Juxtaposition – Rifles and Recreation

I’m still waiting on my rucksack to be delivered. It’s hot here in Bozeman and my sweater and hoodie are just not suitable day wear, so B and I headed into what looked like the toy town to shop.

There are two main stores that people go to. The cultured, athletic and educated “folk” shop here.

Next door. Well this is clearly for the Red Necks.

I say this with some confidence because inside it is completely full of camouflage gear, rifles, guns, crossbows and stuffed wildlife. It is where good animals go to die (reluctantly).

You have to 21 to buy a firearms in Montana, but if you are with Mommy or Daddy as a child you can fire a semi automatic weapon anywhere. In fact this is exactly what a nine year old girl from New Jersey did recently in Arizona. Her parents took her to a gun range where she accidentally blew her instructor’s head off. He had turned the sub machine pistol from semi automatic into fully automatic. The recoil of the gun made her lose control and it went over her head and the bullet went straight into his – POW!

I will never understand why people over here feel the need to arm themselves. Who the hell do they think is coming to get them? It is crazy and this won’t be the last time someone die unnecessarily.

By the front door of Sportsman’s Warehouse is a photo board for trophy hunters. It is littered with images of dead wildlife and their crazed gun-wielding killers. Among the photos are dead bears – why oh why do people behave like this?! It makes me angry and depressed.

Tomorrow B and I are headed off to Franc’s Peak for four days of hiking and car camping in bear country. It will be an immense privilege to see a wild bear. After a long bear safety chat with B last night I feel a lot more comfortable about this adventure. In fact if I do see a bear it will be a blessing. We’ll head back to Bozeman next week and then it’ll be another long drive up to Glacier National Park for kayaking and more hiking.

We have done a ridiculous middle-class shop this afternoon. Some good wine, lots of water. I’ve already pre roasted whole garlic and red onions to make our cooking more flavoursome. We have whipped up home-made guacamole to eat with our bags of tortilla chips. We have tins of beans, rice, polenta, cans of tuna, fresh fruit, loads of veg, cheese, boiled up some eggs, left other raw for omelettes and most importantly have fresh roasted good coffee and a caffetire. Who says camping has to be hard – pah. I tell you what if a bear does get hold of our stash it’ll be the best blood meal it has ever eaten.