Redbow
Senior Member
For me anyway, and I am thankful to still be around to remember Thanksgiving Days from decades ago. But its also bittersweet with remembering those times of the past.
Early on Thanksgiving morning three of my best friends and myself decades ago would be loading up a '59 Ford Galaxy's trunk with a half dozen Beagles getting ready to go Rabbit hunting. This was a tradition back in my teen-age days every Thanksgiving morning as Rabbit and Quail season had just opened here in NC.
Usually there were four of us going on the hunt, sometimes my friend who owned the Dogs his Dad would tag along with us boys for a morning of running bunnies and hoping to get a good clean shot at a few of them. Cottontails were plentiful back in those days as well as Quail.
We had already selected the area of woods that we planned to hunt that Thanksgiving morning so away we went with a car full of happy teens and a trunk full of Beagles in that old '59, three on the tree, 292 cubic inch engine Galaxy.
Back in those days of the early sixties we hunted mostly anywhere we wanted to even if we did not know the land owner. This was an accepted practice back then we just saw a pretty patch of woods so we drove around the farmers field and stopped next to the woods. We let the Dogs out to do their sniffing and other things and then we were ready to bunny hunt. We loaded our shotguns and off we went, talking to the Dogs as they hit the woods with their noses to the ground. Usually it wasn't but a few minutes until we heard that familiar cry that told us ole Shorty had jumped a rabbit. Then the full voices of the entire pack joined in and the chase was on. How we loved to hear those Beagles sing their voices were sweet music to our ears.
No matter where we boys hunted no-one ever ran us off the property we were hunting. Sometimes the farmer would hear our Dogs and see the Ford parked over by his woods and he would drive over just to see who we were. Us boys always greeted the farmer with, hello sir good morning and a Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Good morning the farmer would say, you boys from around here? Just a few miles away sir we would answer, we live off PIttman road where it crosses I-95. Okay the man would say you can hunt all you want but don't put out no fire now. We would tell the man no sir we won't, none of us smoke anyway. All right you boys have a good hunt there's plenty of Rabbits around so kill a few of them if you can. You boys be careful now and hunt all you want. and come back anytime you want to hunt here.
That's the way people mostly were back in the days of long gone yesterday. Hunting was accepted by most farmers they were glad to get rid of a few Rabbits, some farmers even told us you boys come back after today and kill a few more Rabbits if you will. Dem devils are eating my garden up all summer. We also ran up a covey or two of Quail at times and killed a couple of them for a tasty treat along with fried Rabbit. Fried Rabbit and Quail, turnip greens or collards along with boiled potatoes and fried corn bread with iced tea to wash it down made for a good ole country meal anytime.
So today is another Thanksgiving day for me to reminisce about and give thanks for those bygone days that us teenagers had so much fun in. We always knew that we had to be back home by 12 noon for a good Thanksgiving dinner, not the evening dinner, the middle of the day dinner back then. Turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes, collard greens, fried corn bread, butterbeans, a big pan of giblet gravy and iced tea. That meal was fit for a King so we used to say. We knew not to be late for the Thanksgiving feast as we called it, our parents demanded that we did so. Thanksgiving dinner was a family gathering that everyone enjoyed back then.
So now fast forward and the years have passed by much too quickly but that's life and it passes much too soon for most of us. Sadly, four of my best buddies from those days have now passed on from this life and of course the rest of us are well on in years. We also realize that we too shall follow our good friends from the past into eternity very soon now. That's God's way and I accept it RIP my friends until we one day meet again in a much better place.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Early on Thanksgiving morning three of my best friends and myself decades ago would be loading up a '59 Ford Galaxy's trunk with a half dozen Beagles getting ready to go Rabbit hunting. This was a tradition back in my teen-age days every Thanksgiving morning as Rabbit and Quail season had just opened here in NC.
Usually there were four of us going on the hunt, sometimes my friend who owned the Dogs his Dad would tag along with us boys for a morning of running bunnies and hoping to get a good clean shot at a few of them. Cottontails were plentiful back in those days as well as Quail.
We had already selected the area of woods that we planned to hunt that Thanksgiving morning so away we went with a car full of happy teens and a trunk full of Beagles in that old '59, three on the tree, 292 cubic inch engine Galaxy.
Back in those days of the early sixties we hunted mostly anywhere we wanted to even if we did not know the land owner. This was an accepted practice back then we just saw a pretty patch of woods so we drove around the farmers field and stopped next to the woods. We let the Dogs out to do their sniffing and other things and then we were ready to bunny hunt. We loaded our shotguns and off we went, talking to the Dogs as they hit the woods with their noses to the ground. Usually it wasn't but a few minutes until we heard that familiar cry that told us ole Shorty had jumped a rabbit. Then the full voices of the entire pack joined in and the chase was on. How we loved to hear those Beagles sing their voices were sweet music to our ears.
No matter where we boys hunted no-one ever ran us off the property we were hunting. Sometimes the farmer would hear our Dogs and see the Ford parked over by his woods and he would drive over just to see who we were. Us boys always greeted the farmer with, hello sir good morning and a Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Good morning the farmer would say, you boys from around here? Just a few miles away sir we would answer, we live off PIttman road where it crosses I-95. Okay the man would say you can hunt all you want but don't put out no fire now. We would tell the man no sir we won't, none of us smoke anyway. All right you boys have a good hunt there's plenty of Rabbits around so kill a few of them if you can. You boys be careful now and hunt all you want. and come back anytime you want to hunt here.
That's the way people mostly were back in the days of long gone yesterday. Hunting was accepted by most farmers they were glad to get rid of a few Rabbits, some farmers even told us you boys come back after today and kill a few more Rabbits if you will. Dem devils are eating my garden up all summer. We also ran up a covey or two of Quail at times and killed a couple of them for a tasty treat along with fried Rabbit. Fried Rabbit and Quail, turnip greens or collards along with boiled potatoes and fried corn bread with iced tea to wash it down made for a good ole country meal anytime.
So today is another Thanksgiving day for me to reminisce about and give thanks for those bygone days that us teenagers had so much fun in. We always knew that we had to be back home by 12 noon for a good Thanksgiving dinner, not the evening dinner, the middle of the day dinner back then. Turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes, collard greens, fried corn bread, butterbeans, a big pan of giblet gravy and iced tea. That meal was fit for a King so we used to say. We knew not to be late for the Thanksgiving feast as we called it, our parents demanded that we did so. Thanksgiving dinner was a family gathering that everyone enjoyed back then.
So now fast forward and the years have passed by much too quickly but that's life and it passes much too soon for most of us. Sadly, four of my best buddies from those days have now passed on from this life and of course the rest of us are well on in years. We also realize that we too shall follow our good friends from the past into eternity very soon now. That's God's way and I accept it RIP my friends until we one day meet again in a much better place.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
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