OREGON SAFE HUNTER
by Mary Anne Radm acher Hersbey
¿unset
’ Oregon Safe Hunter*
That s what the embroidered
patch read Emblazoned with a nfte a handgun and
the three words to become the seal of approval this
assortment of thirty twelve year olds were qualified to
safely wield a gun Presumably At least in Oregon
< D inner tM p iu
¿ « rv e J 4;OO-5i3O paw.
¿ u ru tu y - ¿5^urs4u^. except h o iU u v*
Every Thursday mght my Dad would join twenty nine
other fathers in dropping me off at the National Rifle
Association Club House and Rifle Range
The
difference between my father and those twenty-nine
other fathers is that he was the only one dropping off a
girl
ASùinut (/runberry
¿luffed Chicken
Brean of ¡luffed chicken. baked and
topped »uh oranti* cream ¡auce
$V 75
This would to be a sociological and cultural awakening
of broad impact This class would not only shape how I
was to view guns and their attendant ability ,0 take life
but i, would open my eyes to some basic differences
between men and women (in this setting, boys and
girts)
G r o u n d ¿ I H o in
lender ¡teak. ground and cooled io perfection
Served »uh muthroom Madiera tauce
$& 75
¿ o ie a (a AXuyjarrr
Twenty nine students registered and were issued "hello
my name is" tags with their first names filled in Tom
Bill Jerry My badge read "Miss Radmacher* I liked it
i d read stories of young ladies addressed as Miss so
and so but this was my first real life exposure to the
practice It marie me feel different
special
Boy
howdy Was I right1
Fretti Oregon tele ¡teamed and topped with
Bay thrimp A iobiter Hollandaue tauce
$¡0 25
1 Q o u ry u l^ jn o n
lenderknn of beef ¡auleed »uh muthroomt,
garlic, and red »ine Totted »uh patta
and terved »uh garlic loan
$V 50
Several Thursdays of classes passed before the big
day came when we actually got to handle the guns We
had to study and test on Oregon gun law, safety
procedures technical information, hunting etiquette and
many other things which have elapsed my memory I
paid attention to the instructor instead of sending
spitwads and poking my classmates I placed lop in the
class of all exercises
¿ e a fo o d
h reth teafood tauteed »uh garlic in a
th em ed muthroom cream ¡auce
$11.75
"Miss Radmacher would be our test leader again this
week * This announcement was greeted with groans (in
unison) by the third class
The response continued
every week thereafter
The instructor seemed not to
hear Boys any of them even the homely ones the
ones I knew might not be especially popular in their own
sc hools the pimply faced boys didn't sit anywhere near
me I consoled myself that I came here to learn how to
shoot a gun so I could impress my dad not impress
these boys I started coming earlier to class so at least I
could be seated wheie l wanted when the class left me
swimming in a pool of empty chairs and desks
The
instructor seemed oblivious to this phenomenon
‘ P ln n rrr Indude toup or salad. choice oj u a rd i,
■veyeuide of the day. and cojjee. Ira. or decaf.
‘ l^rs r’-vutlon» ¿u^jexted
^ W a y f a r e r - < V c u n j r o n t <p i n i n g
n<W ‘j w i f u q > .
Q m non <(|eudi
4 5 6 ' 1108
The night finally came when we were each issued
training rifles First we learned Io dismantle it and clean
it and reassemble it
Next I remember being taught
how to walk holding the rifle comfortably facing the sate
point - so as not to shoot myself or any of my
companion hunters (of which I would m ust always have
at least one It was like swimming One must always
hunt with a buddy) The Thursday ot first target practice
finally rolled around This night the Mrs Instructor was
there The instructor announced his "lovely lady" was
there in order to assist Miss Radmacher At the time I
was puzzled I didn't understand why I needed a special
tutor
Years later I realized it was my burgeoning
breasts that posed a training hazard tor the instructor
since successful shoofmg relies heavily on the rifle buff
being positioned property on Ihe chesushoulder
( ,<*r JMÌine A Hex k
tiretti*
PiMl Office Boi 6fl4
Cannon Heath, OR M/1 10
4 )6 -0 /4 4
4 1 6 -0 2 3 )
My instructor handled her rifle with a confidence, skill
and gentleness which confounded me
She knew
something that would take me years to grasp
,0
compete with men especially in a traditionally male
enterprise a woman must be superior in skill to even
compete as an equal
custom designing
q u a lity handm ade jew elry
SANDPIPI K SQUAMI.
PO Box 101 • < am n Baa
UPSTAIRS
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Morthwest by Northwest (m llery
2 3 9 N o r t h H e m lo c k
C annon B eech
O re g o n 9 7 1 10
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Celebrating *th Year in Cannon Beach
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11«SU LA U LK IC H
l i t I D TILES A ID STEPP IBC STOIES
The wood butt pressed into my fleshy shoulder and my
hands tentatively grasped Ihe cold metal
She taught me to view the whole target how to sight
how to breathe out before polling the trigger and how not
to pull up on the barrel In short, she taught me to
accurately shoot any targe,
Miss Radmacher posted
top on these exercises as well Each week Ihe three
top targets were posted with the shooter's name I, was
a thrill ,0 see my targe, sheet walked from ihe end of Ihe
range and posted on the results board
’ In your jacket pocket sir
You folded them and
"Miss Radmacher. I said you were mistaken *
Initially I was confused by his apparent lack of memory
But as he turned on his heels and headed into the crowd
of boys I understood there was no memory loss here
None at all
I walked over to Thomas who was being cheered and
patted
and
slapped
by
twenty-eight
mad for-victory against that girt boys
’ Boy showed her. didn't you'
"Yea
Maybe she can do tests okay bu, she
sure cant shoo, better'n a boy'
"That’s tor sure *
I, was clear,y no, a happy victory for this boy
He
wanted ,0 be good and approvixf 0, as much as I did
He had his own father ,0 impress
"Well Mr Speenng * I addressed him
The room wen, uncomfortably quiet His jaw was tight
his hands clenched anticipating a confrontation
"Wha, a ya wan,7" he spoke sharply I knew 1,
was tear Fear a, being humiliated in front of all these
boys I looked a, him and though, swiftly o, the weeks
of humiliation I hat, jus, walked through with these same
boys I knew I was an Oregon Sate Hunter - with my
lesutts posted or no, I knew I had won
Thomas
Speenng knew 1, ,00 Besides. 1, was the adut, in the
room tha, deserved my anger It was the instructor who
had deceived the two 0, us All 0, us In tha, moment,
wholly self possessed I giew up a great deal
"You're a good shot Mi Speenng *
With grateful acknowledgment o, this unexpected mercy
he addiessed me for the firs, time
"Mary Anne you are ,00 “
Dumtounded and a little contused
a, the marked
absence of a fight - twenty-eight boys shuffled ,0 fhe
cars of waiting fathers
Only three people were no,
confused aboul wha, happened tha, nigh,
And we
weren't talking about 1,
I didn't even tell my father
After a brie, report while on the long road ou, ot the
club property, his only response was
"Second place
your shot?"
Geez, sis
Wha, happened ,0
Second The one who almost won ! was satisfied with
my performance lha, night All the way around
Tha, spring my hunting "buddy", my dad. and I wen, on
our firs, hunting tnp After a few miles we spotted our
firs, deer
'Take it. sis It s all yours * my Dad whispered
I did everything ngh, My sigh, was set. position was
perfect I was reatty ,0 breathe before my logger pull
The animal turned its side positioned flank and looked
straight in our direction I saw its face I saw its eyes I
didn't take much o, an imaginative jump ,0 sense
impending death Death a, my will
I choked Literally I, tel, like both sides 0, my throa,
me, in the middle and cu, of, all my air All fhe noise
spooked our targe, the deer disappeared 111,0 the close
o, brush
I have my Oregon Sate Hunter badge in a little box
which contains other memorabilia from my childhood I
look a, it's round embroidery sometimes and ponder
many things wha, 1, means ,0 be fhe best, fitting in.
fhe price o, recognition and the cos, o, seeking
approval
The following Thursdays blurted
My increasing
ostracism was largely overshadowed by my growing skill
as a shooter Clearly there was only one Oregon Safe
Hunter who might nval my chance for being top of the
class - best marksman ( take note marksman Miss
Radmacher) That was Thomas Speenng
No one will ever be able ,0 dispute or prove my ranking
as second in tha, final Thursday competition I know I
hit more zone than Thomas So did he His hateful
glances at the conclusion of our rounds confirmed his
knowledge
Bui this final night the instructor did not
walk the targets forward and post them He folded them
up and slipped them into his pocket Disappointed and
disbelieving at being announced second I asked ,0 see
my target
WniteSird
»09 N HamtCKt M
Cwvwwi B b m X (>•»<«,
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W W U M !
"I don't know where they are ’
’ In your pocket sir ’
"You're mistaken ’
I pointed, as if I were assisting some forgetful old man
I pointed ,0 his ngh, jacket pocket where jus, moments
be,ore I had seen him place the targe, in question
PO Box 6« 7
Cannon Beach. OR 97110
503 436 0737
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Original handmade cement caau
in differeai colour» for interior
and tn e rio r decoration of boar
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