Question for the "old guys"...Is it just me or are there others?

[usmchomesteader]

I am a child of the late 40’s and 50’s, back when things were much simpler and straight forward where you heroes on TV were the likes of Walt Disney’s Davy Crockett and later Daniel Boone. Soon I will be 65 and am now fully retired, and for some reason, perhaps old age, senility, a rebellion against this modern age and what is happening to our society, or something else, I have developed a desire or longing to experience to a certain extent the lives of our country’s pioneers. To that extent I have started to develop some skills with outside Dutch Oven cooking, making coffee over a camp fire, making basic leather cases for various hunting knives, shooting flintlock pistols and rifles and cap & ball revolvers, and pursuing an in-depth study of the period of our country’s history from the French & Indian Wars up through the period a few years beyond the Civil War. My question for those members of a similar age is am I alone in this somewhat crazy endeavor or are there others out there like me? Bob P.

 

[Rifleman1776]

You are not alone. At age 74 my outdoors activies have slowed somewhat but the skills remain. I have even written a novel that incorporates the values you mention plus the outdoors skills.
Plus these skills prepare us mentally. Surprisingly, many people cannot even think in a survial mode. In 2009 my area had a severe ice storm that left many without power for weeks. Many people simply sat and died because they did not even have water or food available. We had prepared with back up heat, power, food, water, etc. It is a state of mind.

 

[Shifty]

I just retired a few months ago and finnaly was able to finnish my Hawken Rifle I had been on for two yrs then reconditioned two old rifle a CVA and a Traditions,I am started to read more about the Mountain Men ,making more things for my mls,using wood heat,I make premitive bows all my arrows,split my ram rods from straight hickory,I had a lot more outdoor skills when I was a teenager than I have now,especially trapping.

 

[usmchomesteader]

For Shifty...Have you ever read the Terry C. Johnston mountain man book series? There are three trilogies and the original one is kind of in the middle..."Carry the Wind," "Borderlords," and "One-Eyed Dream." If you have never read these, you are in for a real treat.

 

[George]

My question for those members of a similar age is am I alone in this somewhat crazy endeavor or are there others out there like me?

I'm a bit older than you, started on the same journey in the early 70s. There were a lot of us of a similar mindset, then, but I don't believe the situation is the same, today. I've been doing these online forums for quite a few years, and I have the distinct impression that interest in the historical aspects has declined significantly. The interest in the guns is still there, but no one seems to know or care where they came from, why they are what they are or who were the people who used them.

Good question, I'll be interested to see what comments you get.

Spence

 

[Vaino]

Too many "modern day" diversions. Many are working long hours and their leisure time is very dear and isn't spent w/ time consuming hobbies, projects and interests. Besides, many don't want to "stretch their minds" and prefer to take it easy after working all week. Heck...many don't even spend enough time w/ their kids.....Fred

 

[AllenHawken]

You are not alone. I am a decade younger than you, and I have decided that the best gift I can give to my children and their children is to reawaken the sense of connection with mountains, woods, rugged individualism, and the American frontier.

 

[D Sanders]

I am younger than you at the age of 52 but I also remember my old TV heroes Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. I always did say that I was born at least 200 years too late. I always wonder what it would be like to have gone along with Lewis and Clark and the corp of discovery. I own 48 acres in the middle of Missouri and when I am their, I hunt with traditional black powder fire arms only. Its my way of turning back the hands of time. I belong to a black powder shooting club and when I shoot with them, I like to go back in time as an eastern long hunter.

Yes, there are more of us/you out there. You certainly are not alone. :thumbsup:

HH 60

 

[outbackzack]

As a relative youth to you old timers, (I am a tender 41 years old) I grew up on Saturday afternoon Western movies on the UHF stations during foul weather. Fair weather meant outdoor farm activities. Movies like Jeremiah Johnson, and books like Last of The Mohicans captured my imagination. In my mind, my Daisy was a trusted Kentucky long rifle, and the woods along the fencelines were polluted with hostile Natives.

Shooting a "real" gun was more for work than enjoyment, hunting was meant to fill the freezer.

I still have those skills, but I currently prefer the ritual of loading, priming, and shooting the target. Cleaning the gun after is also a great help in clearing away weeks worth of stress. Try worrying about work while casting a couple hundred round balls. It doesn't happen.

I am trying hard to pass on the imagination part of my youth to my grandson, as well as the curiosity about the how and why things were.

 

[curator]

Bob,

I have been doing similar since 1968 when I got out of the Army. Back then only the Boy Scouts had any interest in history and Native American culture. On my second retirement I took a job at our local museum as education director and for 14 years got to teach and organize living history events. Folks marveled at my ability to get paid for playing with guns! In the mean time I also helped with Hunter's training, Boy Scout muzzle loading rifle shoots, and living history events across the State. Young people have no time for history and heritage because they are trying to find their own way in the world. We need to take the "Grandfather's" way and give thoughtlessly of our knowledge and experience to anyone who is interested.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Yep, Davy Crockett was all the rage. How many TV theme songs became billboard hits? Early American history has been my passion since I was a tyke. My father actually knew and old timer that still hunted with a smooth bore musket. I was amazed at this old timer/ Then Disney's Swamp Fox, Daniel Boone, Swiss Family Robinson, anything with muskets. (I still have my real raccoon hat)

Back in those days, father's all had a workshop for making things and fixed things around the house. It was natural to want to be like dad and do the same.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I am retired and have been cooking outdoors and living off the land for up to two weeks at a time for the last thirty years. I make every thing I use except the canvas and cast Iron.Plus a lot of "gun stuff" to sell to buy powder and flints/caps.I have tried knapping flints and making powder but was not satisified with the results. :idunno:

 

[nkbj]

I am younger than you at the age of 52 but I also remember my old TV heroes Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. I always did say that I was born at least 200 years too late. I always wonder what it would be like to have gone along with Lewis and Clark and the corp of discovery. I own 48 acres in the middle of Missouri and when I am their, I hunt with traditional black powder fire arms only. Its my way of turning back the hands of time. I belong to a black powder shooting club and when I shoot with them, I like to go back in time as an eastern long hunter.

Yes, there are more of us/you out there. You certainly are not alone. :thumbsup:

HH 60

Yeh! Grew up enjoying tv westerns with my grand father. The high point of October '61 was shaking Jimmy Deans hand at the main walls in Huntsville, Texas.

 

[Shifty]

Just ordered them thanks!

 

[pa woods roamer]

Going on 67 myself. Started shooting M`loaders back in the 70`s.Before that I was into Firepower! Why would anyone limit themselves to a single shot Rifle. Well, My late Uncle was a M`loader builder and one Day Hetalked me into shooting one...I was hooked. Can`t explain the feeling when I put my get-up on, complete with a Hawk and Knife. Guess it makes Me feel like a Kid again....By the way, I have two of My Uncle`s M`loaders and they are my pride and joy...

 

[AllenHawken]

"I currently prefer the ritual of loading, priming, and shooting the target."

Same here, Outback. I shot my .54 Hawken for 2 hours yesterday at the CF Phelps range in Virginia, surrounded by guys with their modern centerfire rifles (disclosure: I also own an AR-15 and a .30-06). I was struck by the BP muzzleloader routine of measuring the powder, pouring it in, seating the patch and ball, using the ball starter, ramrodding the load, placing the percussion cap, sighting the iron sights, filling the place with pungent smoke, and assessing the results (i.e., a big hole in the target). The whole routine takes time, patience, and a love for every step in the process. A great thing!

 

[D Sanders]

Can`t explain the feeling when I put my get-up on, complete with a Hawk and Knife.

This is exactly what we do in our black powder clubs... go back in time. :wink:

HH 60

 

[jimikinz]

WEll, I'm with ya...I'm "only" 39, but I have an endless desire to move things back a ways. I am fascinated with history because I want to know what it "was like" in some other period.

In my life now, my historiacl interests center around tasks, or knowledge that is becoming lost. I find value in doing things in ways that others find "hard" simply because it takes work. We all know how work imparts vaue on an activity.

Seems to me that my contemporaries, and more-so those younger than me, miss a ton of living because everything is so easy. There is a distinct lack of planning or thought in an average day now. To me, that planning and forethought area big part of life.

When those are taken away, then all you are left with are more hours to fill with things that simply "occupy" your mind, not things that "use" your mind. It is SHOCKING how much time goes to things like facebook, youtube, reddit, etc., by my peers...this stuff is absolutely amazing in its ability to eat away time.

Don't even get me started on what people think of killing or growing, or catching your own food. I do all these things, and am given the the honorific of "barbarian" here at work. I do enjoy challengin the norms of my co-workers though...and most do respond positively once a bit of a dialogue is started. So there may be hope....

 

[George T.]

At 68 (damn that sounds old) I have come back to black powder. Here in North East Texas it was 72 here today and it was bright sunny. I took my new Cimmaron 1860 to the range and along with a triangle file I worked on getting the point of impace and the sight picture correlated. Right now it is 2 inches high at 25 yards. Now that was a good afternoon! Geo. T.

 

[S.Kenton]

I'm 40 and I have the same inclination as you. I would have loved to roam the Ohio Valley before it was altered for farming and such. The closest thing I can come to doing that in this day and age is packing up my gear and going to my 20 acres woods...which I do as often as possible.