Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
hunting. Sam had already shown a natural flair for this and Biff, who joined him as 'com-
rade in paws', if not 'jaws', was less skilled, but fiendishly keen.
In shooting, Jack and I had finally found a level of grown-up compatibility in a joint
activity. This was probably because we never actually hunted in the same spot, so I was
spared the inexhaustible flow of helpful advice on how to better my aim. Jack, on the other
hand, was unable to benefit from my highly pertinent observations on the local flora and
fauna.
But it's more than just that. As an engineer, Jack loves (the idea of) building things and
anything remotely technical. So firearms and everything that goes with them, are a source
of great fascination to him. I, on the other hand, was brought up on a farm teeming with
pheasants and adore being in the country. So to enjoy a day's shooting and cook the end
result, is my idea of heaven. You see? Straight back to self-sufficiency.
There were two things that hampered our ability to develop this pastime. The first was
work (we specialised in 50-hour weeks); the second was that we only had a garden. As
already mentioned, we began by target shooting on my vegetable plot. Our reputations as
decent shots rapidly created interest amongst the local farmers who started to descend upon
us in their droves.
We listened to their moans and groans about rabbit infestations and squadrons of wood
pigeons. They were decimating crops and systematically ruining their farming livelihoods.
Our assistance was therefore urgently needed to help control the population explosions.
Much to the relief of my veggies, we responded positively.
