Did/Do you hunt near Punxsutawney? Did you know my grandfather?

I have the same post over in the hunting forum - I'm posting here as well just to get it in the right region area as well!

I'm looking for my grandfather's hunting buddies. My grandfather - William Sharpe - was part owner of a hunting camp near Punxsutawney PA. When I was 8 or 9, he'd take us there in the summer time to explore the woods, and practice our cub scout knots. The thought was that he'd pass along his love for the woods to his grandkids, as none of his kids seemed to take interest.

Unfortunately, he had an 8 bypass heart surgery done when I was only 10 or 11 years old. It took a lot out of him, and he was never able to hunt again, until he died in 2000.

He did teach us to shoot, at the state gamelands in Wexford, but when he died, my mother, the executor of his will, gave his guns to his hunting buddies instead of hanging onto them for us.

Without a hunting influence, the desire to go in the woods left, until recently when I started hunting with my soon to be brother in law. I tried to follow up with my Mom and see if I could track down his friends, but the only name I knew was Date Bell, and he passed on before my grandfather did.

SO, long story short, I'm hoping I could reconnect with his hunting buddies here on the site. Stranger things have happened right? I'm interested in reconnecting with his friends and hearing stories about him in the woods and finding his guns - they may have been passed on to a new shooter, or used as a camp gun, but I'm holding out hope. He had:

Savage Arms .270 bolt action rifle
Marlin .22 bolt action rifle
Unknown Make double barrel shotgun

If you knew William (Bill) Sharpe or Date Bell, I'd appreciate getting in touch with you!

Thanks in advance!!

Bump for a good post. Sorry about your grandpa.

Toorop,

Thanks for the bump. I guess I forgot to come back and update this thread (I had it posted in a couple of places on PAFOA).

I was able, through a series of phone calls, to find the recipients of all of my grandfather's rifles. I was able to recover the .22 and the .270, unfortunately the shotgun had been traded away some years ago, but I had a nice conversation with my grandfather's friend.

Even better, the .270 was being used annually by my grandfather's friend and his family. By his count, it had harvested deer every year since he died. And to keep it going, I took a doe on opening day with the gun. It was a very happy ending, and I'm glad to have re-connected with his friends, and have important family history back home.

That is a great story and glad you were able to keep the tradition of harvesting a deer with you grandfather’s rifle!! Truly awesome you were able to track it down!!