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(((NOTE: This is an email I sent today to my non-hunting and non-shooting friends. I have been sending emails like this out over the past few years to promote a positive shooting and positive hunting image. So far so good, as I have not received any nasty replies, etc. on any of the ones I have sent out. I am posting it here and on Cabela's site so that other's may see what I wrote and quite possibly motivate others to send out some of their own experiences with the same goal in mind: educate the non-hunter or non-shooter.)))
It started last November in Kansas as the incessant winds blew across the plateau where I was doing my best to crawl within range of a whitetail. It was just not any whitetail buck, but the grand daddy of ?em all. Sporting 12 points high above his forehead, he was THE ONE on Dennis and Judy?s farm. Their farm has no trees, just flat farmland. I was either going to get HIM or I was going to go home and eat my license and deer tag for dinner. The tag was harder to consume than the actual hunting license. I still have serious doubts as to the nutritional value of tough paper in a white sauce.
This has actually been my first full winter as ?semi-retired.? Yes, I did retire, but that was into a fulltime job for three years which finally ended with the finished construction project. Since I now have a part time job, I classify myself as ?semi-retired.? It is ?almost retired.? This is an important ?transition state!?
Gone is the full-time stress of my career which had full time control of my life. As the Utilities Operations Superintendent I was always worried during the summer months that we might have a problem delivering enough potable water to our city. Then, during the winter months I worried that the heavy rains would flood out our wastewater treatment plant. I was always worrying about something, and it was always a huge worry that did not allow me to rest for awhile. Hence, there was no ?hibernation!?
This winter has been different. I have discovered the ?afternoon retirement nap!?
After working a few hours during the morning, I come home to my bride and lunch. A very nice, relaxing lunch, that usually involves stretching out across the couch and watching a wee bit of news, the weather, and then some wildlife program. With heavy eyes, a full belly, and a fire in the fireplace insert, my cozy eyes go shut. Hibernation.
Now somewhere in the hibernation mode comes ?the dreams??. dreams induced in subject matter by the 12 point Kansas buck, and the show on the TV that is still running on the other side of my eyelids.
I will admit to having an obsession with Dennis and Judy?s 12 point buck. I know he is out there in that Kansas wind walking about without any antlers on his head, thinking about how big his new set will grow this spring?. it is exactly what I am ALSO dreaming about!
Now, I fancy myself these days as a ?bow hunter.? I have two archery high-tech bows now? one to use in case the other is somehow damaged? gotta have a ?backup.? I also have all the targets, and gear that could ever possibly be needed at any time? arrows galore, tips and fletching repairs, nocks, etc. I am surrounded and weighted down with all of the most high-tech archery equipment available to modern man! But in my dreams none of it works in the incessant far western Kansas prairie wind! The arrows end up in the next county, just barley missing Dorothy and Toto.
I have therefore decided that there is a better way? the muzzleloader! While this does solve the 40 MPH wind problem, it does bring with it new mind sets.
First to consider is the ?muzzleloader age? factor. There are those of the flint, and percussion cap type of our great-great grandparents, or the new modern muzzleloader that uses shotgun primers for powder ignition. Let us consider the ancient form first!
If one is going to role-play, one should play the part. In this case one should travel on horseback, with all provisions on a donkey or mule. I dare say our daughter Megan will not allow me to borrow her horse, nor our neighbor to borrow his pair of donkeys for a trip back to Kansas. So that is not an option. Furthermore, if one is considering to use the ancient muzzleloader, one looks fairly silly driving up to the farm clothed in deer-skin shirt and pants, wearing leather moccasins and a furry raccoon hat. That is just not right, climbing out of my new 4x4 Tundra dressed like Davy Crockett. There is a serious disconnect there!
The other extreme muzzleloader option is the ?modern in-line muzzleloader,? usually completed with a modern rifle scope. As far as I can tell, these bare no resemblance to the guns of antiquity, except that they ?may? burn the black powders of the past. May means exactly that? they ?MAY.? Usually these modern arms are burning magnum loads of ?black powder? pellets, and shoot modern bullets with plastic (sabots) around their bases instead of an old cloth patch.
The black powders of today are of two types also: there is the ancient old stuff made of 75% potassium nitrate, 20% charcoal, and 15% sulfur. Or the new nitro-cellulose stuff, that kinda resembles it? it burns cleaner, faster, and hotter. You can get it in the fore-mentioned pellets, or in the ?loose? variety.
My hibernation dreams have resolved my selections?.
During the past week, our neighborhoods ?Big Brown? delivery truck has hauled in a variety of different sized boxes from Cabela?s. Yes, I purchased and have now assembled a new, modern in-line muzzleloader, complete with a modern scope, and a high tech, ?accuracy guaranteed barrel.? I possess all of the powder measurers, cleaning items, etc. required to support this new option. (As a footnote, it is probably NOT a good thing that one knows the name of thy UPS delivery person as well as I know ours, and even his predecessor. This may indicate that one has far too many hobbies?? Yes your Honor, I am guilty.)
During this next week I will head out to the club?s rifle ranges and dial this new ?Accura? smoke-pole puppy in. There will be loud bangs, followed by large clouds of sulfur smelling smoke?. all signaling the end to this winters afternoon part-time hibernation.
All that is left now is some Kansas luck? luck in that I along with many others, I will submit our paperwork in early May to be placed in a drawing to select this next fall?s hunting season ?smoke-pole? hunters.
It started last November in Kansas as the incessant winds blew across the plateau where I was doing my best to crawl within range of a whitetail. It was just not any whitetail buck, but the grand daddy of ?em all. Sporting 12 points high above his forehead, he was THE ONE on Dennis and Judy?s farm. Their farm has no trees, just flat farmland. I was either going to get HIM or I was going to go home and eat my license and deer tag for dinner. The tag was harder to consume than the actual hunting license. I still have serious doubts as to the nutritional value of tough paper in a white sauce.
This has actually been my first full winter as ?semi-retired.? Yes, I did retire, but that was into a fulltime job for three years which finally ended with the finished construction project. Since I now have a part time job, I classify myself as ?semi-retired.? It is ?almost retired.? This is an important ?transition state!?
Gone is the full-time stress of my career which had full time control of my life. As the Utilities Operations Superintendent I was always worried during the summer months that we might have a problem delivering enough potable water to our city. Then, during the winter months I worried that the heavy rains would flood out our wastewater treatment plant. I was always worrying about something, and it was always a huge worry that did not allow me to rest for awhile. Hence, there was no ?hibernation!?
This winter has been different. I have discovered the ?afternoon retirement nap!?
After working a few hours during the morning, I come home to my bride and lunch. A very nice, relaxing lunch, that usually involves stretching out across the couch and watching a wee bit of news, the weather, and then some wildlife program. With heavy eyes, a full belly, and a fire in the fireplace insert, my cozy eyes go shut. Hibernation.
Now somewhere in the hibernation mode comes ?the dreams??. dreams induced in subject matter by the 12 point Kansas buck, and the show on the TV that is still running on the other side of my eyelids.
I will admit to having an obsession with Dennis and Judy?s 12 point buck. I know he is out there in that Kansas wind walking about without any antlers on his head, thinking about how big his new set will grow this spring?. it is exactly what I am ALSO dreaming about!
Now, I fancy myself these days as a ?bow hunter.? I have two archery high-tech bows now? one to use in case the other is somehow damaged? gotta have a ?backup.? I also have all the targets, and gear that could ever possibly be needed at any time? arrows galore, tips and fletching repairs, nocks, etc. I am surrounded and weighted down with all of the most high-tech archery equipment available to modern man! But in my dreams none of it works in the incessant far western Kansas prairie wind! The arrows end up in the next county, just barley missing Dorothy and Toto.
I have therefore decided that there is a better way? the muzzleloader! While this does solve the 40 MPH wind problem, it does bring with it new mind sets.
First to consider is the ?muzzleloader age? factor. There are those of the flint, and percussion cap type of our great-great grandparents, or the new modern muzzleloader that uses shotgun primers for powder ignition. Let us consider the ancient form first!
If one is going to role-play, one should play the part. In this case one should travel on horseback, with all provisions on a donkey or mule. I dare say our daughter Megan will not allow me to borrow her horse, nor our neighbor to borrow his pair of donkeys for a trip back to Kansas. So that is not an option. Furthermore, if one is considering to use the ancient muzzleloader, one looks fairly silly driving up to the farm clothed in deer-skin shirt and pants, wearing leather moccasins and a furry raccoon hat. That is just not right, climbing out of my new 4x4 Tundra dressed like Davy Crockett. There is a serious disconnect there!
The other extreme muzzleloader option is the ?modern in-line muzzleloader,? usually completed with a modern rifle scope. As far as I can tell, these bare no resemblance to the guns of antiquity, except that they ?may? burn the black powders of the past. May means exactly that? they ?MAY.? Usually these modern arms are burning magnum loads of ?black powder? pellets, and shoot modern bullets with plastic (sabots) around their bases instead of an old cloth patch.
The black powders of today are of two types also: there is the ancient old stuff made of 75% potassium nitrate, 20% charcoal, and 15% sulfur. Or the new nitro-cellulose stuff, that kinda resembles it? it burns cleaner, faster, and hotter. You can get it in the fore-mentioned pellets, or in the ?loose? variety.
My hibernation dreams have resolved my selections?.
During the past week, our neighborhoods ?Big Brown? delivery truck has hauled in a variety of different sized boxes from Cabela?s. Yes, I purchased and have now assembled a new, modern in-line muzzleloader, complete with a modern scope, and a high tech, ?accuracy guaranteed barrel.? I possess all of the powder measurers, cleaning items, etc. required to support this new option. (As a footnote, it is probably NOT a good thing that one knows the name of thy UPS delivery person as well as I know ours, and even his predecessor. This may indicate that one has far too many hobbies?? Yes your Honor, I am guilty.)
During this next week I will head out to the club?s rifle ranges and dial this new ?Accura? smoke-pole puppy in. There will be loud bangs, followed by large clouds of sulfur smelling smoke?. all signaling the end to this winters afternoon part-time hibernation.
All that is left now is some Kansas luck? luck in that I along with many others, I will submit our paperwork in early May to be placed in a drawing to select this next fall?s hunting season ?smoke-pole? hunters.
