getting to the point

Two weeks after my theory hunting course I reached the pratical one. So, on a cold sunny afternoon, I was fetched up from my comfy next to the stove armchair to go target praticing! So I awkwardly grabbed the .22 rifle, let Leonard dug into the burnbarel for some innocent cans and let's go.

Steadily resting on the truck's spare tire in the box, I loaded the rifle, streched my leg way back, leant down to spot the fast moving obective in the scope, put the rifle back up high on my shoulder, check the target again, squezze (don't pull! Len insisted on that) the trigger and ... off goes the can, deadly wounded straight in the middle of its round belly.

That first shot did feel awkward. I didn't grow up with firearms. I must have seen a rifle once in my life before coming to Canada and it hung high up by the ceiling in my grand mother's country house. So holding a gun for me is like as we say in French a chicken holding a knife. I don't  know what to do with that long feared heavy piece of metal - actually now I do. After 20 shots, I felt more comfortable with it and quite liked it.

I'm looking forward to hunt something (easy) now. No idea if it is going to happen here.

We did went for a hunting trip the next day near Maidstone (2hours south west) because there was only three days left on the season for mule deer. To be allowed to shoot mule deer in that specific area, hunters have to apply for a draw tag. As the name says it, the 200 tags get drawn and if you are lucky, you get one and can go hunting in that gorgeous country.

Hunting rules are area, specie and tag specific. I tried but didn't understood/registered all the rules for our  mule deer hunt. What I got from it :

you can shoot either a buck, a does or a foan

only one animal

quad aren't allowed to hunt (you can't carry a gun on a quad here) but you can use one to drag back your prey.

horses are allowed to hunt and pack out your animal.

hunting in a truck is allowed (and commonly done)

dress code is jacket and hat either red orange yellow or white. As long has you are hunting (carrying a gun, packing out meat) it is mandatory, even in a vehicule.

how does a hunting day goes? depends on lots of things I gess.

you can't call mule deer => no sitting and waiting

this area is big with lots of open spots and heavy bushes => googling ++

this truck is rubbish in snow + over a foot of snow, drifted by the wind => we had to stay on the main paths

no quad, no horses to bring the animal to the truck => if we shooted something then, better don't be it too far from the truck (1mile big maximum)

so in the end very little spots to usefully shoot something and bring it back.

We saw lots of deers (18 at the same time) but they were either to far away or not worth shooting (the deepfreeze is still pretty full and if needed whitetail deers are all around here).

I spend a very sunny day sleeping, reading and screwing up my knitting work in the truck. lazy but after 6hours it gets really boring. Anyway I am really thankfull to have had that opportunity and would like to go hunting for my self at some point in my life. I believe I'll like it.