Field paper

Ridge & Quarry

A plain paper for days in the field.

After the day · 2 min read

Unload before the story

Ridge & Quarry ·

Family of Deer in the Fontainebleau Forest. End of Fall. Early Morning)
Photograph by Rosa Bonheur. Public domain. Wikimedia Commons.

Unload before the story. It belongs in the morning routine, next to the chamber and the magazine. Decide it before you leave the truck.

At the truck

The order is plain. Unload at the truck before anyone tells the day. Do not invent a second plan after you have walked in.

The slip

The usual slip is a story told with a gun still loaded. That is a reason to pause, not a story to finish later.

The day is ready when the gun is unloaded and cased before the talk. If permission, season, or safety is unclear, the walk does not start.

"After the day" is a checklist, not a trophy list. The chamber and the magazine either passes the check or stays in the truck.

A field note, not legal advice. Check the season, the species rules, and whether you have permission to be on the land.