National Adult Literacy Database

October 15, 2007

This week, we have a story written by Brian Campbell, from Selkirk, Manitoba. Brian is enrolled in literacy classes at the Selkirk Adult Learning Program, in the afternoon class.

A Surprise Hunt

by Brian Campbell

One winter my dad and I went out on horseback to hunt deer. We shared a single horse, left home at noonday, and took a lunch with us. We went off to the bush and rode along the wooded areas where there might be some deer. My dad also wanted to see an area where he might start trapping. As we were riding along, my dad saw some strange steam rising in the air. We stopped our horse and looked with surprise.

My dad told me to stay with the horse and he would go and see what this strange thing might be. As Dad got closer to it, he picked up a piece of wood. He saw some dry hay over a big hole. My dad had a 30-30 rifle over his back at the time. When he left the horse, I remained calm, watching what my dad was doing. I saw my dad pushing the dry hay off the hole. When my dad looked down the hole , he saw a black bear looking directly at him. My dad got scared and came running to the horse. He did not want to shoot the bear in his den. We left the area quickly. We were afraid the bear might come after us.

We did not kill any deer that day but this story excites me because of the big bear den we had discovered. Oh Mukwa!!

[This story was taken with permission, from Write On!, Spring/Summer 2006, published by LPM.]