Back to Basics

So not that anyone really reads this blog but I've decided that, in the interest of keeping this blog focused on the things I enjoy (i.e., hunting), I'm going to steer clear of anything to do with politics and such.  Unless, however, it has to do with politics that directly influence hunting or other related activities.  When I think about, talk about, or blog about politics I tend to feel a corresponding spike in my blood pressure and a similar downtrend in my overall mood and outlook.  Obviously, politics is a relevant and meaningful topic to be mindful of and be well-educated in, but I just figured bringing it into this blog would taint the original design of this outlet.

'Til next time...

A Nice Find

I was digging through one of my grandpa's old tool boxes the other day and stumbled upon this old hunting/fishing/garden knife of his that he used to carry around with quite often. He made the blade by grinding down and shaping a really old and rusty rasp that his dad used to sharpen their old farm axes and other misc implements with back when he was just a boy. 

He used an old shed antler he'd found for the handle and soldered it into place with some kind of old-fashioned tin roof repair alloy. My grandpa would always joke and say it was the best knife he'd ever made...because it was the only knife he'd ever made.

Overall it's a little over 9 inches total length with about a 4 1/2 inch blade and the tang runs the full length of the handle. It's a little slim for my big ol' fat meaty hands; but it's still an amazing little cutting tool and definitely a priceless reminder of one of the greatest men I ever knew.

I have frequently heard people scoff at the idea of there ever actually being a truly good "file knife" for one reason or another. I'm certainly no expert but I will have to say that this old knife served him very well for several decades and stood up to some pretty intense punishment while in my grandpa's employ.  He dressed dozens of deer with it, cut thousands of pounds of bait with it, used it along with a wooden mallet to split kindling, and even used it to dig up potatoes and turnips and weeds in his garden.  I'm pretty sure he used it as his dinner knife on numerous camping trips as well--which always grossed me out because I don't think he EVER washed it.  But he was a man's man baby and that shit didn't matter.

2015 Turkey Season Ended Without a Bang, But...

Here are some fair-to-middlun' quality pics from a recent turkey hunting excursion with my best friend and his daughter (seen here acting as my turkey decoy deployment specialist ;)) in my beloved home state. It was the last day of the 2015 TN spring turkey season and also the only day I was able to hunt this year on account of having had back surgery on April 3rd—which screwed me out of getting to make it into the woods for practically the entire season. The three of us hoofed it up to the top of Signal Knob after an unsuccessful early morning hunt but were greeted with an amazing panoramic view at the summit...which was accompanied by a lot of sucking wind. Our previous feelings of disappointment and frustration were all but ameliorated upon our first glance of the stunning vista which lay before us that more than made up for nobody getting a chance at a turkey. 

It may not be discernible in these pics but the visibility had to have been at least 50 miles across the West Highland Rim of Tennessee. l tell ya I haven't seen a view like that for some time.

The hill or "knob" (as they say in these parts) that we were on here in these photos was—I believe—used by the Union Army during the Civil War as an intelligence/signaling station because of its eminence over most of the surrounding countryside. From what I understand the station here on Signal Knob served as a relay station (using some kind of super bright ass lanterns to send messages) between the Union forces in the Franklin, TN area and their forces in the Murfreesboro area.

Sheepdogs

Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman, retired Army, has defined people in three categories. Most people are sheep who get on with their daily lives never intending to hurt anyone. Then there are wolves whose very way of life it to prey on the helpless flocks of sheep in our society. Wolves destroy for their basic needs but they also kill for sport. They inflict deliberate destruction of life only for the sake of destroying the weak and the helpless. Then there are the sheepdogs. Sheepdogs are the protectors of the greater society of sheep.

In human form they are the military members who elect to join the ranks of the defenders of our American way of life. Policemen are the civilian branch of the defender-sheepdog, brother and sisterhood.

The problem with sheepdogs is they can appear to us to look much like wolves. They have to be that way. One minute they are looking all shaggy and so cute you want to pet them and the next minute they are biting off the head of a wolf, which was sneaking up on you, because you failed to pay attention to your surroundings.

There is a fear in the flock that the sheepdogs will take advantage of their sheep charges and either try to totally control or bring destruction to parts of the flock. In some nations of the world the sheepdogs are the enemy; this, however, is not the case in the United States.

Unlike most countries our populace can arm themselves against threats, both foreign and domestic. We live in a call 911 society where we expect to pick up the phone and have the sheepdogs show up in minutes to protect us.

I once heard a mother call into the Dr. Laura radio show complaining about the fact she did not want her son to have any exposure to firearms. However, when she went over to her father-in-law’s house it was the home of a safe gun owner.  She felt his ideas were going to wrongly impact her son. Dr. Laura asked whom does the mother call when there is a potential violent situation in her life. Of course the mother stated she called a policeman (who has a gun on his hip), who will come and save the day and not take advantage of the citizen who has called for help. The mom wants a sheepdog to save her and her family from harm, but she can not envision her on son or daughter becoming a sheepdog.

[originally posted on http://www.chuckhawks.com/]

"Hypoliticracy"

If you'll notice, liberal democrats have and are continually pressing for more control over various areas of our (the citizens’) lives. Control over what people are allowed to talk about, what they're allowed to believe, what they must be willing to tolerate and not tolerate, and that people should not disagree or disapprove of beliefs that happen to be different than their own (even if the group that is supposedly being discriminated against is openly intolerant and behaves in a highly biased way towards other groups that differ from themselves). They want control over how we must (I say “must” because they want to make laws that strictly define exactly what you’re allowed to say to others) treat other people including a mandated complacency of suppressing one's own point of view in favor of leading an existence of perpetually walking on eggshells and never saying or doing something that upsets another group or person. They tout their stance against the "persecution" of certain groups as one of tolerance and open-mindedness. That type of ideology would be noble enough in and of itself; yet, the liberal democrats' actions are remarkably hypocritical since they lack the ability or willingness to accept the existence of opinions or behavior that they dislike or disagree with (I.e., Christianity, gun ownership, Pro-Life, Illegal Immigration, etc.).

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

Being asked not to offend ANYONE or express disapproval of any particular set of beliefs or behaviors is like being told that you're responsible for upholding the fragile self-esteem of the masses, whose delicate self-image and sense of happiness depends either solely or largely on the opinions and approval of everyone else. This is too great a burden for any one person or group of people to carry. One person's sense of well-being and significance is NOT and absolutely CANNOT be the responsibility of ANYONE else.

Somethin' To Think About...

There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.

Ayn Rand