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My Five-Year Bull
- William von Benedikt
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
by William von Benedikt
As hunters and shooters, we owe it to the next generation to pass along our rich heritage. Without them our way of life can easily cease to exist. My friend, Joseph von Benedikt, obviously feels the same way and is doing an outstanding job of teaching his children about the ways of the American Outdoorsman. After reading this next story it is evident that Joseph has also shared his excellent writing skills with his son William.
When Joseph posted photos from William's elk hunt, I reached out to see if the young von Benedikt cared to share his adventure with the readers of Gun Tales. I was impressed that Joseph didn't speak for his son. He passed along my query and William contacted me himself with well-thought-out questions regarding our writing guidelines. I have not had the pleasure to meet William in person yet, but our long-distance communication tells me he's a good man.
I'm encouraged to know young folks like William will safeguard our legacy as outdoorsmen, and see to it that our lifestyle not only continues but will be passed on to future generations. If we are lucky, William will continue to share his good and well-written stories with us for a long time to come. Please join me in welcoming this hunter to our campfire. —Shane Jahn
For the past five years, I’ve been trying to shoot a bull. When I was twelve, my buddy and I tracked down a cow that had been wounded by poachers and put her down with muzzleloaders. I got close two years ago when I had my bow drawn back at a bull standing at thirty yards for over a minute. Sadly, he never presented an ethical shot, and I had to let him go. Last year, on the last evening of the season, I had my thumb on the safety of my rifle while aiming at a raghorn, but he was out of my ethical range and I chose to pass him up. That bull sauntered off to live another day.
