Ya know, when I was young, I shot darned near everything and never gave it a thought. One day, or maybe it was over time, I woke up to find that I wasn't comfortable with killing any more.
I'll still shoot coyotes in a heartbeat, or anything else that needs killing, but I just don't get a thrill out of it any more. It's just a chore that needs doing.
Maybe, and I don't want to sound melodramatic or such, after years in law enforcement and seeing a lot of death, I came to realize the value of life. Maybe I'm just getting older. I don't know.
At any rate, I did miss the thrill of the stalk, and I still enjoy shooting, so I cut down an old rifle stock, modified it to accommodate my old Nikon F2 with a long lens and motor drive, and ran a cable release through the trigger guard.
I still hunt and stalk, and shoot a "rifle" at critters, but my trophies are photos and my Boone and Crockett shots make it to wildlife & nature magazines rather than my wall.
__________________
TFL Members are ambassadors to the world for firearm owners. What kind of ambassador does your post make you?
I train in earnest, to do the things that I pray in earnest, I'll never have to do.
--Capt. Charlie
|