The Last Walk with Grandpa’s 16-Gauge

The Last Walk with Grandpa’s 16-Gauge

There were no limits that day. No perfect dog work. Just wind, memories, and the gun he carried for fifty years. Upland hunts aren’t just about birds. They’re about miles, echoes, and stories we’re lucky to carry.

🌾 Legacy in Walnut and Steel

It was the second weekend of pheasant season in northern Kansas, and I had a decision to make.

I could bring the 12-gauge semi-auto. New, light, patterned perfectly.

Or I could bring Grandpa’s old 16-gauge side-by-side—walnut worn smooth, bluing faded to gray, double triggers like a throwback from another era.

I wrapped the leather sling tight, felt the cold steel, and knew my choice.

That shotgun had missed birds and killed birds for over five decades. It was scratched by barbed wire, kicked by mules, and once dropped into a stock tank. But it still locked up tight.

🎙️ “Some guns are more memory than metal.”

🐓 The Field That Felt Familiar

I stepped into a CRP draw just past legal shooting light. My young pointer, Tess, worked the breeze like it owed her something. Tail high, hips tense, every breath hunting.

By 9:15, we had our first point. Tess locked up near a strip of broken grass. No flagging. No bounce. Just stillness.

I walked in, kicked the cover, and a rooster thundered out like a freight train.

I shouldered the 16. First trigger—click.

Second trigger—BOOM.

Bird down in a burst of feathers and prairie dust.

🧠 What Grandpa’s Shotgun Reminded Me

✔️ A light carry gun changes everything
That 16-gauge might not be modern, but it moved like a dream and never wore me out.

✔️ Double triggers require commitment
There’s no flinching. Pick your barrel. Pull and follow through. Old-school discipline.

✔️ Dogs don’t care what you shoot—they care what you do
Tess brought that bird back with her eyes glowing. She didn’t care it was an heirloom.

✔️ Nostalgia isn’t weakness—it’s weight carried well
Every step in that field felt like I wasn’t alone. I hunted with memory at my side.

✔️ Old guns can still write new stories
I dropped two roosters and missed one—but I laughed, and that was the win.

🧰 Gear That Paired with the Past

I didn’t fill a limit. But I filled something else—something heavier and better. I carried a gun that still matters. I followed a dog that might never know who Grandpa was, but hunted with his same grit.

🎙️ “Upland hunts aren’t just about birds. They’re about miles, echoes, and stories we’re lucky to carry.”

Next time, I’ll clean the triggers. But I won’t change the gun.

📍Filed under: Upland Birds
🕯️ Difficulty Level: Sentimental + Steady Feet
🔫 Result: 2 Roosters, 1 Memory Restored
🌾 Location: Northern Kansas CRP Field