A Great Hunt With A Bad Ending
Posted by MikeAdams on October 11, 2009
I spent the opening day of Michigan’s waterfowl season with both of my sons and a few friends out on the water in a local state game area Saturday. It was my youngest son’s first of what he calls “Big Boy Hunts”. He finally gets to go out with the entire crew of men to become one of the men and partake in taking game from the field.
All went extremely well and he even got his first bird of which everyone give him a congratulatory birage of “ataboys”! We all took a duck or two and made our way back to the launch. Upon arrival I was greated with a terrible surprise of a shot out window on the back of my pick up!
Someone, whom I will not call a hunter, found it necessary to shoot towards the parking area at what I hope was a duck and not just plain malicious destruction! I say not a hunter because a hunter would know where his or her safe zone of fire is. A hunter would know where the parking area is. A hunter would know that it is dangerous to shoot towards any area where people might be congregating. That is why I will not call this person a hunter. I know accidents happen, but this is exactly why you don’t shoot towards an area that you don’t know what is in front of your shooting lane!
Just think what could have happened if this had been a group of hunters standing there instead of my truck? I might be writing a story of how a group of hunters were shot or worse yet killed because of someone’s stupidity!
Am I mad? Hell yes, I’m mad, but I won’t let this ruin what was one of my greatest days in the field watching my youngest boy become a man that day hanging out in the marsh with fellow hunters! And by the way, he knows his safe zone of fire, we went over it thoroughly that morning! Have a great hunting season and be safe out there!
To read about our entire hunt and view the photos check out my Up North Journal Hunting Blog.
I think one of the first things you learn is to know your target “and what is beyond”. What an idiot.
I’m glad you guys had a great hunt, though, and congrats to your son. I believe he is earning is right to become a man.
I’m also glad that only a window was broken, and not something worse.
October 11th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Mike,
I too am very glad that no one was hurt. Jake wiill have stories to tell when he is older about what and what not to do when you go hunting.
All the best.
John
October 12th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
How horrible! That is also very scary! The new window will look great with the new Up North Journal decal…oh, yeah and a new Bowtech decal. I am glad no-one was injured. Kind of gives you the eebie-jeebies thinking about what could have happened.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
First off the good news of your family trip to the water. Congrats to your son on his good shooting ability. I bet many more minutes, hours, days, months and wonderful years will follow. Your teaching him at an early age is paramount in the future of both growing numbers of wildlife and continued legal hunting for Americans who understand the BIG PICTURE. The pictures you sent me show the natural glow and happy look on those young faces. Makes me proud of them and you both, good job proud papa.
I was able to get onto a different computer system here that lets me pull your Up North Journal into the land of dust and jackals. I did say Jackals. Oh what a time it would be if we only could help the over populations out a little. They seem to survive on a few wild long ear hares and a boat load of rats.
Again Congrats to you and the family on a good October.
Too bad and unfortunate about the window. I would hope it was just bad luck but I have to wonder if some idiot just felt like shooting at an image he saw in your window? Either way, I am happy nobody was hurt and as I know with all my heart, he who hath stepped upon the toes of a calm and mild manners will be punished later by ten times the force.
Take care pal and I’m half way home now….
Rojoe67…..out
November 4th, 2009 at 8:56 pm