airedale

My trapline dog kept his attention and I used my jacket to cover him up and pin him down so I could step on the release. With those big glaring eyes he was scary looking but he never tried to bite me although he had his mouth gaping and that sharp beak looking formidable, I was more worried about him hooking me with his claws which are huge and strong. Al

I did mine the easy way, I purchased an 8X10 shed from a local builder and set it up in front of my backyard range. It is now a little different than what is pictured as I have a space saving wall hinge mounted folding bench under the window that is lifted into place when I am shooting. I have one of those little buddy heaters hooked up to a 20lb tank to keep things warm when it is cold. I do quite a bit of handloading in the winter and it sure makes it nice to go out and shoot and test when the weather is not the best and helps pass the long winter blues. Al

I have two classes of knives, one class I call working knives and the others are for me collector knives. My every day working knives are sharpened with a couple of electric powered sharpeners with a final touchup on a hard stone. I have both a Work Sharp belt sharpener along with a Chef's Choice three slot electric, they do a good job especially on my kitchen knives, they are easy to use and fast and they make the knives plenty sharp enough for the jobs they do. All of what I consider to be my higher end collector knives get carefully hand sharpened with stones like pictured above, to be honest they never get actually used and are for looking at but I still like them to have a razor edge. Al

Always looking for an easier and simpler way of sharpening my knives, and I am a sucker that has purchased and tried many of the sharpening gadgets. I see Work Sharp has come up with another sharpener similar in operation to the old Lansky design of which I own with a much fancier jig. They have a cheap model and a high ender, both work on the same principle and I really do not think they will do a much better job than the old Lanskys. With a good eye, steady hand and patience it is tough to beat good quality hand sharpening with stones pictured like those above. Al

Sounds like that hunt was quite the experience, and successful, a belated well done. Al

One of the craziest things I had happen trapping, had a trap wise Fox digging up the trap around a hole set. An old timer showed me how to set a triangular triple trap set around the hole to catch trap wise culprits, theory was while digging up one trap carelessness would make for a wrong move and get a foot caught in one of the other two traps set nearby. Checking the triple set one morning I found a Cottontail Rabbit got caught in one trap which apparently caught the attention of a Great Horned Owl who swooped down on the Rabbit and ended up stepping on and getting himself caught in one of the other traps, that was a three ringed circus. By the way the triple set was successful for me several times on trap wise Reds. Al

Back when I did a lot of archery hunting a friend of mine owned one of those Coleman pop up trailers with the pull out canvas covered bunks on each end. We set it up during the southern zone archery season and used it for a base camp the entire season, it was better than a tent but not by much. I did go on a couple of outfitted hunts, one in Newfoundland for Caribou and one in Colorado for Elk, both were well run tent hunts, The outfitters took care of all the camp set up, great fun when I was young but I do not think I would do it today. Al

I do not do any archery shooting during the winter, it has always been a fair weather activity for me. I do quite a bit of firearm shooting during the winter months, I have a shack with a window facing my range targets to keep out of the weather. Al

Ballistic Chronographs like everything else has seen extensive evolution over the years. You had to be pretty well heeled to buy one of the first models as they were pricey. You actually shot through the screens which tripped the electronic speed measurement on the first ones, and had to buy new screens constantly to replace the shot out ones. The later sky screen models that came out were a big improvement and like most things electronic started to become affordable to the average shooter. The sky screens were mounted on a perfectly measured rail that was mounted on a tripod, there were wires that had to be connected to the rail that were hooked up to the Chronograph itself. That system worked OK but was a pain to setup. I bought a mid priced "Pact" about 30 years ago that I have used and have had decent results with it. In recent times Caldwell and Pro Chrono build a Chrono that is housed along with the sky screens in one cabinet, relatively much easier to setup than the old wired Pact-Oehler style chronographs and priced reasonable for the average shooter. The older sky screen models compared to these newer radar Chronos like the Garmin are Dinosaurs, in a word "simplicity." For an avid reloader and shooter a good chronograph is a must if one wants to know exactly how the ammo they are producing is performing. Al

The Democrats and their party's platform are becoming totally incompatible with the outdoor sports in every phase, be it shooting, hunting trapping, fishing, their end goal is to eventually shut everything down, that along with just about everything else. Al

Trapping is a lot of fun, I used to love checking my line, never knew what I was going to find. Good luck to you. Al

There is also some kind of pellet feed mixed in, that is the first thing they go for after he fills the troughs, they are hitting the feed earlier and earlier. There were a couple of 200 pounders there last night. Usually there is a big bunch of Turkeys there, I could hear some yelping the other day but have not seen any at the feeders yet. Al

I have purchased some from an ebay vendor years ago for my Super X1 Winchester, the ones I bought worked perfectly. You can always ask questions to the seller for any of your concerns. Al

Finished up another batch of 6.5 Creedmoor, went with a light Barnes 100 gr, the relatively new Winchester StaBall powder, the German Ruag primers and the nickel plated Starline brass that Kemosabe would love. All first time use for these components so I have my fingers crossed. I now have a pretty good stash of 6.5 ammo with a variety of loads, looking forward to testing at the range. Al

Looking at these old photos one thing that is noticeable, most of these hunters are lean and knarly looking, not many fat asses posing with game. I don't think they sat in stands much back then with all the comforts of home. Al

Both the older sky screen chronographs and the newer Radar types will measure arrow velocity. The Garmin Xero will measure just about everything. Measures medium- and high-velocity projectiles from 100 fps to 5,000 fps for bullets, arrows, bolts, slugs, birdshot, paintballs and airsoft BBs

Had a Black one this morning under the wife's bird feeder.

Knowing the exact speed a bullet leaves the barrel of a firearm will give the shooter-hunter the accurate information needed for sighting a firearm and it's bullet performance at different ranges, Chronographs provide that muzzle velocity information. Until recently your typical chronograph would use two sensors that would be triggered by a bullet's flight shadow traveling over them, as the bullet travels over the first sensor a timing program starts and after passing over the second sensor it stops, the amount of time traveling between the two can then be calculated in feet per second. These type chronographs work well and for the most part very accurate. Now on the scene are chronographs that operate with radar technology that work totally different. Placed slightly behind and along side the firearms barrel it will read the muzzle velocity with radar. Garmin has come out with a real game changer in the chronograph world, small simple to use and very accurate and expensive. For serous handloaders this Garmin is the icing on the cake. Al ============================================ Garmin Xero C1 Pro Chronograph 75375933073 Experience the perfect blend of technology and precision with the Garmin Xero C1 Pro Chronograph. This highly advanced device pairs seamlessly with your smartphone, giving you the advantage of recording results, comparing velocities, calculating extreme spreads, and tracking different projectiles all in one place. For our busy customers who value convenience and ease, the compact design won't interfere with your firearm's zero or barrel harmonics, making it simple to use and a breeze to transport. This gadget doesn't just measure medium- and high-velocity projectiles for bullets, arrows and the like, but offers a whopping battery life up to 6 hours and boasts an IPX7 water-resistant rating, adding a multitude of benefits for those passionate about shooting practice. Let the easy-to-read, backlit display guide your experiences at the range and shoot with crisp clarity. Shop the selection of Garmin Xero C1 Pro Chronograph at SCHEELS and take your shooting adventures to a whole new level. Features Pair with your smartphone, and use the ShotView app to record results and keep track of your data: compare velocity for every shot fired, calculate extreme spreads, keep track of different projectiles, track deviation and more Measures medium- and high-velocity projectiles from 100 fps to 5,000 fps for bullets, arrows, bolts, slugs, birdshot, paintballs and airsoft BBs Easy to set up and simple to use; turn it on, point it in the right direction, and shoot within roughly 15" of the device No need to attach anything to your firearm, which means it won't affect your zero or barrel harmonics Compact design is easy to transport since it fits in your back pocket Up to 6 hours of battery life give you plenty of time at the range Built to endure the elements with IPX7 water-resistant rating Features an easy-to-read, backlit display Button-operated design is simple to use

I had the crosshairs on a Jet Black Squirrel today but I gave him a pass, getting soft in my old age. I came to the conclusion I would rather see him running around in the woods than stuffed and sitting mounted on my mantle. Al

I wonder if it will work out like drugs or the law against bringing illegal guns into NY, unless all the states agree join in, the manpower and time would require makes it almost impossible to stop. Like drug runners and drug dealers it will create a big underground money industry running ammo adding more crimes to the mess we already have. Al

You can suck on the back of your hand or finger and with a bit of practice sound every bit as good as the best commercial calls.

I always size new brass to be on the safe side, I many times can feel the difference between brands when running them through the sizing die. Still you may be right with the overall length being just a tad too long where the lands grab the bullet enough to pull it forward upon extraction, or it could be a combination of both. You should be able to remedy the situation through the process of elimination. Al

I have several Squirrel calls and have had mixed results using them, several times I have had squirrels come right to me and other times paid no attention. What I look for mostly is an answer back for location and then I will attempt a stalk. When Squirrel hunting I am always looking for the brown leaves of Oak trees, the leaves stay on most of the winter so they will stick out like a sore thumb. Where there are Oak trees there will be Squirrels and deer too for that matter, sneak around still hunting doing a lot of glassing, then pick them off when one is spotted. Al

I actually enjoy Squirrel hunting more than Deer hunting, I have been out a bunch of times, and have taken several. I use all sorts of firearms, handguns, shotgun and rimfire rifles and a 32 cal black powder Crockett Squirrel rifle to keep things interesting, it is all about action. I will also mix in a little varmint calling. Squirrel Stew is a favorite of mine. Al