I Do Not Love Hunting!
Confessions of a Reluctant Participant By Kathy Polich I grew up with guns. To me, they are a tool. When we hauled water to our cows or checked fence, there were two things my dad always had in the pickup, a handy-man jack and a rifle. I learned how to handle a gun safely and enjoyed when I got the chance to shoot one! Can you guess what I got for Christmas when I was seven? If you said a BB gun, you are correct! It was not a Red Rider like on the cult classic, A Christmas Story. It was a Daisy BB gun. My grandpa spent what seemed like an eternity giving me the rundown on safety precautions, how to shoot, what not to shoot at, and many other instructions. I just wanted to get out in the yard and give it a go. We went outside and put up a target, and he showed me how to use the sites. He handed me that shiny new gun and told me to give it a shot. I lined up the sites on my target, and bam - bullseye! My Grandpa Vic chuckled with delight when I nailed it the first few attempts. Targets and pop cans did not stand a chance around me! My Grandma Lila taught me gun lessons as well. She was a crack-shot. Growing up on a ranch in the Zuni Mountains, she learned to handle a gun at a young age. Grandma engrained in me that you only shoot a living creature for two reasons, protection and food. When my friends were shooting little birds, Grandma’s words were ringing in my ears, “Birds are angels. Don’t ever harm them!” As I approached the age to take hunters safety, I was not a bit 20 November 2018
interested. I loved to be in the woods; I loved to shoot, but the thought of killing something did not appeal to me at all. As a grown-up, I love to be in the woods; I love to shoot, and the thought of killing something still does not appeal to me. At this point, it might surprise you to hear that in the past year I have been on hunts for deer, ibex, turkey, and elk. Nope, I have not harvested any of these animals myself, but I have been blessed and privileged to be with my son on his hunts. I have watched in awe and amazement as he uses his skills to feed our family. His first elk harvest was when he was 10. In the last six years, he has continued to feed us with two more elk, a deer, and an ibex. There have been years he was unsuccessful in terms of getting an animal, but the lessons we have both learned are immeasurable. Therefore, the short answer to the question of why I go hunting is simple—my kid loves it! We are so fortunate to have friends and family who love it too and have taken on the role of mentor to us! Patrick Gonzales tells a funny story of taking my 10-year-old on his first elk hunt. Opening morning at 7:00am, they were on a herd behind some tree cover. Pat told Rowdy to go ahead and take a shot. Calmly, the first timer replied, “I’ve been reading the hunter safety manual, and I learned that the prone position is the most accurate. Should I lay down?” Pat’s response was simple: “You better hurry up and take a shot before they run off!” The boy complied and fired a round. Pat asked him if
he hit it. Without skipping a beat, my boy said, “Well, I believe so. It went down without taking a step!” Pat jumped out from behind the tree and started whooping and hollering with excitement when he realized they were looking at two different elk! If you ask my son about his best friend, you had better have some time to hear about his Uncle Marc DePauli! My brother-in-law is the precipitator of this hunting obsession. He introduced my boy to the world of hunting. They have had countless trips in that mauve miniWinnebago my grandparents used to own. I am sure Grandpa Vic and Grandma Lila get quite a chuckle in heaven while watching those hunters and their escapades! Heather and Joe Gonzales are master hunters. Someday when the train whistles stop beckoning them to work on the railroad, I am certain they will retire to a life of guiding hunts and listening to elks bugle! They have traveled all over the state with us to help Rowdy on his hunts. The once-in-a-lifetime elk hunt in Valle Vidal, located in Northern New Mexico, to the ibex hunt in the Florida Mountains in Southern New Mexico would have never happened if not for them. My child is growing up fast. He is now a junior in high school! I take every opportunity to spend quality time alone with him in the woods. It used to be a necessity for him and I was Plan A! As the driver, he relied on me to take him. Now, he drives and has a vast amount of hunting chums! Sometimes I get to be Plan
