Butch Aims to Miss!!

   As many of you know, I have had a federal firearms license for many years. I mostly buy and sell guns that are classified as curios and relics, which are over fifty years old or older, or collectibles that people buy as investments and never shoot. I am not much of a hunter, and never have been. I guess I am too soft-hearted when it comes to shooting wild creatures. If an animal has a disease or poses a threat to humans or livestock, I would not hesitate to destroy it, otherwise I’d just as soon let it go its way. Here is a poem by Edgar Guest that comes to mind…

   “Out in the woods with a dog an’ gun, Is my idea of a real day’s fun. “Tain’t the birds that I’m out to kill, That furnish me with the finest thrill, ‘Cause I never worry or fret a lot, Or curse my luck if I miss a shot. There’s many a time, an’ I don’t know why, That I shoot too low or I aim too high, An’ all I can see is the distant whirr, Of a bird that’s gittin’ back to her–, Yep, gittin’ back at home at the end o’ day, An’ I’m just glad that he got away.

  “There’s a whole lot more in the woods o’ fall, Than the birds you bag – if you think at all. There’s colors o’ gold an’ red an’ brown, As never were known in the busy town; There’s room to breathe in the purest air, An’ something worth looking at everywhere; There’s the dog who’s leadin’ you on an’ on, To a patch o’ cover where the birds have gone, An’ standin’ there without move or change, Till you give the sign that you’ve got the range. That’s thrill enough for my blood I say, So why should I care it they get away?

   “Fact is there are times that I’d rather miss, Than to bring ’em down cause I feel like this: There’s a heap more joy in a living thing, Than a breast crushed in or a broken wing, An’ I can’t feel right, an’ I never will, When I look at a bird that I’ve dared to kill. Oh, I’m jus’ plumb happy to tramp about, An’ follow my dog as he hunts ’em out, Jus’ watchin’ him point in his silent way, Where the Bob Whites are an’ the partridge stay; For the joy o’ the great outdoors I’ve had, So why should I care if my aim is bad?”

   Back in the day, a few men hunted just for the sport of it, but most fellows hunted to help feed their families, especially during hard times such as the Great Depression. I know many people today, men and women, young and old alike, who love to hunt. Most of them hunt deer. They obey the laws, take only their limit, and use the meat to feed their families and others. Hunting certain species is also beneficial to keep populations down, prevent wildlife diseases from spreading, and prevent the destruction of crops. Many of the hunters today are also like me. They just enjoy being outdoors with their dog, tromping around the beautiful countryside, breathing the crisp fall air, and yes . . . aiming a little too high or a little too low!  John “Butch” Dale is a retired teacher and County Sheriff. He has also been the librarian at Darlington the past 36 years, and is a well-known artist and author of local history.