Saturday, April 3, 2010

Saturday Blog Rodeo 04/3/10

© 2010 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
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Saturday Blog Rodeo 04/3/10

Well, here is another Saturday and it is time for another Rodeo!

As usual, I've picked out posts that I especially enjoyed this past week from the hundreds of blogs I follow. Remember if you bump into a post you especially like, drop me a note and I'll include it in the Rodeo. You can even feel free to copy this whole post and run it on your own blog; always nice to give a little link love to our fellow bloggers!

This is the big one for the week: The Thinking Hunter comments on the level of competition that has now permeated the hunting ethos. He makes many salient points, many of which I agree with. Some of our top blogging luminaries have weighed in with their opinions, and I should hope each and every one of us will take a moment to read not only the post, Competitive Hunting--BARF! but the comments as well!

Phillip over at the Hog Blog has written in-depth on his thoughts about Handguns for Hog Hunting. He correctly and positively praises the uploaded 45LC, my personal favorite.  He also mentions and makes a couple of other comments about some other calibers. Nah! Just kidding! He covers all the good ones between the 9mm and the 500SW with his usual thorough and elucidating way. If you are contemplating taking any game with a handgun, give his post a read!

The beautiful and talented Brigid has a really fun idea for keeping the local miscreants in line near her Home on the Range. Get a trebuchet she suggests! "After all, nothing says "pipe down" quite like a rotten sheep carcass on fire arcing over the back fence onto their stereo." Neither does a good ol' ass whippin' if you ask me, but now-a-days you get arrested for doing the right thing.

My buddy Rick at Whitetail Woods has a classic case of Writer's Block! He's looking for ideas, and has put out an appeal for suggestions. Stop by and give him your two cents worth at Ideas and Suggestions are Welcome Here!

Sevesteen has a really cool and eclectic blog that I enjoy. Lately he has taken to doing a little leather work and produced his First Holster! He has done a remarkable job of it, and it looks professional and practical.

Gear Geek serves up a variety of reviews, many are tactical and practical ones. Backpack Strap Modification is one of the practical ones. He has a very professional video that has made, and the explanation is clear and concise.

Wild Ed serves up some mighty hot fixins with Texas Style Homemade Canned Jalepeno Peppers! "Be careful who you feed them to as these are Texas style and they are hot." He warns! Check it out at Wild Ed's Texas Outdoors, and try your hand at making some. Don't blame me if you fire your self right up!

Remember to let me know if there is something you want me to highlight for you! And don't forget, leave a little note on folk's blogs and let them know you stop by and appreciate their work.


Albert A Rasch
Member: Bagram Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...

The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles

Friday, April 2, 2010

The Art of the Pipe

© 2009-2010 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
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A Chronicles Classic:
The Art of the Pipe
 
“Oh, hi Dad.” Came his listless reply, “I’m looking for the broom; Mom wants us to clean.”

Occasionally I will indulge in a pipe. Whether an elegantly curved calabash, or a properly puritanical church warden, nothing allows for proper concentration and meditation like a pipe. The warmth of the bowl when a proper coal is set, the texture of pipe, the sweep of the stem, all of these things add to the immeasurable assurance that the answers are all there... if you take the time to contemplate. It is a campfire, with flannel shirts, tents, pine pitch, and split logs, all contained in the palm of your hand. It is truly a man’s artifice, requisite skill necessary in its proper application, without which deep and intractable issues can never be resolved.

Now, I know that today’s health conscious meddlers, those left-coast leaning, healthier than thou, sanctimonious, fancy sneakered jogging types, caution us constantly about the evils and ill effects of tobacco and strong spirits. To quote Sir Winston Churchill when castigated for indulging so frequently of both, “Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.” I am one for personal responsibility - and I am quite secure in the knowledge that what I do may be injurious, but I am sure to derive the greater benefit for contemplating matters both weighty and of great import. That will surely outweigh any harm done to me. Hell, I’ve heard it said that if you refrain from the pleasures of the opposite sex and damn near starve yourself, you’ll live a good bit longer. You might as well shoot me now if you think I want to live like that. I’d just as soon live in Venezuela under Chavez; amount to about the same I venture.

As it so happened, on this cool, fall, Florida morning, I was contemplating matters of weighty magnitude whilst out on the patio, the occasional swirl of Sweet Cavendish smoke encircling me.

I heard the door to the house open up and Bubby, sullenly muttering to himself, came out. Pulled from my thoughtful reverie by his digging about, I turned an eye to him.

He had the sad and troubled look of a boy unfairly put upon. “Bubby,” I asked, “what the Devil are you up to, and why the glum look?”

“Oh, hi Dad.” Came his listless reply, “I’m looking for the broom; Mom wants us to clean.” Oh dear God, not cleaning.

If there is one thing that I can’t abide is a woman’s penchant for ruining a perfectly good day. Here it was a lovely fall day, cooler than it has been for several sweltering months, a day put on this earth for repose and the proper contemplation of worldly matters. Why is that day to be filled with something as mundane as house cleaning? I mean really, come on, it’s just going to get messy again in matter of hours.

Very carefully I weighed my response. “Oh… Blake it’s just a travesty.”

I had a couple of options at this point. I could run, but that would take up quite a bit of energy; energy that I was loath to expend. Quite frankly and in my opinion, running is vastly overrated; excepting of course those matters where running might save your hide. Running is for antelope, horses, and teenagers who don’t have the sense to think two steps further than where they are. I prefer slipping into and out of things; it’s the gentlemanly way to do things.

I could volunteer myself for said activity.

Do I sound or look like I lack in intellect? Not a chance; volunteering would be asking for more trouble. Women are rather peculiar in that respect, as I will elucidate for your clarification and illumination. Observe:

Fight tooth and nail, and they take it in stride, point to what they want done, and leave you to do it. It would seem that the act of defiance registers as a normal modus operandi in their internal mental circuitry. In their queer logic this is as it should be, therefore it requires no further action.

Now if you were to volunteer, they assume that you have some nefarious plan which can only be thwarted by their constant vigilance and frequent rebukes as to your relative ineptitude. Mind you, you’ve done whatever it is they want a thousand times before, but the way they slap a saddle on your back and spur your hind-quarters, you would think you were trying to deliver a baby with dirty hands, or patted the waitress’ rear-end at one of those fancy restaurants.

I sighed audibly. It is an immutable mathematical certainty that no matter what is done, one in fact ends up doing the opposite of what is wished for. I resigned myself to the inevitable and just waited upon my fate; there are worse things than helping to tidy up a bit. Like run through a patch of cactus… sunburned…and naked.

I was drawing upon the church warden when my dearest stepped out on to the patio. I let a long narrow stream of smoke slice its way through the morning air. The sweet smell of pipe tobacco clung to the cool damp like fog over a marsh. Thin tendrils of old smoke wafted through the occasional beam of sunlight that broke through the tree canopy.

“You know,” I said, “the Indigo Buntings are due any day now.”

“I love it when they come through.” She smiled and looked around. “When do you think they’ll get here?”

“I don’t know… With this global warming nonsense they might be a couple of weeks late.” I drew on my pipe, savored the smoke, and used the long stem as a pointer. “I’ve seen a few goldfinches though, by the creek; they were late come to think of it.”

We mused on that bit of information for a few moments.

She placed her hand lightly on my shoulder. “You know, I was going to ask you to help clean up the house a bit. It’s such a wreck.”

I dutifully waited for the sentence to be handed down. Would it be mopping, folding clothes, or worse, scrubbing the bathtub.

“But, you look so thoughtful there, that I think I’ll leave you to your musings; you deserve a break.”

You could have knocked me over with a flick of the finger.

“Would you like a drink? Some water or a soda? “

“Uhh… no, no thanks, I’m doing pretty good.” I replied.

She started to turn and I said, “Baby…”

“Yes?”

I was going to ask for a bourbon over ice, splash of spring water.

“Love Ya.” I said.

She winked at me, and with that look said, “I know.”

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Bagram Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...


The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles

Thursday, April 1, 2010

No License Needed Weekend!

FWC Press Release:

Easter Weekend Brings Free
Freshwater Fishing to Florida

Both residents and nonresidents in Florida can fish in public fresh waters across the state without a license during the weekend of April 3 and 4. All other fishing rules apply.

The Florida Legislature and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) designated the first full weekend in April each year to be Florida's Free Freshwater Fishing Weekend. This year, that falls on Easter weekend.

This is a great opportunity for experienced anglers to share their love of the sport with family and friends. It's also a great opportunity to join the thousands of anglers who have taken the Anglers' Legacy Pledge by visiting www.AnglersLegacy.org and entering partner code FLFWC. Anglers' Legacy is about giving back what you've been given, and making a promise to introduce somebody new to fishing. There's no membership fee and no obligation - it's just another great way to help spread the fun of one of America's most popular traditions and share our fishing heritage with others.

The Get Outdoors Florida! coalition (www.GetOutdoorsFlorida.org) encourages everyone, and especially children, to connect with nature by getting outdoors and enjoying active, nature-based recreation. Research conducted in 2009 by the Outdoor Foundation emphasized that recreational fishing is the number-one gateway activity that leads participants to increase their overall involvement in outdoor activities. This is vitally important as numerous diverse and extensive studies, such as those documented by Richard Louv in his best-selling book "Last Child in the Woods," and expanded upon by the growing Children and Nature Network (www.ChildrenandNature.org), have demonstrated that activities such as fishing can lead to happier, healthier and smarter lifestyles.

So this weekend is your chance to get outdoors and go fishing right here in the "Fishing Capital of the World," where virtually everyone is within 45 minutes of a freshwater fishing opportunity. No excuses! The weather predictions are looking good, it is just after a full moon and spring stimulates fish to congregate in shallow waters. The fishing should be great. So, Get Outdoors Florida! and burn off some of those chocolate-bunny calories with a free fishing adventure.

Visit MyFWC.com/Fishing to learn about fishing regulations in Florida.

Hunting Invasive Species

© 2010 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
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Doug, the hawk wrangler over at Harris' Hawk Blog, wrote up a post on invasive species, and the double standard upon which management issues are decided. (Forget about science based wildlife management!) He finished up with an open question:
"Think about the double standard. Should we be hunting pythons in Florida? Horses in Virginia? Nutria in Louisiana? Red fox, donkey, sparrow, starling, wild pig?" Python Season

I got to thinking about what Doug said. Personally I am all for hunting anything that doesn't belong on our native soil. The question becomes fraught with problems though, when you plug in the economic or political factor.

Take horses for instance. Out west there are areas where they have eaten themselves, and everything else that lives in their range, out of fodder. During the mid-nineties wild horses on the White Sands missile range died when there range became over grazed and water holes dried up.

"The BLM's current estimate is that there are 37,000 wild horses and burros on public lands in the West, about half of them in Nevada. (Opponents of the roundup believe it's more like 15,000.) However, nearly that many, 34,000, are kept in government-run corrals and pastures. Already this year, the BLM has spent $50 million to manage the wild horses in the West; last year, it was $36
million. As the numbers increase, so do the costs." BLM Report 12/09

I wonder how much forage 60,000 horses are consuming that would otherwise be feeding mule deer, antelope, and elk?

But the urban people and congress would never permit the eradication of the wild mustangs of the West. Never mind that the horse is domestic animal bred for human use; never mind that it just doesn't belong in the environment; and never mind that it is livestock and should be managed as livestock not as scenery!

That's just one species, a cute, romantic, and familiar one.  But there others that aren't as cute or cuddly.  Take the Gambian Pouch Rat now found on Grassy Key here in my home state.

Image Credit: WikiPedia
These omnivorous rodents will eat almost anything and compete for food with many species including endangered species like the Silver Rice Rat and the Florida Wood Rat. They carry diseases like monkey pox . The greatest threat, and the one people are hard at work trying to prevent, is their arrival at Key Largo. From there, it is a an easy jump to the Florida Everglades. If you think pythons and boas are bad, imagine nine pound rats. Having said all that, they are good for two things: Eating if you're hungry enough, and sniffing out land mines. Seriously, see HeroRAT.

Again, here is a species that was illegally released into the wild by an irresponsible and undoubtedly brainless individual. My suggestion is to allow the use of powerful air-rifles and 22 rimfires within the confines of Grassy Key for the sole purpose of killing those danged Pouch Rats.

Green Iguanas, Komodo Dragons, Nile Monitors, all of these reptiles are now have breeding populations in South Florida. Rhesus Monkeys have a breeding population in Silver River State Park and Morgan Island in South Carolina. Lionfish, native to the South Pacific are now in US Atlantic tropical waters.

I have a personal like for house cats. But many years ago a big female cat we had came home with a bright red Cardinal in her jaws. Poor Bubby was just a little fellow and saw the blood thirsty feline carrying her prize first. He chased that cat down and made her drop the songbird, but it was too late for the Cardinal. Bubby came to us bawling his bright blue eyes out, tears cutting tracks on his dusty face, the songbird in the open palms of his hands.

After a suitable service for the bird, we talked about the predator-prey relationship. I explained how cats have never lost their affinity for hunting and killing even though they have been "domesticated" almost as long as dogs.

After that though, I have forbidden the keeping of outside cats. The few we had on the hacienda were already neutered or spayed, and I was vigilant to try to secure them in the evenings.

Some of my neighbors were not very responsible though. One in particular had over thirty adult cats around their home, so many in fact that their borderline simpleton kids crudely joked about running them over every time they backed out of the ramshackle pole-barn garage.

I ran a series of Hav-A-Hart traps too keep the burgeoning population of cats down. The biggest problem was the possums and raccoons I regularly caught. But after several months, and dozens of trips to the local humane society, I had made a sizable dent in the feral cat population.

All of these animals, both wild and feral are potentially disruptive to the environment and destructive to our native fauna. As far as being vectors for diseases, I am not as concerned about that as I am with the destruction of our plants and animals. Most of the diseases that we can catch from any animal are treatable. (Well, most are See: Monkey Business.) Extinct on the other hand, isn't!

I strongly urge anyone with the ability and temperament to hunt, trap, or otherwise destroy invasive non-native species do so where it is legal to do so, and in a legal manner. In other words, don't bust out the unplugged 12 gauge Browning Auto 5 and shoot at the English sparrows on the bird feeder! Use good sense...

everyone knows a side by side 28 is better...

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Bagram Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...

The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Ben G. Outdoors' Spring Sling Giveaway‏ Pt I

$g&m f9bd 45kd q!?5. trochronicles.blogspot.com
Hello everyone!
Ben of Ben G. Outdoors forwarded me the following press release!



Ben G. Outdoors is proud to announce:
The Spring Sling Giveaway Part I

Ben G. Outdoors' blog is devoted to our great national pastimes of hunting, fishing, and outdoor adventure. We provide industry related interviews, product reviews, tips, and share our outdoor adventures.

The Spring Sling Giveaway is sponsored by Marauder Outdoors will run until Sunday April 11th at 11:59pm. Winners will be posted on the site no later than Tuesday April 13th.

To enter, please stop by Ben G. Outdoors for more details and your chance to win one of two slings from Marauder Outdoors. It's that simple!

Be on the look out for the Spring Sling Giveaway Part 2.
***   ***   ***

Ok guys! Let's show our support for our fellow bloggers and spread the word around to our readers. This is a great opportunity to score a little swag, and have some fun doing it!


Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...

The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles

The Ruger 10/22 Series on PDF

© 2010 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
$g&m f9bd 45kd q!?5. trochronicles.blogspot.com
Ruger 10/22 Maintenance on Printable PDFs

Just a friendly reminder!

My buddy, "Bear" Luallen of Tactical Image Guys, specializes in the creation, design, and production of the M249 SAW Conversion Kit for the Ruger 10/22. He thought that it would be a great asset to his customers to have the 10/22 maintenance series in PDF files. I was more than happy to oblige!

I would like to thank Bear and his team at Tactical Image Guys for thinking enough about my work to want to share it with their customers.

You can find all the tutorials in printable PDF form, Disassembling the Ruger 10/22, Cleaning the Ruger 10/22, Assembling the Ruger 10/22, and Disassembling and Cleaning the Ruger 10/22 Rotary Magazine, at Tactical Image Guys Hints and Tips.

Here are the original posts on maintaining your Ruger 10/22 and magazine:

Disassembling, Cleaning, and Reassembling the Ruger 10/22 Rotary Magazine.
Disassemble the Ruger 10/22
Clean the Ruger 10/22
Assemble the Ruger 10/22

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Bagram Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...


The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Keeping the Wildlife Wild!

© 2010 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
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Keeping them Safe!
Charlie's on the Job!

One of Charlie's responsibilities is keeping the local wildlife on its toes.

All too often, well meaning but uninformed visitors, and much to our dismay,  locals that should know better, forget that our more dangerous wildlife should be left wild. They need to be wary of humans and their domesticated companions, otherwise they suffer the consequences, rather than the people who precipitated the problem.

Alligators in particular seem to get it the worse. All winter long, the Snowbirds throw them treats, and their peas sized brains get accustomed to it. And that's where the problems start.  Gators are nice and cute when they're little, but they look and get threatening as they get bigger. As soon as someone wails, "I'm scared of that alligator!" It's a death sentence for the gator.

So, Charlie and I don't let any gator forget that people and dogs are dangerous. We chase them into the water every time we see them. Don't worry, they have plenty of time to sun and warm up when we're not around. But if they are near pedestrian pathways, we remind them that there are better places to be!

I'm watchin' you...
Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Bagram Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles

Turkey Hunting Tips and Tactics

© 2010, 2011 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
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Turkey Hunting Tips and Tactics from Our Friends

I've never been turkey hunting, a situation that I aim to resolve next Fall season, so I have been researching for turkey hunting advice through all of our friend's blogs.

Holly Heyser our our intrepid NorCalCazadora, has an interesting tip from National Wild Turkey Federation Regional Biologist Ryan Mathis. Her article "A Surprising Turkey Hunting Tip from a Pro" is an eye opener!

Othmar Vohringer always has something interesting on his blog Outdoors with Othmar Vohringer. Othmar offers several seminars and a course in turkey hunting back in his neck of the woods in Canada. Now, I should have known this, but I just figured out that OV has a blog dedicated solely to turkey hunting. Aptly named Wild Turkey Fever, Othmar has a multitude of articles, how to tips, and innumerable tricks and techniques to keep you learning and help you outwit Mr. Tom Turkey. There are posts on turkey calls like the HS Strut and Heirloom Calls, along with great advice on load selection in his article Wild Turkey Fever: Which Shot? He's got a ton more in there so check out his archives by using the lists on the right of his main column.

There are great tips at Turkey Scratchings, a blog dedicated to chasing and hunting turkey.

Jesse's Hunting and Outdoors has a very through and complete section on Turkey hunting also. On the very top of the Turkey Hunting page, Jesse has a series of links to many different subject areas relating to the pursuit of Wild Turkeys. Subjects such as Aging Turkeys, Turkey Calls, and Bowhunting Turkey, are just a few of the topics covered in depth. And if that's not enough, each of the topic areas have more links to other information to further your knowledge! "Use what talent you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best."

Let's not forget my friend Scott Croner of Nebraska Hunting Outfitters.  He has several posts on his blog covering different aspects of successfully connecting with  a Merriam's Turkey. Check out the FAQ! Scott's got a great record with Merriam's turkeys and I highly recommend him.

That's a good start with plenty of information to help me score a turkey next season.  As new posts start to roll in from this season I'll be updateing this post!


Best Regards,
Albert “Afghanus” Rasch
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
Albert Rasch In Afghanistan


Best Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Shindand Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...


The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles, Albert A Rasch, Hunting in Florida


Albert Rasch,HunterThough he spends most of his time writing and keeping the world safe for democracy, Albert was actually a student of biology. Really. But after a stint as a lab tech performing repetitious and mind-numbing processes that a trained capuchin monkey could do better, he never returned to the field. Rather he became a bartender. As he once said, "Hell, I was feeding mice all sorts of concoctions. At the club I did the same thing; except I got paid a lot better, and the rats where bigger." He has followed the science of QDM for many years, and fancies himself an aficionado. If you have any questions, or just want to get more information, reach him via TheRaschOutdoorChronicles(at)MSN(dot)com.






Monday, March 29, 2010

Hippo on the Lawn: Dances with Snakes

© 2010 Hippo on the Lawn
$g&m f9bd 45kd q!?5. trochronicles.blogspot.com
"...my erstwhile band of trained killers resembling dancing and shrieking girl guides faced with a tiny mouse."HotL

Hippo on the LawnHippo on the Lawn, an Ex-Pat living in Luanda, Angola is a quintessential man of adventure. Not only is his taste impeccable, (Just look at his fedora!), but his posts are usually entertainingly ironic, spiritually insightful, and undeniably thought provoking. He is a very busy man, and doesn't post frequently. But when he does, it is always worth the wait!

The Hippo was gracious enough to comment at length on the Python Hunting in the Everglades post, and his comment is so well written and entertaining that by golly, it deserves a Guest Post slot of its own! (I've added the pictures for y'alls entertainment.)

So without further adieu; Hippo on the Lawn!


"A Machete (Katana Here) is Always a Good Idea."
Belize

I used to take RAF aircrew and other personnel duck shooting at Big Falls in Belize. An abandoned rice station, it was heaving with wildfowl and of course the predators that grew fat on them. There were snakes everywhere.
Image Credit: Fands.Org
The constrictors never really bothered me. I had quite a collection back at camp. It was the Tommy Goff (Bothrops asper), also know as the Fer de Lance, that scared the pants off me. Unlike most snakes that push off into the undergrowth on sensing your approach or relied on their camouflage, only causing problems if God hated you enough to make you step on them, these buggers would actually go for you.

I was running a live firing exercise on Salt Creek ranges when the advancing line suddenly broke up in confusion, weapons hitherto directed at the butts with the discipline we expect of trained soldiers now being swung in all directions, my erstwhile band of trained killers resembling dancing and shrieking girl guides faced with a tiny mouse.

So from experience, I would not recommend the FN 7.62 (.308 Winchester). God knows how many rounds the panic stricken troops loosed off before they heeded ever more frantic calls to cease firing but the damn snake had easily survived and was only dispatched by a Belizean Defence Force Sergeant with more courage than all of us combined and armed only with a bit of angle iron.
Image Cred: Squidoo
These Tommy Goffs are not just homicidally vicious, they can obviously be recruited and trained by the Guatemalans. What is the probability of the Commander British Forces being bitten by a Tommy Goff? It is not usual for a Brigadier to stray much beyond the route from his residence to his office, let alone stray into the bush but he managed to get bitten and had to be casevaced to Miami losing the larger part of his calf muscle. He would have been armed with a Browning 9mm. Or a crayon.


On another memorable occasion I had taken an RAF Flight Lieutenant to Big Falls for his first squirt with a shotgun. Naturally, he was walking ahead of me on the trail rather than behind. He disturbed a snake which, understandably irate at having its cover blown/territory invaded, went for me.

With a display of marksmanship and snap shooting that would make Herb Parsons look like an amateur, this guy cut the snake in half with a load of SG.

Now I ask you. What would be more terrifying? The sudden appearance of an angry Tommy Goff or staring down the barrel of a semi automatic 12 Bore Browning in the hands of a first timer?

So, from my experience:

7.62 SLR, Dangerously Bad.

9mm Browning, Ineffective.

Crayon, good for scrawling your last will and testament on the pavement.

Belizean armed with angle iron, Good.

RAF Flight Lieutenant with 12 gauge, Awesome.

The young RAF officer in question was a Flying Officer at the time, now that I think about it, and became the best man at my first wedding much to the dismay of my PONGO colleagues. Imagine, an RAF Honour Guard for an Army Officer...

He is now a Group Captain (equivalent to what you in the Colonies call a 'Full Bird Colonel') and still with his stick pulled back and climbing fast.

Herb Parsons just popped into my head when I was writing my comment but now I remember his most famous catch phrase:

"Hunt with your son today and you won't have to hunt for him tomorrow."

How very, very true. And it doesn't have to be hunting. Time spent with your son now will save a lot of grief in the future. How many of us have responded to an urgent plea for attention from the boy with, 'C'mon, kid, I've only just got back, give me a break', instead of dragging our tired and wounded carcasses out into the bush for at least a walk?

Girls are important too, by the way. But I am not very good at dressing dolls and drinking imaginary tea with teddy bears.

A Hippo on the Lawn

I want to thank Tom very much for his very entertaining response.Visit him at: Hippo on the Lawn

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...

The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Technical Difficulties...

Friends,

I think I posted about a half dozen drafts by error. Sorry if you are on reader or rss and can't find them. They'll pop up when they are supposed to if I did things correctly!

Best regards,
Albert

Weekend Recap 3/28/10

© 2010 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
$g&m f9bd 45kd q!?5. trochronicles.blogspot.com
Wildlife of the Suburbs!

There's tons of wildlife here in Florida, if you look for it! This week was exceptional in that I have been pretty busy saying hello to all sorts of the local fauna!

This fellow spent a good thirty minutes in front of my home digging through the pine bark nuggets that they use for mulch around the palm trees.


Red Shouldered Hawk

A couple of Sandhill cranes  with their chicks have been pretty friendly too!  I bumped ito them three times this week. I've been carrying a half loaf of bread with me to feed the ducks, but I haven't found any. But the Sandhills came through! And yesterday they brought out their chicks for me to see!


Friendly Sandhill Crane


Hey Mister!


And their long legged chicks!

As if that wasn't enough, I also saw Black Vulture chicks too!  At first I didn't know what two vultures were doing in a powerline cut. I really thought that the big, round, fuzzy, light brown objects were either a bloated possum or coon. But then they moved!  I  hit the bike brakes and skidded to a stop, trying to pull my camera out of my pocket at the same time. Those fat babies were so dang ugly, that they must've been the cutest thing I've ever seen! Alas, they hopped into the underbrush before I could get my camera out. I've gone back to the same area three times, but I still haven't caught up to them.

All in all a pretty good week!

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Bagram Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...

The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles