I grew up in an Urban area, not hunters but my Dad and his buddies did before I think I was born and obviously wasn't his thing. Along with his golf clubs and bowling ball there were always two rifles. I always heard they were broken down (whatever that really means) but I knew where they were, I could have picked one up and walked out with it. We were told never to touch, same for the golf clubs. We didn't. My uncle a collector of rifles has them now for a while. Though well into his 80's he has a much better system for storing rifles than do not touch. I learned to shoot a rifle in church camp and I was very good at it and won in my age group. We shot targets and clay. I could never ever shoot an animal, I'd never get that out of my head.
Cool about your shooting!
I completely understand about the animals, but, things were a bit different for me...
As many of you know, both parents were raised on farms, and hunting was involved to supplement the diet. They ate everything they shot.
I haven't hunted in some time, but, I was a darn good shot (stationary, or flying target). Again, we ate everything we shot.
It was always funny how my relatives couldn't believe what a great shot this "City boy" was.
One example, was when dove season came, we would all kinda' spread out in small groups, or on our own, but, still tried to keep track of each other for obvious reasons. I would have a bag full from the day. Come late afternoon/early evenin', the dove would be headin' back from feedin' to roost for the night. They used to particularly fly a path over one of 2 stock tanks on the property. I would be set up behind the tank dam and was signaled from someone in the tree cover when a few were headed towards us. It takes a lot, of even fat dove, to make a main course.
Even though every now and then you'd run across a piece of #8 bird shot in a bite
, darn, they were good eatin' the way grandma prepared them.
