A Hunting Story

I had an uncle who emigrated here from Scotland. He liked to relate how he once caught a wild haggis on the moors of Ben Nevis. He was on a fishing trip for tree trout and was having no luck, having only caught a few cullen skinks, when he spotted the haggis in a cairngorm.

Thinking quickly, he threw his fishing net over some overhanging grampians and trapped it. It thrashed about mightily and nearly tore the net apart. Calmly, Uncle loaded his rifle with clapshot. He aimed carefully, fired, and hit the creature dead-on.

This only angered the haggis. Though mortally wounded, it ripped the netting apart and made for my uncle! Looking around, my uncle spotted some heavy stovies on the ground nearby. He picked up two, threw them hard at the creature, and knocked it senseless. Before it could awaken, Uncle finished the job by beating it to death with a cranachan.

My uncle did that out of necessity. Today, with canned food and ice boxes readily available, we need not resort to such desperate acts to survive, and I am glad of it.

Food for thought.

Copyright © 2013 Laurie J. Anderson. All rights reserved.