Small Boy with Laugh Lines

Awesomeness

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 13:25:00 +0000

For your viewing pleasure
Troy Fowler
512 417 9803
"Accept the reality of your current situation. You are an integral part."

Tom Loves Hog Hunting

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 23:42:00 +0000

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Untitled

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:47:00 +0000

There is never enough ammunition

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Untitled

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:46:00 +0000

There is never enough ammunition

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Pigs - Slugs - Rigs - Slug

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 01:22:00 +0000

Yeah, well, I broke it off and bought a Contour head cam. Finally put it to good use. The story begins a little differently. My lovely 15 year old daughter, sometime in Sept or Oct 2011 mentions wanting to shoot a pig. I kind of "uh, huh, yeah, uh, yeah, okay" her and don't think much of it. She brings it up again and I ask a few poignant questions. Actually one - "Darling, dear, you have never really shown an interest in hunting, why all of a sudden?" The reply is very straightforward including some wonderful hunting logic bordering on an excuse to GO hunting. "See dad" she says, "When I mention how much you go hunting at the ranch and all that - the kids always ask if I have ever killed anything!" A pause to answer some pressing text message......................."So, I figured I'd shoot one pig and get it over with." Dad, thinks this is a perfectly logical excuse to GO hunting.

My wife is absolutely awesome as well.

file://localhost/Users/juliefowler/Pictures/iPhoto%20Library/Previews/2011/12/28/20111228-171356/IMG_2791.jpg

I put Libby through the standard firearms instruction, we shot a bit with my RWS model 52 magnum air rifle. It's a scoped, accurate bugger. If you relax it will hit 9mm shells at 20 paces with ease. I started Libby on a can, then moved down to empty 20 gauge shells. She popped three in a row, that was enough.

See, here's the trick. You hardly ever feel recoil, heck most of the time you never hear the gun go off when you shoot something. So why let a new shooter feel recoil? I have a killer pellet gun as big as any rifle out there and much heavier with a target scope - perfect practice. 20 minutes before we went hunting I pulled out the .223 showed libby how to operate it and had her dry fire it twice. I made sure she followed through on each shot and stayed down looking through the scope as she pulled the trigger.

file://localhost/Users/juliefowler/Pictures/iPhoto%20Library/Masters/2011/12/28/20111228-171356/IMG_2786.JPG

Girls follow directions better than boys.

30 minutes later we found three pigs at a feeder. We had discussed Dad's magic aiming methodology which is to "shoot them in the cheek." She did that and our pig went down after a delightful whop! Yippeee .223 - she gets to add her name to the stock.

file://localhost/Users/juliefowler/Pictures/iPhoto%20Library/Previews/2012/01/05/20120105-110053/IMG_0573.jpg

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

IDPA - Practical - Useful - Fun

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 01:59:00 +0000

Rolled out to my first IDPA match this weekend. Well, actually my son shot, I was there for the writing and to see what this whole concealed carry "scenario" based shooting was all about.

From what I observed, John and Julianna Crowder, who run this particular club, went logical with the name.

Capital - The Capital of Texas - Austin

Area - They welcome shooters from Hither and Yon.

Practical - Absolutely the most practical "practice" I've seen

Shooting - ABSOLUTELY - cool weapons, nice folks, and lots of pops!

check out their website - http://www.caps-chl.com/

After a more than efficient safety and rules of the range explanation, it was time to rock and roll.

To make you a practical shooter the IDPA rules state you must have your handgun concealed under a jacket, including spare magazines.

Not surprisingly you were required to draw your gun, safely, finger off the trigger, acquire the target and shoot for center mass. Interestingly.....a perfect score is 0. Meaning you hit the 10 ring every time - which is backwards...well, sort of. Here's the logic of "0 = 10 ring" - you're shooting for time. High scores and misses add seconds to your overall time which rolls up to an overall score. There were five scenarios so a few misses on each one can stack up at the end of the shoot. So 0, or no additional time means you are shooting straight. The experienced shooters are fast, very fast, but they shoot straight too - it is definitely something to pay attention to - when you get serious.

There was right hand shooting

One Handed "Weak Hand" shooting.

Kneeling and removing your unloaded gun from a box - kind of shooting.

Gotta love a well placed triple tap! Not a 0 but if you were in a sticky situation.

This is a 10!

Hey for all of you who might be intimidated by a "pistol match" remember where we started here. My son is 13 and absolutely loves pistols. The CAPS group was welcoming and very supportive, teaching Caleb how it is all done safely, yet allowing him to handle his weapon as needed. Trust me he was at least two decades younger than anyone I saw and did fine. I suggest you check out the CAPS folks. They shoot at Best of the West in Liberty Hill every second Sunday. Safety, Orientation at 8:15, hammer down at 9 am. BTW - if you show up early they'll even let you help set up.....just like any club....help is ALWAYS appreciated!

Come get you some practical shooting. What the heck did you get that concealed carry for anyway.

It is a HOOT!

Troy Fowler

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Untitled

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 12:15:00 +0000

It's been a while.

Heck - it's summer and I have been playing. Once the kids get back to school I'll start posting again.

Upcoming Topics of note:

1. Pellet Guns

2. Wadefishing

3. Whitewinging in the Rio Grande Valley with a .410 (maybe a pellet gun on flying birds)

4. Fall fishing - good night the jackfish can be a hoot in October.

5. Still haven't shark fished.....

6. Tarpon?

Untitled

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 12:14:00 +0000

It's been a while.

Heck - it's summer and I have been playing. Once the kids get back to school I'll start posting again.

Upcoming Topics of note:

1. Pellet Guns

2. Wadefishing

3. Whitewinging in the Rio Grande Valley with a .410 (maybe a pellet gun on flying birds)

4. Fall fishing - good night the jackfish can be a hoot in October.

5. Still haven't shark fished.....

6. Tarpon?

TBM Tip Of The Week - Arrow Wraps

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 12:10:00 +0000

Once again Traditional Bowhunter Magazine was kind enough to print one of my tips. This one is a good one. Arrow Wraps are great -Tradidional Bowhunter Magazine is an excellent resource / well written and chock full of adventure.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: TBM Customer Service <webmaster@tradbow.com>
Date: Wed, Aug 10, 2011 at 5:10 AM
Subject: TBM Tip Of The Week - Arrow Wraps
To: Troy Fowler <smallboywithlaughlines@gmail.com>

TIP OF THE WEEK

View this newsletter online

Arrow Wraps

By Troy Fowler

We all admire beautifully crested, handmade wood arrows. I have made and broken hundreds, if not thousands, of wood arrows in multiple states over the last couple of decades. Alas, my time was sucked away by a choice to have children, and my dip tubes and cresting tools were replaced with baby bottles and diapers. Maybe you can relate.

If time is an issue for you, arrow wraps are a great alternative to cresting. At www.arrowrap.com you can design your own wraps, write whatever you want on them, even add artwork. The pricing is reasonable--my last order about a year ago was under $20 (with shipping) for 14 wraps.

Follow the manufacturer's directions, but here's a good tip: Place the wrap, sticky side up, on a piece of cardboard or a magazine, then roll the arrow shaft over it. The surface is a little softer than a table or workbench, which keeps the air bubbles down by allowing the arrow to flex into the wrap. Total time to wrap a dozen arrows is 20 minutes or so. Arrow wraps are a great option if you've lost your dip tubes to other responsibilities.

Troy Fowler writes about real, field tested, youth hunting and fishing solutions in his blog, Small Boy With Laugh Lines.

Comments from Readers

BBQ Corn:

Bill K. writes: Have done this for years, it is a fantastic manner to cook and eat corn. Those that have not done it, should.

Frank V. writes: This is a great tip. I'm going to try it. I really miss the Camp Chef articles that used to run in TBH. Thanks, Guy.

Whistling Pete Arrows:

Brad N. writes: I myself use ping pong balls, and do them the same way; however, I have noticed that you can vary the sound by adjusting the size of the holes on the sides. Just thought I would let you know that you don't need to use roll on deodorant for this project. I normally buy the ping pong balls in a package of 6 for $2.

Hunting With the Bow and Arrow:

Rick A. writes: Hunting With the Bow and Arrow by Saxton Pope is also available free through Kindle at Amazon.com. I read it on my Android. A great read.

Editor's Note: The Gutenberg Project has digitized thousands of books that are no longer under copyright. They should be available to all e-readers through your book provider.

© 2011 TBM, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction without permission is prohibited,
but you may send this entire newsletter to a friend.

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We also welcome tips, like this one, that you might want to share with others. Please email your tip and a photo or two to Robin at webmaster@tradbow.com.

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To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
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TBM Tip Of The Week - Arrow Wraps

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 11:57:00 +0000

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

TIP OF THE WEEK

View this newsletter online

Arrow Wraps

By Troy Fowler

Troy Fowler writes about real, field tested, youth hunting and fishing solutions in his blog, Small Boy With Laugh Lines.

Comments from Readers

BBQ Corn:

Bill K. writes: Have done this for years, it is a fantastic manner to cook and eat corn. Those that have not done it, should.

Frank V. writes: This is a great tip. I'm going to try it. I really miss the Camp Chef articles that used to run in TBH. Thanks, Guy.

Hunting With the Bow and Arrow:

Rick A. writes: Hunting With the Bow and Arrow by Saxton Pope is also available free through Kindle at Amazon.com. I read it on my Android. A great read.

Editor's Note: The Gutenberg Project has digitized thousands of books that are no longer under copyright. They should be available to all e-readers through your book provider.

© 2011 TBM, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction without permission is prohibited,
but you may send this entire newsletter to a friend.

Reminders

Add Us To Your Address Book

To help ensure that you receive all email messages consistently in your inbox with images displayed, please add this address to your address book or contacts list:

webmaster@tradbow.com

Have a Question?

Don't hesitate to hit the reply button to any of the messages you receive.

Have a Topic Idea?

We'd love to hear it! Just reply any time and let us know what topics you'd like to know more about.

We also welcome tips, like this one, that you might want to share with others. Please email your tip and a photo or two to Robin at webmaster@tradbow.com.

Follow Us On

www.twitter.com/tradbow

How Would You Rate This Email?

Fantastic

Pretty Good

It's Okay

Not So Good

This email was sent to smallboywithlaughlines@gmail.com because you recently signed up for occasional messages from us at www.tradbow.com.

Traditional Bowhunter Magazine, P. O. Box 519, Eagle, ID 83616, USA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?7CzsLJystKxMHMxsDByMtEa0jIyMHKxszBw=

Whopper Buffalo - Drag - Logic - Scales

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:19:00 +0000

"Man I hope I catch a bunch of tiny little fish today!"
No kid,
No teenager,
No man
EVER says that - so here we go!
The trick with big fish, kids, and light line is low experience.
Kid's still think everything can be done, especially if the guide says it can.
In contrast - adults.
They assume not much is new under the sun, standard around acting 10 feet tall....then freak out, begging for 80 lb braid and a broomstick rod when the drag slips 5 feet.
It can be logical and boring.
This youth fishing guide recently displayed big fish skills with 7 kids from church. For those who don't know, the Colorado river winds through Central Texas and men much smarter than he built a chain of lakes - the Highland Lakes. Inks lake is in the upper 1/3 of this chain, surrounded by beautiful granite, Mesquite, and Algerita covered hill country. (Holy Smokes but the BBQ is good in Llano - Cooper's is your place!)
For some reason this lake hides some of the largest Buffalo experienced during 30 years of fresh water drag slippage. And he knows you are thinking. "Buffalo? You mean like a carp kind of Buffalo? Those things are trash fish, no one wants to catch that!"
Very logical of you. Yes - carp and buffalo, but carp are small so they are by catch.
Day 1 - the guide arrived early, threw out 30 pounds of cattle cubes in front of the dock and started jumping off the boat dock among other random swimming adventure, tubing, all very yuppie of us.
4.436 hours later, (the perfect amount of time allotted for carp chumming) we ply the waters.
Catfish were easily subdued, drag did not slip.
Adults would have been happy.
The fishing guide wants something intimidating. Caleb opens the weekend with a bang.

He's the 13 year old offspring of said guide. This is not his first rodeo, but that is probably his second biggest fish ever. Pushing 40lbs or so, 10 pound test, alot of buzzing from a Diawa BG10.
Top Notch!
Kids started becoming more enthusiastic about this whole fishing thing. Nick was raised on a boat, has fished in the gulf of Mexico and shows uncanny patience with a fish on the line. This one ran all over the place, got hung up on a root, but came out to say hello.

As you can tell by the charcoaled chest and face, there were boyhood antics while the fishing was going. Chumming keeps them around like college kids at a free buffet.
But you, my adult reader, don't fish for carp or buffalo - so, no problem there.
This fish pushed 25 lbs - 10 pound test and we broke the landing net......as the sun hits the horizon, Hunter hangs another whopper.
He is listening to the guide, patiently pumping and letting the beast run.

Trash can lid sized swirls, then we see a the tail. Wide as your hands side by side. The fish is found hooked in the stomach coming in backward.
Not good.
After 10 minutes, the hook pulls.
Hunter stood there shaking his hands, said his arms were burning - NICE!
Except for the lost fish part......

6:30am the next day, peace. It will be a long day of baiting hooks and trying to land fish without much of a net.
LET"S HOPE!

Good Gosh Man! He has to make sure they are there!

It was a 10 pound carp. The 12" catfish are active, no buffalo yet. Enjoying coffee, quiet, for an hour.
Thomas comes down for a photo opportunity.

Pretty slow, until somebody yells "it's time for breakfast."

Hunter's life is interrupted by a standard carp - it was quite spirited and would have caused many an adult to panic.

Took half the spool!

He learned alot from last night's beast.

Just like most fishermen, eating is, well....fuel. 15 minutes we are back at it. Thomas's rod decides to get bent and all 9 years of him go to war! Lots of power, tried to wrap the dock poles, small net antics.

PIG - 30+ pounds on 10 pound line.

Meanwhile, Nick is lurking patiently, rod in hand, he realizes his buff from yesterday was ONLY 25 pounds or so. I hooked that fish, he was determined to catch one on his own. Then BANG - half an hour the fish wrapped around stress inducing dock parts, stayed just out of hands reach for a while, then small landing net - definitely worth it. I measured - roughly - 34" long. Another 30+ pound whopper.

EPIC!

So, consider this - we are fishing in a small lake and caught 4 fish combining for a total of 120 pounds+....we didn't include the small catfish and 5 lb carp we caught along the way.
By catch -
For some reason, just like all fishing, it changes constantly. The buffalo moved through and carp took over. Fish up to 10 pounds, the boys had fun - by catch.

Just to let you know, buffalo have really big scales. Here is one for comparative analysis.

Should you find yourself going to the lake this summer, kids in tow. Here are a couple of posts revealing the tricks.
http://smallboywithlaughlines.blogspot.com/2011/04/carp-are-kids-best-friend_17.html
http://smallboywithlaughlines.blogspot.com/2011/02/big-fish-relative-ease.html
If you have questions.
Please feel free to e-mail me. I really enjoy bringing people into this fascinating fishing opportunity available on any stable body of water - anywhere..
Teach kids to participate in the ecosystem as an Apex Predator. Release all you can, eat what you need, enjoy the opportunities God puts in front of you.
Even if the fish pull drag and take 10-20 minutes out of your day.........

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Fish - Struggle - Seasons - Begin

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:58:00 +0000

"The struggle is what we enjoy, not the arrival"

PASCAL

Sand, grit, sweat, heat, uncertainty, failure is always an option.

Peering at reports, upper level winds, low data, high rewards.

"Man you should have been here yesterday"

"The fish are stale"

"They're eating super spooks"

Guns, pigs, accuracy, recoil, and bulls will diminish.

Saltwater is roaring through my veins

"The seasons change" and so we change.

July it begins, the struggle - two out of town trips, and some fireworks.

Ready to arrive with a fishing rod.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Hot - Wet - Smooth

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 22:51:00 +0000

Lake Travis at 7 am on Sunday, right down the middle passing U Flot'em!

Old Guys Rule!!!

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Dilbert Von Schlupp - Vaccum Killer

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 11:12:00 +0000

.22 Henry - Card Cutting - Cool Toys

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Mon, 30 May 2011 18:13:00 +0000

Typically Memorial Day is spent at the coast bathing a pent up saltwater addiction with sun and sand. Fore casted 30 mph winds and overbearing grass in the surf re-directed us to the ranch. Caleb turned 13 this month. So we turned this opportunity a day of dad / son time before 5 of his buddies came along to celebrate his birthday and hunt hogs (come back for later posts for that).

Despite the blowhard forecast - Thursday afternoon was a 95 degree pressure cooker in deep south Texas. No wind to speak of.

A particular habit the boy and I developed comes from my youth. Hours and hours farting around with an old friend - Lance Fox. As long as I can remember, if we read about it in a book or saw it on TV, we'd try it. Hand tossed dimes, quarters, marbles, with BB guns and .22's we did it. 50 - 75 yard shots with multi-pump pellet guns, crappy scopes and some serious hold off - you bet! Flying stuff with bow and arrows - no problem. There are saltwater issues. Kingfish, offshore, on medium action bass fishing gear and 12 pound line. Done! We never could stop blackfin tuna on 8 lb line though. Tons of stuff people say can't be done - can....you just gotta try it.

Caleb is a talented shot and kids think everything is possible. Passing on the "can do" philosophy is easy. Incoming clays with a pellet gun and .22 - he's done it. Hell on wheels with a shotgun, blowgun, and very solid at 25 yards shooting 9mm brass with my RWS. 500 yards with a .223 or 30.06, trust me, you don't want to be on the receiving end! So we're always pushing the limits because paper punching is boring. So we decided to cut a playing card in half with a .22 since we'd seen some guy do it on TV. A sawhorse, handy grooves - nice!

Your target awaits.

20 yards away - the cards view. Do notice he is not pointing at me....just for artistic effect.

Well, it took 4 shots.

First of all, you gun guys and gals will notice the rifle. It is a full sized Henry lever action .22 with a Truglo red dot sight on top. This rifle is super accurate, including a silky smooth action - solid as a vault. They ain't cheap, but nothing good is cheap, so don't skimp on your kids. This gun will be around when I am laying under the daisy roots.

Now it's time for the old man - 5 shots. Maybe we need to back it up! Gotta tell you, it is very satisfying to hit something that small.

My more fastidious readers will notice all the scratches. Well, yeah, uh, it slid off the roof of the ranch house and fell to the ground last November. It was a much safer situation than it sounds - while sounding completely stupid. Thus I am justifying the actions of a mismanaged situation.....on the upside we proved durability at a level you won't see on a comment or message board anywhere else!

Dad and son, easy times, relaxing a bit and pushing the limits of marksmanship. It is a great way to become a superb shot. If you can hit the edge of a card, everything else is easier.

Take a kid outdoors, teach them to participate in the ecosystem because apex predators rock.

Especially when they have cool toys.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Youth Fishing - Baseball - Deer - A First

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Wed, 25 May 2011 11:50:00 +0000

Holr Smokes - Baseball, really?

Please hang in there - fish, random critter puncturing, and hopefully a bit of wisdom occur later in the story

Working with youth in any capacity is natural for your correspondent. Today he will cross pollinate outdoor blogvangelism with baseball. The spring 2011 10U Orioles came roaring out of the losers bracket to the championship; losing to the #1 seeded White Sox. It was hard to end like that but, just like I told them: "If you're gonna play, play the best team out there!"

Connor Hathaway is one of our most determined players. Always attentive, a fast learner, thinking kind of young man - you love coaching kids like that. Here he comes sliding under the tag at home just like he was taught!

Connor's dad discovers this baseball coach dude has an outdoor addiction. Chit chats ensue: guns, ammo, set ups, adjustments for youth, fishing and alot of baseball but that is self-evident from the beginning. Mr. Hathaway is kind enough to peruse my blog at times. He recently sent some pictures of a fishing trip. Boys and men lean many things from chunking around in a stock tank.

A trusty Zebco, warm sun, life as you know it should be. Time passes, it's just a "ho hum" kind of day.

The fish start cooperating.

Those little buggers keep you busy, Connor is after bigger critters.

His patience is rewarded.

Moving further back in time, during our discussions this season, a.k.a telling hunting stories, I find out Connor took his first deer this year. 80 yards with a .243. Attentive, fast learner, thinking kind of young man..........works in the deer blind as well.

We're making this a double day dream kind of thing. Cool crisp weather, gun oil, freshly fired gunpowder, the great outdoors. You can't find that on Xbox. Connor is turning out to be quite an outdoorsman. Way to go dad!

5 boys are at the ranch for a porcine puncturing mayhem weekend. Updates in the near future will include fun.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Mr. Hathaway found this thing on his hitch haul. If you can identify it, send me an e-mail.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Youth Fishing - Baseball - Deer - A First

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Wed, 25 May 2011 11:43:00 +0000

Holr Smokes - Baseball, really?

Please hang in there - fish, random critter puncturing, and hopefully a bit of wisdom occur later in the story

A trusty Zebco, warm sun, life as you know it should be. Time passes, it's just a "ho hum" kind of day.

The fish start cooperating.

Those little buggers keep you busy, Connor is after bigger critters.

His patience is rewarded.

5 boys are at the ranch for a porcine puncturing mayhem weekend. Updates in the near future will include fun.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Mr. Hathaway found this thing on his hitch haul. If you can identify it, send me an e-mail.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Youth Rifle .223 - Get Close - Recipe - Success

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Tue, 17 May 2011 11:17:00 +0000

If you have perused this blog a bit ......

You might agree with me on the heavy gun thing. You might agree light recoil helps accuracy. If you have not perused my blog, please check out some of my earlier posts and note I have a recipe for all this:

1. Heavy gun, check,

2. Light recoil, check,

3. Bipod, check,

4. Light caliber - preferably a .223

4. The final ingredient is the most important - “If you think you are close enough, get much closer.”

Here in Texas with deer blinds and bait, you have the perfect situation for accurate shot placement under hunting stress. 100 yards is pretty easy at the rifle range, on a bench, with a sandbag. But hair and horns result in central nervous system overload. So, cut it in half in the field. Yup; 2 X 25, the mid-field stripe, 50 yards – maybe less! Rig the deal my good man!

55 grain soft points pushing 3,000 fps create a delightful "POP" on impact. They are quite convincing. My son's first hog, right at 200 pounds, was not ballistically astute, had not considered a 55 grain bullet as too small. He responded by sticking his feet up in the air.

3 months later we picked up his skull. Notice the baseball sized chunk missing just left of his artistically applied eye. There are no chew marks, so this is not the result of an over zealous coyote wielding a Sawzall.

Our .223 has another nuance. We call it, "The 1st gun" meaning: If this is the first time you are hunting with us, we give you our Handi Rifle Ultra Varmint .223, the same one seen above. WHEN you are successful, your name is permanently engraved on the stock. Tipping the scales just under 10 pounds but she's "muscular" - but not "fat". Recoil is almost non-existent contributing to a healthy blog roll. This picture is dated. Three more names are on there now and we have a hunt coming up in the next couple weeks.

A little bullet in the right place beats a big bullet pulled due to pucker factor - every time. (I highly recommend the H@R Handi Rifle Ultra Varmint! It is offered in larger calibers's) - whatever gun you choose, take my recipe, liberally apply rule #4 - your success rate will skyrocket.

Hunting and fishing is the ultimate "green" experience. Teach every kid you can find how to participate in the ecosystem. Lord knows they get enough tree hugging propaganda out there.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Beer Belly Archer 2006

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Sat, 14 May 2011 20:20:00 +0000

This is self explanatory. Take a peek at the early development in traditional archery. Punch through and see a threee year old give 'em heck!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hjDWrblKJY

Skattergun Games - Fall - Laugh Lines

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Tue, 10 May 2011 13:33:00 +0000

Another shot a 12 gauge Winchester 101 with 30" barrels choked full over full; an exceptional trap shooter, he was particularly hard on ducks and those high flying white wings. One thing they all had in common, shotguns were for fall field work: doves quail, ducks. Man I can still feel the apprehension in those early mornings, cold ears, coffee, laughter, cigarette smoke, a day full of surprises. It never seemed like they would start the truck.

Spend some time with your shotgun and teach a kid the great games offered.

12 year old Caleb Fowler station 4 - at Best of the West in Liberty Hill.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is awesome

Skattergun love

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Tue, 10 May 2011 11:29:00 +0000

My dear reader a shotgun is a fine instrument. I have had the great fortune to receive instruction from previous Army Skeet Team members and mentors with God given talent. Result - “scattergun love”. One of them used an over and under .410 for every shotgun game out there. I never saw him take more than a couple boxes of shells into the dove field. He didn't have to. Another shot a 12 gauge Winchester 101 with 30" barrels choked full over full, an exceptional trap shooter, he was particularly hard on ducks and those high flying white wings. The one thing they all had in common, shotguns were for fall field work doves through ducks, that was the real game. Man I can still feel the apprehension in those early mornings, coffee, laughter, cigarette smoke, a day full of surprises. It never seemed like they would start the truck.

Spend some time with your shotgun… which is a good thing for boys and especially rewarding for some of us who have a few laugh lines.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Youth Hunting – Feral Hog – Shot Placement – Cheek Grenades

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Thu, 05 May 2011 12:08:00 +0000

I realize Traditional Bowhunter printed a very similar article this week. Hey, I am on a roll and decided to round it out for rifle wielding folks, here’s a tip for youth hunters that just might work for us old guys too!:

Reality TV has taken hate to a new level. Poor hogs, I guess it’s okay to hate some things. That is too bad! This outdoor correspondent gets the giggles every time he can pursue them. Think about this. Our pork friends are available year around, they have no curfew, no season, and remain high in number; what could be better? Significant behavioral problems – that’s what!

Anthromorphically, imagine a psychotherapist describing feral hog behavior as such: “The subject is easily pre-occupied while showing no regard for other species in its daily activities. Intensely self absorbed and moderately aggressive while seeking the presence of its own kind. The hog is a peculiar case. Of note, when confronted with a food source the subject exhibits A.D.H.D behavior. Given this erratic combination of behavioral opportunities; the subject in not recommended for a traditional classroom setting.”

Moving on -

Kids are literal. An interesting thing happens when you describe a head shot as follows: “It’s easy kid. Just shoot them in the head.” Or what I used to say is more descriptive but apparently still confusing, “wait till they are broadside and shoot them right under the ear.” The kid doesn’t really know which part of the head or “exactly how far below the ear?” Coach them this way and you’ll get the Labrador retriever head tilt and the kid just goes along. So, make it more concrete. Tell them, “take a broadside shot. Shoot them in the cheek.” (Noted: if you coach kids to shoot a pig in the cheek, they will wait for a broadside shot because the cheek is on the side of the pig; handy. Man I wish I was smart enough to have figured this out before making all those other mistakes!)

Now on to rifle skills before we wrap this up:

The typical new hunter (including adults) will lift their head at trigger pull looking over the scope for a neatly dispatched critter. End result is high bullet impact or a pulled shot. On the pig’s end of the deal, a squeal and missing parts followed by bulldozing into brush a fast moving rabbit would avoid. They say mean things about your family too. If you like adrenaline, it’s a hoot. Try it at night with that dim flashlight we all own. You know the one.

Or shoot the cheek. Here’s a picture I pulled off of biggamehunt.net. A contributor named gknutson used this diagram to describe shot placement for archery. I borrowed it with permission, then added the red lines to show the cheek shot I am recommending.

Photo located at: www.biggamehunt.net/tips/hit-mark-feral-hogs

What you have is a shot delivered to a large, lethal, area. It is all bone. Bone is good! I know this is graphic but I am literal, just like the kids. Bone turns into a grenade when your bullet arrives on target. Anatomically, all the major arteries and spinal nerves funnel together here. Sheer impact breaks the neck. It is very humane. Shots pulled high, previously discussed, result in direct brain impact and bone grenade scenario.

End result – dirt nap.

A .223 along with a kid is a great combination. 55 grain soft point, loud whop, you got pork. Low recoil helps young hunters (and old guys) place that little pill in the bone/grenade area. If you think it takes a .300 Weatherby Magnum to get this done. Go for it. That will work too. But please do not give your .300 to a kid!!!!

Go get yourself some hog hunting action.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

TBM Tip of the Week - Go Low for Pork

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Wed, 04 May 2011 12:49:00 +0000

Traditional Bowhunter accepted one of my favorite tips for all bowhunters. This particular shot placement concept will help you acquire Jackrabbits, Mastadon's and everything in between . (Man I wish they'd open up Mastadon season again!)

TBM Tip Of The Week - Go Low For Pork Sent Wednesday, May 4, 2011 View as plaintext

TIP OF THE WEEK

View this newsletter online

Go Low For Pork

By Troy Fowler

These days it is avant-garde to be a hog hater. TV shows, hunting message boards, tweets, blogs, you name it, tell us to "Kill 'em all." I don't agree. I am fond of the darn things. There are lots of hogs in my area and they can be hunted year around, and around the clock. In the spring they are bold and easy to stalk, and I really like chasing them with my longbow. I hope they never leave our ranch! That makes me a swine-loving contrarian...true, so true.

This tip is about arrow placement on feral hogs. It's very simple--use a sharp broadhead and shoot the lower third area, as shown in photo. (Just between you and me, start shooting deer in the same place. It is very effective.) I found this great hog picture on a blog by Gknutson. I learned the grid concept from Cross Trail Outfitters chief, Mike Arnold, and I added the groovy red lines and dot showing the point of impact.

So, my advice is to go low for pork. If the pig is quartering away, shoot the same area. Ideally the arrow will exit between the front legs. If you are shooting from an elevated position, shoot low but expect the arrow to stay in the pig. With their really short legs the broadhead hits the ground before the arrow can get all the way through the pig.

After the shot, listen very carefully. I often hear a heavy gurgle and/or growling sound. That's your pig.

Troy Fowler writes about real, field tested, youth hunting and fishing solutions in his blog, Small Boy With Laugh Lines.

Comments on Traditional Bowhunting Mentors

Bill K. writes: Boy, did Mr. Cervantes story make a lot of you go back, as I did, on how and what we did when we started bowhunting? It has been a great road to travel and learn, just as Cervantes did. Many times we were flying by the seat of our pants and didn't really know what we were doing, but we learned or were lead by someone, as he was. Keep those types of stories coming.

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Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Adultery Bull - Hypothesis - Brain Sucking Porch

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 23:09:00 +0000

Biblically speaking, adultery is a Feaux Pas.

Often you will find me (if your were there, but you aren't there) sitting on the brain sucking porch. If you were there it would appear I am wasting time. But alas, I am not. It takes effort to develop some hypothesis'. What you see (but you can't see) is I am testing a theory:
"A quiet ecosystem and no schedule sucks negative data directly out of your brain. This brain sucking activity (unlike Zombies or extra terrestrial brain sucking) improves overall health."

Initial testing shows each byte of negative data exits the body via a small space around each hair follicle. Results increase with a relaxed scalp. Significant peacefulness leads to a relaxed the scalp, enlarging each tiny little space, improving results. This mid-day I am deep in scientific discovery.

But first let's cover sin.

Every spring 3 to 5 Brahma Bulls are allocated to shameless adultery. This is not an offense to Christianity, bulls are not mentioned. 200+ cows, subjected to an 8 week service objective, without their input. The bulls can call this work.....but they better not complain much. From what I hear, the estrogen crowd nags alot; throwing accusations of disloyalty around to include a few double dating sideswipes and foul language. Apparently, this young fella has discovered the brain sucking porch.

He and I.

I and he.

Peaceful, follicular, oozing little bubbles of stress.

Then the moo'oing starts.

Random cheap shots - "You chunk of excrement!!!"

Then very clearly, "Shove that thing in your backside, excrement orifice!!!!"

His reply is an exhausted, silent, glance.

"You ladies just don't appreciate a reliable guy committed to all this hard work!"

The cheap shot game becomes the ignore and mumble game which we cannot hear.

He and I.

I and he.

Inner peace, puffy clouds, and silence.

That is all for now.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME

Rifle Rest - Aimelss - Purpose - Pointless?

noreply@blogger.com (SmallBoywithLaughLines) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:36:00 +0000

John Wayne can still swing two .44 caliber lever actions in circles, on horseback. He is preserved on film.....many a bad guy falls to his shooting. I have explored un-aided off hand shooting, the basic kind with feet set on Mother Earth. My Choreographer is not as skilled as Mr. Wayne's.

Alas, resting my rifles helps my score and one handed riflery is no longer sought for my bag of "man" tricks.

Kids focus on results. Trust me, you want results because kids need Midol when they miss. Especially if the rifle is bouncing around with a case DT's before the shot. In a typical blind or "hide" set up I suggest sand bags or your back pack. Bed that gun down solid like you are cheating - Mr. Murphy has enough options you cannot control.

On our ranch in Texas, we participate in the aimless wander. Before I continue, let me just say many people fail to address the wander correctly. Wandering has subtle nuances. There is the pointless wander - meaning you don't really care where you end up. The meaningful wander - you are going to do something, somewhere but final destination many change. Then there is the purposeful wander - you are going somewhere ending in a measurable result. This one is known as chores.

The aimless wander has no destination, no clearly defined goals, but may become pointless if nothing happens or purposeful wander should a snake or crawdad is available. At least that is the best way to wander. Pigs and seasonal animals of pursuit are included in the "option" list while still retaining aimless status.

Aimlessly messing around with a water moccasin, in a place you weren't planning to end up, the distraction allows a sounder of feral hogs (the pinnacle of aimless wanderers) within 150 yards of your snake. Your son's rifle upgrades you to a purposeful wander. The 10 pound rifle offering minimal recoil is available (because you are smart and maybe I influenced you a bit) but you have no rifle rest. Damn rules - forgot to tell you, a rifle rest is a purposeful part of being aimless but not pointless.

Shooting sticks are a nice option, I made these after a norther turned my Double Bull blind into a sail. Added a bit of duct tape, perfection. We have wandered up on all kinds of critters and whacked them with these.

Should you have no extra fiberglass poles around, go to Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops and look for a Bi-Pod. The unipods are okay, marketing literature is full color, tidy, and convincing. I don't think the marketing team actually uses them - total crap. Tripods are better than bipods. The one below is a camera tripod. I cut a piece of 3" PVC in half, and modified it to mount just like a camera. (I'll post details of the assembly later on) It stays in the back of the truck for purposeful wanders begun aimlessly and brush blind hunting. Notice how the gun just sits there, kid stands behind and it requires very little work. It swivels as far as you can go. This Model 700 ADL 30.06 is content.

Pointlessly aimless and all that has passed, it is time to wrap up. What I have noticed using a bi-pod or tripod most people use the barrel as point of contact. I had one of our cousins Caleb demonstrate stupid for us. He was just following my advice......so, uh....? This is the stupid way to do it - it causes misses. Very simple - physics. The gun is heavy in comparison to said youth hunter. Said youth hunter tends to look up and drop the rifle at trigger pull - shot goes high because all the weight is behind the "rest". (Adults do the same thing but just forget that because it isn't you - just other guys).

Rest the rifle on the balance point which is usually about the middle of the scope and you'll get accuracy! If the gun leans a little barrel heavy - fine.

This is the way to do it.

The rifle is balanced and yes, the kid (or adult) may look up and all that. We addressed Mr. Murphy earlier,

When you are playing "Bwana Gun Bearer". Stand to the side, hang on to the bipod and cover your gun side ear. I know it looks like yoga.

This yoga move retains proper hearing and a secondary benefit. You will often hear the bullet hit the animal with your off side ear. It is a delightful "POP"ing sound. Not covering your ear gives you a reason to avoid conversations at home....for a few days.

In closing, remember to purposefully take the essentials for being aimless. Rest the rifle in the middle and get close. You will get results.

Small Boy with Laugh Lines

A.D.D. is AWESOME