Hunting

Got out to do a bit of hunting today.  Went up to the mountain northwest of Elkhorn Lake and hunted that area.  No mast here either.  Jumped more grouse which was a bit of a surprise but saw no sign of deer OR bear.  When I say no sign I mean no sign at all.  Not a print, not any scat, not a single rub, not a thing.  I took the Savage 99 in .308 Winchester.  Would have gotten a photo of the gun out in the woods but my camera battery died.  I did get a photo of of the heavy fog that was on the mountain when I started in.  It was a wet and dreary day but it wasn't too cold and moving quietly was easy in the rain and with the sopping wet leaves.

Notes from the gun shop...

Boy were things busy today.  We were short one man and there were a lot of people through the store.  Didn't do that much business, but there were a lot of questions to be answered as people were shopping for Christmas presents.  A lot of lucky people will apparently be getting guns for Christmas.

Notable guns?  Well, we took in a family inheritance of 10 mostly sad guns.  In that bunch there was a good Marlin 336 and a Winchester Model 67A.  We also took in a Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless (.32 ACP) in excellent condition but without a box.  In addition we bought a Uberti 7th Cavalry and a U.S. Carbine .30 caliber M1 (Inland mfg) with sling and oiler in excellent condition. 

Sadly, we had a regular customer who's hunting season this year convinced him that his hunting days were over.  He brought all his guns in to sell.  I hope I never get there. 

Happy Thanksgiving...

Once upon a time in a land far, far, away (Plymouth Colony) a number of people who had miraculously survived a period of starvation and want. They were so happy to be alive, to have survived both the ocean voyage and the period afterwards that they had a day of Thanksgiving in which they prayed after which they "feasted". The story is quite remarkable because these people had fled a place where they and their families were persecuted for political purposes because of their religious beliefs. They were so fearful of this persecution that they had embarked on a dangerous cross-Atlantic voyage in a small ship. Among that group of celebrants of God's mercy were your ancestors. Because of them and many others who took chances, risked their lives, labored all their lives, you get to live in the freest, safest, most comfortable place the world has ever known. Don't throw it away.

Notes from the gun shop...

Wow, we were busy today. Not as busy as on Saturday, but busy. Had a lot of people through the store on the second day of regular rifle season. Had 5 or 6 of the Remington 770 rifles come in with some sort of problem. With other guns malfunctions are often a matter of operator headspace, i.e. it is the shooter's fault, but not with the 770. One gun, also a 770, had a cheap scope they had managed to mess up through misoperation. They didn't want to spend the $40.00 replacement scope offered. We've also noted that a great number of screws are either ignored until they vibrate out and are lost OR are tightened until something breaks. Of course none of these faults is noticed until the shooter tries to actually use the firearm.

We also had a couple, just a couple, of people looking for guns or ammunition due to the election. This run on ammo, primers, etc, is a non-issue around here but apparently is a big thing elsewhere. One lady said that was because we already have ours...

No reports in the shop of big bucks however the boss man had killed a deer injured so many times previously, with so much scar tissue, that the meat processor to whom he takes his venison didn't want to waste effort to process it.

Tommy by Rudyard Kipling

I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind",
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!

Gone hunting today...

Went out to Leading Ridge Road near Bradley Pond and had a great time. Saw no bear sign and no deer or deer sign but there were squirrels AND turkey AND GROUSE. I jumped FIVE, that's 5 grouse! I've not seen grouse up there for several years. My dad took me up there just after the area was clear cut back in the 1970s and Mike Mays and I hunted there before he retired. Yes, he killed a deer up above the pond. I used to see deer up there in the laurel thickets all the time. Nothing today. I also used to hunt grouse up there with our Golden Retriever, Belle (Queen's Golden Belle) after I got my driver's license in 1971. That means I've been hunting up there on my own for 41 years.

One thing this tramping around proved is that I'm out of shape. The rifle was heavy and my legs tired in no time at all. I need to work on that.

Notes from the gun shop...

We were mighty busy today with lots of phone calls looking for ammo and a number of people coming through the door who needed our time, not just stuff.

Had a guy bring in a Remington 742 caliber .30-06 which had supposedly fired before locking completely ripping out half the locking lugs. HOWEVER, the case was in one piece although the shoulder was blown all the forward to the case mouth, an almost cylindrical case. Oh, and the primer was flattened. The bolt is jammed to the rear. The rest of the gun is apparently fine. I was told this was a problem with the 742s. anyone care to comment?

We aren't having a lot of people rushing in to buy guns as with the 2008 election but we are having a few and we have already run into a back order situation on all AR-15 rifles and receivers. We still have some in stock but can't order more for immediate delivery. Dittos on the S&W Bodyguard .380. We aren't getting the rush on powder or primers at this time either. I think that local people either have "enough" from the last rush or no money to spend now but that in other places the demand is high enough to cause shortages we'll feel here.

We have some neat guns in the cases. Yes, we have the Ruger LCP and LCR but we also have 2 Winchester Model 61s, a SIG 938, a Colt Police Positive in .38 S&W and a Police Positive Special in .38 S&W Special.

I heard about 5 "from my cold dead hands" comments today. One from a young lady who was looking to buy HER first handgun (although she has experience with her dad's guns). I hope it doesn't come to that!

One hears nothing good about the election in the shop but Nana has a friend who now tells us that the Democrats are more humane. I'm trying to figure out how that applies to this administration.

Notes from the gun shop...

I had delayed writing this because on Monday, immediately after work, I was tired. On Tuesday I was obsessed with the election. This morning I was angry/disappointed/upset/out of sorts. So, now, finally, here's the short run down...

We had a good and busy day on Monday. 12 backgrounds, a couple for multiple sales (if I remember correctly), but you get the idea. Busy. It is about time for muzzleloading season and many guns abandoned after the last season are finding their way to the shop for immediate repair, i.e. nipple and/or breech plug removal/replacement. Not all can be helped. Some were nice guns, once. Too bad. You have to clean as well as load 'em and shoot 'em.

We've still got the Winchester 61s in the rack. There's a Colt 1908 Hammerless Pocket .380 in the case as well as the Police Positive Special.

We joked on Monday what would happen on Wednesday if Obama won re-election. Well, he did and this, Wednesday, morning (I was only there from 10 to 12) we had 3 people come in wanting to look at guns to buy specifically giving the election results as the reason. They were right, too. Senator Feinstein has already moved to institute a gun ban and there would be no "grandfathering" clause. In other words those that have them now would be forced to turn them in. That's not all folks. The U.S. has, immediately following the election victory, backed the UN Arms Treaty Talks! So, get ready for another run on guns and ammo. It might not last as long or run as deep because people won't have the money this time around, but maybe, they'll be spending their food stamps and unemployment benefits.