It was a lovely day, warm but not too warm, and the evening would cool nicely - perfect for my planned hunting activities. I arrived in an idyllic location, geared up and set out on foot.
It was quiet with only the light breeze caressing the tree branches and grass making any noise; that, and the footfalls of my military issue boots crunching through the tall grasses. As the sun fell towards the horizon I put my mind to the task.
I saw him first, a striking figure small only due to the several hundred metres between he and I. Soon after, I lay prone at the top of a small outcropping of rock looking at him through crosshairs - a big fellow indeed.
There was a loud bang as my rifle sent the projectile hurtling through the atmosphere and he jumped slightly, body shuddering with the bone crunching impact, before bounding away behind a stand of gum trees. I tracked him through my scope but didn't expect he'd pop out the other side...and he did not.
Despite the 459 metres between he and I my aim was true and had landed exactly where I'd intended, he'd hopped instinctively but ran out of air not too long after impact.
After picking my way down the hill, across a small creek and up a short slope there he was having a peaceful sleep.
Note: See the difference in the images? That's the difference between Autumn and Spring at the same location.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
[Original and AI free]
Image(s) in this post are my own