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  • May 30, 2009

    Be Afraid...Be Very Afraid-23

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    With whitetail deer hunters overwhelmingly the largest single bloc of hunters out there and undoubtedly making up one heck of a group of gun-rights supporters, what we say and do in the coming weeks and months could be crucial. It’s crucial because to anyone paying attention—our current president and his administration, despite pre-election promises not to come after firearms owners, is ramping up to do just that.

    With President Obama barely a month into office, Attorney General Eric Holder said during a press conference in February that the president would seek to reinstitute the assault weapons ban and that the admin would seek to make it permanent. Never mind that less than three percent of crimes in this country are committed using the “cosmetically-defined” firearms.

    And if you don’t think that will ever apply to your deer rifle, think again as legal definitions will surely seek to place restrictions on magazine capacity and semi-auto operations. This particularly applies with a growing number of sportsmen picking up ARs for various types of hunting, including deer hunting (think Remington’s R-25). 

    Now, with Obama’s nomination of self-proclaimed judicial activist and anti-gunner Sonia Sotomayer to the Supreme Court, he’s clearly taken the next strategic step toward an all-out assault on firearms owners.

    In a Fox News article (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/28/sotomayors-gun-control-positi...) Ken Blackwell, a senior fellow with the Family Research Council called Sotomayer’s selection a “declaration of war against America’s gun owners.” Of major concern on the federal judge’s resume is her part in a ruling that claimed the Second Amendment didn’t apply to states, meaning a state government or local municipality can move to restrict your right to own firearms and that the amendment only applies to federal limitations.

    If that’s the case, then I suppose our right to free speech and our right to be secure in our homes against unreasonable search and seizure can also be restricted by states.

    I admittedly don’t generally buy into a lot of the fear-mongering and paranoia that comes with political change, such as what we’ve witnessed over the past year, but there is little denying that Obama is setting the stage to make life much more difficult for gun owners.

    His administration isn’t even trying to hide it.

    When asked about Sotomayer’s stance on the issue, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that Obama was “very comfortable with her interpretation of the Constitution being similar to that of his.”

    That should make it extremely uncomfortable for the rest of us.

    sotomayor
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  • February 18, 2009

    A Cornhusker Giant-8

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    I’ve told you about Nebraska whitetails before and not to ignore the Cornhusker state when it comes to whitetails. Here’s more proof. This past fall Deanna Hellbusch of Plattsmouth was hunting nearby in Nance County. As a middle school science teacher, weekends are precious periods for personal time. Deanna was hunting with a Remington bolt action chambered for in .270 and didn’t have a clue she was about to have a date with destiny, and encounter a truly giant buck. 

    The first thing that comes to mind is the mass of this buck and the gnarly nature of the buck’s chunky antlers. The buck has a 16x17 frame and Deanna has it on her “to-do” list to get the buck officially scored, but regardless of the final points, here’s her story.

    Deanna was hunting with her husband and father-in law on opening weekend of the Nebraska’s firearm season. On opening day the trio caught a glimpse of the big buck as they scouted their hunting property. Instead of taking a risky shot the trio put together a plan to make the buck go where they wanted him to go; not where the buck wanted to go. Even though they knew it was a risky move, the three agreed a “push” of the area was needed to make the buck move. After choosing an open area for Deanna to take a stand and get a clear shot, her husband and father-in-law circled to the opposite side of the section of land, and began zigzagging back to Deanna in hopes the big buck would move past her. It worked. 

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    Deanna was in the right location and as the buck appeared she lined up the sights and shot, and shot again. She estimated the shots were from 150 to 200 yards away. “It took me several shots to get him down...maybe because I was shaking so bad.” Like many big buck stories, Deanna didn’t know how big the buck really was until she hustled over for an up-close inspection of him. “Thankfully I didn't realize REALLY how big he was until I walked up to him, then I might have completely missed.” she added. 

    Deanna started out hunting with her husband 11 years ago and has been fortunate to take a buck every year. She started out her deer hunting career with “Spike” the mule deer and has tagged some decent bucks since, “but of course nothing like this!”

    Congratulations Deanna on a great trophy and a plan well executed!

     

    Cornhusker Giant
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  • February 5, 2009

    A Backyard Buck-8

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    After watching all the amazing buck hunts that run on several of the outdoor networks, a hunter may start thinking that the grass is probably greener somewhere else. Hunting shows can sometimes be misleading by making things look a lot easier than what they really are. All we are watching is an edited highlighted version of a hunt that may have actually taken days or even weeks to make. However, seeing intense footage of long-tined giants fighting or thick-necked bruisers chasing does is enough to make all of us want to pack our bags and hit the road. Hunting out of state can be extremely tough and demanding when you work for a living, but it can also potentially knock you out of some really good trips right at home. This is almost what happened to an aircraft mechanic named Mike Thompson last season.

    Ironically, Thompson used just about every vacation and sick day he had left last fall while hunting on the road. It was quickly turning out to be one of the worst deer seasons this bowhunter from Texas had ever experienced. Nothing was going right and it always seemed he was a day late or a few days early when it came to being in the stand at the right time. Most of the deer activity was taking place during the night on these hunts and the shooter bucks were really laying low. In the end, Thompson returned home empty handed and somewhat demoralized from his run of bad luck on the road. However, Santa Claus was about to bring this disheartened bowhunter a present he would never forget over the holidays.

    Thompson decided to redeem himself and climb back into the stand over his Christmas break at home. It was the late season in north-central Texas and he had one more chance to punch a tag before time ran out. On December 22, a cold front hit that gave Thompson a quick surge of confidence. It wasn’t long before the deer were off the bed and on the move along the creek bottoms just below his stand. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the buck he had been waiting for all season long stepped into a cleared shooting lane just seven yards away. Without hesitation, he drew his bow and rested the first pin on the buck’s sweet spot before squeezing the release. The shot was perfect and a short tracking job later, Thompson found himself standing over his second best archery buck ever. Sometimes a lot of good hunting gets overlooked right in our own backyards. Way to hang in there Mike and turn your season around.      

     

     

     

    BBZ Thompson
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