Annie Get Your Gun

I'm not sure if it's a kid thing or I was just an odd child (perhaps both?), but I used to take the same books out of my elementary school library over and over and over again.  Granted I had a few dozen in the rotation, but for whatever reason stacks of gem and rock books, Native American and Ancient History books, and biographies always made it home with me...even if I'd read them and studied the illustrations countless times before.  Annie Oakley's dusty rose-covered life story was one of these favorites.  The black and white sketches would come to life for me as I envisioned her little 5-foot frame wielding a cumbersome firearm with deadly accuracy.  Gosh, was she cool!  In my neck of the northern woods I didn't know anybody but the police who owned a gun and I was in high school before I had an acquaintance who had been hunting.  Now that I'm living in the rural south I'm almost embarrassed to admit it!  These days I'm not exactly a pistol packin' mama, but I see the merit in getting cozy with some gun powder and lead.


Other than a couple of sporadic and spread-out occasions I'd barely ever fired a gun...until now.  The weekend after Thanksgiving seemed a perfect time to finally get out my gun and do a bit of target practice.  My husband, though not really a hunter (yet), is much more familiar with guns than I.  He gifted me with a .22 rifle and we're beginning the slow process of honing my skills and boosting my confidence.  Other than a BB gun, this one is perfect for anyone to start with:  the caliber has very little kickback (the story goes that Annie Oakley was knocked to the ground the first time she shot a rifle); it's good for shooting varmints and small game; and the shells are inexpensive so I don't have to worry about the cost of practicing.  I've already taken a Hunter Safety Class to learn the basics of marksmanship, regulations, and most important SAFETY, but go figure we needed only to shoot their air rifle 3 times in order to pass the class.  So all I needed now was to get out there and pull the trigger!

The best advice I received was to take a breath and let it out slowly, be still and steady, then squeeze. The rest is about the repetition of learning my gun to enhance my accuracy and precision.  Whether food or defense related, I envy ladies who feel comfortable in this realm and I aim to become one of them.  I hate to make it a "gender" thing, but females are far less likely to get involved in this department. Why not, I say!?!  It's a great skill to have in one's repertoire.  What do you do when a raccoon or an opossum is getting into the chicken brooder? What about the versatility of venison or rabbit in your freezer?  Or God forbid there's a malicious intruder in my home?  I'd rather be prepared to act if necessary in any of the above situations.  My husband is willing and skilled, but why would I rely solely on him for these tasks when it's within my power and interest to contribute?

In my former life, hunting seemed a bit barbaric or at least antiquated.  I'm still opposed to shooting an animal just for sport, but now that I have livestock to defend, a freezer to fill, and a pocketbook to mind I've changed my tune about gun ownership and the necessary related skills.  The "trophy" isn't my motivation -- I doubt I'll ever have a mount on my wall; but I've had many delicious venison burgers and one heck of an awesome bacon-wrapped venison roast that I'd like to repeat in my menu!  Hopefully, I'll even be good enough to participate in squirrel or deer season myself next year.  I've always been a fan of wearing olive green, so camouflage should suit my palette too, right?

So, how was my first day out?
I shot the X out of the bulls-eye!  Beginner's luck perhaps, but now I'm certain I can do it...and practice makes perfect.  I don't have the luxury of a lot of time, but you can be certain that I'll be intentional about sharpening my skills as often as I can.  There's no possibility that I'll be shooting ashes off the end of a volunteer's cigarette like Annie did for Queen Victoria, but I bet she'd be proud that another sister is endeavoring to become a Little Sure Shot.