Semper Fi!

America has gained another Marine to fight for, protect, and guard her interests! My son graduated last Friday from boot camp in San Diego!! We’re all extremely proud of him and very happy that we’ll actually get to have him home for 31 days before he has to ship out to infantry school. Normally leave is around 10 days but with the timing of the holidays it looks like we got lucky! I like luck.

We decided, partly through our airline flight availability, that we would stay 5 days. The original headcount was to be five of us, but the group grew a bit, so at our largest, the group was 8 adults and one small child! To move us all around, we rented a HUGE van, which worked out quite nicely. I didn’t even mind the people coming up to me and asking what time the shuttle leaves for ‘xyz’ destination! Hehehe..I could’ve probably made a few bucks with that gig but we were full and didn’t really have time.

A few things jumped out at me this trip and really challenged assumptions, opened my eyes, or just plain made me stand there with my mouth open and no words to come out. First off, the US Marines move a TON of recruits through the depot-known as MCRD. Secondly, a drill sergeant can run LIKE THE WIND, even in dress shoes! Oh, and the smoky bear hat magically stays put. As an aside, if you ever attend a Marine graduation, don’t be like the morons that can’t seem to follow directions-STAY OFF THE PARADE DECK! They all trained us on family day to yell at people who did that, after all, there were several hundred of us in the bleachers so we could see a mouse if it decided to step out on that parade deck!

Another thing that really stands out to the parents is the transformation in their sons. Yes, they’re still the same person, but the level of maturity, and certainly discipline, self confidence and appreciation are all noticeably more. I say appreciation because that rebellious teenager that left 3 months ago will now be happy to tell you that he missed you and home, and loves you, etc. That transformation must be an incredible eye opener for those whose sons were hard to deal with, we’re lucky that ours wasn’t!

OK, the biggest eye opener to me in San Diego... Yes the traffic is incredibly heavy, that’s not it. The roads take off willy-nilly in every direction with multiple interchanges and highways, that’s not it. The signs on most of the streets totally suck by not being lit at night, nor even being very reflective..that’s not it either! The amazing thing about driving in San Diego is that when you put a turn signal on, people will let you over. Oh sure, there are some impatient people that don’t want you in front of them, but in general, the drivers are friendly, forgiving of kamikaze traffic maneuvers, and tolerant of those who don’t know where they’re going! Not once did I put on a turn signal and have somebody speed up to block me. Of course, as SOON as we got back home to Big D, I had to go back on the offensive as drivers here would rather see you upside down in a ditch than for you to take that open space in the lane in front of them!

Of course I could write pages and pages about the scenery and fun things to do in San Diego! By no means did we even scratch the surface, but I’ll recommend a few things if you ever find yourself out there: the Hotel Del Coronado-a historic hotel that boasts of having movie stars staying there going back to the 20’s. It’s open for tourists to walk through the lobby and shops, and has an ice rink, sculptures of Dr. Seuss characters in the courtyard, and a really cool pier that is set up for sitting outside on chilly nights with a cool firepit surrounded by comfortable chairs. A great place to drink hot chocolate when it’s in the high 40’s at night! Of course there’s the awesome beach!Keep in mind though, if you’re scared of heights and long bridges over the water, you may want somebody else to drive there and back, you see, Coronado is an island. A very cool and beautiful island.

La Jolla is a very cool place to see as well. You really need to head down and take a walk along the beach, see the seals, the weirdos, the cool vegetation, everything you expect in California but had no idea was so awesome to behold!

The San Diego Zoo. Even if you’re not a kid, you’ll like the zoo. Bring comfortable walking shoes and a big memory card for your camera!

The Gas Lamp district is also a very cool place. Expect parking to be a pain so you don’t get too wound up, be prepared to walk a few blocks if need be. Keep your eyes open! We saw Hare Krishnas, homeless bums drinking out of cans they pulled from the trash, girls who forgot to bring their clothes with them (almost), guys who apparently don’t know there’s a gender difference between men and women, a couple people fighting, some wild cars, and a ton of very friendly people. Everybody in California ‘does their own thing’, not always in your face, but you just never know exactly what you’ll see just looking around.

Above all else though-and where I started-is how incredible it was to attend the graduation of our son from Marine boot camp. The culmination of months of hard training, sleep deprivation, pain, and the deep sense of honor that these MEN now hold was, and is, a privelege to behold.

Semper Fi to my son and all those who graduated from Fox Company!!

Oh yeah, I have a blog!

Man, I've really fallen down on keeping up with my blog. The world must really be let down right now that they haven't been able to keep up with my adventures.. Luckily for everybody, I remembered that if I plan on having a blog, it might be best to put something in it every once in awhile! Yeah, ok.

So next week my son will graduate from Marine Corps boot camp! Wow, 3 months went by really quickly, but probably faster for him than for those of us who depend on updates via US mail. Everything so far has been very good news and we're all so proud of him we could bust! I was really proud to hear that he qualified 'above expert' on his rifle training! I'm not going to take credit for that, but I do think that showing him the basics of accurate shooting, firearm safety and understanding the how's and why's of firearm function had at least some part in contributing to his success. That, and his familiarity with the M16 platform as well as other weapons will serve him well as he continues his adventure with the Marines. So now we look forward to graduation and wonder how he's doing as he goes the 'the Crucible'. He's about midway through this 54 hour beatdown as I type this!

So how to follow all that and have anything I've been up to sound significant. Hmmm.. Well, let's see. I went on a hunt with the Garrett guys and got to try out the new AT Gold detector. VERY hot little number and a must have for when I have the spare funds for another detector! I especially want to get one before I go to Arizona for a nugget hunting adventure, which might not be as far away as before. Yep, turns out that me being a model in a Garrett ad helped me to meet a guy who has been prospecting with a metal detector for many years, and he lives only a few miles from me! So now I may actually try to get a trip off the ground. We'll see.

Boar Hunter published another of my articles! Look for it, it's the FIRST article in the mag! 'Who's rules are you following?' Good stuff if I do say so myself! Still, as I read it, I see that I have a little more work to do in order to keep my articles on course and better focused. All in time I guess.

Deer season is in full swing and I haven't seen anything I want to shoot just yet, but I'm funny like that-a hundred animals could walk out in front of me and if none of them strike me just right...they'll all walk right on past! I can't tell you what the buck I want would look like, but I'll know when I see him! In the meantime I know I need to do my part to thin the doe herd, and that's exactly what I'll do next time out. Somebody say 'jerky'! Oh, and JALAPENO SAUSAGE!?!?

Up for '11 I have one or more trips planned to Okieland to run down a few legends, my here in Texas plus whatever new stuff I can round up for metal detecting or cache hunting, and I STILL want to get to the beach for some detecting and fishing. I may even get recertified for SCUBA diving and hit some of the popular swimming holes in the rivers and stuff. Hey, it's just time and money right? Well crap. Turns out when I have one I'm short on the other...

Curly said it...'it's the ONE thing'...

I had a birthday last week! Woohoo.. I am beginning to notice something though-I still have a list of stuff I want, I just don't really care as much whether I get it or not! This could be because I realize I don't need it too badly, or maybe just because I know I'll get that widget I've always wanted whether for my birthday or when I get good and ready to make it a reality. Almost sounds like birthday fun might be over. I can assure you it's not! At some point it becomes apparent that 'things' won't make you happy, but experiences and friends and family will. So after the family stuff I did what makes me happy these days-I went hog hunting!

I'm very glad to say that this hunt was exactly the kind of hunt I would want for a birthday, challenging both my skills and my fitness level while including a little adrenaline and turning a negative into a positive. All those things could be wrapped up and said this way: I'd rather things not be too easy, and a little pain or hardship makes things much more memorable!

So what happens when you're in a hog infested area and you find yourself with only one bullet? Well I can tell you that you'll feel more pressure not to miss! However, this is a good kind of pressure, one that forces you to draw on your skills and knowledge of both gun and game. Mix in a full bore 400 yard sprint in soft sandy loam culminating in a quick setup and a 200 yard shot and you have an example of some of the finest moments hog hunting has to offer! As I look back on that hunt, I know that it all came together even when things at first didn't go as I would have wanted. And then there's that luck thing. My luck that day came in the form of the decision to tie my boots!

So that day, as luck would have it, I reached down and tightened up my Danners. I don't know why. I do know that as we were running across that wheat field as fast as our 40'ish legs could carry us, it occured to me that I would have been eating dirt and in major pain if I had followed the routine I normally do. Instead, one little detail enabled me to pull off a spectacular shot (if you ask me) under very challenging conditions! Too bad Glenn's camera wasn't rolling at the time...

Oh, why did I only have one bullet? Hehehe..well because I missed the stampeding HERD of pigs we encountered at close range in the woods! Don't judge too harshly though, there's a tree or two that won't be growing the same way after jumping in the path of my bullets! Who knew trees were so protective towards pigs?

Well, well, well...where the hell have I been?

Oh yeah, that blog thing! How could I forget? Well, I could start off with a million excuses for why I haven’t put anything in my blog...but that would be short at LEAST one excuse if not a few more! So let’s just say I’ve been both lazy and busy.

Through my association with the folks at Garrett Metal Detectors, I’ve managed to get my picture in a magazine ad, as well as in their current catalog! This has made for some interesting conversations and a little showing off, but unfortunately there are a lot of people at work that now call me ‘Hollywood’. Not exactly what I intended… Still, it looks like a potential prospecting trip may arise from my 10 seconds of fame, and I hear rumors of a group hunt in some exotic location that sounds extremely promising!

I guess I need to dust off the detector and get back out there. I have at least one really cool historic site that I’ve been working on for a couple years. All I’ve managed to come up with so far are a few old minie balls and a musket ball, some old buckles, and some wheatback pennies. All good mind you, just still not what I believe the potential really is on this place. There are 3 old homesites, and old RACETRACK, a mule train stop, and even further back in time this place was ground zero for a post War Between the States feud. Wow, lots to look for! Mind you, that’s just ONE cool site, I also have so many leads to others that I may actually never be able to visit them all! I need to win the lottery so I have more time for hobbies!

Speaking of the lottery, I need to win it just to gear up with all the detectors I need! Turns out there are niches in this hobby and detectors to fill every one-go figure! Maybe I'll start up a begging website for people to donate to my addiction. Or is that affliction?

So with the little free time I’ve had lately, I’ll just say that it’s hard to balance everything! I did manage to get out and kill 2 pigs but that’s a different story for later.

Sometimes seeing is disbelieving.

I'm a little late updating and as a result, have so much to say that this may become a jumbled mess of rambling on about various topics. I still wonder how I got so busy and why it seems I have so little to show for all my efforts! I need to get out and do something fun-after all, it's been 2 weeks! Well, not that I've been bored really, the time just seems to fly by and next thing you know, a new month rolls around. I have been putting a lot of mental energy into a new project though. The reason for the high amount of mental energy is because I don't have much in the way of extra money to finish the project quickly. That's a good thing though because I like research and obsess over every detail... The project is a new pig killin' rifle, which all got started because my buddy Glenn got a new pig killin' rifle, and then FORCED me to use it. Yep, twisted my arm.

Now you might be wondering why somebody would hand a new toy off to a buddy to kill critters with-after all, wouldn't everybody want to play with their own toy? The difference here is that Glenn likes to get our hunts on film, and we're short on cameramen! Filming isn't so bad when things go well and certain people can hit what they're shooting at! For the rest of the time, the footage makes for some good laughs and even a little embarassment. I think I look goofy on film, at least stills can be set up a little easier to enhance the best features of the subject! Ok, relax and just hunt as normal (whatever that is). Well, this time the objectivity of the camera would point out that even the most seasoned hunters can be fooled by a pig just doing what it normally does!

So, two weeks ago I left work only slightly early, with just enough time to travel and make it to the pig wallows by prime time. We've been in a really bad drought, and the heat has been almost unbearable for days on end. That means our hunts are centered on ponds, creeks, sloughs, any place where water is still left. It also means there's no reason to sit there sweating it out for hours on end because the pigs aren't moving till very late in the day-almost dusk!

We set up on a pond on the edge of the woods. In general, this is a good type of setup, but even better here because the woods behind the pond are crisscrossed with trails and dry creek channels that could make good trails for an army of pig ninjas to converge on the pond..and we were ready! We watched a snake hunting around the edge of the pond, making it's way all the way around the pond a few feet at a time. Might sound boring, but if you watch and listen, there are so many things in nature that while you know occur regularly, you rarely get to see. So in our boredom of waiting for pigs to get there, we talked (whispered) about the lack of pig sounds coming from the woods. The normal pattern seems to be that the pigs make a small amount of squealing and grunting on their way to the pond-remember, the woods are thick and the terrain is excellent for concealment and protection. Under pressure, pigs don't seem to sound off quite like they do in areas they have to themselves, but they're always making some noise..we just weren't hearing any of it.

You can probably guess what happened next. Yep, our ADD kicked in and we decided to go after the pigs. We paused as we crossed the dried up center bank of the pond because there was some sort of thick liquid that had been poured, peed or leaked out by SOMETHING. It was kind of cool in a way and the bees really seemed interested in it...I mean they were really into it and working that dirt over like it was the best thing around..huh? What was that? We heard a VERY small noise and turned around just in time to see a black pig disappearing back into the woods!!

Forehead slaps, shoulda-woulda-coulda's, and chuckle later, we decided that we wouldn't let that pig get away with outsmarting us! Through the woods we went, me whacking my head on low branches but still being somewhat stealthy (yeah, right), and Glenn right behind me with the camera at the ready. Well, sometimes you can beat pigs at their own game in the woods, usually it works out better if they don't know you're there. OK, plan B time.

Glenn knew of another pond not far from the woods. This pond was much more in the open, although right next to some thick woods. We figured it was worth a shot, even though the chances weren't nearly as high of seeing anything. After winding our way out of the woods, we paused at the open field and planned our approach. You ALWAYS need to plan your approach in any stalk! I would always put more weight on the WIND than I would exposure. After all, a pig may not see you from a distance but he WILL smell you, and if he catches the slightest scent-he's gone!

So we skirted the woods taking note of the cows in the field, and even a coyote that we managed to sneak up on (I'd rather be lucky than good)! Everything seemed quiet, both in the field and the woods next to us. Admittedly, our hopes were low for finding any more pigs. Light was fading fast and we really weren't all that far from where we spooked that last pig after all.

Finally we made it to the pond. A quick scan revealed nothing of note. We saw no pigs, no wallows, just a cattle pond that might make a good fishing spot sometime. We walked a little closer to the pond and we noticed a stump in the shallows that looked like a good place to run a spinnerbait in better times. Well, shucks, we looked at each other and started talking in normal voices about how we wished we had waited just a little longer at that last pond, blah, blah, blah.. Suddenly, we heard a sound, turned around and observed the tree stump in the pond suddenly rise up, morph into a pig and start running for the woods at Mach 3! Have you ever SEEN a pig run through the wide open? It's a sight to see-this isn't Wilbur down on the farm who's been confined to a pen! I'm not sure how fast a pig can run, but it's fast enough that everybody should practice shots on running animals! So there I was, AR in hand, Eotech holosight doing exactly what it should do, and me..not..doing..well..I was shooting but just not hitting! Such is hunting, and now I know I need to get in more practice!

So our lesson for the day? You can SEE something and not really SEE it. Sounds silly simple doesn't it? Well, I don't mind sharing a story of being outsmarted by a pig because it underscores something myself and Glenn have laughed about many times over the years-it's our perceptions and what we think we know about critters that limits our success! I mean, marksmanship aside, we HAD all the tools. An AR15 in the AWESOME 6.8 SPC caliber, custom built by a company called Specialized Dynamics and competition accurate, an Eotech holosight zeroed and beyond doubt DEAD ON, shooting sticks to be steady when needed...we just somehow left our amazing powers of observation and clear thinking back at the truck!

So here I am, 'the Great White Hunter', no pork for the freezer but a great field lesson and fun memory under my belt! I treasure every time afield and every cut, bruise, rash, splinter and cactus spine that comes along with learning how how to outwit God's creatures. I can chuckle at myself because I know that the pigs didn't truly outwit me and Glenn, we outwitted OURSELVES!

Oh and the rifle Glenn forced me to use? I know he knows my weakness for AR15's, and I know he has recognized how impressed I am with the 6.8spc.. So I'll blame him if my wife gets irritated at me for the multiple UPS shipments of parts, tools scattered all over the kitchen table, catalogs scattered all over the place, and mysterious transactions that seem to have no source of funding! Hey, the government can do it after all...this will be my BLACK PROJECT!

Detecting old houses, poison ivy and (cautious) fun!

Well, I'm already starting to itch. So far it's just both forearms..which makes sense since those were the exposed areas yesterday as I was digging around and exploring an old homesite. Not that I didn't have a long sleeve shirt WITH me, but why would I put that on? Hehehe.. Maybe the 100+ temps have something to do with it? Nah. I guess I'll have to break down and buy some Underarmor long sleeve shirts for these ventures, but I have to say, when you get hot, you're still just hot.

A little poison ivy is a small price to pay though. Poking around old homesites is just a temptation I can't resist, even when I know the hazards are multiplied SO much during summer! Also, this place was described as a place where Bonnie and Clyde stayed overnight after having robbed the Blue Ridge bank! I haven't researched the first detail of that story, but even if it were totally bogus, I still have an old house to hunt, with all the cool old junk that is waiting to be found! So much better is the fact that I will be getting access to several more of these old relics of days gone by! It's gonna be a busy fall and winter! Silver to be found with the metal detector, deer season, pig hunting, a trip or maybe two to south Texas for exotics, one or more trips to Oklahoma for some outlaw caches..man, I need more time and energy! All that plus family stuff, including a trip to San Diego to attend Marine Basic Graduation in December for my son. Wow, just typing it all makes me wonder if I'll get half of it done..

So let's talk about old derelict houses in the summertime, and the hazards they present to the detectorist. Naturally the high heat of summer comes to mind first, then possibly the next thought might include snakes. Both good things to prepare for because you'll encounter both...but by no means is this all you'll be working against! I have personally had to work around and deal with every one of the following hazards:

snakes
wasp and bee hives
centipedes-the big kind that pack a wallop!
scorpions
poison ivy
poison oak
black widow spiders
all of the above hazards disguised behind a thick foliage layer
sunburn
heat exhaustion



My recommendations for mitigating the above risks are simple, but cannot be overstated! Bring a cooler with about 3 times more water than you think you'll need. Some fruit juice can be good, or oranges. I carry a few Gatorades in my cooler as well as some small salt packs. The salt helps me if I'm sweating out my electrolytes faster than I can replace them. This is a personal hazard for me since I take a diuretic for blood pressure and have a generally low salt diet in the first place. If you suddenly start feeling yourself 'going down', as in beginning to feel shaky, a little sick, disoriented, etc., stop, drink some liquid, take a LITTLE salt and relax in the shade or air conditioning of the truck. When you feel a bit better-go home-you're done for the day! This same rule (and procedures) apply for heat exhaustion, or even if you don't know WHY you're not feeling good. Chances are you've overdone it and nobody can afford to find themselves in that position in summertime heat! It's only a few silver coins in that dirt, and they'll be there when you come back!

Snake boots or chaps are a great thing to have ON you, not with you. You never know when you'll encounter a poisonous snake. I've been in some of the snakiest places, where the hair on the back of my neck was standing up, and not seen a one. Conversely, I've been in areas where my guard was not up, and WHOOPS, there's a snake just waiting for me to step on it! Another argument for snake boots and chaps is that your legs will also be protected from other hazards like nails poking out of boards, lower leg protection if you go through a floorboard, that type of stuff.

If you're allergic to bees or wasps, add a bee sting kit to your first aid kit. First aid kit? There's a novel idea. Nails, sharp objects, trip hazards, falling hazards, critters, need I say more?

Notice I didn't mention skunks, raccoons or possible other animals. You're more likely to encounter these if you decide to ENTER an old house than if you stay outside! Fact is, these guys are around at all times of the year so you should always be ready to encounter a furry critter that just wants to stay hidden. When you lift a board or open a door in an old house, they may come rushing out in an effort to escape! Not so much that they want to hurt you, but they can dang sure make you hurt yourself in your attempt to escape! This risk can be reduced to almost NIL if you don't go in a house in the first place.

If you suddenly find yourself in 'flight mode', the main hazards of old houses becomes magnified! On your way in, take only a step or two, stop and look around. FORCE yourself to observe everything you can, even if means you call out what you see in order to mentally absorb it all. Your partner or partners might appreciate this too since their curiousity is maxed out or y'all wouldn't even be going into an old house to begin with. Most times animals will try to run AWAY from you, and chances are they have exits that mean they never even come your way. The second instinct they have is to freeze in place in case you won't notice them. If you proceed slowly, everybody wins.

Did you notice I said partner or partners? Take somebody with you! It's more fun with somebody else anyway, but any adventure can be made safer just by the addition of another set of eyes, a possible voice of reason, or another set of hands to help carry all the gear. Know your partner's limitations as well-do they have any medical conditions? You owe it them to know and understand how to respond to any trouble they may have. This might sound intimidating but it's not that big a deal and it's all part of being safe. It doesn't have to be complicated! A few extra components in the first aid kit, a small first aid book outlining common procedures (read it at least once before it's needed)..done.

It all boils down to common sense really. That, followed up by keeping your wits about you and not getting in a hurry. Think twice about going into any structure, some are in too poor condition to warrant taking the risk of entering. You'll  be able to recognize almost every hazard if you slow down and observe. Luckily, a few extra bits of gear can enhance your powers of observation, as well as safety, without taking up too much space or weighing you down. I carry the following helpful things in a small backpack:

Two flashlights: a small, bright LED light, and a large SUPERbright LED light
headlamp
magnifying glass
monocular or small binoculars

There are other tools that can be used in multiple ways. I carry a sharpshooter type shovel (drain spade). Obviously this is a good digger, but it also allows me to test the integrity of wooden doorframes, floorboards, etc. Sometimes wood can be more rotten than it appears, and I don't mind my shovel going through to the underpinnings of a house! It's immune to all the little netherworld hazards! Plus, it makes a wicked brushcutter when you grind one edge down! Don't get a cheap wooden handled one, plan to beat the crap out of it and spend accordingly.

Finally, to close this book..maybe you should limit your activities to the surrounding fields and yards of old houses. This may be a requirement by the landowner, or at least something you should consider if entering a building or house has not been discussed. Old houses can be handy places to store things in some rural areas, and just barging in might be taken as the equivalent of poking around in the barn or storage shed of any other currently used AND PRIVATE structure. Know the rules.

Finally, not mentioned anywhere above but EXTREMELY important, is watching for and being careful around old wells! I could write another book but let's just say stay away and OUT of them unless well versed in the methods of seaching and being safe (as you can be). Wells are super dangerous and if very old, the integrity of the surrounding walls, if any, or the ground around the well itself, can be extremely compromised. Fine, I'll write another book on just those. Someday.

Oh, I almost forgot. Buy a good degreaser and hose down everything when you get back! The metal detector will likely be covered in urishiol (poison ivy oil), particularly the coil. My AT Pro gets a good bath after every trip. Do it to your shovel, machete, everything you can or you WILL suffer later after handling that stuff! OK, done.

Pigs and deer from a mountain bike!

Yesterday I finally braved the heat and took my little munchkin (5yrs old) on a bike ride. Something about 105 degree heat just makes me a little less than excited to get out there and ride through blast-furnace breezes and dust and dried vegetation blowing around. But I did it...and I LIKED it! I guess I've just gotten lazy, it's much easier to sit in a recliner with a glass of tea watching the tube after all. The thing I had forgotten was how much I like to ride my bike.

Growing up, we used to ride our bikes down dirt roads, in creeks, along 'nature trails' (cowpaths) and generally everywhere-heck, we had no choice. After getting older and rediscovering that I prefer to ride my bike in all those kinds of places, I purchased a pretty nice mountain bike, which sits collecting dust a good bit of the time! What makes my bike different in the seasonal patterns of dust collection though, is that when hunting season rolls around, I'm getting geared up for the really gnarly rides! These rides are way different than a mountain bike trail ride because the trails are not created for bikes of any kind. Mud, sand, water crossings, roads comprised of fist-sized rocks, knee high vegetation, steep drops, basically everything cool about off road biking but without anything being created, maintained, or ehnhanced for the purpose of riding a bike. Yeah, I like it that way!

So how the heck do you hunt from a bike? The phrase is a little misleading I suppose, I'm not actually 'hunting' from the bike itself (duh), although if I could figure out how to get a video, a ride by pig assassination would be an internet sensation! No, I'm using the bike to cover way more ground than I normally could in a day. I think a mile into an area is pretty good, considering most hunters are on foot, and about half of those will decide to stop when they've only gone a few hundred yards into an area! While those guys are laughing at the fool on the mountain bike that just passed them, they're missing out on a quick way to cover lots of ground while escaping the crowd...but there's more. While pedaling your bike, even in rough terrain it's fairly quiet. Since your traveling several times faster than you can on foot, it's not unusual to round a bend or top a rise and find yourself within easy shooting distance of critters! Luckily, the gearset on my Specialized Rockhopper is very quiet when coasting, and my brakes are mostly quiet if I keep them clean enough.

I know, I know, right about now you're wondering how the heck I plan on getting an animal OUT after shooting it so far back in the woods. Well, I have an answer for that too. It's called a trailer. Ok, more accurately it's called a game cart that is modified to be pulled as a trailer. Still your skeptical? How can a person tow an animal with a bike? Well I don't. This is where you suffer in order to have higher success. The bike goes on top of the game, on the cart, all strapped down real nice, and it's time to start walking. Still, up and down creek banks you say? Hillbilly winch time. I have a small pulley set that is used to hoist animals or anything up to around 1000lbs. Tie off to a tree at the top of the bank and start pulling. Yes, it sucks. Yes, it works. Yes, others will wonder why you're working so hard. They're also the ones that are probably sitting around a camp drinking beer talking about what they WISH they had seen vs. what they actually saw in the field! OK, maybe not all of them, but if you use my method you will have outpaced probably 85% of the hunters that will hit the public lands!

Can't hit the broadside of a barn?

I see it every year at the shooting range, some guy is tweaking his Remington Sendero or Tactial SPS outfitted with the best 6x18 power scope or similar. Where the heck are THESE guys going? Afghanistan? Oh wait, maybe it's one of the guys headed off to the oilfields to protect oil wells and be paid 10k per shot if they ever have to shoot...yeah, riiiight. Are they snipers in civilian clothing? No, these are the guys who think the equipment will overcome their shooting shortcomings. OK, to be fair, not all of these guys fall into this category-there are those who actually hunt places where super long shots are required. I still don't think the hardware is necessary but, hey, they're the ones that have to carry all that heavy crap!

These guys are similar to another set of folks I 'observe' frequently. This is the 'all my rifles shoot 1" at a hundred yards (or better) crowd. Now I can honestly say that many rifles, especially with a little tweaking, can do this...but how important is this REALLY? Think about it, this measurement is only derived from multiple shots at a known distance. In addition to that, this is RANGE shooting. If either of the two above mentioned types stopped there, they've only done half the job they should as a hunter! Why? Because there ain't no dang shooting benches in the field!

How many shots will you get at an animal? Well, if it's more than 200 yards away, possibly several-which is why I'm willing to give some of the long range hunters more of a pass for having equipment that can maintain accuracy after barrels get hot from shooting (Sendero crowd). However, more often than not, three shots is on the high side of opportunity. This is because that big ol' boar in the mudhole can go from wallow to warp speed before most have time to actually shoot more than twice! Even a lightweight mountain rifle will maintain point of aim accuracy, with only slight variation, for three shots, possibly more.

So what to do? Know the animal. How big is the kill zone? It might surprise most to know that it's a lot bigger than they thought. Practice. Get off the bench, practice actual field shooting where you have to rest against a tree, boulder, backpack, shooting sticks, etc. Remember shooting technique. This is all about squeezing the trigger, breath control and proper shooting postions. Carry a shooting aid like the sticks mentioned previously, and do spend a little time at the range to be sure your rifle is sighted in.

If you do all the above, you probably won't need more than one shot to bag your animal of choice. Funny, snipers say one shot, one kill too..

Diversions, pigs in the heat and in praise of Eotech...

Wow, what a week! My wife told me Tuesday night that the car was suddenly running funny after having been fine all day. Probaly something simple-right? Well, it's in the shop getting a replacement engine because that was cheaper than the fix it needed! All because of some small problem with a sensor.. Makes me want to take up my threat of buying an early 70's family truckster and rebuilding it stem to stern! You could work on those in your driveway! Plus I was only getting 14mpg in town in our Expedition anyway. I can build an 'oldie' to easily get that or better while living up to 20 on the highway! Have we really progressed that much? Alas, time and money, time and money..

So how 'bout those pigs!?!?! I shot two last week in the blistering heat! Poor buggers are having a devil of a time as water dries up statewide. The first one I shot was in the creek channel, just a few feet from a pool of water. The second one was part of the group that ran away when I shot. They just came back because they didn't want to leave the water! I shot him at about 25ft from where the first one lay! Everything happened so fast that the 'rush' hit me about the time I was narrating on camera how everything went down. Oh well, I normally look like a dork on camera anyway, if this is worse it should be obvious that I was pretty stoked. If it ever makes TV maybe folks can relate to my excitement!

Our hunting grounds of choice are in and around a major creek northwest of the DFW metromess, because it still has some water in it, unlike most of the rest of the county! I hunted with my buddy Glenn's AR because it's new, it's a 6.8spc, and because I like it and wanted to shoot a pig with it. In addition to that, it's topped with an Eotech HWS (holographic weapon sight), which is my favorite type of sight for pig hunting. Some folks think of this as a battle sight only, used primarily for close quarters, however this is by far a myopic (get it-nearsighted, huh, huh?) view of this extremely versatile sight!! If you have the chance to hunt with one of these sights you should go for it. There is nothing out there that is faster for target aquisition at either long or short range! This sight also has a 1moa center dot which allows great accuracy out to 100yd and beyond! If you really want to reach out there, there are flip away magnifiers available as well.

I do a lot of daydreaming about how to set up a rifle to be versatile enough for any condition. I used to think that a scope with quick release rings, and iron sights for backup was all a person needed. Well, considering how much better an Eotech is than irons-and faster-I'm now working out how to add that capability to my bolt action rifle. Brownell's catalog, here I come! Well, after paying for an engine anyway.

Have you put yourself in a box?

Sounds silly and cliche, doesn't it? Well, in so many things it seems that our perspectives and attitudes form our opinions to a point that we limit OURSELVES. This is especially true in hunting. It's almost fun for me to push people's buttons when they start talking about what a pig will or won't do, or always or never does! This is because I have had MY eyes opened so many times, either by accident or luck. I'm gonna call all my eye-openers luck because I wouldn't be nearly as successful without those experiences! My great friend Glenn Guess likes to say that 'pigs can't read your dang rulebook' and whoever reads this would do well to tattoo that into their palms. Why palms? That way you can see it coming when you slap yourself in the forehead-the pigs just outsmarted you again!!

We just can't help it, we're creatures of habit and we know that animals are too, usually. Our lucky advantage over the animals is that we can engineer our surroundings to suit our needs. As such, we let our ideas bleed over into our interpretation of animal behavior. Most of the time this works. However, these ideas begin to fall apart when the hogs don't do what they're supposed to, after all, we know the rules!

If you're willing to put in the effort, and can keep an open mind about what pigs DO vs. what you always thought they did, you have a leg up on others. Get out of the same old hunting blind you've been stuck in so often and find those pigs! Take notes of where you found them, be observant and try to figure out WHY they are where they are. It's gonna take time and dedication, and you will be dirty, sweaty, tired and maybe even bleeding a little, but you will probably never want to go back in the box (blind) again!

If it was that easy, everybody would be doing it! Wait..it seems like they ARE!

Have you SEEN the price of gold lately? At $1600/oz there really is a new gold rush in America, heck, probably worldwide. Everybody would love to get their hands on some to cash in right now to help offset the Obamaconomy..duh, right? Well, MY particular way of doing that involves a metal detector. I hit lakes and other areas that should hold gold, and most times do, but hey, times are tight and it seems that people are being more careful about losing stuff. Or are they?

Of the several times I've been out to the lakes lately I've noticed a sharp increase in competition. Being a friendly person and talkative, I've gathered some information that those in the metal detecting industry would be happy to hear! About half of those I've talked with have new detectors and don't really know how best to use them. This is good for me, wait-GREAT for me because they certainly will miss much. A lot of these new detectorists have mid to high end machines because they want a powerful tool to find GOLD. Well, they now have it, and it's up to me to take advantage of the time they're fixing to spend on the learning curve!

Then there are the more savvy detectorists. Most detectorists will be ready to talk about everything like the weather, the economy, what their favorite color is..etc. However, what you won't get out of any conversation with a seasoned expert is anything that you can use to go find something! I mean, some of this stuff comes down to 'tricks of the trade' or hard earned knowledge that the newbie probably won't actually understand anyway. So I see lots of those guys now when I used to see only a few. It's not that they weren't there before mind you, but they're having to branch out now because so many folks are out there swinging detectors right now!

Then there are the ghosts. The ghosts are experts that know they have to beat the crowd. There are only a few ways to do this, and I can guarantee they miss some sleep in order to make this happen! These are the guys (or gals but not many) who are almost finished by the time you're still drinking coffee and rubbing your eyes. You may catch a glimpse of them but they will avoid you in every way they can! I cornered one once just to talk, not a good idea! The thought of a sand scoop upside the head SHOULD be a deterrent to most sane people, but in the quest for knowledge, sometimes sanity must be pushed to the side. It only took me a few attempts at being nice and trying to start up a conversation to realize that it just wasn't gonna happen! Do these guys find stuff..well..THEY won't tell you but maybe the equipment will. If you know your gear, it'll be easy to recognize those high-end detectors under the coating of scratches, dirt, fading, bits of tape, etc. It's almost a rule in detecting..if the detector looks like it's been groped by the TSA at a New Year's party, the guy probably knows how to use it WELL!

So here I sit after getting 4 hours sleep last night. I'm seventy cents richer and full up on Advil right now. But I'll get 'em, I've done it before...it's just gonna hurt a little.

Wait for it...

Well I just submitted another article to Boar Hunter Magazine! Hopefully this one will get published! If you hunt hogs and haven't read the mag, you should check it out. Sources vary but they have a list on their website of outlets that carry the magazine. As far as hunts go, I'm getting WAAY behind..it's just so dang hot outside and I've been doing this thing called work. Work sucks-did you know that? Well, once I get PAID from doing WORK, I'll be back out there and have a story to tell and some pics to share.

So I'm a blogger now..?

Wow..sure is big and quiet in here. Hope I have enough to say! How 'bout this, if it moves I probably hunt it, if it swims I'm liable to be trying to catch it! If somebody hid it, I'm probably trying to find it, and if you lost it, well..you better hope you put your name in it! Get ready for pictures of dead critters, metal detecting finds, general rantings, poking fun at those who can probably least tolerate it, and general nonsense that means something to me whether you like it or not!