Yoicks and away!!!

[JOHN THURSTON]

Hi:

Sorry for the long absence. Hunting season (bow, shotgun, and black powder) were very long and arduous this year.

Out of our group of 5 (all of whom did not always hunt together) there were actually deer taken: 3 does and 2 bucks.

I am positively against allowing buckshot to hunt with. TThe doe I ended up rendering had at leat two .32 in (00 buck) stuck in her skin. She survived it only to fall to a .50 cal 230 grain Barnes bullet out of a Savage rifle barreled 210s shotgun.

I don't really like the Savage all that well, it is ugly, cumbersome, draws unfavoravable comments but----it hits where you point it out to ranges where one might NOT want to take a shot with a .44Mag Carbine in a rifle county.

As you know sabots for 12 guages generally use a .50 in cal slug inside a plastic "shoe" so neither lead nor copper ever touch the bore.

I saw a total of 8 deer in the wild, one of which was downed with a "rage" broadhead from the new low profile bows.

In neither case did the game go more than 50 feet after being hit. I do not think "beefsteak" steer are dealt with any more humanely, and one does not have to contend with forced growth fat, hormones, or antibiotics which are commonly found in "store bought" meat.

Buckshot-well the evidence this year: at least one wounded jogger-who should have known better than to do what he was doing during deer season.

Fortunately he was not hurt badly.

Since about 75% of the land in my "Zone" is posted or within one "forbidden zone" or another, the cries that the gentleman in question should be allowed to run where he wishes bring little sympathy from me.

If he wants to repeat the experiment I suggest wearing Hunter Orange for the devastingly unfair 12 days shotgun season is open. Kevlar is another option if "00 Buck" shooters are around.

I had a jogger, in bow season, run right past me within 10 feet, and not even take note of me.

This type of behaviour may be politically correct, but I would put both joggers on the "Darwin's list" for 2010.

Hunter Orange, scopes, fiber optically lit bow sights and Hunter training requirements have brought casualties to near O in this state, at least for Humans.

Let's just keep it that way.

J