What are your earliest memories of hunting/fishing?

Fishing with my dad on the Mississippi River down in Arabi. This was back in the late 50's and we'd go to the area by Aycock St.

At the time there was a large stockyard in that location and the levee was not like it is today. They had a ramp that went from the river, over the levee, and down into the stockyard to unload cattle from upriver.

My dad and I would cast out the poles and just kick back where we could be comfortable. Back then there was no rip-rap like there is today with all those large chunks of busted up concrete to help with erosion.

We'd come home with what we caught and my dad would skin and gut the cats-----he never did filet the fish and preferred to eat then fried whole.

Running trot lines on the Tensas with my Pawpaw. I was probably around 5

Probably around 5 also. My dad would take us to the local boat launch after he got off of work to catch a bucket full of perch for supper. The amount of perch we pulled in was crazy between me, him, and my brother. we'd go once or twice per week when he wasn't working overtime.

He did that after working his hands to the bone all day in the heat. Couldn't ask for a better example of how to be a provider. Or how deep the love for fishing goes

Earliest hunting memory was not much older than that. Had a rabbit tearing up his winter garden so he took me outside with a ...non bulleye... flashlight and shotgun to get it. Taught me how to clean a rabbit that night also. I was hooked on rabbit and squirrel from that moment.

I “won” a fishing tournament when I was about 4-5 years old. I guess my uncle didn’t want or need the rod they had as a prize at the time. It certainly served me well!

with my grandfather in the 50's...we would stop and catch minnows in the ditch with a net made out of screen door screen and a handle...then set trot lines...then cane pole and cork fish with worms he had in his compost pile...they were huge...

catch what we could...then hit the trot line on the way back catching large red ear turtles for the pot...

when we got back gf would start a fire in his backyard and set a washtub on it with water...
when it was boiling he would dump the sac of turtles in it...throw a piece of plywood on top...my job was to stand on it so the turtles wouldn't knock it off and get out of the boiling water...

then once done he would pull his cane knife out and clean them...grandmaw would cook them...

good stuff...I miss them...

Fishing backwaters of the Mississippi River around Grafton, Illinois and hunting Pike & Calhoun counties in Illinois for those huge bucks there. Both with my grandpa.

Earliest memories- my dad taking me to Lake Allatoona in an old jon boat and not going more than a few hundred yards from the ramp in case the motor wouldn't start (common), under the I-75 bridge, at night, coleman lantern hung off a uniquely bent piece of rebar that fit into the oar lock, a bucket of minnows, five or six rods baited up and set to different depths below the boat, vienna sausages, fritos, bean dip, my beverages and his beverages, and finishing up with a cooler full of crappie. I had a little brother but he didn't care much for fishing so dad would just bring me. I also remember he liked to mumble shite under his breath about other fisherman setting up around us doing the same thing. I was instantly hooked.

Hunting- dad wasn't a hunter, nobody in our family were hunters, so I didn't get brought up on hunting, unfortunately. I'm still trying to get into it at an older age.

Hooking the crap out of my grandpa in the back with a hook, while swinging my cane pole and cricket around at about 4yrs old. My parents have a great pic of that day.
Most of my earliest memories are fishing with him and my dad on his land. My parents live there now and it's great to go ride around and remember those days.

Squirrel hunting with my dad around age 5. I would walk behind him and try to step in his steps. He was quiet as a mouse. I sounded like a bull moose breaking every branch within 10 feet of me.