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Post by guncat on Feb 11, 2012 20:10:15 GMT -6
I have been a fan of Black Powder shooting/hunting since I was a boy and have finally got around to writing a PAW story about a man and his Flintlock, I hope you like it. Part One
Mike Ward had not had much of a break let alone a vacation in four years, cut backs and short staff had left the shops remaining employees doing three different jobs but now his boss was telling him to take four weeks and go do something fun. Mike was concerned He may not have a job when He came back but big Bill Marsden assured him that was not the case in fact the new Government contract was going to let Him call most people back “go and have some fun, Deer season is almost here”. Deer Season in Michigan is not just a hobby to some it is a Religious rite and Mike was one of them. For the last few years He had hunted around home on His precious days off harvesting Does and small Bucks on a Friends Farm in Eaton County When He arrived home He started preparing His gear. The preferred Shelter was a Kifaru Sawtooth shelter and medium wood stove His pack was a Kifaru KU 5200 His sleeping bag was a Kifaru Slick Bag good to - 20 that he hauled on a home built game cart, next He selected His short barreled Flintlock Musket and accoutrements and his rations. As he watched the evening news He became less and less concerned about the world situation things were peaceful for a change, the Middle east was calm Europe was getting along. He was even more encouraged when He called His Brother in law and found that He was going back to work after a long layoff from the auto industry, “seems things are looking up” He thought. Little did he know this was the calm before the storm.
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Post by patience on Feb 11, 2012 20:37:09 GMT -6
Mmmm. I could see this guy getting mellowed out in the woods for a couple weeks and coming back home to a VERY different world. When he gets that first deer, maybe he oughta make some jerky on the spot. You know, just in case. Hope he has a bullet mold and a good supply of what he needs.
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Post by nancy1340 on Feb 12, 2012 19:44:48 GMT -6
Thanks.
Looks like Mike may be in for a surprise.
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Post by guncat on Feb 13, 2012 19:38:29 GMT -6
Part two Mike decided since He had plenty of time and money before Deer season to make stop at his favorite little Gun shop in Kalkaska and see about adding to his modest collection. He left home on the eleventh of November and headed north on U.S 27 stopping only to fill the tank on his old Ford Ranger until He reached the big rest area near Clare Michigan for a bit of rest and lunch then it was back on the road. He saw a good number of larger vehicles heading north, not uncommon for this time of year. He picked up 75 and went into Kalkaska pulling into a roadside hotel He got the last room than proceeded to the little Gun shop. Once inside He was welcomed by the owners dog Muttley, a huge south African African Boerboel. Most people are intimidated by the size of the dog but in truth he was a gentle dog and loved attention. The owner, a Man who was simply known as Pops came out from the back room and greeted Mike “Long time, No come in and spend I hope you didn't get laid off” “No Pop's just the opposite we’ve been working Seventy plus hours a Week for months” Mike replied “Well now I have just the collection for you to invest your overtime in” Mike asked “What collection is that”? The older Man smiled and said “Old Mrs Cobb is finally selling her late Husbands stuff and I have it here on commission, all for one money” Mike began to drool over what he saw A side by side Kodiak express rifle in .72 caliber, a matched pair of replica New model 1858 .44 caliber revolvers, a nice little .32 caliber flint lock squirrel gun, a .44 caliber cattleman's carbine. a side by side 12 gauge muzzle loader all with the bullet molds and accoutrements and airline approved cases . Mike asked “How much” “Well, she would like to get twenty five hundred for the whole thing”. Mike asked if He would go the bank with him to arrange payment (Mike hated credit cards and Pops did not take out of town checks) The next day was spent shooting on Pops private range then cleaning up the mess that Black Powder makes and they finished up by eating Elk Steaks that Pops had from the last limited Elk hunt. The next morning Mike started north for Copper County State forest He stopped in Mackinaw city found a secure storage facility and had a bite to eat then crossed the bridge to the U.P winding up in the Copper Country State Forest one day before deer season. He parked his truck at Glidden lake campground, noticing the campground was almost full as usual and he could hear generators running to power all means of things such as lights, DVD players, T.V sets, video games. He thought every cat to his own rat I suppose. He hiked into where He wanted to camp and listened to the silence of the woods for a few minutes than set up his own camp, gathered firewood for a few days than ate a meal of home preserved chicken and noodles than went to Bed. The next day was the fourteenth of November and Mike spent it gathering more firewood and scouting out a stand site tomorrow was opening day and he was hunting it. Morning broke clear and cold with about one quarter inch of snow Mike ate breakfast grabbed some lunch food and went out to hunt. It was not long before he had a nice eight point buck hanging, He tagged the Deer and field dressed it it was cold so it would keep well. The next few days he waited for “the big one” and at the end of his first week he shot a huge thirteen point non-typical the huge Musket ball made short work of him. Mike field dressed him and was getting ready to hike out the next morning. The next morning Mike hiked out to his truck loaded his gear and deer and drove out unaware of the events of the last week. He heard at the DNR station that the President and Vice President had been Assassinated by unknown parties.
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Post by nancy1340 on Feb 13, 2012 22:38:30 GMT -6
Very nice. You might want to separate your sentences.
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Post by rvm45 on Feb 14, 2012 5:55:59 GMT -6
Its building. Some stories make you just want to read more. You've hit on that happy quality. I used to have fits with punctuation myself. I've developed a rather non-standard system, that nonetheless seems comfortable to my readers. I mean like: I still capitalize an occasional first letter of a word for emphasis--though I'm trying to quit--or at least taper off. I make heavy use of the ellipsis--more in casual posting than in my writing, though it crops up there too. I like to use the occasional Archaic word or usage... And rather than have long soul searching arguments with myself over--"Comma, Colon or Semi-Colon"--I just throw up my hands and use the Dash or a Parentheses... Jack Kerouac didn't use any punctuation at all in his first book, " On The Road". I Speed-Read and often don't notice the lack of Punctuation in other's writing. I wouldn't have noticed it... Rephrase: I hadn't Yet noticed it in your writing, until Nancy1340 mentioned it. Some folks need Punctuation much more than I do and even I notice the smoother flowing when stuff is cleaned up..... And you do have some Humongus Lumbering Mutant Run-On Sentences. .....RVM45
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Post by patience on Feb 14, 2012 17:38:31 GMT -6
Getting more interesting. Got me wondering what comes next. ;D
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