Page 34 - Outdoor Oklahoma - May/June 2021 Issue

humid, and flintlocks don’t like humidity. But this ain’t my first those old guns back then. My dad taught me to hunt, fish and
rodeo. I held the sights on target after I pulled the trigger and to work with my hands. He was a jeweler, and he passed his
was rewarded with the “thump” of that squirrel hitting the artistic side to me.
ground. Jake yelled, “You got him, Papa!” It couldn’t get much I have taught my three kids all the same stuff.
better than that. And a head shot, to boot! Jake is now 24 and is teaching his son all of it now. And, of
Since Jake is always hungry, he said, “I’m hungry. Let’s go course, the lad runs with me quite a bit, so I get to teach some
cook him.” lessons, too. You might say it’s a family tradition!
We fetched our pack and found a nice flat place next to the I have a friend; he’s an old guy, too. Retired now, and a
creek. Jake proceeded to start a cooking fire with his flint and cranky old bird. He likes doing this sort of stuff. He’s always
steel. That’s a pretty good trick in itself. It was so humid that putting me up to something. Back in 1990 or so, he decided
the char cloth was a little damp, and he struggled a bit. But we needed to make a video of a flintlock squirrel hunt and air
he had a nice fire going in 10 minutes or so. I taught him to it on the Outdoor Oklahoma TV show. So, we did.
use flint and steel when he was 7. He’s pretty good at it now. We had a great time making the video. We even bagged a
We skinned and cleaned the critter, and cut it up proper, squirrel on camera. The old man was the cameraman this trip,
and put the pieces in a bag of flour along with salt, pepper along with Steve Webber. We always had a grand time when
and garlic salt. Then Jake peeled a few potatoes and diced an videotaping and did several shows for Outdoor Oklahoma, all
onion, added his own favorite secret spices, and fried those with muzzleloading guns.
spuds and the squirrel to a light golden brown. While I was For me, our hunts are never about bagging something. It’s
making some hot jasmine tea, Jake was heating some tortillas about the hunt, about being in the outdoors. It is the only
on a forked stick over the fire. We said a blessing for our food place I know where I can put my mind in neutral and think
and our fun, and dived into a simple great meal. only about my surroundings and nature. I forget about truck
We only wanted one squirrel, to eat. That was plenty. Of payments, bills and all that stuff.
course, Jake wished he had been the one who bagged the meat The older I get, the less I want to wrestle with the hassles
for our meal, but that’s just the way it turned out this time. of life. Sometimes I just need to go play a little. I hope you
“Besides,” he said, “squirrel season lasts until January. We can can find time to seek the solitude of the woods, whether it be
go again next week.” The only way this hunt would have been squirrel hunting, hiking or whatever tickles your fancy.
better was if old Jake could have bagged one as well. I also hope you are blessed enough to have a grandson
or son or a friend who will go with you to enjoy not just the
In the early 1950s, my dad and his buddy hunted rabbits, woods or nature, but life itself. Pass your hunting legacy down
dove and quail with original double barrel muzzleloading to the young. It seems we don’t have many young folks in the
shotguns, way before it had become popular. field these days. We surely need them!
I grew up watching those two guys and fell in love with Oh yeah. The old man’s name is Neil Keyes. He’s a hoot!
DEE kELLY

Jake holds the
spoils of the hunt.

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