Old School Skills--A thing of the past?

[JohnSW]

When I was growing up in the '60s we were always outside.

Now, many parents teach their children that "outside" is a scary place to be avoided.

One author coined the term "nature deficit disorder", and some are trying to start a "no child left inside" movement.

 

[shouldazagged]

Haven't seen much of the young guys around here do the same. Frank

It's a hell of a lot more complicated to work on most cars now, unlike the days when we could change points, solve a lot of problems by re-sealing the distributor cap, jiggling the carburetor float, etc. The average car now has a great deal more computer power on board than Apollo 11 took to the moon. But then so does the smart phone of the idiot texting while driving his computerized ride.

I grew up in the '40's and early-to-mid-'50's. Life was a great deal simpler, but not nearly as convenient. I frequently don't see what we have now as that much of an improvement, but I'm old and tired and go along with it.

I still have in my car what I need to start a fire, purify some water and keep from freezing, though, and know how to use it all.

 

[dereksfl]

I carry a knife and a handgun.. so I can bring a knife to a gunfight or a gun to a knife fight... I'm fully covered...right?

 

[jlrhiner]

I carry a knife and a handgun.. so I can bring a knife to a gunfight or a gun to a knife fight... I'm fully covered...right?

Don't forget 3 ways to make a fire

 

[rwsmith]

The reason we are old fashioned....

While I was reading the thread about the world changing, I started thinking about how various hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor skills have been "modernized" excessively in the last few decades.

For example, I remember deer hunting years ago and with my 1951 Winchester Model 94, wearing heavy wool pants and a red wool Mackinaw. Nothing camo. Most of the guys back then used similar gear and, surprisingly, we usually got our bucks.

I remember when everybody carried a good pocket knife...and knew how to sharpen it on a stone, not some modern sharpening system.

I remember, before the days of GPS, when the old-school outdoorsman knew how to use a compass and usually had one or two tucked away in some pocket of a hunting coat.

Also, believe it or not, there are some people who don't know how to make a fire the old way. I mean, nobody whittles out shavings anymore, or looks for pine knots. Not too many folks know the right way to sharpen an axe either. And who today carries a brass waterproof match safe in his pocket?

Who nowadays makes turkey calls out of a turkey hen wing bone?...or takes pride in casting a #16 Adams into a pristine trout pool without whipping the water into a creamy froth?

And, not losing sight of the fact that this is a gun forum, it used to be that most outdoorsmen had at least one Colt or Smith and Wesson revolver that accompanied him on most jaunts in the back country...not some gun made out of recycled milk jugs and is microwaveable safe.

I know, I know. I'm reminiscing. I miss talking to the old men at the hardware store about what size shot to use. I miss listening to my granddad tell about how good his old L.C. Smith side-by-side was.

My kids call me old-fashioned. They're right. I guess I'm getting old. But, I'll bet an old hobnail from one of my cast-off wading boots that there are still quite a few guys on this forum that are still "old school" and darned proud of it, too.

The reason that we are old fashioned is that we don't sit around all day smoking dope and watching TV while texting on our cell phones.

 

[rwsmith]

You mean 'real' hunting????

What ever happened to what we used to call "still hunting"? Moving quietly and slowly to find game on it's home turf. Now they wait for the feeder to go off while sitting in a box with a built in rifle rest. I would rather shoot a doe that I actually hunted than a nice buck habituated to the corn. Oh, I guess you don't need the skills to drive up to the heated box with the "guide" who tells you which deer you are allowed to shoot according to the amount you paid!

Yeah, I heard people used to track an animal for hours before getting a good shot until they learned how to sit in a stand and let the animal come to them.


There is nothing I like to read better than the story of a real hunt over time in varied terrain and weather conditions. Man that is living. If I hunted I would like to do that.

 

[johnsonl]

Competence is the new black. This thread is why I was a Boy Scout, then a Boy Scout Leader for both my sons. One (23) sits at his mother's house playing video games and the other (21) lives with me, is studying for his BSN and delivers pizza to pay for it. He can do all of the above and more importantly, enjoys doing so. I am very proud of him.

 

[LazyKB]

Back in the late '80s I moved from WV to SC. One cloudy day down in the Beech Island swamp I shot a spike. I gutted him, tied my rope on and began to drag. I took a couple of steps and something didn't seem right. With no ups or downs, or sun to guide me I decided to check my compass. Good thing I did. I would still be looking for the truck.

 

[LazyKB]

Grandpa said a man that carried a knife was worth a quarter more on the hour.

 

[kalei]

If you want some really good and interesting info find a set of the Firefox books! I have all of them and they are great reading! Lots of info on how the Old timers in Appalachia did things.

 

[Nevada Ed]

The skills and the ways of the "Old timers" is drifting away.........

Using a sharp knife on a piece of wood for a project or just for fun to
past the time is almost unheard of now a days............
Making a hand tied fly that works in your areas waters and will
match a fly hatch for your season means nothing.....

This is all to SLOW and laid back for the children of todays time........
Sit and wait for an hour or two and do nothing..................
are you frigging CRAZY !!!!!

Just wonder what it will boil down to in another ten years ?