On Friends...

© 2010 Albert A Rasch™ and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
$g&m f9bd 45kd q!?5.

Friends in Far Away Places...

It's just everyday stuff...for A'stan.

I was going through some pictures from Afghanistan, when I remembered one late evening.

We had been sorting and moving, I don't know, one-hundred thirty thousand pounds of mail or so, and we were dog tired. You know that feeling. The one where you can barely put one foot in front of the other. You don't bother to focus because it's too much of an effort.

For some reason the lot of us found one skid particularly funny. It was no different than any other skid of triwalls, just as overloaded, just as back-breaking as the previous thirty. Someone started laughing, and it spread like fire. Before you knew it we were chortling and wheezing, the cold air hurting our lungs as guffaws of laughter echoed throughout the warehouse.  After a short while, we were wiping tears from our eyes, looking at each others and could think of no place we would rather be.

There were other nights, easy nights. Nights that you made quick plans to get together with your friends and watch the latest movie on someone's laptop. Or maybe you met up with them and got your electronics, internet, or commo squared away. Or maybe you just sat around the hootch or bunker and shot the breeze, talked about home, or maybe the future. Sometimes you missed being home, sometimes you wished you were home. Sometimes, that was home.

Now I'm sitting around here, waiting for my next contract to start.  I wonder what everyone else is up to, how they're doing. You get the occasional email, but it just doesn't convey the camaraderie you had while there. And sometimes you just get that feeling

You sweat the stuff because you're so far away. Is Johnny ok, wherever the devil he is this week? Is Paul running convoys again? Is Herbie close to a bunker when the rockets start raining down on them?

I have friends running convoys.
I have friends down in Helmand Province.
I have friends on mountain tops and ridgelines.
I have friends ... in Afghanistan.

When you guys get around to reading this, remember you are never far from my thoughts and prayers.


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

AirSoft: It's Not Just for Kids!Yo-Yos for Troops!Nebraska Hunting CompanyCupidFish.comScott Croner

AirSoft: It's Not Just for Kids!Yo-Yos for Troops!Nebraska Hunting CompanyCupidFish.comScott Croner

It's Never Too Early! National Hunting and Fishing Day

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

It's only Six Months Away!

This year marks the fifth anniversary of a special partnership to energize National Hunting and Fishing Day as much more than a day of prominence on the calendars of sportsmen and women nationwide. The idea is building year-round public recognition and pride in the conservation benefits provided by hunters and anglers.

By all accounts, the new NHF Day alliance worked-and the energy is still growing.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which founded the annual celebration 39 years ago, in 2005 forged the partnership with Wonders of Wildlife museum, a state-of-the-art educational facility that now serves as the official home of NHF Day.

Today, NSSF continues its leading role in NHF Day atop an impressive list of sponsors.

"We welcome NSSF back aboard as our first sponsor for 2010," said Denise Wagner, who coordinates NHF Day outreach programs for Wonders of Wildlife. "We'll be using their sponsorship to fund a variety of new efforts and campaigns to help the American public appreciate the conservation funding, economic impact and other benefits of hunting and fishing."

Steve Sanetti, NSSF president, said, "Our five-year-old partnership with Wonders of Wildlife has breathed new life into National Hunting and Fishing Day, which in many ways is more important now than when it was started in 1972 as we encourage those who are diverted by indoor, sedentary activities to get out into nature and enjoy the many pleasures of hunting, fishing and shooting."

This year's NHF Day celebration is set for Saturday, Sept. 25.

National Hunting and Fishing Day

The entire USA Shooting Team is serving as honorary chair for 2010, joining a long list of sports personalities who have served over the years. Baseball stars have included Ron Guidry, Tom Seaver, George Brett and Wade Boggs. Football pros Bert Jones, Terry Bradshaw, John Riggins and Jay Novacek, along with golfers Tom Weiskopf, Johnny Miller, Arnold Palmer and Tom Lehman have also served. Basketball legend John Havlicek, NASCAR's Ward Burton and tennis champion Roscoe Tanner round out the sports heroes who have helped spread the word about hunting, angling and conservation.

Since being formalized by Congress in 1972, NHF Day has been officially proclaimed by every U.S. President.

The growing list of sponsors for NHF Day 2010 includes Wonders of Wildlife, NSSF, Bass Pro Shops, Smith & Wesson, Sportsman Channel, Realtree, Cabela's, GunBroker.com, Yamaha, and Pope and Young Club.

For more information about NHF Day, visit www.nhfday.org.

MEDIA NOTE: For more info and photos, contact Denise Wagner at Wonders of Wildlife museum, official home of National Hunting and Fishing Day, at nhfday@wondersofwildlife.org or 203-241-4468.


Related posts on The National Hunting and Fishing Day:

Hunter and Angler Fact Sheet
National Hunting and Fishing Day
Three Big Reasons
Hunting Facts and Figures
Hunter's Contributions Exceed 5 Billion Dollars

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Bagram Tent Club

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

QDMA has Redesigned Their Website

Brought to you by Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
$g&m f9bd 45kd q!?5. trochronicles.blogspot.com
Hello everyone!

I received several press releases this morning, some of which I thought pertinent and interesting.

First from QDMA Headquarters in Bogart, GA:

QDMA Unveils Newly Redesigned Website

Today visitors to the QDMA website-www.QDMA.com--will notice a change: The site has a brand new, enhanced look.

"Our goal was to create a more user-friendly site that would enable visitors to easily view featured articles from Quality Whitetails journal, register for upcoming courses, shop the QDMA store, and peruse the best deer and habitat management information available on the web, " said Randy Bowden, QDMA's Director of Marketing and Corporate Relations.

In addition to an entirely new look, the website boasts updated features and a user-friendly layout that will make navigating the site easier than ever. QDMA's restructured e-commerce portal-the all-new QDMA Shed-offers the latest QDMA apparel and merchandise. The addition of the QDMA Calendar makes finding a REACH Banquet, field day, or other QDMA event in your area simple. Post your photos and management experiences on the QDMA Community Forum, which also features a new look, and check out hundreds of articles pertaining to deer management and hunting from Quality Whitetails journal.

Visit the new www.QDMA.com and experience the "Future of Deer Hunting" on a new and visually enhanced website.

About QDMA

Founded in 1988, QDMA is a national nonprofit wildlife conservation organization with a mission to ensure the future of white-tailed deer, wildlife habitat and our hunting heritage. Membership in QDMA is open to anyone interested in better deer and better deer hunting, and is committed to ethical hunting, sound deer and habitat management and the preservation of the deer-hunting heritage. To learn more about QDMA and why it is the future of deer hunting, call (800) 209-3337 or visit www.QDMA.com

QDMA ... The Future of Deer Hunting
Contact:
Randy Bowden (800) 209-3337 or rbowden@qdma.com

The Range Reviews: Sterling's Knife Sharpeners

© 2010 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
$g&m f9bd 45kd q!?5. trochronicles.blogspot.com
What's more dangerous than a sharp knife?

Every outdoorsman knows the answer to that question: A Dull One! In an emergency, a dull knife is next to useless. Even in a situation that's not an emergency, a dull knife is an exasperation that one can do without.

With the Sterling Knife Sharpener, sharpening a knife is easy, and a dull knife is a thing of the past.

The Sterling Classic and American Flag

It has two precision made tungsten carbide cutting bits mounted precisely to give a twenty degree edge. Weighing a touch over 1/2 an ounce, you won't even know it's in your pocket. It has a lightweight two piece aluminum body, riveted in four spots, two of which secure the carbide cutting blades. There is a lanyard hole which works equally well as a key ring hole, and one can easily carry it in a wallet if need be.

On a set of keys...

Carbide cutters...

There are no special skills required in order to bring a knife up to razor sharpness with the Sterling. And there is no need for oils or lubricants; so no mess to clean up. That's a big confidence boost to new sportsmen who may not have acquired knife sharpening skills.

Ready to sharpen...

It is also available in several colors: Sterling Classic (anodized red), Digital Camo, American Flag (My favorite!). In addition, they can custom print, anodize and laser engrave anything on the sharpener. Anything.

A small sample of what can be done!

Draw the knife through several times...

Using it is easy. Remember not to cut your fingers! Best results are obtained by resting the sharpener on a secure surface. A stump, block of wood, or truck tire will do nicely. Place the edge of the knife into the carbide "V". Smoothly and firmly draw the knife through the "V". You will feel the proper pressure to apply as you draw the knife through. A few passes and your knife will be hair shaving sharp. Dull knives will require a bit of effort to draw through. Pull it through as many times as needed. Patience will reward you with a razor's edge. Fish filleting knives are the easiest, they sharpen up in a few passes.

Razor sharp!

It works equally well on any type of knife, machete, hatchet, axe, spears, and broadheads too.

This is one of those must have tools that you have in your go bag. It will put a sharpened edge on any knife whether kitchen, table, field, or combat. With a street price of $11.00 to $15.00 it is another definite buy. I'll have one with me from now on while hog hunting, fishing, or camping.

A couple of recommendations. Get two; when your Father in Law sees it, he will want it and you'll be out your sharpener if you didn't get a spare. Put a lanyard on it right away so you don't misplace it out in the field, shop, or garage. Lastly, hide it because the kids will want it, the Mrs will need it, and like I said, in-laws will demand it!

For those of you in business and looking for a small practical gift, Sterling has very reasonable prices for engraved sharpeners in orders as small as ten units! Call and ask for Ms. Bonnie Sterngold 800-297-4277.

The Sterling Sharpener has been in production since 1977! The folks at Sterling are so confident of their Sterling Sharpener that they stand behind it with a Lifetime Warranty.

And remember, it's made in the USA!

Sterling Sharpeners
(800-2x-sharp)
MSRP: $15.00

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

Blogs of Note: Habits of the Old School Man

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I found a great weekly blog called Old School Man. To quote the author, it is "UPDATED EVERY DAMN MONDAY," and has some of the best eye-opening wake ups and smack-downs I have read in a long time.

"The idea of a Man has changed from a straight-up bourbon drinking guy in a fedora to a guy wearing a tight-ass t-shirt drinking a vanilla-peach vodka cocktail mixed with Pepsi. The eight cylinder V8 Mustang has been replaced by Prius, and the 45. automatic replaced by an iPod."

I'm glad I drink Bourbon, all my shirts are baggy now, and pack a Gov't 45! All I need is a V8 and I am all set!

Well worth a quick direct click: Habits of the Old School Men Part I:

"These old school men would never wear low-rise jeans, drink decaf coffee, drive a compact car or talk about their “feelings”."

And Part II:

“'Going to the Grocery Store' is grabbing a gun, hopping in his truck and shooting something on four legs..."

I throughly enjoyed his posts and if you look at it as commentary on today's society, it's not only entertaining, but illuminating!

Best regards,
Albert