It appears that there’s an old Family Tradition that Hank Williams Jr. apparently forgot to mention in his iconic song. A recent Instagram post indicates that the Williams family also likes to get together to do some dove hunting. That is when they’re not too busy drinkin’, rolling smokes, and living out the songs that they wrote.
Hank Williams Jr., his two sons-in-law, and his grandsons recently put the smackdown on some doves down in Alabama. According to his social media posts, Hank and the crew dropped 127 of the birds. He was also shooting an awesome gun for the hunt too. He indicated he was using his Grandfather Shelton’s old 1966 Browning 16-gauge. His choice of firearm is obviously reminiscent of the Aaron Lewis/Blake Shelton song Grandaddy’s Gun.
According to Outdoors Alabama, the winter dove season down in the land of Roll Tides and War Eagles ran from December 17th – January 15th. That means it’s likely the hunt took place this past weekend. The bag limit is also 15 birds per hunter, so the 6 shooters in the picture were obviously joined on the hunt by some friends and family, not in the picture.
Hank Williams Jr. Also Deer Hunts With His Grandsons
The dove hunt wasn’t the first time Ole Bocephus got outside with his family this year though. The very first picture he posted online this year was a hunting picture that shows him and one of his grandsons with big smiles as they hold a big buck the young boy had just dropped.
A few days later, Hank also showed off a picture of a buck that he had just shot. His caption for that post also revealed his plans to pair the fresh deer meat with a recipe with collard greens, black-eyed, and cornbread.
Music Will Always Be The First Williams Family Tradition Though
Hunting is certainly a major part of what binds the Williams family together. Although, music will always be at the top of the list when it comes to family traditions. In a previous interview, Hank Jr. explained the pressure he felt to fill his father’s shoes. He also discussed the philosophy he used in terms of getting his kids involved in the music business.
“Well, it’s a family tradition!” Hank Williams Jr. explained. “Daddy was the original rock star in the family where artists of all genres looked up to him for his writing and singing. It was very hard after he died because everyone looked at me like I was supposed to fill his shoes and be just like him.”
He then reflected on how his mother got him on stage to sing his dad’s old songs when he was just 8 years old. “And as I grew older, I realized I needed to do something different,” he shared. Now as my son and daughter are making their own way in the business, they have to create their own sound and identity as I did.”
