The Life and Times of Madoktor.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 22:42:00 +0000

Well, it's bow season and I'm ready. I won't be out tomorrow for opening weekend because I have a fun family range day planned, but I will be out next week in the mornings when I get off of work.

I'm looking forward to a great hunting season this year as Pam will be hunting with me. It's great when you can get the family together for a day in the woods.

I hope to have a great season and hope all of y'all do too. Later y'all.

Open Carry Kid's Book A Sensation - WZTV FOX 17

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 18:25:00 +0000

Open Carry Kid's Book A Sensation - WZTV FOX 17:

Open Carry Kid's Book A Sensation (CNN) -- A children's book about gun rights has benefited from an unexpected boost in sales after it became the subject of a mocking segment on "Real Time with Bill Maher" last week. "My Parents Open Carry" is the story of a typical Saturday for 13-year-old Brenna Strong, running errands with her parents while they carry handguns in plain sight, or "open carry." "If you open carry and have a difficult time explaining why to your family and friends, or if you want to learn about the open carry of a handgun, or if you've wondered if open carry is right for you, then this book is what you need," is how the book's website sums up the plot. Published by White Feather Press, the book was made available in 2012 on limited release and picked up by Amazon in February of this year. SEE ALSO: East Nashville Man Shows Dislike for New Home Construction with Cans Its appearance on "Real Time" on August 1 increased sales dramatically, with orders pouring in, according to White Feather Press founder Skip Coryell. "Sales were weak for the first few years," Coryell said. "But after it was trashed on the show, sales have gone up." "It happened overnight," he said. "Took me by surprise as a publisher." The book was featured on the "New Rules" portion of Maher's show, during which Maher commented on the book's cover illustration, asking "if mom and dad are both safe because they're packing, why are they using their daughter as a human shield?" Open carry has been a hot topic of conversation with several state legislatures debating its merits. Georgia recently passed legislation that allows gun owners to openly bear firearms in public places, such as bars, schools and churches. On Amazon, "My Parents Open Carry" has a total of 115 reviews. All but 11 of them are one-star or five-stars, and many of the reviews have been posted in days following the show. Most of the reviewers admit to not having read the book. Some say they have, though, such as "Ken," who posted a five-star review on August 5: "I did purchase the book and found it to be very helpful to my daughter. She was able to easily relate to the characters and apply their situation to our family. I would recommend this book to anyone that carries a firearm with kids ages 5-10." The authors, Brian Jeffs and Nathan Nephew, are founders of the nonprofit group Michigan Open Carry, Inc. When they started the group in 2009, Jeffs said that it wasn't widely known what open carry was, or that it was legal in the state. "Our organization provided educational materials and seminars on the legality of open carry," Jeffs said. "We answered many of the same questions over and over as well as debunked the myths surrounding the practice." Jeffs decided that they should write a book answering the most common questions they got about open carry. "Since so many books were for adults, I thought a nice change would be a kid's book." As expected, the reactions to the book have been mixed, and Jeffs said he's gotten death threat e-mails from anti-gun critics. Despite the threats, the authors already have plans to write a sequel to the book, and Nephew is working on an outline. According to the book's website, the illustrator, Lorna Bergman, is also from Michigan, and enjoys deer hunting and shooting. "While we strongly support providing children with information that will protect them from gun violence, this book crosses the line from information into the realm of indoctrination," a representative from Parents Against Gun Violence told CNN in an e-mail. "We welcome material that makes children safer from gun violence, but this book is not it." Would you buy "My Parents Open Carry" for your children? Share your take in the comments section below.

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This sign in your front yard will do more for your home security than anything else |

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 18:20:00 +0000

This sign in your front yard will do more for your home security than anything else |:

This reminds me of the video that James O’Keefe made of him and his colleagues posing as an anti-gun group. They asked people to put “Gun Free” signs in their front yard. Even the most hardcore gun control supporters refused to do so. Why? Because deep down everybody knows that criminals want easy targets, and responsible citizens carrying guns are a criminal’s worst nightmare.

Thomas Sowell has some wise words on gun control:

The dirty little secret is that gun-control laws do not actually control guns. They disarm law-abiding citizens, making them more vulnerable to criminals, who remain armed in disregard of such laws. In England, armed crimes skyrocketed as legal gun ownership almost vanished under increasingly severe gun-control laws in the late 20th century. (See the book Guns and Violence by Joyce Lee Malcolm.) But gun control has become one of those fact-free crusades, based on assumptions, emotions, and rhetoric.

What almost no one talks about is that guns are used to defend lives as well as to take lives. In fact, many of the horrific killings that we see in the media were brought to an end when someone else with a gun showed up and put a stop to the slaughter. The Cato Institute estimates that there are upwards of 100,000 defensive uses of guns per year. Preventing law-abiding citizens from defending themselves can cost far more lives than are lost in the shooting episodes that the media publicize. The lives saved by guns are no less precious just because the media pay no attention to them.

Many people who have never fired a gun in their lives and never faced life-threatening dangers nevertheless feel qualified to impose legal restrictions that can be fatal to others. And politicians eager to “do something” that gets them publicity know that the votes of the ignorant and the gullible are still votes.

NRA-ILA | Beretta Leaves Maryland Finds Welcome Reception in Tennessee

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 18:04:00 +0000

NRA-ILA | Beretta Leaves Maryland Finds Welcome Reception in Tennessee

The large-scale exodus of gun manufacturers from states inhospitable to the Second Amendment continued this week, with Beretta USA announcing that it would be moving its Maryland operation to Gallatin, Tennessee. In doing so, Beretta joins firearms and firearm parts manufacturers such as Remington, Kahr Arms, PTR Industries, Sturm, Ruger & Company, and Magpul Industries, all of which have either quit states hostile to gun owners, or chosen to expand their operations in more friendly locales. Beretta's move is poised to cost the so-called "Free State" millions in investment and 160 jobs.

In early 2013, as a raft of anti-gun legislation was making its way through the Maryland General Assembly, Beretta warned that it might relocate if these restrictions were enacted. At the time, Beretta's general counsel, Jeffrey Reh, was quoted in the Washington Post as stating, "Why expand in a place where the people who built the gun couldn't buy it?" Further, in discussing with the Post a 2013 visit to the Maryland facility by the firm's patriarch, Ugo Gussalli Beretta, Reh told the paper, "All I can tell you is, Mr. Beretta said, 'There always seems to be a problem with Maryland.'"

Around the same time, State Delegate Anthony J. O'Donnell lamented to Fox News, "We are pushing a legitimate manufacturer and good neighbor out of Maryland... Losing them would be a big disappointment. Maryland has a reputation for having a horrible business climate, and this would be one more nail in the coffin."

On May 15, 2013, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley (D) chose to ignore Beretta's warnings and signed S.B. 281 into law, with the measure taking effect October 1, 2013. The law bans several types of semi-automatic firearms and magazines with a capacity greater than 10 rounds, and put in place burdensome and redundant licensing requirements for all handgun purchasers.

In a statement released Tuesday, General Manager for Beretta USA, Jeff Cooper, made clear the company's reasons for leaving Maryland:

During the legislative session in Maryland that resulted in passage of the Firearm Safety Act of 2013, the version of the statute that passed the Maryland Senate would have prohibited Beretta U.S.A. from being able to manufacture, store or even import into the State products that we sell to customers throughout the United States and around the world. While we were able in the Maryland House of Delegates to reverse some of those obstructive provisions, the possibility that such restrictions might be reinstated in the future leaves us very worried about the wisdom of maintaining a firearm manufacturing factory in the State…

While we had originally planned to use the Tennessee facility for new equipment and for production of new product lines only, we have decided that it is more prudent from the point of view of our future welfare to move the Maryland production lines in their entirety to the new Tennessee facility.

Reaction to the news was swift. Maryland Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Larry Hogan released a statement blaming O'Malley for the move, noting, "I am saddened to learn that the hard working women and men I met at Beretta's factory in Accokeek in May will now lose their jobs as a direct result of the O'Malley-Brown administration's high taxes and punitive regulations." Delegate Nicholaus R. Kipke also criticized the O'Malley administration, tellingBaltimore's CBS affiliate, "Governor O'Malley and Lieutenant Governor Brown are responsible for these jobs leaving our state." In discussing Maryland's recent gun control law, Kipke added, "It's still a major problem. This bill did nothing to address it, and as a consequence, we've lost a major employer here in our state." Additionally, Delegate Michael J. Hough told the Baltimore Sun of the gun maker's decision, "I'm not surprised. If you combine our anti-gun laws with our high taxes, Beretta is just one of many businesses that have fled the state."

Gun owners can draw encouragement from the fact that so many corporate citizens in the gun industry are willing to vote with their feet when state legislatures pass laws targeting their products and lawful customers. Beretta is not alone among Maryland residents, moreover, in its desire to seek greener pastures. In a recent Gallup Poll, 47% of Maryland residents said that, given the opportunity, they would like to move to another state. This was the third highest percentage in the nation. (While the poll did not asked respondents to specify the reasons for their choices, other states that are hostile to the right to keep and bear arms and are losing businesses and jobs as a result fared poorly in the survey as well.)

Gun control adherents base their ideology largely on magical or wishful thinking. They believe that restrictions aimed and enforced squarely against peaceful, law-abiding citizens will somehow cause hardened or deranged criminals – the chief perpetrators of firearm violence – to disarm or abandon brutality. Yet the more predictable effect of these laws is to give the non-compliant criminals an advantage over their compliant victims. Increasingly, the laws are also giving other states business opportunities and economic advantages as well.

Whether any of these realities will eventually sway the persistent anti-gun ideologies that permeate certain parts of the country remain to be seen. If not, pro-gun residents and businesses of those regions will undoubtedly take Gov. Martin O'Malley's reaction to the Beretta news to heart. O'Malley dismissively noted that "it's a free country." He's certainly right that residents are free to express their preferences by where they choose to reside and do business.

Grandmothers get robbed, start gun group

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 18:01:00 +0000

AURORA – Grandmothers Konnie Couch and Robin Willoughby, 52 and 57, from Aurora in Dearborn County sit next to each other in matching pink shirts and chat about their businesses, grandchildren, illnesses. And their guns.

Both women have concealed carry licenses and carry their handguns with them at all times. And they know how to use them.

Couch and Willoughby are the founders of a new local group, Women Armed and Ready, or WAR. After both women were robbed around 2011, they decided they were tired of being victims and didn't want to see others go through what they did. After two years of development, they held their first meeting May 6.

"The thing of it is, bad things happen to good people all the time, and, if something bad is going to happen, it's gonna happen without warning," Couch said. "It's gonna be very quick, and you've gotta be prepared for it."

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Members of the 'Women Armed and Ready' gun club take target practice at the Laughery Valley Fish and Game Shooting Range in Versailles. The new club was started by Konnie Couch and Robin Willoughby in May. Giving instruction are Dale Reatherford, owner of Whitewater Valley Firearms Training and part-time Springdale police officer, left, and Brandon Vornauf, one of the firearms trainers. Barb Maness, 75, second from left, uses a Ruger LCP .380. She has her Indiana concealed-carry license and is getting her Florida concealed-carry license to allow her to carry in additional states. She said she wanted to learn to shoot for safety reasons after her husband passed away three years ago. She lives in rural Indiana. She said, "I've been shooting for about two years. I'm surprised at how accurate I am." (Photo: The Enquirer/ Liz Dufour)Buy Photo

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Gun ownership among women is on the rise. A 2013 Gallup poll revealed that 15 percent of gun owners are women, up from 13 percent in 2005. Indiana alone has issued 123,536 firearms licenses to women in the first quarter of 2014. (Ohio and Kentucky don't break down concealed carry permits by gender.) There are numerous female gun groups nationally, including Armed Females of America, Women & Gunsand the Well Armed Woman.

Cincinnati is home to two chapters of the Well Armed Woman, one in Newtown andone in Fairfield. There is also a local group based in Cincinnati called Shooting Sirens, which was founded in 2011 by Erin Cooper. The group is still establishing itself at a range and finding a regular meeting time.

Confident can be careless: 'I want you to be competent'

"(Our main objective is) to get women trained and where, if they have to ... they would be able to react and save themselves. Or at least make a very valiant attempt to save themselves," Couch said.

The three main goals of the group: education, training and competence.

"I don't want you to be confident in what you do," Couch tells members of WAR during a meeting July 8. "When you're confident, you're careless. I want you to be competent."

There are 35 registered members of WAR, though Willoughby said "we've never had less than 40 at a meeting," with an age range of 50 to 81.

All members have their concealed carry licenses.

The women get their licenses online from the state of Florida, since Florida licenses are accepted in 34 states, including Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. Indiana licenses are not accepted in Ohio.

The group meets twice a month and tries to divide its time between speaker-led classes at Big Daddy's BBQ – owned by Willoughby – and practice time at the Laughery Valley Fish and Game shooting range in Versailles, Indiana.

Dale Reatherford, 62, is a Springdale police officer who frequently attends WAR meetings. He has taught concealed carry classes for the past five years and often leads both class and range time for WAR.

"We want to make sure (the members) know all the laws. ... Knowledge and skill (are) what's going to keep you out of trouble. So we're going to make sure they understand all the laws and then the basic safe handling of a handgun," Reatherford said.

The women primarily focus on stationary shooting when they are out on the range, but they hope soon to start to work on tactical shooting. Stationary shooting involves firing at a target that isn't moving, while tactical shooting involves moving targets and simulates real-life scenarios.

"Just because you carry a gun doesn't make you Annie Oakley," Couch said. "If you draw that firearm, there is a chance you are going to kill somebody."

In an effort to be well rounded, Couch and Willoughby have tried to bring in a wide array of speakers, including Michael Krienhop, Dearborn County sheriff; Aaron Negangard, prosecutor for Dearborn and Ohio counties; state Rep. Jud McMillin, a Brookville Republican; and a representative from the NRA.

The women of WAR joined the group for several reasons. Some are just looking for protection.

Barb Maness has been widowed for three years and lives in a secluded area. "My gun is the answer to anybody who thinks I'm an old lady living alone," she said.

Others are there because they want to stop being victims. Connie, who declined to give her last name, said she joined to overcome her fear of guns. She said her ex-husband would put a gun to her head as a form of manipulation, and she was done being afraid. Other women told similar stories of abuse.

Police chief says of WAR: 'I think it's a good thing.'

The Aurora Police Department fully supports what these women are trying to accomplish.

"I think it's a good thing," said Chief Josh Daugherty. "They're meeting and actively discussing safety issues."

While Daugherty says Aurora is a safe community, violent crime in nearby metropolises, such as Cincinnati, is slightly up from previous years, according to 2013 FBI statistics.

"Any community, no matter how safe, is going to have crime," said Daugherty. "Being aware of your surroundings and discussing that isn't a bad idea."

The women of WAR have a bond that goes deeper than twice monthly meetings. Couch and Willoughby remind their members that WAR is also "a support group," and they encourage the women to call them if they need a shoulder to cry on or need some time on the range.

In an effort to further their mission to empower women to protect themselves, WAR is hosting a self-defense class at 10 a.m. Saturday open to the public.

The class will be taught by Jim Byard, a former Transportation Security Administration officer who has studied self-defense for several years and is involved with WAR. The class is geared primarily toward women who are entering the workforce or going off to college, but Byard encourages anyone who is interested to attend. His class will cover street smarts, rape and basic survival tactics.

"We don't have to be that victim. We don't have to be that statistic," Couch reminded her members.

The founder and retired director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, Toby Hoover, is wary of groups like this.

"If people are just getting together to make a group to get guns with no training or knowledge of laws, that's dangerous. (Getting guns for self-protection) just isn't working. It doesn't work anywhere." ■

For more information, visit WAR's Facebook page or contact Couch and Willoughby at womenarmedandready@gmail.com.

NRA-ILA | Friends Indeed 22 State Attorneys General Join Pro Second Amendment Brief in SAFE Act Appeal

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 17:55:00 +0000

NRA-ILA | Friends Indeed 22 State Attorneys General Join Pro Second Amendment Brief in SAFE Act Appeal:

"Amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) briefs have been filed in Nojay v. Cuomo, the appeal from the decision of Judge William Skretny last year that largely upheld New York’s Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (“SAFE”) Act. The plaintiffs challenged bans on large-capacity magazines and “assault weapons” (as redefined), the requirement that magazines contain no more than seven rounds, and new rules on ammunition sales, as unconstitutional. After Judge Skretnty denied most of these claims, the case (decided as New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, Inc. v. Cuomo) was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Attorneys General for 22 states – Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming – have filed an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs.

In contrast, the chief legal officers for only nine states (plus D.C.) – Maryland, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Oregon – have opted to support the SAFE Act through their own amicus filing. Predictably, many of these jurisdictions have gun laws that similarly restrict or ban "assault weapons" and “large capacity” magazines. The ends-driven argument in support of the SAFE Act is that the “absolutist reading of the Second Amendment advanced by the plaintiffs” threatens to “tie the hands of states in responding” to threats to public safety. Yet the plaintiffs simply assert that the outright ban of firearms commonly used for lawful purposes by law-abiding citizens burdens the fundamental right to keep and bear arms and should be subject to the highest level of court review in accordance with constitutional law.

Amicus briefs supporting the plaintiffs’ arguments have also been filed by the National Rifle Association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc., the New York State Sheriffs’ Association, the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, the Law Enforcement Action Network, and the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association, among others.

The NRA brief argues that laws like the SAFE Act, that prohibit the possession of firearms in the homes of law-abiding citizens where “Second Amendment guarantees are at their zenith,” must be subject to the highest standard of constitutional review: strict scrutiny. It adds that the “social science” evidence regarding the SAFE Act’s supposed public safety benefits, which was heavily relied on in Judge Skretny’s opinion, is clearly an insufficient foundation for the court’s conclusions when analyzed critically and carefully. For example, one expert in the case admitted that state-level restrictions on firearms and magazines did not have an impact on crime, contrary to the “links” the court drew between the evidentiary record, the SAFE Act prohibitions, and the impact on public safety.

The appellate case has yet to be heard, but among those states that have weighed in on it, the clear weight of opinion is against the constitutionality of the SAFE Act. Upon a fair and impartial hearing, that view should also prevail in the Second Circuit."

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NRA-ILA | The Show Me State Shows the Way to Safeguard Fundamental Rights

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 17:49:00 +0000

NRA-ILA | The Show Me State Shows the Way to Safeguard Fundamental Rights

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 17:47:00 +0000

concealednation.org

Posted by Brandon on 08/05/2014

I’m not quite sure how it happened, but someone was able to get a gun in Brooklyn and use it to commit a crime. This is in direct contradiction to the current laws that are on the books that make it next to impossible for anyone to carry a pistol.

Sarcasm aside, this shooting happened this past Friday in Brooklyn and police are still searching for the suspect. The person who was shot wound up in the hospital, but is expected to make a full recovery.

Cops say the incident happened just after 8 p.m. on Friday in the vicinity of Moffat Street and Wilson Avenue, as the suspect approached a 24-year-old man and shot him in the left leg and lower back.

The victim was taken to Kings County Hospital in stable condition; despite shooting him at close range, he survived his injuries. A five-year-old girl on a tricycle (not seen in the video) was unharmed.

This much is known; he’s lucky to be alive after being shot at such a close range. Luckily for the general public, criminals are usually lousy shots.

concealednation.org

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 17:44:00 +0000

concealednation.org

Posted by Maureen on 08/08/2014

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article about smaller restaurant chains welcoming gun owners into their businesses. Although many larger national chains such as Chili’s Grill and Bar, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Starbucks, and Sonic are prohibiting guns (or asking customers to leave them at home), many independent restaurants are particularly welcoming to armed patrons, whether in a concealed or open manner. Some restaurants post signs saying that guns are welcome, while others even offer discounts to customers who arrive armed.

Sharma Floyd, the owner of Shiloh Brew and Chew in Maryville, Tennessee, hung a small sign in the window of her restaurant informing customers that guns are welcome on the premises. Subsequently, a local news team reported a story on the restaurant owner’s policy, which then caused a spike in business, predominantly due to the influx of clientele who carry concealed weapons. Floyd says, “I believe in the right to bear arms, and as a small business owner, who am I to take it away?”

However naturally, not everyone is on board with this new approach. In 2013, Starbucks asked its customers not to bring guns into over 12,000 of their United States locations. Shortly after, Chili’s, Chipotle, and Sonic followed Starbucks’ request. Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America says, “Restaurants routinely protect their patrons from second-hand smoke, so it makes sense they would go out of their way to protect them from bullets as well.”

The restaurants that have invited armed customers into their place of business have reported very few problems involving firearms. Jay Laze, owner of All Around Pizza and Deli says, “Most that come in are responsible and have their guns holstered. It was good for business, and I’ve hopefully educated some folks on the Second Amendment and the right to carry.” Bryan Crosswhite, the owner of The Cajun Experience, made a point to say that he will not serve alcohol to customers who are openly carrying.

And of course owners may expect to see customers deliberately bringing excessive firearms to show off. “I had a guy show up with an AR-15,” he said. “I told him to go home.”

There have been people in the past who are directly responsible for certain statements issued by companies regarding the carrying of firearms while in their establishments. If these companies aren’t held with their backs against the wall, they would have no reason to issue these types of statements.

Concealed Carry Up 130%, Violent Crime & Murder Down 22% Since 2007. - Bearing Arms

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 17:35:00 +0000

Concealed Carry Up 130%, Violent Crime & Murder Down 22% Since 2007. - Bearing Arms:

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Just the Facts

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 17:26:00 +0000

According to the 2012 U.S. census, the population of the U.S. is 313.9 million people.
According to the most recent Bureau of Justice prison census, 3.2% or, 10,044,800 are under some form of correctional control, ie: prison, jail, parole or probation.
Of those, about 70%, or 7,031,360 are repeat offenders.
Let that sink in.
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which handles that registration, there were more than 3.1 million National Firearms Act-registered weapons in the U.S. as of March 2012. The U.S. has the best-armed civilian population in the world, with an estimated 270 million total guns. That’s an average of 89 firearms for every 100 residents. That means that a criminal has an average of an 11% chance of encountering an unarmed citizen. Not very good odds for them, I'd say.
The gun control advocates say more guns cause more crime. I'd say, based on these published, national statistics, there is no proof or basis for their claims.
These numbers are why I chose to be proactive in protecting my family and myself. Be a part of the majority and protect yourself and your loved ones. Take a class and get your permit. If you're local, call Tim Guy at Guy Personal Defense and schedule your class.
To use a quote a friend likes to use:
"The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.-Confucius"

Random Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:46:00 +0000

It's funny how what you have always looked for can be right in front of you and you don't see it at first. I think sometimes we only see things when we are meant to see them, when we are ready to see them. I believe that everything that happens in our lives is only preparing us for what we are truly meant for, the life we were meant to live. How can you know what is good and right in life if you don't know what's wrong and bad? It's kinda like having to go thorough hell to get to heaven. You have to live through the bad to recognize the good when it comes along and vice versa.

The key to all of if is refusing to accept things the way they are. Just because things seem bad doesn't mean they always will be and just because things are seem good doesn't mean they always will be. A person can change their life anytime they want to. All they have to do is be willing to do WHATEVER it takes to do it, be willing to make any sacrifice necessary to make things better. The best things in life are never easy but they are worth everything. How much effort you HAVE to put out to achieve what you want is totally dependent on the effort you are WILLING to put forth, what you are WILLING to do. The less willing you are, the harder it will be.

So grab life by the balls, decide what you want to do and where you want to be and then do whatever it takes to make it happen. The more work you are willing to put in, the easier it will be and never give up until you get there. Every step toward the future is a step away from the past.

Opening Weekend Muzzle loader-2011

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 04:02:00 +0000

Wow! What a morning. I got the truck loaded up last night and ready for this morning. It is opening weekend for the Muzzle loader season here in Tennessee and I was ready to rock.

I got up early this morning but not early enough for the time change last night. I was running behind all morning so it was not off to a good start. I got to the woods a lot later than I had planned and my daddy-in-law was there ready and waiting on me. Needless to say, I took some good ribbing for being late and taking so long to get ready to go into the woods.

I got to my tree and climbed up. I got settled in about 0730. It was cool and the wind was blowing pretty hard. The tree I was in was rocking in a nice steady rhythm and I was having trouble staying awake but I did. Lol. I started hearing a lot of shots from the dove field on the WMA I was hunting and figured it would be a slow, dead morning.

I made a few posts on Facebook about my morning and responded to several comments about my inability to close the deal in years past. All in good fun from my hunting buddies but at least I still have all my shirt tails. Lol. I texted a buddy of mine to see if he was in the woods and having any luck.

Now a little history on my buddy Sam and our texting from the field. For the last three years, during turkey season, we will text in the field and exchange strategies and just general chit chat to pass the time. Every year, while I am texting him, turkey always decide to come out in the field; always just out of range. So, with this information, you can figure out what happened this morning.

Okay, back to the story. While doing all of this, I heard a shot from the direction of my daddy-in-law and sent him a text to see if he had one down. He said no and that the shot was to my right but in front of him. I got this text while sending one to Sam, so when I got through typing and sending to Sam, I replied to my daddy-in-law. It was now about 0815.

I had just dropped my phone back into my vest pocket and caught something out of the corner of my eye to my left. I slowly looked over and down and there was this little what I thought was a spike. Now being in the middle of a good long dry spell and being on public land and caring more about meat than antlers, my decision was easy.

I eased my muzzle loader up, got him in the scope and readied for the shot. I flipped the safety off and he stepped behind a tree. I'm thinking, "Holy crap, not again", as this has happened before. It happened twice last year with not shot ever presenting itself. But I stayed on him and then it happened, he stepped out. He was about 15 yards away. I placed the cross hairs right behind his shoulder, he dropped his head to eat and I squeezed the trigger.

I waited for the smoke to clear and he was running like crazy and stumbling all over the place. He ran to the right and circled back to the left. He was about 20 yards away and made a hard cut back to the right and that was his last turn. I watched him hit the ground and flip about 10 feet and not move again.

I reloaded and kept my eye on him to see if a follow up shot would be needed. I sat there for what seemed like forever but was only about 10 mins. Then my phone vibrated and brought me back to reality. It was Lloyd asking if I had meat and I said "yep". I then said he was on his way.

When he got to my stand, we both started slowly walking to where the deer was laying, looking and ready for anything. He never moved again and when we got to him I realized it was a forked horn spike.

It may be small but it ends my dry spell and is meat in the freezer. I sent out a few text messages and took the good-natured ribbing about the size along with congrats all around. I got him field dressed and carted out to the truck. Then took him out to Lloyd's and got him processed, vacuum packed and in the freezer. We had dinner and came home.

Not a bad day in the woods but over too quick, but sometimes that's how we like it. He may not be a Booner but he eats just the same. I fried up the tenderloins and a few other bits and it was just as good as any other deer I have eaten. I enjoyed being out in the woods and I'm thankful to live in a place where I can do that and I always enjoy spending time with Lloyd, my daddy-in-law and hunting buddy.

In the end, it's always about the memories we make in the field and the people we share them with. Good luck and God Bless.

*On a footnote, while I was waiting on Lloyd to return with the cart, I had a doe bust me. What a morning it would have been to have two deer on the ground. Lol.

Tennessee’s Wild Side celebrates the outdoors. Now playing on Tennessee’s Public Television Stations.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 22:21:00 +0000

Tennessee’s Wild Side celebrates the outdoors. Now playing on Tennessee’s Public Television Stations.:

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TWRA GIS - Wildlife Management Area Index

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 22:18:00 +0000

TWRA GIS - Wildlife Management Area Index:

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Tennessee Waterfowl Hunting Regulations Guide – The Official 2010 Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Waterfowl Hunting Guide | eRegulations.com

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 22:17:00 +0000

Tennessee Waterfowl Hunting Regulations Guide – The Official 2010 Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Waterfowl Hunting Guide | eRegulations.com:

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2011 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide – The Official Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Hunting and Trapping Guide | Tennessee Hunting & Trapping Guide | eRegulations.com

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 22:14:00 +0000

2011 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide – The Official Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Hunting and Trapping Guide | Tennessee Hunting & Trapping Guide | eRegulations.com:

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Clarification Made Concerning Archery Turkey Harvest

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 22:12:00 +0000

Released on Fri, Oct 07, 2011 - 8:27 am under

Wildlife Resources

NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is making a clarification as there have been several inquiries concerning the harvest of wild turkeys in counties that have a fall turkey gun season.

Archers are allowed to harvest one turkey during the archery-only deer season in each of the counties listed that have a fall turkey gun season. (A list of counties that have a fall turkey season is located on page 40 of the 2011 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide).

The TWRA suggests all archery hunters obtain a 2011 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide. The guides are available where hunting and fishing licenses are sold and on the TWRA website, www.tnwildlife.org.

---TWRA---

Archery Opener

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 23:45:00 +0000

It's opening weekend of the archery season in Tennessee. I didn't get to go yesterday (Sat) because of other obligations. But I'm out here today and ready to rock.

Didn't see anything but turkeys this morning and busted about a dozen in the middle of the trail coming in this afternoon. I'm sitting back in the woods off the edge of a bean field and pond. It's a little warmer than expected today but should be a good spot.

I am setup facing a well used trail that leads to the field. The wind is in my face and it is a perfect setup. I have high hopes for a close encounter of the venison kind.

The wind is really blowing hard. Looks like I'll be keeping my shots close if I get one. There are a bunch of crows raising cane in the field. With all of the noise, I won't be able to hear anything coming. This front was supposed to be gone by now. Oh well, that's hunting. Lol.

The end of the day:
Well the day is over. I didn't have any luck but did see a lot more turkeys. It would be nice if they would stay where they are until the spring but it never happens that way.

I did find a few more stand locations and I'm set up pretty good for the rest of the season. I feel like this year is gonna be a good year.

I also found out I'm no longer alone during bow season anymore. I guess that since the farms around the management area have changed from pasture to soybeans this year, it is becoming a little more popular. It's still good that most people don't like to walk and it's about a mile to my stand so I shouldn't run inti too many people.

Well there's always through the week and there are plenty more weekends and the season is just getting started. So here's to a great season and plenty of meat in the freezer. Later y'all.

Archery 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:18:00 +0000

Deer season is finally here. My archery season opens this Saturday the 24th and I am ready. I have a couple new spots to hunt and might have a shot at a turkey in the process. My buddy Billy and I will be out there bright and early Saturday morning, sitting on a field edge, waiting for some magic to happen.

My season is getting started a week later than normal. I wasn't able to make my yearly pre-season draw hunt due to other obligations but that's how it goes sometimes. The weather is supposed to be good for the weekend and there is a front moving out on Thursday and another one moving in on Saturday. Temps are going to be very nice so there should be some good activity.

So here's to the beginning of what hopes to be a great season and lots of great memories to add to seasons past. Good luck to everybody else who is already in the field or getting ready to start their season. Aim small, miss small, shoot straight and may your arrow always find it's mark.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency - Feral Hog/Wild Boar

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 03:22:00 +0000

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency - Feral Hog/Wild Boar:

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Survey Shows Hunters are Getting Kids Involved

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:49:00 +0000

In recent surveys conducted on www.HunterSurvey.com, www.ShooterSurvey.com and
www.AnglerSurvey.com, responses revealed sportsman overwhelmingly take the time to introduce kids to the joys of hunting and fishing. Asked if in the past 12 months they had taken a child hunting or fishing, just over 45 percent of hunters said they had taken a son, daughter, nephew, niece or other young person hunting, while a whopping 61 percent of fishermen said they had taken a child fishing.
While the relation of the child to the angler would be assumed to most often be a son or a daughter that is the case only half of the time. The survey revealed 30 percent were nephews, nieces or another young relative; 15 percent were an unrelated child and 4 percent was as part of an outing with a Boy Scout troop, church group or other youth organization.
Where hunting was concerned, the relation of the child to the hunter was a son or a daughter 54 percent of the time. The survey revealed 29 percent were nephews, nieces or another young relative; 14 percent were an unrelated child and 4 percent were as part of an outing with a Boy Scout troop, church group or other youth organization.
“These numbers certainly boost the future of hunting, fishing and conservation as more young people are introduced to and learn the joys of these sports,” said Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, which designs and conducts the surveys at HunterSurvey.com, ShooterSurvey.com and AnglerSurvey.com. “While every child taken hunting or fishing may not continue doing so as an adult, it’s expected a good number of them will.”
To help continually improve, protect and advance this treasured way of life, all hunters and anglers are encouraged to participate in the surveys at HunterSurvey.com, ShooterSurvey.com and AnglerSurvey.com. Each month, participants who complete the survey are entered into a drawing for one of five $100 gift certificates to the sporting goods retailer of their choice.

Slaughter on the Island: Highjacking the Flag of Conservation

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:27:00 +0000

By Lacey Biles, NRA-ILA Hunting Policy Liaison
Nestled in the Pacific Ocean approximately 30 miles from the mainland of Santa Barbara sits a beautiful island where majestic Roosevelt elk and Kaibab mule deer roam free. Ferried across a treacherous channel, these grand species were brought to Santa Rosa Island some 80 years ago, but their days are officially numbered. A complete slaughter of these magnificent animals is scheduled to occur before the midnight tide rises on Dec. 31, 2011. Sharpshooters will be en route to the island soon to comply with a 1996 court settlement and 2007 legislation that reinstated the extermination order.
The 83-square-mile island was privately owned for more than a century before being sold to the National Park Service in 1986 for $30 million. Used as a cattle and sheep ranch for much of its modern history, overgrazing disrupted the balance of the island`s ecosystem. The 1996 lawsuit settlement required the removal of all cattle, sheep and feral hogs from the island, followed by a phased reduction of elk and mule deer to culminate at the end of 2011 with complete extermination.
As this is a government-mandated animal slaughter, you may ask where the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have been in the process. They have been curiously absent, giving us a clear picture of their definition of "conservation." In fact, HSUS` congressional allies, U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and U.S. Rep. Lois Capps, blocked NRA`s efforts to prevent the slaughter in 2007 by inserting a provision into the omnibus appropriations bill that reinstated the extermination order. The animal-saving law blocked by the three lawmakers would have allowed disabled veterans to hunt the majestic elk and mule deer based on biologists` harvest recommendations.
The battle over Santa Rosa Island illustrates diverging definitions of "conservation." Theodore Roosevelt was largely responsible for sparking America`s conservation movement after witnessing the detritus left behind by the 19th century`s commercial big game slaughter. An avid hunter throughout his life, Roosevelt could not countenance big game populations dwindling below sustainable hunting levels. He helped to create the North American Wildlife Conservation Model, which used regulated hunting as an essential tool to bring back numerous species from the brink of extinction and help them thrive again.
Regulated hunting of Roosevelt elk and Kaibab mule deer on Santa Rosa Island has been employed and celebrated for decades, keeping populations in check that have no natural predators. Although the presence of such majestic beasts enriches the experience of all who visit the island, HSUS and PETA seem to prefer total extermination of the elk and deer populations rather than allowing one more hunter to take to the field. Again, these anti-hunting extremists refuse to acknowledge that hunters are largely responsible for preserving America`s wild lands and the wild things that Roosevelt held sacrosanct.
Animal "rights" extremists have tried to seize the word "conservation" and change its definition to remove hunting as a tool. Unfortunately, they have had some success and Santa Rosa Island may be their next victory.
The impact that domestic cattle and sheep, and feral hogs, can have on a unique landscape such as Santa Rosa Island is well known. A total of 1,175 hogs were killed during the `90s, but estimates put the number of hogs as high as 3,200 prior to a major drought in the late `80s. With voracious appetites, it is no wonder that the flora and fauna suffered tremendously. Some states see significant habitat impacts with similar hog populations. After the removal of domestic cattle, sheep and feral hogs, Santa Rosa`s ecosystem dramatically rebounded.
So why have the elk and mule deer been sentenced to die when the island`s ecosystem is rebounding? No reasonable answer has been given; the only explanation is that the two ungulate species are "non-native." Allowing the North American Wildlife Conservation Model to prevail through elk and mule deer management would mean a modicum of impact on the island`s environment. That is apparently too tall an order for HSUS and PETA because it would mean continued hunting of a few animals. The animal "rights" folks instead sit idly by as government-paid sharpshooters are scheduled to perform a 19th century-style slaughter, with the modern twist of using helicopters instead of horses.
There are only three native terrestrial mammals on Santa Rosa: the deer mouse, island fox and spotted skunk. With the domestic cattle, sheep and feral hogs gone from the island, a proper ecosystem could be easily maintained with the continued inclusion of scientifically managed elk and deer herds.
Roosevelt elk and Kaibab mule deer are only found in a small segment of North America and they are a celebrated part of Santa Rosa for a multitude of visitors from hikers to hunters. The isolated island population of these magnificent animals represents an important insurance policy if disease ever broke out on the mainland that could lead either species to extinction. Having an isolated species pool, a Noah`s Ark of sorts, can prove invaluable as proper elk and mule deer habitat on the mainland continues to erode because of urbanization, leaving species` health prone to widespread disease events.
President Roosevelt eloquently wrote of elk in 1902:
"Surely all men who care for nature, no less than all men who care for big game hunting, should combine to try to see that not merely the states but the Federal authorities make every effort, and are given every power, to prevent the extermination of this stately and beautiful animal, the lordliest of the deer kind in the entire world."
I believe that the president who sparked the American conservation movement would write the very same words about the Santa Rosa slaughter today. The elk and mule deer herds could be so managed through hunting and other means as to have minimal impact on the island`s various flora and fauna with a continued existence as balanced members of the island`s ecosystem. This would continue the North American Wildlife Conservation Model that has become the envy of the world, albeit to the angst of the animal "rights" crowd simply because hunting would continue. It makes one wonder if these anti-hunting extremists would prefer to see more animals exterminated so that, in their twisted minds, no "suffering" would exist. It is hard to see any other way they would be satisfied given their inaction on Santa Rosa.
Rest assured that NRA will continue the fight to save the Santa Rosa elk and mule deer to the final hour. Join the fight;contact your United States senators and representative and ask them to call off the sharpshooters. If all concerned NRA members join forces, perhaps we can prevent the senseless slaughter of these remarkable animal populations and keep the animal "rights" extremists from taking hunting out of conservation.

More women receiving gun permits in Tenn.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:06:00 +0000

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – More women are going through the proper training to obtain their gun carry permits in the state of Tennessee.

Retired Metro police officer Buford Tune runs the Academy of Personal Protection and Security and teaches a training course that allows gun owners to obtain a carry permit.

According to Tune in recent months he has seen an increase in the number of women going through the training to receive their permits.

"We've had a big increase in classes for the Tennessee gun permit as far as women go. We get calls daily from women and men as well, but we've seen the classes go up big time," he said.

Tune told Nashville's News 2 he believes more people, particularly females, are turning to guns for personal protection largely due to crime and economic fears.

"People see this on the news, in the paper, on the web and they're concerned and want to be able to protect themselves," he said.

Women give reasons such as living alone, working late at night or having husbands who travel as some of the main reasons why they want to take the class.

Local gun dealers also said they've noticed a change too in what customers are buying.

Instead of hunting guns, they're selling more handguns for home protection and many of their customers are women.

Tune tells Nashville's News 2, "It's kind of like the old saying, 'Seconds count when help is minutes away, so what are you doing in the meantime?' You've got to be able to protect yourself and your family while you are waiting for the police to get there."

Nationally, FBI background checks for gun sales are up.

Statewide, the TBI reports the total number of background checks for individuals trying to buy guns has increased every year since 2002.

So far in 2011, gun sales have also increased over last year.

NRA-ILA :: Heads Roll In Wake of BATFE “Fast and Furious” Scandal

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 01:49:00 +0000

Friday, September 02, 2011

In the latest development in the on-going Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) “Fast and Furious” scandal, the Department of Justice announced this week the appointment of U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota B. Todd Jones to serve as Acting Director of BATFE, replacing Kenneth Melson. The DOJ also announced that Dennis Burke, U.S. attorney for the district of Arizona, has resigned. And the Wall Street Journal reported that Emory Hurley, the assistant U.S. attorney responsible for the day-to-day operations of “Fast and Furious,” has been removed from his post and reassigned to the department’s Civil Division.

As we have frequently noted in this Alert, the reckless and utterly failed BATFE operation known as “Operation Fast And Furious” was run out of the BATFE’s field office in Phoenix. The bungled operation put thousands of guns into the hands of violent criminals in Mexico.

The more information comes out about “Fast and Furious,” the more clear it seems that knowledge of the operation, and approval for it, went higher than the Phoenix field office, or even BATFE. There is clear evidence, uncovered by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee headed by Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), that senior Obama Administration officials were aware of this disastrous operation. And as the evidence continues to mount, it’s looking more and more likely that what we’re seeing unfold is a large-scale cover-up.

A Thursday Fox News story reported that federal officials quickly tried to cover up evidence that a gun found at the scene of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry’s murder was one the government intentionally helped sell to the Mexican cartels via the “Fast and Furious” program. The article also reported that late Thursday, the office of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, revealed that 21 more “Fast and Furious” guns have been found at violent crime scenes in Mexico, up from 11 the agency admitted to just last month. According to the article, Sen. Grassley and Rep. Issa said Thursday they are expanding their investigation into the scandal, and have sent a strongly worded letter to Anne Scheel, the new U.S. attorney for Arizona, requesting interviews, e-mails, memos and even hand-written notes from members of the U.S. Attorney's office that played key roles in the failed program.

Regarding this week’s shake-up, Rep. Issa released the following statement: "While the reckless disregard for safety that took place in Operation Fast and Furious certainly merits changes within the Department of Justice, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee will continue its investigation to ensure that blame isn't offloaded on just a few individuals for a matter that involved much higher levels of the Justice Department. There are still many questions to be answered about what happened in Operation Fast and Furious and who else bears responsibility, but these changes are warranted and offer an opportunity for the Justice Department to explain the role other officials and offices played in the infamous efforts to allow weapons to flow to Mexican drug cartels. I also remain very concerned by Acting Director Melson's statement that the Department of Justice is managing its response in a manner intended to protect its political appointees. Senator Grassley and I will continue to press the Department of Justice for answers in order to ensure that a reckless effort like Fast and Furious does not take place again."

Sen. Grassley released this statement: "[This week’s] announcement is an admission by the Obama administration that serious mistakes were made in Operation Fast and Furious, and is a step in the right direction that they are continuing to limit any further damage that people involved in this disastrous strategy can do. There's a lot of blame to go around. As our investigation moves forward, and we get to the bottom of this policy, I wouldn't be surprised to see more fall out beyond the resignations and new assignments announced today. The Justice Department and the ATF have yet to answer a majority of the questions and still must produce many of the documents Congressman Issa and I have asked for. We're looking for a full accounting from the Justice Department as to who knew what and when, so we can be sure that this ill-advised strategy never happens again."

And House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) said: "The announcement by the Department of Justice to reassign Kenneth Melson is not the resolution Congress and the American people need. This move by the Administration indicates that Director Melson may be being used as a scapegoat for a much larger problem within ATF and DOJ. It appears that other senior officials at DOJ may have been involved in this deadly operation. The American people and Congress will not be appeased until we have the whole truth about how and why Operation Fast and Furious was authorized. Congress will not ignore an agency so out of control that its decisions and operations cost American lives."

Meanwhile, Attorney General Eric Holder has insisted that he knew absolutely nothing about “Fast and Furious.” As the investigation continues, hopefully we’ll find out if that unlikely insistence is the truth.

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