The thing that troubles me is that, aside from the dangerous firearms handling and animal wounding, you are describing me, nearly to the color of my eyes. Allow me to relate a story.
Before three years ago I had never been hunting. Ever. My Father didn't, although my Grandfather did. The guys I work with are outdoorsmen. I think one of my cohorts actually lives at the Dunham's Sports. They hunt, a lot. I
shoot, a lot. But I am not quite the burly outdoors type, I like camping I suppose.
After a New Year's day party of the most fun ever shooting clays, I broke quite a few, and trying out everyones shot guns, (I've never shot one before then.) I was invited to shoot the rabbit tournament with them. (First time hunting ever.)
The hunt was in a week. I had no shotgun. I had no boots, nor license, nor shells. I had no idea what to wear, but they said dress for work and I would be fine. So that Friday I went to Jay Sporting goods in Clare. A wonderfully nice woman named Lisa helped me out tremendously. While she fit me with an over /under I liked and could afford, one of the men stopped to say I had better listen to what she was telling me for she brings more pheasant in than he. She set me up with some shells that were proper and some Muck Boots for the snow. She even got me a deal on a safe I could not pass up and had been wanting.
Wide eyed, over stimulated and license in hand I headed home. Nearly unable to wait for morning. A few grand lighter too.
The next day I showed up slightly overdressed, as we walked ten miles through the country side that day, but I was not cold. I had not even shot the thing before I showed up at my bosses house, but we boys with a new toy fixed that. They all had a whistle at my new boots too, but my feet were not wet. I was given instruction and we set out. Full of bacon wrapped duck, I might add.
We took first in the tournament. The last rabbit felled by mine own hand. No one was shot in the face, though I did manage to find, and shoot, the only already dead and frozen rabbit I have ever seen. We all laughed hard at that and debated wheather to count it or not. (We didn't.
I a)
To think of all the fun I would have missed if I had not been so implusive. I now have another facet to my hobby as well. The duck was so delicious I now have a thrower to practice for next year's season.
It would have been nice to grow up hunting and fishing with my Dad. It is a luxury some do not get.
Just some words for thought.