It only lasted 4 months for me unfortunately but it certainly brushed up my shooting skills. Believe it or not, the reason I left the job was that I was starting to get airsick more and more often. I rarely vomited until we were on the ground, but it is very disconcerting to see the camp cook, kids and assorted station hands all lined up with their cameras as we came in to land, just waiting to get some shots of Spike chucking his guts up at the edge of the landing pad while the ground crew stood around offering advice like "I thought you killed those ants last week" and laughing their heads off. At one place some smart bastard put up a little sign just off the side of the pad saying "Keep Clear! Spike's Spewing Spot".
It's not good for the concentration either when you're feeling really crook and you see another mob, knowing that you are going to be dipping and diving in and around the trees just at the time when you really want to be on top of it. It still makes me crook just thinking about it.
Bugger it, I'm on a roll now. I'll tell you a little story
Here in Australia we have a well known ex professional Roo and Rabbit shooter who is now more famous for his "bush art", his name is Jack Absalom, and among the older shooters around North Western New South Wales his word is gospel.
About ten years ago he did a TV interview defending professional shooters against allegations of deliberate cruelty. It was on this show when being asked about the accuracy of some of the shooters that he stated that the finest shots he had ever seen with a rifle were the Jones boys, Frank, Billy and Sid. He alleged that Frank had a Mauser rifle that he used as others would a shotgun on running game and almost never missed. And he stopped at this point to reinforce that a fast moving rabbit is a small and speedy target which is not acceptable for sale unless it is headshot.
The Jones boys were my uncles and father. So I come from a long line of much better shooters than myself.
Frank and Billy both went on to become millionaires in the Rabbit industry eventually taking over the largest rabbit skins and meat firm in Australia "Bodley's" during the early 1950s, whereas my father gave it up to buy a news agency.
Me,??? ... I haven't got two bob to rub together, but I've had a great life amd got a good wife and two kids. Allan my son is a chip off the old block, and could easily out shoot me today. But I can live with that, in fact i'd be very disappointed if he couldn't, he got taught well by a really handsome lookin' bloke:smile:.