Continuing the Collared Dove Tradition

I pulled the stock and barrels of the sleek Ruger "Red Label" twelve-gauge over/under from the green, leather-lined canvas case.

- BRAD TRUMBO

It had been a little over a year since the fine double gun had seen the light of day, and nearly two years since it saw an upland bird season. It was odd to see it in my hands instead of Marvin's.

As I stepped away from the truck, memories surface of the year prior in this same cover. Marvin and his bird dog, Felix, accompanied me beneath the pines and honey locust as we roused a staggering number of collared doves. Marvin carried the Red Label on every one of our upland hunts over the years, and our collared dove hunt of the year past was our last together. Two short months later, the cancer that Marvin had nearly beaten finally bested him.

“Let’s see how I do with this thing” I spoke into the wind, as if Marvin was there with me.

Once loaded up with steel and selecting the cylinder- choked bore to fire first, was prepared to miss my first bird of the year. prefer side-by-sides but don’t shoot them particularly well. Even less could be said about me gunning behind an over/ under.