BTW... I had access to a 22 semi pistol when I was that age. I used to sneak it out of the house when I was 12 and hunt in the woods 100m away from our house when I was trapping rabbits for food or selling them for 25p each. I preferred to sell them to a guy in his 80s. He got rabbits and partridge to eat and I got $ towards other groceries for our table. I got 30p for each rabbit shot because a shot rabbit tastes better than a snared rabbit. If my old man had caught me with the pistol, I woulda had me arsed kicked BIG TIME and I knew it.

FWIW, I gave up trapping at 15 when I started working 9 hour nightshifts at a gas station. I trapped one rabbit that didn't die as intended and I was so sad and sickened that I pulled every trap and never trapped again. Gave up some good and easy (well, if ya got nothin better to do with yer time, eh?) money. Still took the pistol out... just pretended I was still trapping. Even tho I made a LOT less $, my conscience was better off. When I got my small game license to hunt alone at 16, I never killed another rabbit. I took deer and the old fella got fed in grand style, free of charge.

Poacher? What? Me? Nah... it ain't poachin if it's fer food fer an old fella. And, as far as me keepin some, well, I considered my old man an old fella too... specially when he would cook up deer steaks and pancakes with maple slurpup and yer baked beans fer us... he was a GRAND old man then. >;-)

Simple days. Now, tragic days. Sad.