Ever since I was a small child I've traveled the 1000 km up north annually. Most of the times to visit my relatives with my family. To me it's been a place of freedom, to relax, stay up late at night and have fun. My latest trip was no exception to the latter.
My good friend Johannes lives in Tromsø with his wife Live where they have a small apartment. The large windows make up for the small space, viewing the harbour and the coast mountains. Anywho the day after my arrival we packed our backpacks and headed to the inland mountains just by the border of Sweden and Finland. On the way up to the cabin we had gotten distracted and it was getting dark fast, there had been no time for supper either. We stopped at a gas station to pay the hunting license and found to our great surprise they were having some kind of campaign and were giving away free hot dog meals. When we finally parked the car the darkness was ubiquitous and the next 3,5 hours or 11 km we walked in total darkness. The cabin was spacious and had all the utilities needed for a good base camp. We lit a fire in the oven and went to sleep. Around 3 in the morning I woke up feeling it hard to breath and I was soaking wet. The warmth was unbearable, I opened a window and I felt a flow of fresh air eas up my breathing. We left this sauna for one of the other bedrooms with a more human sleeping temperature.
The next days we started the day walking to where the three line start to find the areas where the grouse was likely to be. Walking win the shotgun ready to lift up and aim is while covering great distances makes two hunters hungry. Stopping once and again filling up on peanuts and chocolate. Walking in beautiful surroundings is much better than the ordinary stroll in the park kind of walk. If we stopped and listened we would only hear the wind and when the wind let go nothing else put silence. No people, cars, roads to see anywhere around us. Sadly we could say the same about the grouse, an absent we had to make stop.
Suddenly we see two birds flying up at a far distance, and a grin fill both of our faces. Carefully determined we sneak towards where the birds landed. We are ready, the Adrenalin starts pumping, focus is 100% and PANG. Johannes shot one of the birds the second one lands close by and I see my chance. I walk towards it with my gun held high aiming at where it landed. My heart is beating so hard It's like I can hear it. Suddenly, on a rock I see it. It's watching me coming closer, stretches the neck and prepares a flight. But before it could lift a wing I pulled the trigger and I had shot my first grouse.
