Yep, Off in a couple of weeks to see if I can get my hunting license. Then will try and get invited to the local hunts and see if I can get myself some fresh meat.

Get ready for lots of questions.

How exciting Bernie I was saying the other day I would lke to learn how to shoot,I happily have the right bossman to show me!

I'm back having completed the course and passed 3 out of the 4 tests.

Failed the recognition test by a few %. Had 25 pictures, each up for 45 seconds, in which I had to ID the species (in German) the gender (again in German), and list 2 ID features, open season, when they rut and what its called (once more in German).

A colleague mentioned this test to a German hunter who was shocked about what was required in our test.

Going back in a couple of weeks to retake the exam

Well done, Bernie.. I'm sure the meat would taste as good even if you can't ID it in German..

For some strange reason, your comments reminded me of summat on the radio recently arising from the "Little Ships" at Dunkirk. There was extensive divergence of opinion as to when a vessel was a ship or a boat until a submariner emailled that a sub was always a boat and everything else was a target.. .....

Do you have to retake the whole thing or just the part you flunked..??

Fortunately, its just the part I failed, but the place where I have to re-test it is 2 1/2 hours away

My colleague also failed the same part, so we are swatting together, and will retake the test at the same time.

ID, gender and other specifics....in German?

What....?? You need to interrogate your prey as well as stalk it?!!

"Enschuldingung Sie bitte, aber....bist du ein Elk?"

"Nein!!.....I'm a Gnu.....I'm a Gnu....I'm the g-nicest work of g-nature in the zoo....!"

Talking about elk, it is lovely meat. I don't hunt but my brother-in-law does and he keeps us supplied with elk meat. I don't know what exams (if any) he had to pass before he could hunt. Not that it matters to me. Elk is always a treat regardless of how well qualified it, or the hunter, is.
One thing I am surprised at is how many elk they shoot here each year. I don't remember the figures but it is some tens of thousands. Not that hitting them with a bullet is any great accomplishment. They are big, and this time of year the main problem is not to hit them with the car.