rocky hills and shot a few more CVQ and found some chukar. Brandon and Cord each got 5 birds - 2 quail and 3 partridge. This evening we went to Sutter Creek and again looked at the old building and explored the gold rush and cowboy history of the area.
The third day we went to a special area and were able to shoot some Gambel's quail. That afternoon we went out on the club property and we all shot a pile of pheasants. Brandon actually shot 6 straight pheasants and Cord and I shot two each. At night we went to Ione for dinner and we wandered around the vineyards and the old fashioned main street area.
On the last day we helped the club owners gas up carts, load trap machines, and clean up the clubhouse. I had a few more things to complete in the shop so Brandon and Cord watched Charles Lee engrave and then watched me make some firing pins, blue a set of barrels and re-joint a gun. Cord wants me to make him a 28 gauge SxS so I guess I have something to work on this summer. The flight home was uneventful, with both "kids" looking out the window for the entire 3 hours as if mesmerized. It's good to be back in Texas, but I already miss my friends we left in CA. Including Mike D. I think he'd be proud! I got to go take Justin out for two more days of his Spring break!
with envey of the time You and many others Here get to spend with Family and/or friends shooting or being outdoors. Too much time at work for Me and time is slipping away.....I know Mike is very Happy with this post.