Revision [28043]
This is an old revision of AbnersHuntingTrip2 made by BillHamilton on 2013-02-12 12:10:03.
Characters: Abner, Mr Black, Jackson, Cal, Cole, Shawn, Deco <#jonah: (NeedsKelly: he's four???) #>, Jefferson, Ollie
AbnerHayes Abner Hayes and Mr Black take all of the boys on a hunting trip for a week. They're hunting foxes this year, but the basic idea is the same: have Jackson scent on the animal, and then track and tree it, and then shoot it out of the tree.
The first day is spent traveling and hiking into the woods to their camping grounds. They set up tents, with Mr Black and Abner each having their own, and the boys split between two other tents.
The boys divide up like so: Cal/Shawn in the smaller of the remaining tents (the Royal Tent, as Cal calls it), and Jefferson/Ollie/Cole in the larger tent.
The second day is spent in shooting lessons, under the stern watch of Mr Black. Abner mostly sits under a nearby tree smoking his pipe, cracking jokes at the boys' poor aim, and telling stories. Jefferson and Cole turn out to be the talented shooters of the bunch (Jefferson credits his steady hand to all of his knifework in the kitchen).
The third day begins the hunt, and Abner and Mr. Black take turns handling Jackson, who is very focused on the task of tracking. Ollie seems mostly interested in watching Jackson, and tries his 6-year-old best to keep up with the coonhound as he runs about snuffling in the brush. The day ends uneventfully, however.
The fourth day, they tree a fox in the midafternoon, and Abner calmly takes the shot. The animal falls out of the tree, instantly dead. Abner demonstrates how to skin the fox.
The fifth day, they get a fox in the morning, with Mr. Black taking the final shot. In the afternoon, they find only birds and squirrels.
On the sixth and final day of the hunt, they get two foxes in quick succession, and Cole and Jefferson (on account of their being the best shots in target practice) try their hand at killing the animals. Jefferson takes two shots to hit the creature, while Cole gets his on the first try.
That night, they burn the rest of their firewood in a large bonfire, and Abner lets everyone over 10 take a swig of his whiskey. Cal and Jefferson (the only two eligible this year) give it a try — Cal takes his swig and plays it cool, Jefferson makes a sour face but manages to swallow. (Abner's whiskey is quite strong and particularly oakey; to say it's an acquired taste is being kind.)
The next day they pack up camp, and head back to the hotel/orphanage, all smelling strongly of woodsmoke and gunpowder.
<#jonah: I filled out my idea of what one of these trips might be like. Please edit as you see fit. #>
Works for me, I think there is some fishing, and a bit more time spent, especially by Mr. Black, instructing the boys on proper shooting techniques and cleaning the guns, etc.
<#bill: All sounds good. Cole enjoys the fishing as well. What his loves most about it trying to find the best "spot" or fishing hole. He's constantly debating with himself about his spot or that. When he finally sets on a spot though he's good at sitting down and being quiet for long stretches. #>
Also thought it might be useful to cover the shooting skill of the boys.
Cole - Natural shot, most likely the most accurate.
Jefferson - naturally steady hand, a decent shot to start. A good shot with practice, a close second to Cole.
Cal - an average shot for his age - never great.
Shawn - an average shot for his age - never great.
Deco - his age plays against him, but when he's older he turns out to be a very good shot.
Ollie - This may change as he gets older, hes a bit too bouncy and small to do well up front. Up to Jonah how much he ends up applying himself.
<#bill: Kel you seems to indicate that you should cover the skill of the boys, but I'm not sure I get what you wrote (not that it's super important). Jeff, Cal, and Shawn are blank and Deco is "eventually". I filled in what I thought was probably accurate - please correct if I'm wrong. #>
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