I was born in a small country town in May 1960. The youngest of five siblings with quite an age difference between us. I once asked my mom (in resent years), because of the age difference, if I was an accident. Her reply without hesitation was "Honey, all of y'all were accidents". My older brothers were hunters and often went with our dad and grandfather. Being too young to go, my brothers taught me how to shoot and to hunt squirrels and such in the backyard with air rifles as an attempt to keep me from feeling left out.
I remember like it was yesterday, when Santa brought me a Crosman 140 .22 cal in good used shape (I told him I wanted a Sheridan Silver Streak) and a note that read "At such short notice this is all I could come up with". I still have this gun today (wished I had kept the note) and it is one of my prized possessions. I think it was originally my dad's brother, Uncle Ellis's, who passed away when I was two or three, but I will never know for sure, because everyone still claims Santa brought it. I wished Granddaddy Cox was still here. Perhaps he would tell me. Maybe Santa did bring it.
As I became older I often went hunting with my elders, but for some reason I never took to heart the powder-charge guns like my brothers. The noise always scared the squirrels away. I just simply never outgrew air guns. I have spent a large amount of time with this hobby during my adult life. With my involvement in the Scouts, I was like a mule eating briars when it came to shooting air-guns. I still always get a kick showing young children my collection and teaching them to shoot.
As I have become even older, with the help of the computer, this obsession of air-guns has all but consumed me. I have decided not to fight it any longer and embrace it, and create this site for all those air gun crazy squirrel hunters like myself. So here it is www.TreeRatHunter.com. Have fun and enjoy, and do not hesitate to E-mail any suggestions and comments to me.
The Great White Tree Rat Hunter
Save a deer - shoot a squirrel.