When did it all begin?

[drobertsinMaryland]

No offense brother..........but you look like that Alcide guy from True Blood!

At first I was thinking Lorezo Lamas from Renegade.

[aquaassassin]

At first I was thinking Lorezo Lamas from Renegade.

LOL! His Indian buddy had a diesel Mullet!

[drobertsinMaryland]

LOL! His Indian buddy had a diesel Mullet!

That was Bobby Sixkiller.lol

[aquaassassin]

That was Bobby Sixkiller.lol

HAHA that's right, I remember watching that when I was tiny............

[Chucker]

HAHA that's right, I remember watching that when I was tiny............

When you were tiny?  When did you get big?

[aquaassassin]

When you were tiny?  When did you get big?

I had so much fun being tiny I figured I would stay in that bracket

[CAPTJJ]

Still looking for some pics, found one of me getting ready to hunt from Nov. 1972:



Here's my grandfather, he's a big reason for me getting into the outdoors. He was a self taught gunsmith and ran "Johnson's Gun Shop" out of his garage in South Glens Falls for many years; he was the guy to go to if no one else could fix it, guys came down from all over the Adirondacks. I spent a lot of time there in the shop, looking through everything, and there was lots of old stuff around. There were several old-timers that would stop by regularly and I would listen to the stories, sometimes they would bring a buck or rack by to show him; always saw lots of cool guns and knives, etc. I have the rack from his biggest buck, pretty wide 8 pointer, dressed out at 220 lbs; shot it on top of Buck Mtn. overlooking Lake George. I also have the gun he shot it with, an 1873 Winchester in 44-40; first gun he ever bought, too, paid $5 for it.



My family's roots are deep in this area, the back of the picture has this written: "age 84, at the graves of his great-great grandparents, Porter Smalley b. April 19, 1775 and Hilda Gale b. April 22, 1776." Taken at Baker Cemetary, Sandy Hill(Hudson Falls, NY) 

[stka]

Great pics JJ, those are some deep roots.

[bogmanjr]

Interesting story JJ.

[Green Mountian Hunter]

I also love listening to those old stories as well and the old pic's as well you say what the hheck my oh my how things have changed

[aquaassassin]

Great pics JJ!

[eyehi]

Good memories jj...... Thanks for sharing

[upstatehunter]

Neat JJ!! My family has been here since the 1700's as well....they owned a lodge in North River called Toags....Was the stop over for the stage and Pony Express....My great grand dad and grand father were loggers....all with horses....At times they would have 6-8 teams working in various places....We had a couple farms...where Cunninghams ski barn is and where Barton Mines Grain mill is on the Hudson....They had a total of 2000 acres in 1960 my father said....but the state bought one plot to move route 28 and the other Barton bought to move the processing plant....state took some when my grand father got sick from mustard gas poisoning......Dad quit school to try to save the farm...but alas he couldn't and gram sold it....
Gramps first guides license was numbered 003....dads was not much higher....they guided hunters every fall...mostly the O'Keefes....a family of Doctors from Glens Falls....They loved the camp and the way gramp and the boys would take care of their every need....and My grand mothers cooking....

[Raquettedacker]

Great pictures and story JJ..

Great story Scott...

  Wish I knew the story of my roots,(or maybe not  ) but that was lost when my dads, dad died young....  All I know was that the spelling of our last name changed several times when the old timers came over on the boat...

[upstatehunter]

LOL...just re read my post....the year was 1940 when dad quit school....he was born in 1924 and quit at 16...he carried lunches on the Hudson for the river drivers....and then work as one(river driver) for a few years...even though he couldn't swim a stroke... until he took my mother and his two young boys to Wards lumber in Tahawas....wish the scanner was working....all the pictures from there are cool...he worked 8 hours driving a dozer skidding...then dinner and off to load trucks by hand until 11pm....then off to sleep in the cold shack they were put up in....and back at it at 5am..to get the equipment running and warm to go to work...they would put large steel bins of coals under the dozers and trucks to keep them warm overnight....My mother thought the babies would freeze most of the time....one little box stove for heat....Dad would be up all night adding wood.....
The men and women of just a mere few years in time as the world is concerned, were tough as nails.....Just a different breed...

Learned the way of the woods from Dad.....he always seemed have a unhurried, calm in the woods....he knew where game was to be found...where it would go when pressured....exactly where to find a trout with a trolled Hinckley and a worm.....The best spot to set a trap for big beaver, and otter.....Remember a set he picked for a fox.....he was just making conversation with me as he was setting it....said we should get 5-6 fox from this one....and we did!!  He loved to sit by the fire at night into camp and hoot to the bears....had many come in pretty close.....He would always laugh when I would get nervous....Then when one splashed into the pond we were bullhead fishing on....thought he and my brother would crawl out of the boat and try to swim to shore.....Dad seemed to forget he couldn't swim.....But he taught me to never hurry when your given time to be in the field.......why now when I do get a chance to go...it's for the day...never try to "squeeze" other things in....enjoy what you can, and don't take it for granted......