Anatomy of a Squirrel Hunt Part 1
Oct 3, 2020 7:19:27 GMT -7
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Oct 3, 2020 7:19:27 GMT -7
I will be the first to admit my lack experience in this primitive craft.
Others have been at re-enacting far longer and a few have been doing it RIGHT for that long, still others have been doing WRONG and still having fun doing so yet others than those do it wrong at first and slowly begin to adjust.
I’m of the latter category and will probably always be in a state of self investigation and corrections. That is my choice and my Pilgrim’s challenge.
Apparently, some folks are able to just “throw” together a trek and head off with some friends.
I look to be at that point some time but that time has yet to come for me.
A trek, like anything that you desire a favorable outcome for, requires planning well in advance of the date of departure from the settlements.
The back story is far too long to explain how this trek came about but I must start with being invited by one of the saltier members of my BP club, the NM Mountain Men.
I will call him the Captain, as this was his hunt.
In a moment of angst at all the events being shutdown due to the plague, I posted an ad in our newsletter openly inviting all members.
It was only after doing that I had realized I just hijacked the Captain’s trek.
I contacted him and confessed and for my sin I was promoted to Segundo, second in command.
Again, for some this is all old hat, that’s fine BUT if you’re a Pilgrim like myself read on and learn from my mistakes!!
Suddenly I found myself charged with administrative duties while the Capt. would be laying the ground work for the place we would hunt, camp and the reconnaissance of game.
I was also responsible for coming up with a scenario for the hunt and providing a themed token for the participants.
My first and biggest mistake was the verbiage of my communications.
I kept referring to our outing as a Trek/Hunt, in my lack of experience I came to understand that these are 2 different things to everyone else in the Craft.
A TREK can involve hunting but a HUNT usually means operating out of a station camp.
On a TREK you travel with what you can carry in.
With a HUNT you can bring a bed if you want because you will operate out of an area you can generally drive up to, unload all the gear you want and set up as if you were at an event.
STEP 1) CLARITY in communication.
Be absolutely sure that your participants know what to expect and what is expected of theme so that you can make the outing the most ENJOYABLE yet as authentic as possible.
One of the many lessons I learned from the Capt. was flexibility.
If you narrow your focus to JUST authentic concerns then you lose sight of the primary objective: ENJOYMENT.
Here are our camps from one extreme to the other.
The hunter in the blue bandana slept right where he sits wrapped in an oil cloth and his Wilde blanket.
He’s 72 and an example to anyone saying, “I can’t...”
Others have been at re-enacting far longer and a few have been doing it RIGHT for that long, still others have been doing WRONG and still having fun doing so yet others than those do it wrong at first and slowly begin to adjust.
I’m of the latter category and will probably always be in a state of self investigation and corrections. That is my choice and my Pilgrim’s challenge.
Apparently, some folks are able to just “throw” together a trek and head off with some friends.
I look to be at that point some time but that time has yet to come for me.
A trek, like anything that you desire a favorable outcome for, requires planning well in advance of the date of departure from the settlements.
The back story is far too long to explain how this trek came about but I must start with being invited by one of the saltier members of my BP club, the NM Mountain Men.
I will call him the Captain, as this was his hunt.
In a moment of angst at all the events being shutdown due to the plague, I posted an ad in our newsletter openly inviting all members.
It was only after doing that I had realized I just hijacked the Captain’s trek.
I contacted him and confessed and for my sin I was promoted to Segundo, second in command.
Again, for some this is all old hat, that’s fine BUT if you’re a Pilgrim like myself read on and learn from my mistakes!!
Suddenly I found myself charged with administrative duties while the Capt. would be laying the ground work for the place we would hunt, camp and the reconnaissance of game.
I was also responsible for coming up with a scenario for the hunt and providing a themed token for the participants.
My first and biggest mistake was the verbiage of my communications.
I kept referring to our outing as a Trek/Hunt, in my lack of experience I came to understand that these are 2 different things to everyone else in the Craft.
A TREK can involve hunting but a HUNT usually means operating out of a station camp.
On a TREK you travel with what you can carry in.
With a HUNT you can bring a bed if you want because you will operate out of an area you can generally drive up to, unload all the gear you want and set up as if you were at an event.
STEP 1) CLARITY in communication.
Be absolutely sure that your participants know what to expect and what is expected of theme so that you can make the outing the most ENJOYABLE yet as authentic as possible.
One of the many lessons I learned from the Capt. was flexibility.
If you narrow your focus to JUST authentic concerns then you lose sight of the primary objective: ENJOYMENT.
Here are our camps from one extreme to the other.
The hunter in the blue bandana slept right where he sits wrapped in an oil cloth and his Wilde blanket.
He’s 72 and an example to anyone saying, “I can’t...”