About this episode
In another immersive Campfire short, we revisit one of Field and Stream’s most powerful pieces ever published: “Dad’s Gun” by Phil Bourjaily. What starts as a simple pheasant hunt in the brutal Iowa winter of 1979 becomes a defining moment, one that pulls a young hunter into the outdoors and reveals the complicated, often unspoken truths between fathers and sons. Phil guides listeners through the history of a battered Beretta over/under that survived decades of pheasant hunting, duck marshes, barbed-wire crossings, and hard Midwestern winters. The story isn’t just about a gun. it’s about how hunting binds generations, how the outdoors can heal, and how unspoken grief shapes a family. You’ll hear how a single right-to-left crossing shot on a flushing rooster ignited Phil’s lifelong passion for upland hunting, and how that same gun carried quiet memories of his father’s best days afield. Through stories of snipe hunts, duck scouting, dog work, and the restoration of a cherished firearm, Phil explores what hunting can teach us about forgiveness, legacy, and the weight of time. If you love the emotional backbone of outdoor life, family tradition, heirloom guns, and the moments that turn us into hunters, this is a story you won’t forget. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations. Read the original story: https://www.fieldandstream.com/stories/guns/shotguns/fs-classic-dads-gun Get more from Field & Stream: https://www.fieldandstream.com/ Get to know the author, Phil Bourjaily: https://www.fieldandstream.com/authors/phil-bourjaily Join the F&S 1871 Club and experience a membership dedicated to the outdoor culture of sporting traditions, storytelling, and the conservation of our lands: https://www.fieldandstream.com/1871-club/ Sound effects and sound design for Campfire provided by: Editing and sound design by Trout Stream Studios Walk in the snow and wind.wav by Tezzio -- https://freesound.org/s/676186/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 Winter Forest River Coyote Rain Snow Wind Birds Dogs Nature Atmosphere Ambient Surround.wav by szegvari -- https://freesound.org/s/609033/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 Wind during snow storm #2.m4a by guyburns -- https://freesound.org/s/473816/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 Wind during snow storm #1.m4a by guyburns -- https://freesound.org/s/473815/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 Dawn-with-a-Pheasant.wav by LolitaPerdurabo -- https://freesound.org/s/188699/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 Pheasant-male-crow with wing flap by Sonic-ranger -- https://freesound.org/s/234382/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 shotgun shoot by MrGungus -- https://freesound.org/s/773873/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices