Spirit of the Sportsman

For a few days now I have been reading about the swine flu may present a global pandemic. Government officials have advised against travel, Schools have been closed in the US, worldwide trade bans have been put into place and some countries have begun culling entire herds of pigs. People are appearing in public and on television wearing surgical masks.

Take a deep breath.

The man who helped dispel the myth of the heterosexual AIDS epidemic tells us that the ‘Swine Flu Epidemic of 2009′ appears to be the next great doomsday folly.

“As the outbreak develops, keep in mind that seasonal flu, according to the CDC, infects between 28 and 56 million Americans each year, hospitalizes over 100,000, and kills about 36,000…At this point there’s no evidence swine flu is easier to transmit than seasonal flu or that it’s more lethal. There have been no deaths yet outside of Mexico. All infectious diseases strike much harder in underdeveloped countries because the people are less healthy to begin with.

“Swine flu” simply means it has pig RNA mixed in. There’s nothing inherent to it that would make it worse than seasonal flu. We’ve had a previous outbreak of swine flu; it killed one person.”

Now I am no doctor but it appears these tales of the doom of mankind have been greatly exaggerated.

If you are worried about the ‘Swine Flu’ then go see your doctor. Chances are he/she will tell you to follow the same preventative steps as the plain-old seasonal flu:

Get a flu vaccine

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

If you get the flu stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I am off to eat some carnitas tacos!

Don’t Panic

Though I’ve always hunted and enjoyed target shooting, I was never and advocate of concealed carry. I was always worried about unstable “gun nuts” going postal in a…post office. That all changed in the early morning hours of February 13th, 2007.

On the night of the 12th, I was watching a movie with my family when I received a phone call from my producer at ABC News and Good Morning America in New York.

“Get to someplace called Trolley Square. There’s been a shooting.”

I quickly changed into my “out-all-night-in-the-freezing-cold” gear, kissed the kids good-bye, and drove into Salt Lake City.

Doing work as a field producer for ABC, I’d received calls like this many times. 24/7/365. You never know when the call will come in or what it will entail; kidnappings (I cried the day Elizabeth Smart was found), Father’s Day for families with deployed soldiers, one of the few times I felt TV really did something of value, or…spectacular murders.

By they time I got to Trolley Square, yellow tape and SWAT teams were everywhere. The details were trickling in.

I had names of witnesses and victims. My crew and I began the vulture work. Hanging out to find people who would talk about their pain on TV. I shuttled back and forth between Trolley Square and LDS Hospital.

Death watch.

By 1 or 2 am, the police were finishing debriefings of all the witnesses. They were held in the Hard Rock Café where one of the shooting victims had actually stumbled in and warned the patrons. As the witnesses left the door under the green awning of the café, a swarm of eager “reporters” and “journalists” waited to pounce–more reminiscent of a pack of hyenas on a gazelle than the vaunted Fourth Estate.

I cut out a group of people and rushed my camera operator and audio tech over to head them off. Two women from out of town at the mall to do some shopping—about 40. They held their children close—children about the same age as…my children. I asked them what happened. I only remember one thing said by this mother (not too different from my wife).

“I looked at my children and knew there was nothing I could do to save them. We were helpless.”

I looked at these scared, tired, sweet little children. I couldn’t think of another question. They were no different from my little kids. All I could see was my wife answering these inane questions; picture my wife terrified at the random, senseless violence about to rain down on our children. “We were helpless.” My family has been to Trolley Square countless, countless times. There was no reason that it should have been this family from out of town and not us.

I had to have my other producer finish. I walked over to the cold curb and sat down. After what seemed like a long time, I made a decision. I would never be in that position of not being able to protect my children. And…a CCW convert was born.

In the last two years, I’ve learned that getting a permit is really just the beginning.

Why I carry (part 2)
Why I carry (part 3)

Hunting season may still be months away, but NOW is the time to start getting your body ready.

CNN Health reports on the importance of physical fitness for hunters.

What is the biggest danger for hunters? It’s not a stray bullet.

“The biggest danger that some hunters face isn’t getting hit by a stray bullet or falling out of a tree stand…It’s heart disease.

“Heart attacks are three times more likely to take a life than a gunshot injury,”
Dr. Eric Good, cardiologist, the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor

The good people at Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine explain further about fitness for hunter:

Hunting Fitness

“A retired Austin physician and seasoned hunter, Joe Abell agrees about the risks of conditioning — and the benefits of being in good condition. “When facing a strenuous situation,” he says, “you are more vulnerable to heart attack or heat exhaustion if you over-exert in combination with extreme temperature conditions. A lot depends upon the condition the hunter is in.”

Being in good shape can make the hunt much more enjoyable. It’s like any other sport: you can play better if you are in shape.”

Choose your fitness regimen carefully:

Everyone who has ever dangled a line at one time or another talks about Alaska—the Great Land. It’s every fisherman’s dream. I am lucky enough to have as a client one of Alaska’s best kept secrets: Doc Warner’s Alaska Fishing Adventures. This has allowed me to get to know Doc and his family run business. They’ve created an affordable, family friendly opportunity to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

You’ll get hearty meals, a comfortable bed, all your fishing gear, boat, fuel, fish processing and packaging. You can pay more for an Alaskan fishing trip, you can pay less, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a better value. Doc Warner was Chief of Sport Fish Research for the State of Alaska for eight years. Find a better guide/expert/cheerleader…I dare you. His son-in-law Kelly manages day-to-day operations.

Doc and his staff do all the educating and training, provide you with the right gear and bait, point you in the right direction and off you go! The guide boats visit each fishing foursome regularly throughout the day to give advice, help with tactics, and get you into fish.

Because you are your own skipper, if you decide to watch the whales, you go right ahead. The Excursion Inlet offers many distractions, humpback whales, orca, bald eagles, seals, porpoise, amazing scenery and beautiful, calm water of the inland passage. When the fishing day is done, simply dock your boat and the staff take care of your fish, fuel your boat, and make sure you have all the tackle you need for the next day.

If you want to do more than fish in Southeast Alaska, Doc’s travel expert, Peggy, with 30 years of Alaskan travel savvy, can help you put together a customized Alaska adventure that you’ll never forget. Doc Warner’s provides the opportunity for just about anyone to fulfill the dream of an Alaskan fishing experience.

Click below to watch Doc Warner’s videos:

Doc Warners Alaska fishing
Meet Doc and Kelly

SOTS would like to hear about your favorite Alaskan fishing adventure. Whether it’s a lodge, outfit or if you did it yourself, let us know.

Accomplished hunter and author, Frank Minter has detailed in his book ‘The Politically Incorrect Guide To Hunting’ how hunters have a positive effect on the economy by funding conservation through licenses and fees and donating the meat harvested to the poor and disadvantaged. Here we have a story out of Ohio supporting this point.

“This past hunting season, the food bank got 198 deer, processed into 6,503 pounds of venison. That provided a source of lean protein for more than 5,000 meals, said food bank coordinator Marilyn Sloan. The food bank stocks 203 food pantries and soup kitchens throughout southeastern Ohio.”

The Second Harvest Food Bank reports that since the program was started, hunters have donated enough meat for 219,200 meals. Oddly enough that’s roughly equivalent to the amount of food Michael Moore ingests at a single feeding.

Other hunter’s benevolent organizations:

Hunters For The Hungry
Hunter’s Harvest
Hunt Of A Lifetime
Kids Unlimited
Special Youth Challenge

If you know of any notable sportsman’s benevolent organzations, let us know.

Charity

You may have noticed that recently there has been an ammunition shortage.

Some bloggers have ruminated on the ‘why’, and the how. I recommend people focus on the ‘where’… as in ‘where can I find some?’

Please find below the much anticipated SOTS Top 10 List of ammunition retailers.

10. Natchez Shooter’s Supply
9. Able’s
8. Midway USA
7. Amazon.com
6. Sportsman’s Guide
5. Cheaper Than Dirt
4. Big 5
3. Cabelas
2. Bass Pro Shops
1. Walmart

I recommend a minimum of 1,000 rounds per weapon (90% training ammunition, 10% duty ammunition).

-By ‘training’ ammunition I mean the less expensive, factory loaded, full metal jacket ammunition such as the Winchester ‘white box’ or the Remington UMC brand. FMJ ammunition simulates ‘duty’ ammunition normally at half the cost. FMJ ammunition generally produces less lead fouling which means less time cleaning guns.
-By ‘duty’ ammunition I mean the ammunition you use for engaging goblins and harvesting quarry. Generally ‘duty’ ammunition is soft-point or jacketed hollow point.

Once you have a sufficient supply of ammunition, I recommend paying special attention to safe storage (more on that later).

If you aware of an ammunition retailer with current inventories at a decent price, let us know.

The Everglades are, without doubt, one of the most intriguing, enchanting, threatened, critical, and beloved environments in the world. If you’ve ever fished the ‘Glades’ or ever wanted to, the plans for its future are being made right now.

Our friends at ‘Fly Fishing In Salt Water’ blogged the final public-comment meeting related to the new general management plan for the Florida Everglades National Park.

“a wide range of opinions were spouted on which direction the park should take. Some argued for no change to current park policies and direction. A couple environmentalists, meanwhile, argued in favor of Alternative 4, which would close off huge areas of Florida Bay to boaters.”

If you would like to express your support for angling in the Florida Everglades to the National Park Service click here.

Conservation

A proper concealed carry holster makes a big difference tactically. In the first place, if the gun is uncomfortable or cumbersome you probably won’t carry it…remember the 1st Rule of Gunfighting? Secondly, if the goblins descend upon me, I would rather not fumble for my piece like the guy in this video:

Here are my three favorite concealment holsters, in reverse order, to build up the anticipation…can you feel the excitement?

Bladetech SRB
Pros:
It is very sturdy, comfortable and adjusts well to most belts.
Cons:
This holster is only concealable when you have external layer of clothing not tucked-in to the pants such as a jacket or an open t-shirt.

Blackhawk SERPA CQC
Pros:
High quality with an excellent ‘locking’ feature to hold the pistol in place.
Cons:
Price

Fobus IWB
Pros:
Excellent price and innovative design that is both comfortable and minimizes the ‘bulge effect’ for better concealment.
Cons:
Tends to collect moisture in humid climates.

Here is a more comprehensive discussion about concealment holsters from our friends at the US Concealed Carry Association.

Download it here.

“It was written as a guide to help you determine what you personally need to look for in a holster. I guarantee that you are going to find it very worth your time.”

Carry

If the economy gets any worse I will have to fire my child-laborers and send them back home to Sri Lanka. I know times are tight but a man’s gotta fish!

The good people from Versus Country show us how to fish with frugality.

“Dollar Wise Fly” host Conway Bowman harvests Cajun Redfish from a kayak. Perhaps our politicians could take a lesson from this penny-pinching piscator.

Fishcal conservatism

When you think of a survivalist, normally you think of someone like me…dashing, intelligent…perhaps with a British accent and sexual prowess outside the reach of mere mortals but you may be surprised at the new face of survival.

As economic conditions worsen, families return to self-reliance. Skills such as food storage, micro-farming, raising of livestock and home industries are making a come-back.

Meet the Wojtowicz family…the new American homesteaders.

“When the economy started to squeeze the Wojtowicz family, they gave up vacation cruises, restaurant meals, new clothes and high-tech toys to become 21st-century homesteaders.

Now Patrick Wojtowicz, 36, his wife Melissa, 37, and daughter Gabrielle, 15, raise pigs and chickens for food on 40 acres near Alma, Mich. They’re planning a garden and installing a wood furnace. They disconnected the satellite TV and radio, ditched their dishwasher and a big truck and started buying clothes at resale shops.”

Self-sufficient