Thread: Up Side Down

Originally Posted by Tahr

@Ryan I shot my first deer with a .22 up the Whanganui river when I was about 15. We were goat shooting. A school mates old man took me. I only ever had a Mum. I was smitten, and got a job at Tisdalls sports shop after school. The manager Jim Newman took me out a couple times and encouraged me.

By the time I was 21 I was married with a child and shepherding and deer were worth money so I started meat hunting in my spare time. That led me to eventually chucking shepherding and doing casual farm work, mustering, shearing and meat hunting for a couple of years to get some money together. I shot a lot of deer to sell. All foot hunting. Then I got a farm (some will remember the 75% finance scheme for young farmers) with deer on it and got into live capture and more shooting and selling. Sold the farm after 20 years and in my mid 40's and went to uni. Got into a different career and have hunted recreationally pretty seriously ever since. Have shot 20-60 every year for the last 15 or so years. Before that some times a lot more and the odd year just a few. So been hunting for over 50 years and probably averaged 30 a year. Nothing exceptional about that or me. I have lived through a great era.

You've certainly not led a wasted life. If someone could invent a time machine, where people could experience different eras, that would be *the* biggest thing ever. Got to play the cards we're dealt ultimately and life is indeed what one makes of it.