The purer form

[Stephen Borud]

I started my hunting adventures following my dad in the badlands of ND. He always hunted with a fast lock 54 flinter. A full stock of curly maple. It still is a beautiful rifle. Many a mule deer doe fell from that .520 round ball, even a buffalo.

My first three kills came from a 44 half stock flinter. A 30 yard shot put my first deer on the ground. Still hunting for deer is a blast.

My next hunting rifle was a 73 45-70 Trapddoor. I got a 140.00 for confirmation one Sunday. After the party we headed over to Leonard's house and I got to pick out my rifle. I believe there were eight to choose from. Dad guided me threw the all of them and I finally picked one. Not the prettiest, but a mint bore and solid action. I can remember my mom throwing a fit when we got home! She couldn't believe I blew all that money! That rifle killed three more deer with ease. That 405 grain government bullet is a meat maker.

As I grew older and started to hunt with my friends I realized I couldn't compete with them and the modern rifles they hunted with. I had to have a 300 Win Mag. If I was going to buy a rifle it was going to be more Hi Power then what they had. That 300 Mag was a beast. Many a deer and antelope fell at 400 plus yards to that rifle. It still is my favorite bolt gun I own.

In 98 I moved to Casper Wyoming for my job. More work and less hunting. Hunting became a challenge, I had to get meat with less time on my hands. It became a job, I had lost the total enjoyment I once had.

In 2005 dad loaned me a Sharps 45-70. I worked up a load of 70 grains of Fg and a 490 grain .440 paper patch bullet. That rifle killed a couple antelope and a nice whitetail buck. I started to enjoy my outings more. I took my three year old son with me! He got to watch his old man lay a antelope on her side. Now we are talking. Enjoyment crept back into my hunting.

I ordered my first Shiloh in 2006. A 45 2 4/10ths. Another fine killer. More hunting, taking my time, teaching my boys to stalk, to hunt, to enjoy the day in the field. I no longer felt the urge to rush, we just took our time and observed what God put before us.

I own several more Shilohs now. 50s, 45s, 44, 40s, yes I might have an addiction. The last two I had built were for my wife and four boys. I want them to experience what I've always enjoyed, a simpler hunt! It's not a race. We are bombarded by what the marketers call THE BEST, THE FASTEST, THE QUETEST, THE MOST EFFICIENT! It's bullshit! We have lost our way with technology, technology has taken out woodsmenship/skill.

I hit the field now with a front pocket full of paper patch rounds, a pack and my Sharps. All my boys hunt with me each fall, learning how to spot, stalk, teaching them skills. Life long skills, skills that can be used every time they hit the field. I can't guarantee they will always hunt, or even hunt with a Sharps, but I know if they veer off the simpler path like I did that they will come back to it.

SB

[Old Jim]

A very nice history of how a hunters' life should be spent.

Thanks,


Jim

[Sarge]

Well put, indeed. I've hunted with a longbow or sharps since 1991, could not have said it any better.

Sarge

[J.B.]

Beautifully put Stephen. So true too. My dad tought me to shoot in our suburban backyard. An era ..when you could produce an air rifle in the suburbs ( yes in Sydney, Australia...can you believe it ? ) and not bring down the wrath of the local SWAT equivalent. Those days are gone here and we are very much the worse for its passing.
I get out to a friends ranch when I can and bring my son when school and work schedules permit. We haven't done it enough though... and only the good Lord knows how many opportunities we'll have. Make hay while the sun shines as they say. Thanks for your reflections... it was therapeudic to say the least.

Gavin.

[Stephen Borud]

Well put, indeed. I've hunted with a longbow or sharps since 1991, could not have said it any better.

Sarge

I still have my first longbow I bought in the late 80s. It's a Martin ML14. I will be heading to the mountains in two weeks with longbow in hand to hunt elk.

Thanks Sarge

[Stephen Borud]

Thank You Gavin and Old Jim. Funny how I came back full circle, it was meant to be.

[Don McDowell]

Good story Stephen, thanks for sharing it with us.

[Sarge]

Stephen,

I started with a Ben Pearson recurve that my uncle gave me when I was 9 that I found in his garage. Went on many a Safari in the woods behind my house and became quite the PH, in my mind. Graduated to my grandpa's 30-30, still have it but the recurve finally broke a limb. Went the highpower and compound route, but was missing something. Digressed to a longbow and sharps and couldn't be more content, after making the big circle. Good luck on the elk, and I admit my envy.

Sarge

[Stephen Borud]

Thanks Sarge, my ceder arrows are true and my old Bear Razors are Sharp.

Stephen

[Stephen Borud]

Welcome Don. Thanks for having me!