Taking Your Chance

SHOOTING your first large animal is a milestone you are unlikely to forget. The feeling of adrenaline as you line up the figure in the sights with heartbeats pounding in your ears. That initial squeeze of the trigger, seeing your target drop and the sound of the rifle resonating throughout the gully, provoke all kinds of emotions. Having been offered the chance to attend my second hunting trip at Coolah, NSW, I jumped at the opportunity following the success I’d had achieved last year. I felt more comfortable this time around as I had gained a degree of experience, although, you never know how the cards will fall. Unfortunately, a trip of four had become three as my brother Matt was unavailable owing to university commitments, so it was up to my dad, older brother Alex and me to hunt hard and not go home empty handed.

The first day