Blackbirds (July 10)

Robbie and Hank teamed up to hunt blackbirds for their lunch one summer morning. With Robbie’s BB gun in hand, they went up over the rocks behind the Point. “Game was far from scarce. Thickets of tag alders and aspens were wedged in between the granite highlands, and each had its own flock of inhabitants… I had often practised with my little gun, so I felt well-prepared. Up to a distance of thirty feet or so, it shot remarkably true. Hank’s eye was less sure than mine, but he was a quick study. We took turns … [and] in less than half an hour, we were downing one bird for every three or four trigger pulls. It was time to stop when our bag totaled seven each.”

After building a fire, “we found a smooth stone to sharpen our pocket knives and got to work. The birds were ready to grill by the time the fire had burned down.” (Page 72)

Youthful adventures in ‘living off the land’ have the potential to make a valuable contribution to one’s sense of self-sufficiency. And when directed towards a constructive goal like harvesting game for an enjoyable meal (not killing for killing’s sake, and certainly without thoughtless waste) hunting even minor prey such as starlings, grackles and blackbirds can – like fishing – provide a link between present-day life and earlier times.

Customs change, of course, and not everyone today will share that perspective. But read the entire chapter and then add a Comment to let others know what you think.

(Illustration generated by AI)