When I was in school years ago one day, they were calling for snow the next day. While we were at school we decided if there is no school we would go squirrel hunting.If they didn’t close school we would play hooky.

We didn’t get our wish because it didn’t snow enough to close school. The deal was to meet on the railroad tracks at American Can Company. For me it was just two blocks up the street, and then we would climb the railroad bank to get on the railroad tracks.

On the way there, I met Gene and we walked together to Donnie’s house. Donnie’s house was right at the end of the street. All we were doing was waiting for Marty to show up and we would put our plan for squirrel hunting in motion. Marty lived up the next street, close to the tracks. It was quicker for him to walk the tracks than walk the sidewalks to get to Donnie’s house.

We are standing in front of Donnie’s and the three of us had our guns resting up against the fence waiting for Marty. We are just hanging out telling stories, not paying any attention, and all we hear is KA-BOOM! It is Marty up on the tracks. He shot in the air and was laughing his head off. We all jumped when he shot the gun off. When we got up to the tracks, Marty was still laughing. He said he wished we could have seen ourselves jump.

We start walking down the tracks on the road next to the tracks heading to the place we have to cross over. Donnie says to watch for rabbits as we make our way down the tracks. We saw plenty of rabbit tracks in the snow but we never saw a rabbit. We are getting close to the spot that I thought we were going to hunt. Donnie said to unload our guns as we are going to cross the highway once we cross this small field. Donnie said we are going to hunt behind the bowling alley. Donnie said it is loaded with squirrels.

We crossed the highway, and as we entered the parking lot, people getting out of their cars were just looking at us. We get behind the bowling alley and we load up our guns. I knew Donnie and Marty both had 12 gauges. Gene had a 20 gauge and I had a .410.

Before the next word was said, Donnie takes off running. He yells, “Come on!” Donnie stops and tells everybody to circle the tree. The squirrel ran up the tree. There was not much snow on the ground but just enough to see rabbit and squirrels tracks. We all circled the tree and way up the top Donnie spots the squirrel in the V-shape of the tree branches and we watch him shoot. The squirrel comes falling down and Donnie puts it in his hunting vest. I remember Donnie said to us, ‘That’s how it’s done boys.’

This was the game plan. We would spread out a little bit and start walking. We would be looking for the squirrels trying to find nuts. Once we saw one we would say ‘squirrel’ and the one that spotted it would go after it until it treed. Then we all would circle the tree and the one that spotted the squirrel would have first shot at it. We started to fill our vests with a lot of squirrels. I got two but I ended having five in my pouch when we left. The limit was five squirrels per hunter to hunt. We had about 30 minutes left to hunt before we had to leave, so we got home on time and not get in any trouble.

Just as we decide to leave, this squirrel runs across the tree branch high up the tree. Donnie shoots, Gene shoots, I shot, and Marty shoots. Nobody hit the squirrel as he is high-tailing it out of there jumping from tree to tree. It was nine shots at the squirrel and I think to this day that squirrel is still running.

All of us got in trouble later that day except for Donnie. Donnie made a good point before we left for home — How are you going to explain the squirrels when you get home? Everybody gave Donnie the squirrels.

Once I got home, here is the question — Where can you hide wet clothes and wet boots? The answer — you can’t. I knew I could not go hunting on Saturday morning for skipping school. We can laugh about it now. Skipping school to go hunting was fun but it had its repercussions. Ah, to be that young again.

Until next week-H.S.F.H.-L.M.

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