The Hog Blog

Texas has long been known for very liberal gun and hunting regulations.  To a lot of people, it’s one of the last bastions in an increasingly over-urbanized country for those who believe in self-determination and personal freedoms.  To a lot of others, it’s nothing more than a conservative counterpoint to liberal states like CA and MA. 

But politics aside, Texas has been at the forefront when it comes to managing feral hogs.  As the state with the highest population of wild hogs, and a hunting industry that is second to none, many people across the country are watching closely as the Lone Star State struggles to control the spread of these animals.  From trapping to night hunting, Texas hunters and animal control professionals have mounted a strong offensive to manage wild hogs, and it looks like the State is going to put one more tool at the disposal of hog hunters.

According to this article in the Dallas Morning News, the state legislature will vote on a bill to legalize “sport hunting” for wild hogs from helicopters.  While some private landowners are already utilizing licensed, professional extermination services to perform aerial shooting, this bill will make it legal for anyone to shoot hogs from the air. 

Lawmakers are taking aim at a different kind of pork with a bill that would legalize hunting feral hogs from a helicopter.

The pork choppers would thin out the 1.5 million wild hogs that cause an estimated $52 million in property and crop damage annually. And landowners might recoup some of their damages by leasing hunting rights to fliers.

“I know some folks will have fun with this,” said the bill’s author, Republican Rep. Sid Miller of Stephenville, “but I have not been anywhere in this state where they have not been a problem.”

I can see it now, a whole new industry springing up from the Red River to the Rio Grande… flocks of whirly-birds bristling with guns, as sports from around the country sign up for this newest hunting craze.  I’m not kidding either, as I know more than one hunter who would jump at the chance to go airborne and play door-gunner on feral swine. 

I can also hear the screams and moans as everyone from the “fair-chase” advocates to PETA jumps on a bandwagon to stop this “travesty”.  It doesn’t matter that the hogs are considered vermin in TX, or that they cause somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 million in crop damage every year… it’s all about the image, or the idea of someone actually having fun while performing what many see as a vital management function. 

Personally? 

My first gut reaction is that while it appeals to the adrenaline junkie in me, I’m not sure if it’s something I’d participate in.  I’ve shot vermin in the past, both rats and ground squirrels, and while I enjoyed some of the social aspects of these outings, I’m never left feeling really good about it when I’m done.  I can see the thrill of hanging out of the door of a helicopter from 1oo feet above ground, and shooting at running targets.  But I don’t know if I’d actually sign up for the experience.

But I’m not really opposed to it.  I can see the value, as landowners may now be able to make a little money off of hog control, rather than paying the high cost of having professionals do the aerial sharpshooting.  This could be a big deal to the smaller ranchers who can’t afford to hire the animal control specialists.  I don’t know if it will have the desired effect on the hog populations, but if it helps at all with management, then every little bit is valuable.    

I am aware that this will draw a certain type of “hunter”, and that some of these people do not represent the best image for our sport.  I know there will probably be a good bit of indiscriminate shooting,  poor shots not followed-up, and animals left to rot in the brush.  There won’t be any good way to mitigate the damage this will do to the image of sport hunting, and I’m sure that it will create one more schism within the hunting community. 

But I’m also aware that regardless of what we choose to call the practice, it is nothing less than pest control and wildlife management.  We poison mice and rats and leave them to wander away, get sick, and die slowly and painfully without uproar from the general populace… why would we extend a higher moral treatment to feral hogs, whether it’s poison or buckshot and bullets?  The job has got to be done, as wild hogs are definitely spreading out of control, not only in TX, but neighboring states are getting the spill-over.  It seems that this is one more valid tool in the management effort. 

It promises to be an interesting debate, but if it can be pulled off anywhere, it will happen in Texas.  I’ll be keeping my eyes and ears on this one, and will let you all know where it ends up. 

In the meantime, here’s a sample of what an aerial hog shoot looks like.  Be aware that this is not going to be a nice thing for some of you to watch…

Here’s a quickie from the current news.  This is out of Germany.

A wounded wild boar has reportedly killed a German hunter for the first time in modern memory near Postdam.

Apparently the hunter had wounded the boar with a bad shot, and it went to bay in a cornfield.  When his buddy went in after it, the boar charged and sliced the man’s leg open.  Undeterred, the 72 year-old hunter who’d first shot the animal went after it himself.  The boar attacked him next, cutting through an artery. 

Whopper Chopper!

Editorial comment – Wild boar can be dangerous, and while I’ve often pooh-poohed the suggestion that they should be treated as “dangerous game”, it’s certainly wise to be cautious and respectful.  I’ve seen, first hand, the damage they can do to a dog, and I’ve seen the scars on a couple of friends from their close experiences.  Those tusks are scary-sharp, and the deadly potential is definitely there. 

Be careful, and be smart.

The worst thing any writer can do is to be dishonest with the readers. 

By “dishonest”, I’m not talking about manipulating the details to make a story a little more interesting.  Within reason, that’s simple, poetic license.  It’s done a lot more than most people might care to admit, and it’s really not a bad thing as long as it doesn’t change the essential truth of the story. 

Changing the essential truth… that’s the key, I suppose.  Omit a little bit here, and a little bit there, and suddenly a story becomes an editorial.  With the right trim here and there, you can make Superman sound like Lex Luthor.  Fact becomes fiction becomes a lie…

As bloggers, I believe we have just as much responsibility to present these essential truths to the readers as any other professional journalist.  To be sure, we can certainly editorialize and present our opinions.  That’s part of the value of this format.  Of course, the other side (and the thing that makes it really valuable), is that our readers can respond to our opinions with their own thoughts, even if they don’t agree with ours.  The idea is to tell the readers what you think, and why, but not to tell them what they should think. 

I’ve taken great pride on the HogBlog in allowing individuals to speak their minds, as long as they aren’t spewing hatred, outright lies, or extremely foul language.  We’ve had anti-hunters and non-hunters here, and the ensuing dialogue was enlightening to everyone at some level.  We’ve debated the lead ammo issue at many levels, again with the same result.  We’ve even talked about tricky topics like high-fence hunting, and while debate may have become a little heated, it was civil and educational.  Every commenter and every comment receives due respect, both from me and from other readers. 

What I have never done is delete a comment because it pissed me off or offered a challenge that I couldn’t meet.  That is the worst kind of dishonesty, because by doing something like that you rob the other readers of the opportunity to make up their own minds.  You’ve also effectively gagged a valid participant in the conversation simply because you couldn’t offer a rejoinder or rebuttal to their position. 

Ducking behind the “Delete Comment”  button is an unacceptable kind of cowardice, and it devastates the credibility of the entire site.  Once you set that precedent, no one can ever trust you not to do it again, nor can they trust that you haven’t been doing it all along.      At that point you become irrelevant.

What I’m saying is, I think I’ve stayed pretty honest with all of you readers and fellow-bloggers.  I intend to keep it that way. 

I recently had an experience on another blog where a frustrated blogger decided that, rather than face my challenge to support his (quite slanderous) claims with facts, he’d simply delete my posts and block me from commenting.  I briefly thought about posting the entire exchange here, including the deleted posts, but realized that would be really silly and kind of egotistical on my part. 

The whole exchange was a sad reminder of why so many people discount the validity of blogs and the  ”new media” as information sources.  This guy, and others like him,  is making his own reality and presenting it as truth.  What’s worse, though, is that folks don’t always realize that bloggers like this guy are also writing for the print media, and appearing in pretty major magazines where they don’t have a “backstage audience” to keep them honest.  If we can’t trust them on the blogs, should we trust them in print?

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, and he’ll tell you what he wants you to hear. 

And if you listen to his whispered lies, he’ll tell you what to think and what to fear.

Near the end of the week last week, I got an email from Michael down at Native Hunt.  He had a professional videographer coming down, and wanted to know if I could make it for the weekend, both to cover the event for press releases, and just to join the fun.  He’d also be trying out a new camp chef, so he needed a few hungry mouths to feed.  It’s always a blast to hang out with Michael and his crew, whether I’m hunting, taking pictures, or just visiting. 

Anyway, it sounded like fun and I didn’t have anything planned for the weekend.  I asked if Kat could join us, and of course Michael, generous guy that he is, said, “Sure, the more the merrier!”

We hit the road late on Friday, and didn’t arrive into camp until almost 9:00.  Dinner was already done, but we were fortunate that they’d left a little bit of chili… just enough for two servings.  It was pretty tasty stuff, and it sure hit the spot as we stood around the fire under a light, drizzling rain. 

There were three hunters scheduled for the weekend.  One had already tagged out with a nice boar before we arrived.  Michael wanted his guides, Sam and Ed to take his partner, myself, and the videographer over to his other ranch in Priest Valley (about 45 minutes from the main Native Hunt ranch).  Kat would hang out at camp while we hunted.  As we discussed the morning’s plan, Michael told me to take my rifle along too.  If the chance came to shoot an additional hog, we could possibly get some extra video. 

Best laid plans and all that…  we arrived at Priest Valley to find the roads were a total quagmire.  Simply walking on the flat ground was a challenge, and there’s very little of this ranch that is flat.  Much of it is nearly vertical, and it’s a tough hump even when it’s dry.  The shale and clay turn into a wicked muck, slippery and clingy at the same time.  I should’ve taken a photo of the accumulation of mud on my boots, as it was quite sensational.

Anyway, we had a tough hike, and after an hour or two of near disasters and almost dumping his camera in the mud, the videographer opted out.  He wasn’t quite prepared for the extreme nature of the hunt, and the risk to the $6000 camera was too much to deal with.  He and Ed turned back, while Sam, Arlen (the hunter), and I went on. 

Well, it was a nice walk anyway…  lots of sign, but only one quick encounter with a hog.

We were back at the lodge for lunch by 1.  Chef Dave whipped up some really awesome blue-cheese stuffed hamburgers, along with a Waldorf salad and some ranch beans.  As we sat talking about the day, and plans for the evening hunt, I asked Michael if Kat could take a hog in my place.  She’d taken one several years ago, but on that occasion the guide had literally been holding the hog down while she put the muzzle to its head and pulled the trigger.  Not quite what she’d pictured, and not very satisfying.

Of course Michael, (again, being the generous guy he is) said, “Sure!” 

With that, we set out.  Since neither of us had really expected to be hunting on this trip, we hadn’t brought her Browning .270 along on the hunt.  She’d have to use my truck gun, a semi-customized Savage 30-06.  It’s a great rifle, and very accurate, but the stock was a little long for her.  Still, I was sure that if we could get set up for a good shot, she’d be able to do it. 

There are a bunch of feral pigs on the front of the ranch property.  With some diligence, you can almost always find a group.  This time took a little more diligence than usual, if diligence means walking.  Kat spotted the hogs first, but at almost 400 yards, it was way too far to do anything except get closer.  Unfortunately, the wind was blowing directly at our backs.  We set up on a ridgetop across from the pigs as they fed.  They were working their way towards an open field, and if they kept going they’d cross our wind and give us an advantage. 

Luck held, and they moved on by, although several of the hogs seemed to get a little panicked as they went by.  Even at over 250 yards, they were getting our scent.  They squirted across the saddle and gathered again down in the field.  It was time to make our move.

First, all we had to do was walk down a vertical hillside, covered in slick mud and rotten shale.  That accomplished, we had to drop down onto a road, and cut around the base of the hill over the field, until we got into position.  A lone boar fed out behind the main herd, and I decided this was the one we’d take.  We crept up to the edge of the road, until we were on a ledge about 80 yards from the boar.  The wind was perfect, and we had a screen of weeds and brush to hide us.  I had Kat stretch out prone, and put my Stetson on the ground for her to rest the rifle.  Once she got into position, it was just a matter of waiting for the boar to turn and give us the right shot opportunity.

Kat’s shot couldn’t have been more perfect.  The boar had turned just slightly quartering away and had his head down to feed.  The 180 grain, Winchester ETip took him just above the “elbow”, crossing just over the heart and exiting low on the opposite shoulder.  The hog went down like he’d been struck by Thor’s hammer, and with a couple of kicks, he was done. 

The videographer, unfortunately (for us) was with the other hunter on a different part of the property.  I captured the shot on my camera (that video will be online soon), but after the way this thing played out, I was really wishing we’d had the professional there to see it.  It was a classic “boom-flop” kill. 

Anyway, we rolled out to check her hog, and it turned out to be a decent little boar, with about two inches of razor-sharp tusks.  Not a monster, but a great meat pig and an excellent experience.  For my part, watching her make that shot was way better than if I’d killed the hog myself.

Over the next few months, I plan to be writing specifically about some of the products and changes in the industry that I learned about at the 2009 SHOT Show.  In the meantime, here are a few more “unusual” odds and ends I got a look at down on the floor.

Most waterfowl and predator hunters are aware of Mojo Outdoors, makers of motion decoys for everything from waterfowl to wildcats.  It’s nearly impossible to pass Mojo’s booth at the show because there are so many spinning wings and flipping, furry things that your eye gets pulled right in.  And hey, that’s exactly what their products are designed for.

So I was looking around at the dazzling display when I saw this thing on a shelf.  The Bug Shot isn’t a decoy or a lure.  It doesn’t spin, or wiggle, or hop.  It just kind of hangs there.  I tend to notice the thing that stands out, so I walked over and picked it up.

Turns out, the Bug Shot is an insect killer, designed for use in enclosed blinds, tree stands, or even hunting camps and cabins.  Inside the super-sized shotshell replica is a “wick” that exudes an insecticide for up to four months. 

The device is supposed to be effective on spiders, mosquitos, wasps, and other creepy crawlies that can make it miserable to sit in a stand.  It’s not really a new idea, of course, but it’s a nice presentation and marketed to the right audience. 

Here’s one from the realm of the unreal. 

It’s the new “fur camo” suit from Columbia Sportswear.  OK, so this is another one that would have been suitable for the Mojo display… it’s a decoy to get your attention, of course.  But nevertheless, it generated some fun and interesting conversations as passersby stopped to discuss it.  Some thought it was for real, others thought it was crazy, and almost

The most fun I had was when I found out that Jack Link’s beef jerky had a booth just around the corner.  Remember that Jack Link’s advertising campaign about messing with Sasquatch?  I could picture a lot of fun interaction between these two booths, but I guess I was the only one left with the energy to have a sense of humor at that point.

Oh, I did ask… and “Ma Boyle” apparently did approve this outfit! 

Finally, one more of the good ones. 

Buck Knives have been around a long, long time.  One of my first hunting knives carried the Buck brand, and I bet the same goes for a lot of you folks too.  They’re well-made, affordable, and everywhere! 

It was a big deal a couple of years ago when the company announced it was pulling stakes from San Diego.  It looked like production of the beloved, American-made (mostly) knives was goign to be moved overseas and a lot of faithful owners reconsidered their loyalties.   

Buck has settled into a new facility in Post Falls, ID, and is making many of their knives there, including this new beauty, the Avid Model 497.  It’s a big blade, with an unusual ergonomic design.  It’s actually cast for right-handed users, so there’s a factor for southpaws out there, but it sure felt nice to me.  I like my small, handy blades for most game, but when it comes to big stuff like Elk or big hogs, a big blade can sure help things along.  The legendary strength of the Buck blades is also useful for heavy work, like quartering and getting through heavy joints. 

There are a couple of models, including a basic model with an integrated zipper blade (gut hook).  I’ve never really cared much for the integrated zipper myself, and Buck has addressed that with a separate zipper blade that fits into its own pocket on the front of the 497’s sheath (unfortunately, I failed to capture that in the photo).  It’s a really nice knife, and it sounds like the price is going to be right too.  I don’t need another knife right now, but I have a feeling this one will make its way into my gear box soon.

Man, I tell ya… I’m walking my feet to the bone at the SHOT Show to bring everyone the latest and greatest in industry news, and how do I get rewarded?  Everybody else goes hog hunting!  And they did pretty well too!

First of all, there’s Jeff down in the South Carolina low country!  He’s out there putting hunters on the hogs and having a heck of a time at the Cypress Creek hunting club.  To really rub it in, he took a bunch of Tarheels out there, while thisTarheel hung out in a smelly old convention center.  From the looks of the Cypress Creek blog, there are plenty of hogs to kill down there, too!

Not content to kill hogs, Jeff is trapping the fool out of them too.  He even wrote a great blog entry, instructing other hunters on how to trap these smart critters for themselves.  Of course, here in CA, I can’t trap hogs without a depredation permit, so all I can do is look at all that pork in Jeff’s pictures and pout. 

Then I flip through my blogroll and there’s Rex and his cohorts at the Christmas Ranch.  They’ve been slaying the deer down there, and I was OK with that (even though I didn’t get a deer for myself this season), but then he had to go and rub it in with a couple of successful hog hunts!  Rex has been rubbing it in with his blog.  I’m soon gonna have to head down to MS and see if I can’t put an end to a legend… old Scissors!

I’m scared to keep reading through my blogroll, because I bet they’re not the only ones who have been out killing hogs while I slaved away at the SHOT Show.

That was a tough title to write.  I wanted to make it snappy, but it also had to tell you what this bit was about, right?  Maybe I failed on both counts, but who cares?  Onward and upward.

A week or two ago I posted my response to an article that appeared in Newsweek.  If you don’t feel like clicking that link to go back and see what it was all about, here it is in a nutshell:

The Newsweek article made a strong implication that hunting, and specifically trophy hunting, was causing a decline in the average size of the hunted species.  The article proceeded to offer several examples which, on the surface, appeared to support the thesis.  In my response, I deconstructed the argument, pointing out that the data is skewed and based on totally unconnected situations.  The populations in question were largely isolated, and the “hunting” in question was generally uncontrolled poaching.

Anyway, my argument stated that the article was misleading and erroneous, and that it appeared that it was pushing an anti-hunting agenda.  I added the caveat that this is mostly my own, educated opinion. 

So imagine my joy when I saw that none other than Dr Valerius Geist responded in kind to the article (actually a couple of articles in different publications, including this one).  While he made a few more erudite points, he validated my own opinion that it appears that there is an agenda at work here.  Tom Remington, at the Black Bear Blog was able to get permission to reprint the total of  Dr. Geist’s rejoinder.  It’s definitely worth a read.

See the things that happen while I’m on the road?  I was so busy with the SHOT Show that this one almost slipped right by!

That’s a wrap! 

Yepp, the 2009 SHOT Show is history, even if it didn’t really set any historic precedents this year (that I know of).  Attendance wasn’t quite what it has been, either by exhibitors or buyers.  Of course, the economy takes the majority of blame for that, and no one should be surprised.

As I’ve mentioned a time or two, there just wasn’t anything particularly outstanding to me at the show this year.  Of course there’s a continuation of the trends we saw last year, such as pink guns, proprietary short-fat magnums, and an ongoing preponderance of asian optics companies struggling to get a break over the established european names.  There’s no earthly way I could have begun to cover them all fairly, so I kept my focus narrow.  

One thing I did stay locked-in on was the lead-free ammunition offerings.  CA hunters are still in dire need of new options for alternatives to lead ammo, and I promised the Hog Blog readers I’d see what I could find.  I think I mentioned the new Remington ammo earlier in the week.  They’ve changed their plan from using the Lapua Naturalis copper, and will be rolling out their proprietary copper bullets, the Remington Premium Copper Solid, later this spring.  It looks like the initial offering will include the .6mm, .277 cal, .30 cal, and .338.  That will provide a good initial rollout and address the needs of the majority of commonly used calibers.  Big Green will not offer the bullets as separate components this year, but they do have plans to do so next year. 

Federal Premium has been loading the Barnes bullets for a while in a pretty wide variety of calibers.  One load that hasn’t been available from this company is the 30-30 Winchester.  That will change by mid-summer.  You can also expect some expansion of the available calibers in the Premium line. 

Winchester has one of the bigger stories, as they’ve announced that they’ll be rolling out .22LR and .22WMR cartridges later this year.  This will address the hue and cry from the rimfire varmint shooters, as they will join CCI in the .22 magnum realm, but the arrival of the long-rifle bullet is a big win for a lot of folks who can bring their 10-22s and 597s out of retirement.  They are also expanding their line of ETips to include 6mm (.243) and .338 cartridges.  The bullet components for all of the existing ETip calibers will also be available from Nosler by mid-summer.

Hornady has jumped into the game with their new GMX, lead-free bullets as well.  Hornady’s offering is another gilding metal, polymer tipped hollow-point, similar to the Nosler ETip.  According to the Hornady representative I spoke to, the benefit the GMX offers over the ETip and the copper Barnes bullet is that these bullets are designed to be driven at high velocities, and will perform better in many of the fat magnums that are so popular today.  The initial rollout will provide a bullet for the common calibers, from .242 to .338.  For the lever-gun shooters who’ve fallen in love with Hornady’s LeverEvolution ammo, the bad news is that the engineers still haven’t been able to figure out how to make this bullet work in a non-lead version.  The good news is that they are working on a solution.

Lever-gun hunters can look to Cor-Bon for the only other non-lead game in town, but that’s not news right now.  They have been loading the Barnes bullets for some time now, and they’re constantly adding to their line.  They’ve also expanded their line of DPX handgun cartridges. 

I’m not real up on slug hunting, but I did spend a good bit of time trying to see if I could find anything new for shotgun hunters.  Remington has had their copper sabot slugs for a while, and some other companies are loading the Barnes.  These sabots are great for the modern shotguns with rifled barrels, but a lot of folks have been asking about a non-sabot for smoothbores.  I didn’t see anything like this at the show, but it looks like Brenneke and Hastings may have something coming down the pike in the very near future. 

I’m hoping to get a chance to try some of the new stuff out as it rolls into production, and as it comes in, I’ll be reporting on the performance right here on the Hog Blog! 

As to all the other stuff I saw and learned this past week, I’ll be collecting my thoughts and getting it back out to you over the coming days.  Some of it will be fodder for later as well, as many of the changes and new products will not be in production until summer or early fall… and some of it won’t ever  see the light of day. 

It was a lot of fun, as always, despite my occasional cynicism.  A big bonus was the opportunity to spend several days with Albert Rasch, enjoying his first visit to the SHOT Show.  It’s fun to see someone come new to this monstrosity of a trade show, and watch as they try to absorb it all.  It’s almost as cool as watching a new hunter take his first wild hog or deer. 

Now, it’s time to finish packing my stuff, find space for all the schwag and tchotchkes, and get on a plane back to CA.  I’ve been gone long enough.

I was planning to write some today about the things I saw and learned on the SHOT Show floor, but they just really weren’t all that interesting.  Instead, I had a really great conversation with blogger and outdoor writer, Galen Geer.  It is not for no reason that his blog is entitled “The Thinking Hunter”. 

I’ve been reading Galen’s blog, as well as his responses to other bloggers like Holly (NorCal Cazadora) for some time now, and I’ve always been impressed with the feeling that this guy isn’t your typical hunting writer.  Spending an hour or so talking to him proved it…  he’s absolutely not typical at all. 

I happened to catch him discussing the lead in venison issue with a fellow from the QDMA (Quality Deer Management Association), and when I got a chance I introduced myself and joined the conversation.  Galen was particularly distressed by the press releases the NRA put out following the North Dakota and CDC blood tests (700 individuals tested for blood-borne lead to see if eating venison caused an increased level). 

I guess I’m not the only one who has been trying to figure out if the NRA read the same reports that I did, when their press release basically said there was absolutely nothing to worry about.  What I read indicated that yeah, there might be something worth taking note of.  No need for panic, but the results DID indicate that the people who ate venison had more lead in their systems.  Maybe we need to take a little extra care, particularly if we’re feeding expectant and nursing mothers or very young children.

As anyone who’s been reading this blog knows, my own opinion of the studies and surrounding furor has been a little ambivalent.  On the one hand, I am cautiously skeptical of the way the anti-lead folks are pushing their agenda.  Are they zealous but well-meaning, or is this really (as many hunters believe) an anti-hunting/anti-gun initiative behind it?  I tend to lean toward the former, but the other possibility is not inconceivable.  The anti-gun factions in particular have been pretty good at finding backdoor approaches to gun control. 

And, on the other hand, I’ve always been skeptical of NRA propaganda which plays on fear to mobilize the lowest common denominator.  I’m a Life Member of the NRA, and support the over-arching mission, but I sure get disgusted at some of the tactics that these folks come up with.  Their credibility is dangling on the edge, even within the hunting community.  If they lose that credibility completely, they’ll become nothing more than a right-wing version of PETA… show ponies whose only effects will be to irritate the public.

As a result, I’m left in the middle to make up my own mind, which is what we should all be doing anyway.  The information is available to anyone who wants to read it, and I would encourage every hunter to do so.  Look at the facts, and then decide whether you want to modify your own behavior in response.

My conversation with Mr. Geer helped me to crystallize a little bit of my position… at least for now.

The risk from lead in venison is nominal.  The evidence is still coming in, and there could be a surprise, but from the CDC study and anecdotal information (the fact that there hasn’t ever been a case of illness or death due to the use of lead ammunition), there’s just not much to worry about.  That’s kind of been my position all along… but now I think I agree with Geer that there is a caveat.  The very slight risk to developing children, particularly in utero, IS worth a little extra care. 

It doesn’t necessarily justify eliminating lead ammo, although that is an educated choice that hunters could make.  But it does justify being careful when butchering and processing meat.  Trim carefully, and maybe don’t serve ground meat that may contain lead fragments to pregnant women, nursing mothers, or very young children.  It’s probably fine for everyone else.  I don’t think that’s really unreasonable, although of course I think every hunter should be able to make his or her own decisions here.

I’d love to see the NRA and other hunting and gun rights organizations take a positive and pro-active approach to this issue, instead of simply lambasting it.  Why not take the opportunity to provide some objective education to hunters, and help them to be just a little safer?  Isn’t one of the purported goals of the organization to enhance and promote safety and education? 

Anyway, it was really helpful to sit and chat with someone like Geer who has deep ties into the hunting industry and media, but who is also willing to challenge the status quo with the harsh light of reason and logic. 

I promise I’ll have more product reviews and pictures and fun stuff after I conclude this last day of the show, but thought it was worth this little interlude to let ya’ll know that there’s more going on at this event than a bunch of people drooling over new toys and booth babes.

Seriously, what IS new? 

OK, maybe I’m jaded.  Maybe after coming to seven SHOT Shows in as many years, the impact just isn’t what it was.  I mean, I see all the signs up there over these products proclaiming “NEW FOR 2009!”, but when I look, I think I mostly see the same old things.  As my new friend and temporary roommate, Albert Rasch said, “how many ways can you slice a piece of cheese?” 

I suppose if I were more into “black rifles”, I’d be pretty fired up over all the things that are going on out there.  The tactical and law enforcement area is hopping and running over into the rest of the Convention Center.  Heck, even Woolrich is getting in on the tactical market! 

But all that said, the worst day at the SHOT Show is a day of wonder and awe.  There really is some pretty incredible stuff out there.  Here are a few things that struck me as a little bit different.

I was over at the Mossy Oak booth yesterday, hoping to speak to Tim Brooks, regarding Mossy Oak’s venture into native plants nurseries, when I stumbled across this saddle.  All of the leather work had been dipped in the Mossy Oak camo, and it looked absolutely spectacular!  I want one!

I mean, really…  getting your truck done in camo is cool.  But riding up to the ranch on this saddle…  oh yeah. 

The real kicker is that during the Winchester/Browning Range Day, they gave away door prizes.  One prize was to have an object of your choice dipped in Mossy Oak camo.  Of course, like everyone else, I was trying to figure out which rifle I’d get dipped.  It never occurred to me to get my saddle done!  Of course, I didn’t win anyway, so it’s a moot point… but it’s good for conversation.

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