Spirit of the Sportsman

We at SOTS do not place animal life on the same level as human life. We are also practical. There are several reasons maintain an emergency preparedness plan that includes your pets:

1. The well-being of your pets have tremendous influence over the morale of your family. Maintaining high morale is a key to survival. How would family morale be affected if you had to abandon your pet in an emergency?
2. Pets are a resource for emergency readiness. Working dogs may come in very handy if you are find yourself outdoors. In extreme circumstances, pets may serve as a source of nourishment (just kidding…kind of).
3. In some cases, it is the law.

When feasible, include items needed by your pet in your emergency preparedness kit.

The good folks at the Examiner.com offer these tips:

* Extra leash and collar or harness with current ID tag
* Bedding (this can be as simple as an old towel or sheet)
* Food for minimum of three days in ziplock bags, snacks (if canned food keep an opener in your pack) and be sure to mark the expirations dates with permanent ink
* Medicines if applicable (mark expirations dates with permanent ink)
* First aid kit (or make your own)
* Disposable waste baggies
* Clean fresh water (keep track of expiration dates)
* Travel bowls (2)
* Current ID tag/chip (must keep updated when you move or change phone numbers)
* Copy of your pet’s medical & vaccination records (keep in zip lock bag)
* Toy or chew products to help them stay calmer and preoccupied
* Pet Safety Kit with your pets photo from Bark Buckle UP
* Pet’s insurance policy keep policy (keep copy with your medical records)
* Make sure to check for and replace expired products on a regular basis
* Mark your carrier with you and your pet’s information with permanent ink
* In flood areas, have a PFD (pet flotation devise – doggie life vest)
* In fire area, have an extra towel that you can get wet and put over your crate to help with bad air or smoke
* Towels or paper towels for quick clean ups
* List of family or friends where you can go to stay, including phone numbers, addresses and a list of pet friendly hotels or pet boarding facilities out of your area
* List of friends or family who are allowed to remove your pet or pick your pet up if you are unable to and supply to the facility with phone numbers and your signature.

Woof

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There is no shortage of canadian geese (Branta canadensis) but they might be hard to hunt especially when many are in city parks and golf courses and school campi. The best place to harvest a canadian goose is probably through direct contact with the landowners of farmland.

Fred J. Aun of the New Jersey Star-Ledger offers some advice:

“…privately-owned harvested fields are the best places to find success hunting resident Canada geese in September, but farmers by now have likely given goose hunting permission to neighbors, friends and relatives.

“Harvested fields are at a premium this time of year,” said the biologist. He said the geese love to feed on kernels of sweet corn (not field corn) left after the harvest. “Boy, the geese get in there in a big way and very often those fields have weedy borders that they seem to relish,” Nichols said. “It’s really, really key for hunters to hook-up with those private landowners, but more times than not they’ve really got to do their homework and do that way ahead of time.”

Hunters that didn’t manage to scout a good field and secure permission to hunt there should try to figure out where the geese go to drink after they eat. These trips away from the feeding grounds usually take place in mid-morning when the day starts to warm…”

Honk

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The late Colonel Jeff Cooper wrote extensively about the ‘Combat Mindset’.

* White – Unaware and unprepared. If attacked in Condition White, the only thing that may save you is the inadequacy or ineptitude of your attacker. When confronted by something nasty, your reaction will probably be “Oh my God! This can’t be happening to me.”

* Yellow – Relaxed alert. No specific threat situation. Your mindset is that “today could be the day I may have to defend myself.” You are simply aware that the world is a potentially unfriendly place and that you are prepared to defend yourself, if necessary. You use your eyes and ears, and realize that “I may have to SHOOT today.” You don’t have to be armed in this state, but if you are armed you should be in Condition Yellow. You should always be in Yellow whenever you are in unfamiliar surroundings or among people you don’t know. You can remain in Yellow for long periods, as long as you are able to “Watch your six.” (In aviation 12 o’clock refers to the direction in front of the aircraft’s nose. Six o’clock is the blind spot behind the pilot.) In Yellow, you are “taking in” surrounding information in a relaxed but alert manner, like a continuous 360 degree radar sweep. As Cooper put it, “I might have to shoot.”

* Orange – Specific alert. Something is not quite right and has gotten your attention. Your radar has picked up a specific alert. You shift your primary focus to determine if there is a threat (but you do not drop your six). Your mindset shifts to “I may have to shoot HIM today.” In Condition Orange, you set a mental trigger: “If that goblin does ‘x’, I will need to stop him.” Your pistol usually remains holstered in this state. Staying in Orange can be a bit of a mental strain, but you can stay in it for as long as you need to. If the threat proves to be nothing, you shift back to Condition Yellow. Cooper described this as “I might have to shoot HIM,” referring to the specific target which has caused the escalation in alert status.

* Red – Condition Red is fight. Your mental trigger (established back in Condition Orange) has been tripped. If “X” happens I will shoot that person.

Here is an example of someone in condition white.

The woman walks into the middle of an armed robbery and casually begins to shop. Situational awareness…you are doing it wrong.

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Here is an example of bystanders with excellent situational awareness.

Notice how the bystander takes notice of the two men that walked into the store and took up position triangulating the cash register. As soon as the robbers made their intentions clear, the bystander (and a few others) immediately reacted by running out of the store. Situational awareness…you are doing it right.

Heads-up

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Jeff Foxworthy is one of the few people in comedy that seems to have some idea of what it is to be a regular American. This interview gives weight to the concept.

‘…the bedrock of my life.’

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The 9th circuit court of appeals is hearing a case which may decide whether the 2nd amendment of the US constitution can be used to strike-down state and local gun control laws in addition to federal gun control laws. Although the first review had a positive outcome, there is cause for concern because it is after all, the 9th circuit court of appeals.

“A federal appeals court on September 24 will hear a high-profile gun rights case that’s a leading candidate to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is likely to decide whether the Second Amendment’s guarantee of a right to “keep and bear arms” restricts only the federal government — the current state of affairs — or whether it can be used to strike down intrusive state and local laws too.

A three-judge panel ruled that the Second Amendment does apply to the states. But now a larger Ninth Circuit panel will rehear the case, a procedure reserved only for issues of exceptional importance, which means the earlier decision could be upheld or overruled.”

…the right of the people…

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The Boy Scouts of America has teamed with the revered Boone and Crockett sportsman club to form the Montana High Adventure Base.

Based in Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, the camp promises to give Boy Scouts access to world-class sporting facilities in events they call ‘wilderness treks’.

“The camp will meet national certification requirements of the BSA for high adventure camps, and Scout-trained leaders will direct the program.

More than 140 Scouts were expected to visit this summer. Participation could expand in coming years.

In one-week programs, Scouts will learn about backcountry safety and preparation, orientation, conservation and wildlife. They’ll also have opportunities to experience supervised backpacking, fishing and more. Wilderness treks lasting four to five days are possible.”

Trek

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We at SOTS are pleased to see the president of the USA enjoy an outdoor activity.

We are very pleased to see that the president’s fishing trip has brought positive exposure to the good people of Montana.

Presidential

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Hurricane season brings with it the threat to swimmers of riptide currents.

Popular Mechanics offers these safety tips:

Do not struggle against the current.
Most riptide deaths are not caused by the tides themselves. People often become exhausted struggling against the current, and cannot make it back to shore.

Do not swim toward shore.
You will be fighting the current, and you will lose. Swim parallel to shore, across the current.
Generally speaking, a riptide is less than 100 ft. wide, so swimming beyond it should not be too difficult. If you cannot swim out of the riptide, float on your back and allow the riptide to take you away from shore until you are beyond the pull of the current. Rip currents generally subside 50 to 100 yards from shore. Once the riptide subsides, swim parallel to shore and then back to shore.

Be Aware.

Float

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