Today, Weasel, Conner and I attended this event and even though it rained some and was cold and windy we still had a blast!  Thanks to the ones who pulled this event off, you guys do alot for the young shooters and hunters in the Northern part of the state!  Thanks!

Let me tell you what I learned:

We were asked to go on a safety trail hunt.  We were given a gun and shells and all the things one would take on a hunt of this nature.  We were even given a four wheel drive atv machine to ride.  Our game animals included turkey, bear, big horn sheep and deer.  During the course my guide kept score on what I did correctly and incorrectly while we hiked along.  I was allowed to ask as many questions as I wanted during the course.  The total score for the course if you came through with a perfect score would have been 150 points.  My score…65.

65!  Why so low?  It was explained after all three of us were back at the beginning of the course.

First off, I removed the gun from the front seat of the pickup while the barrel was pointing in my direction.  Of course I sidestepped the barrel and lifted it high up before I removed it…but I started with minus points right from the get go.

Secondly, we were on a hunt where other hunters were hunting and I was required to wear blaze orange, which I did not have, but I could have borrowed a vest from the guide.  I didn’t ask…therefore more minus points.  And we haven’t even left the truck yet!

At the trail head, read a sign, “hunting by permission only” and a phone number which I told myself I need to write down for future hunting on this land.  Behind the sign was an atv.  My guide told me I could load the gun before we entered into the trail head, which I did.  When we got to the ATV, he said we were going to take the wheeler on our hunt and to prepare for the ride.  I unloaded the gun, strapped it to the wheeler in the gun carrier and put on my helmet.  I was feeling pretty good at this point, but then I did not know about the minus points I had accrued at that time.

Oh, ya, and since I did not ask my guide if we had permission to hunt on this property, I lost more points when I crossed that sign…UGH!

Later, we saw a turkey and I asked if I had a turkey license, my guide said I did and then was this a shot I could take.  I said no, because I could not identify the bird as a male and so we went on.  Later I learned I got plus points on my decision.

I was told after the walk, I had passed on picking up some trash that was laying alongside the trail from the hunter ahead of me.  Minus points.

A bear presented itself.  I had a license and I shot the bear!  My guide skinned it and all was well.  Plus points for a good shot and everything was safe.

20 yards later I was standing on Interstate 80 and up the road was a very nice big horn sheep…I passed on the shot because the animal was in the road….heck I was in the road…plus points.

Soon I saw a very big buck standing just on the other side of the fence.  Pass on the shot because the truck was just on the other side of the buck..plus points.  And so we crossed the fence and went to the beginning point.  Yes I unloaded the gun, and handed it across to my guide who had crossed the fence just ahead of me…plus points.

And so, 65 was my score.  Always remember to handle guns from the butt end and not the muzzle, wear blaze orange when required, make sure you have written permission to hunt property that does not belong to you, pick up others trash that you find along the way.  Oh, and it does not hurt to know how to judge how far away the animals are…I lost several points do to my inaccurate judging of distances, which I was asked at each sighting of game.

A fun time shooting shotguns and 22’s for me.  And the Weasel and Conner stayed to shoot muzzleloaders and Bows.

A great organization to support and it’s all for the youth we are all counting on to carry on our hunting and shooting sports!

Good work guys!

Bears Butt

Oct. 13, 2012