Dove, Dogs, and Shotguns

Blistering heat, dead or failing crops, dead lawns, and burn bans pretty much describe this summer here in Texas. Most say this year’s almost fourteen inch shortfall of rain is a curse, but I say it’s great news for dove hunting. Before you call me crazy, let me explain.

“In my opinion for doves and most avian species, the drought doesn’t affect them,” said Jeff Makemson, a state biologist.

Makemson goes on to say that drought doesn’t necessarily help dove as much as rainy, stormy weather hurts them.

“A dove will typically build a nest in a pine tree about 12 feet off the ground,” Makemson said. “It is a fragile nest that will blow down easily. Storms, heavy rain and wind will affect their nesting success.”

Nesting is critical to hunting success. Especially early in the season, when the population of dove is local birds. Heavy rain and storms limits a dove’s ability to nest and reproduce, therefore populations decline. The later migration of northern dove happens later in the season as cooler northern air forces them south in search of food and shelter.

In short, a good opening day is dependent on local dove populations ability to nest and reproduce. In a drought the mortality rates in nesting dove goes down and the reproduction rates go up. Therefore, populations are higher in a dry season. All this leads to great dove hunting during these years, and this year has all the conditions in place and should be phenomenal.

Another note worthy point about the effect of drought is that the hunting around good watering holes is better. In a wet year the dove can water at any puddle around and will not be found concentrated around large bodies of water. When you take the puddles away it forces them to head to the stock tanks and ponds, playing right into a smart hunter’s sights.

Dove don’t like watering where there is a lot of brush or high grass. They prefer sandy, flat shores with shallow water. In a drought, water levels drop creating perfect watering holes, and perfect hunting spots. Set up a few decoys and have plenty of shells, because you will need them.

My dad loves to get out early in the afternoon hunts, but with record temperatures, you might want to take a little longer nap. Dove will typically enter a field to feed in the afternoon between 3:30 and 4:00 P.M., but when it’s extraordinarily hot they will wait until closer to 5:00 P.M..

Just another way that an effective hunter can maximize his time in the field, spending more time reloading instead of false alarming on dragonflies.

Here’s to good hunting this season!

Time to RELOAD!

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

• Extreme Dove Hunt If you've got the funds the you should check out LCHunting.com. They are offering some serious dove hunting for a serious dove hunter. Just check out what is included for the price: Ground transportation from McAllen Texas Beretta AL390 Shotgun Deluxe Accommodations** Delicious meals included Open bar daily Field transportation......
• Walton Ranch Review I know this site is mainly about dove hunting, but hunting quail is a lot of fun also. Last Christmas, my brother took me and my oldest son, (Dad couldn't make it unfortunately) to the Walton Ranch  just outside of the small town of Navasota, TX. The Walton Ranch is a......
• Do Dove Decoys Work Every year I see hunters placing decoys around the dove fields. I've always wondered if they were worth their salt. Let's find out... Ducks, Geese, Turkeys are all susceptible to decoys. With ducks being the most social of the game birds. These flock oriented birds find safety when they spot......

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Of course the tree huggers don’t like it, but it looks like some one is going to get to have some fun in Waller. Luckily, Waller is only 20 minutes from my front door, I will be investigating what exactly this means for hunters and will keep everyone posted.

From the Houston Chronicle:

Federal wildlife wardens have granted a Waller County airport permission to kill up to 2,400 birds a year to reduce the danger of collisions with aircraft, stirring a new round of criticism from conservationists.

The permit allows the 2-year-old Houston Executive Airport to kill 13 species of migratory birds, including geese, egrets and sandhill cranes, in an effort to ensure aircraft safety.

Bird advocates argue that the permit confirms their decades-old position that the Katy Prairie, a popular stopping point for migratory birds on the central flyway, is not the right place for an airport.

“Why put an airport in a place full of migratory birds?” said attorney Jim Blackburn, who represented a citizens group that had opposed the development of the airport near wetlands and wildlife preserves. “They will kill thousands of birds, but the problem won’t go away.”

But Jeff Haskins, who leads the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s migratory bird office for the Southwest region, said the permit was “kind of a no-brainer. I always side with the aircraft.”

An airplane’s engine can suck in a bird — killing it and, sometimes, the engine. In January, geese sucked into engines forced a US Airways jet to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River shortly after taking off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

More than 7,500 planes collided with birds in 2007, according to the most recent federal data. But the Federal Aviation Administration has said it doesn’t know the full extent of the problem because only about 20 percent of bird strikes are reported.

The Houston Executive Airport, about 35 miles west of downtown, has recorded two bird strikes since opening in January 2007, said Andrew Perry, its executive director.

Airport officials have used loud, startling noises to scare birds away from the runway. The permit allows them to use shotguns and pesticides after every effort has been made to haze birds from the 1,980-acre property.

A wildlife manager under contract with the airport would kill the birds. If any are killed, it likely will happen mostly in the winter, as flocks of migratory fowl arrive.

Perry said the permit is standard operating procedure for an airport “in case there is a need to take an animal for the safety of people and the aircraft.”

The permit is in effect for one year, after which the airport must submit a list of kills to the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Airports throughout Texas and the nation must request such permits because transitory birds are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 among the United States, Canada, Mexico and many other countries.

Environmentalists had previously raised concerns about potential bird deaths if an airport operated on the prairie, home to hundreds of thousands of wintering geese, ducks and hawks and other resident birds, such as bald eagles and barn owls.

For nearly two decades, the city of Houston debated whether to build a Waller County airport for corporate jets and other smaller planes. But the city abandoned the project in 1998 after the FAA concluded that an airport should not be built on the site because the large number of birds in the area posed a threat.

Perry said the bird population has declined since then because of suburban sprawl.

Still, some bird experts said the permit makes little sense because most birds on the list are abundant.

“Where do you draw the line? Are 2,400 birds enough when thousands of geese winter in Waller County? I don’t think so,” said Cliff Shackelford, an ornithologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

What’s more, the list doesn’t include snow geese—a prominent inhabitant in the winter.

“This is a peculiar list,” said Fred Collins, a former president of the Houston Audubon Society. “It’s hard to recognize what they’re trying to do.”

Haskins, of the Fish and Wildlife Service, said the agency is aware that 2,400 is a small percentage of the birds that winter near the airport.

He said the number is based on the airport wildlife manager’s request.

matthew.tresaugue@chron.com

• TPWD Sets Hearings on Lastest Proposals In a news release from Steve Lightfoot with Texas Parks and Wildlife, he announced the the department would conduct 21 public hearings. The hearing would cover the topics of increasing fees and yhe new dove season propsals. Changes proposed for the 2009-10 Texas dove season include a 70 day season......
• Migratory Bird Report North Zone Dove: Best hunts have been in milo, corn and sunflowers around Abilene, Lubbock and Amarillo, though afternoon rains have limited the flight somewhat. The front forecasted for this week should deposit a new crop of mourning doves to Texas. Hunters around the Red River endured 10-12 inches of......
• Proposed legislation to infringe on hunter's rights Infringe is putting it mild. There are two bills in the Texas House of Representatives that are aimed directly and Texas hunters and gun owners. If passed, we could find ourselves needing some legal counsel. The following is from Texas State Rifle Association's website: Bad Bills~Bills to Stop HB 736 by......

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This is the video that  won first place at Cannes.

Perfect for ex-wives!

• When To Start Training I'd like to introduce you to Layla. She's six weeks old and I just brought her home two days ago. Soon she'll be retrieving my dove but for now I have to start the training process. Let's face it, at six weeks old her attention span is short and......
• Finding Good Dove Leases - Easier Said Than Done There are hundreds of dove leases advertised on the Internet and in newspapers. Just about everyone tells you that they have the best dove hunting in Texas. How do you know which ones actually have dove on them? IF you have a large bank account and can afford to hunt on......
• TPWD seeking dove leases Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is seeking to lease some more dove land for its public land. Landowners interested can click HERE for more information or call 512/389-4505. This a great opportunity for farmers to make some short term cash. The state generally pays about $5 per acre of land......

When you think about it, there is a lot of items that need to be accumulated to have a successful dove hunt. I’ve made a checklist to help make sure you don’t forget anything before opening day. Print it, and check it off before you leave, you’ll be happy you did.

• Place to hunt
• Place to stay
• Shotgun
• Spare Shotgun (just in case)
• Ammo
• Gun oil
• Hunting license
• Dog
• Dog kennel
• Electric collar
• Leash
• Dog treats
• Dog’s water bottle & water
• Dog food
• Flashlight
• Camo clothes
• Hunting boots
• Shell bag
• Game bag
• Shooting glasses
• Ear plugs
• Extra clothes
• Snacks for the field
• Water bottle for the field
• Drinks
• Ice
• Cooler for birds
• Cooler for drinks and food
• Mosquito spray
• Suncreen

• Shotgunning Tips I was looking through some past articles on Field & Stream's website site and came across an article with some very good tips on five tough shots for dove hunters. It covers: The Incomer You See Forever The Dove With Its Jets On The Long Crosser The Dove That Comes......
• Top 7 Things to do before Dove Season I can't believe it is already July 21st. In a little over a month I will be waiting for the sun to come up over a field in North Texas. As my plans get finalized, I thought I would put together a checklist to get you ahead of the pack......
• Finding Good Dove Leases - Easier Said Than Done There are hundreds of dove leases advertised on the Internet and in newspapers. Just about everyone tells you that they have the best dove hunting in Texas. How do you know which ones actually have dove on them? IF you have a large bank account and can afford to hunt on......

• Maybe Asking Santa for a White Christmas was a Bad Idea What a snow storm! Three days plus 90 minutes without electricity, 3 days without tap water (after power was restored), and 6 days without cable TV & Internet service. Not to mention pulling two people out of a ditch, shoveling 2 rather long driveways by hand, and the personal......
• Is Recession Preparing a New Breed of Survivalist? Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could......
• Opening Day Deer Hunting Season, Upstate NY Image by laffy4k via FlickrWell, the guys are off to hunting camp. Final shopping and packing up yesterday left my house a lot less messy and a lot more quiet. This year they opted to share the cooking and my husband elected me to cook a pot of chili. Our......

Charlie at the Picosa Ranch has recently listed his dove lease on our free listing service. THANK YOU, Charlie. Our goal at DD&S is to build a free site where hunters can view available listings and read reviews from hunters who have hunted these leases. So Charlie, get some of your customers to fill out the review form so everyone can see how great your place is. Below is all the info on the Picosa Ranch.

NAME OF LEASE: Charlie Ammann

EMAIL: cammann@picosaranch.com

CONTACT NAME: Charlie

CONTACT PHONE NUMBER: 512-428-5127

PREFERRED METHOD OF CONTACT: Phone

LOCATION INCLUDING CLOSEST CITY OR TOWN: Wilson County

TYPE OF LEASE: Day

PRICE: 850

DESCRIPTION:
Texas Dove Hunting
Picosa Ranch is a Texas dove hunter’s dream. Located just 30 miles southeast of San Antonio this pristine dove hunting property has grain fields of milo, millet and sunflower that hold whitewing and mourning dove throughout the ranch. If hunting doves around water ponds is your style, then you will enjoy the fast action of Texas dove hunting at its finest around 8 stocked ponds.

Texas Dove Hunting Package Includes:

•3 days of Texas Dove Hunting
•Guide service, skeet shooting, fishing, lodging, meals, beverages, in-field transportation, bird cleaning and vacuumed packaging.
•Dates: Sep. 18 - Nov. 3 and Dec. 26 - Jan. 9

•Rates: 3 Full Hunts (3 days/2 nights)- $895 per hunter
•Non- Hunters: $250 per night

• No reviews yet.

• Entries Available for Big Time Texas Hunts AUSTIN, Texas — The Lone Star State boasts some of the finest hunting anywhere in the country, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Big Time Texas Hunts offer hunters a chance to experience the best of the best. The Big Time Texas Hunts program offers the opportunity to win......
• Texas Migratory Bird Report North Zone Dove: Drier conditions have helped dove hunters the past few days. Grain fields of milo and corn continue to produce in the Panhandle north of Amarillo. Mourning doves have been best in the afternoon on the edges of fields. Abilene hunters have had good shoots in sunflowers. Red......
• 6 New Texas Dove Leases If anyone has hunted these leases, feel free to leave a review on them. Thanks for posting them, and keep them coming. Below are the details: NAME OF LEASE: Carol Knutson EMAIL: info@muysecoranch.com CONTACT NAME: Carol CONTACT PHONE NUMBER: 830-363-4281 PREFERRED METHOD OF CONTACT: Either LOCATION INCLUDING CLOSEST CITY OR......

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I can’t believe it is already July 21st. In a little over a month I will be waiting for the sun to come up over a field in North Texas. As my plans get finalized, I thought I would put together a checklist to get you ahead of the pack come opening day.

1. Determine where you are going to hunt. It may be that you go to the same place every year, but if not, make this choice within the next two weeks.
2. Scout, scout, scout. Did I mention scout? Probably the most important item on the list. By beginning early you will allow yourself time to find another lease if your first choice turns out to be a dud. For more tips on scouting go here.
3. Practice. If it has been a while since you shot anything but a coral snake in the front yard (took me three rounds), it would be wise to squeeze in a few rounds of skeet. Shooting skeet works out the bugs that can develop after a few months of inactivity. I might also mention that shooting skeet really gets your engines revving for opening day. For some tips on shotgunning go here.
4. Make the necessary purchases. Things like a hunting license, public land permit, your lease, shells, mosquito spray, shooting glasses, ear plugs, and any new accessories you would like to add to your arsenal. By starting early, you can spread the expenses out over a few pay checks, instead of postponing September’s mortgage payment.
5. Lodging arrangements. Don’t wait to the last minute on this one or else you might be crashing in your pickup. If you are hunting with a dog, make sure where you stay allows them. It can get expensive if they don’t.
6. Exercise fido. If your dog has laid around for eight or ten months, you probably want to break out the old decoy and get him a little exercise before you ask him to go retrieve in the 100 degree weather.
7. Clean your shotgun. For me this is a night before ritual, but it definitely needs to be done. A cleaned and oiled shotgun performs much better than one that hasn’t been taken care of.

If you knock these things out early, all you will have to think about the night before is who is going to get their limit first.

My friends at Impact guns can help you with all your preparations.

Time to RELOAD!

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

• Hunting South Texas I know we have a page to review hunting land, but I figured since this particular land is where we have our Top Gun competition every year, it deserved its very own post.     Since 2003 we've been hunting opening day of the south zone at the Las Palomas WMA in......
• 6 New Texas Dove Leases If anyone has hunted these leases, feel free to leave a review on them. Thanks for posting them, and keep them coming. Below are the details: NAME OF LEASE: Carol Knutson EMAIL: info@muysecoranch.com CONTACT NAME: Carol CONTACT PHONE NUMBER: 830-363-4281 PREFERRED METHOD OF CONTACT: Either LOCATION INCLUDING CLOSEST CITY OR......
• Skeet Shooting is Best Practice for Dove Hunters According to Phil Bourjaily of Field & Stream. Phil is a well known writer/gun expert and has some really good points on improving your kill ratio. I've always felt that skeet was a great warm up for dove season. I always start with my shotgun a little lower than most shooters to......

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• Should You Sell Your House in This Market? During the process of hunting for our first house, I got to thinking about the difficult position many Americans are in with the declining value of their homes.  In ways, it seems to be a great time to purchase a home if you have the ability to qualify for a......

 In the mail yesterday I received Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s special drawings magazine. Right inside the front cover was an advertisement for ‘BIG TIME Texas Hunts’.

There are seven ‘Big Time’ hunts you can put in for. They all start with Texas, e.g. Texas Premium Buck Hunt, exotic safari, gator hunt, whitetail bonanza, grand slam, waterfowl adventure, and the big time bird hunt.

The Big Time Bird Hunt winner gets to take three buddies for two days of quail hunting, two days of pheasant hunting, two afternoons of dove hunting, and one buddy gets to join the winner for a two-day guided spring turkey hunt.

Naturally, to put your name in for one of the hunts it cost $10 over the phone or at a licensed retailer and $9 if you enter online. Go to http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/bighunts to check it out and enter the drawing. The deadline to enter is Oct. 15, 2009. To purchase by phone call (800) 895-4248.

These hunts appear to be top of the line and all the proceeds go to help preserve the great traditions of hunting in Texas.

The bird hunt could be the best ten bucks you ever spent, call or go online today.

Time to RELOAD!

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

• Weekly Migratory Bird Hunting Report North Zone Dove: Dove hunters saw fair to good shoots around the Panhandle over cut corn and milo. The region has received rain during the summer so there are plenty of watering holes and playa lakes. Lubbock and fields north of Abilene were good for morning shoots of mourning doves.......
• Remington's Great American Bird Hunt (Wii Game) November 12, 2009 - SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Mastiff, a leading publisher of interactive entertainment, today announced that Remington Great American Bird Hunt for Wii, the latest in its popular series of outdoor action games, is now available in retail stores throughout North America. With an arsenal of authentic Remington......
• 6 New Texas Dove Leases If anyone has hunted these leases, feel free to leave a review on them. Thanks for posting them, and keep them coming. Below are the details: NAME OF LEASE: Carol Knutson EMAIL: info@muysecoranch.com CONTACT NAME: Carol CONTACT PHONE NUMBER: 830-363-4281 PREFERRED METHOD OF CONTACT: Either LOCATION INCLUDING CLOSEST CITY OR......

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Okay, I’ve been doing a little research on left handed shotguns. I figure I’m not the only left-hander that finds it difficult to find a left handed model. So I compiled a list of left handed shotguns available for 2009.

Hope it helps my fellow left handers in their quest to find a quality left handed shotgun.

Scroll down to get your favorite left handed shotgun added to the catalog!

From Remington:

Although Remington caters more to left handers than others, their 2009 selection of left handed models is pretty slim. The lineup only consists of two models, the 870 Express and 1100 G3. However, the 11-87 premier is still available for around a grand

• The 870 is the best selling pump in the world, you don’t achieve that without quality.
• MSRP = $400
• Specifications

• The 1100 G3 is a new version of the classic 1100. Introduced in 1964, the 1100 is timeless.
• Semi-automatic
• MSRP = $1000
• Specifications

From Benelli:

I was most impressed with Benelli’s lineup of left handed autoloaders. Benelli is known for holding up to the most brutal conditions and it’s nice to know a lefty has the option to go for the top shelf. Here is their left handed options.

• The M2 is known as Benelli’s workhorse.
• MSRP = $1400
• Specifications

• The Super Black Eagle II is a great autoloader, with an affordable price tag.
• MSRP = $1650 - $1900
• Specifications

• The Montefeltro is my favorite, but I’m not real big on synthetic stocks. 
• MSRP = $1300
• Specifications

From Browning:

Remington and Benelli both had dedicated pages for left handers, after that finding a left handed model became a little tougher. I only found one from Browning.

• A true left handed over and under, fairly rare, especially with a name like Browning.
• MSRP = $3500
• Specifications

From Beretta:

Beretta doesn’t make a dedicated left handed model that I could find, but several of the their models come with a reversible bolt for left handers. Here they are….

$1925

$1400

$1550

• Get all the specs on the Berettas here.

——————————————————————————-

Below are recommended models for left-handers, recommended by left-handers!!

——————————————————————————-

• I’ve had three left handed shotgunners recommend the BPS
• Not a left handed model, but has bottom ejection and a top safety that makes it very lefty friendly
• Browning quality
• Pump-action, several different versions available
• MSRP = $600-$800
• BPS specifications
• In stock at Impact Guns

• The Ithaca Model 37 is another bottom loader/ejector that lefties prefer.
• Pump-action
• Ithaca’s pumps are world renown for quality
• Choose from several models
• MSRP - $800-$1000
• Ithaca’s specifications
• Order directly from Ithaca

—————————————————————————–

Also, SKB makes quite a few left handed models. I opted not to include their photos because I haven’t the first clue about their quality or reliability. They seem to be more into trap guns and heavy up clay shooting, but you can decide if they are right for you by clicking here.

As far as shopping for left handed shotguns online, Able Ammo is hands down the most lefty friendly. It is as simple as AbleAmmo>Guns>Left Handed Guns>Left Handed Shotguns and you get about 25 shotguns to choose from.

Okay, I’m getting a pretty steady stream of viewers to this page. I’m trying to improve the catalog, so here is what we can do…. fill out the little form below and as I get the models other left handers shoot, I’ll add the specs of your shotguns to the catalog. Hopefully, over time, we can build a comprehensive catalog for all us left-handed, right-minded, shooters.

• Remington's New 1700 FPS Shotshell, 'Hypersonic'   1700 fps is pretty darn fast for a shotshell. Remington will introduce their new 'Hypersonic' high speed steel load later this year. I can only imagine the price. From Field and Stream: Later this year, Remington will offer the heaviest, fastest steel loads yet made. The new HyperSonics will......
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• 2009 New Shotguns This year many popular brands have came out with new models that will make out goal of limiting out on dove a little easier, and we'll be doing it in style. Let's look at some of the different models unique features. Benelli's Cordoba Performance Shop Edition: Automatic, Available in 12......

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From WCAX:

A new court ruling could ease prosecution of hunters who unintentionally wound or kill people. The Vermont Supreme Court has established the legal distinction between a tragic hunting accident and hunting criminal negligence that has already sent two hunters to prison with others awaiting trial.

Timothy Madden’s lawyer announced that Madden will be ready to be tried for involuntary manslaughter in October for shooting his pal David Jenkins while they were deer hunting in Milton. Police say Madden told them he thought Jenkins was a coyote and it was an accident.

Madden has rejected a plea deal for one year behind bars and chosen trial.

Five years ago Collin Viens became the first hunter ever sentenced to prison in Vermont, after he shot a farmer sitting in a tractor– not knowing the farmer was there. Viens got one year behind bars. He appealed claiming it was an accident, not a crime.

Two weeks ago the Vermont Supreme Court unanimously rejected Viens appeal. The court ruled that because Viens ignored the risk of causing the death or serious injury of all persons within gunshot range, the state was not even required to prove that he intentionally fired the rifle to prove criminal negligence.

“The Vermont Supreme Court is really clarifying that it’s not going to tolerate defenses that say, look, I didn’t mean to kill anybody. I wasn’t doing anything illegal,” explained Cheryl Hanna, a professor at Vt. Law School.

Hanna says the ruling established for the first time that hunters can be held criminally responsible for unintentionally wounding or killing others, even if they are breaking no other laws.

I think this is a good start for hunters. We don’t prosecute traffic accidents, other than establishing fault and writing a ticket, hunting accidents should be the same.

Time to RELOAD!

Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

• New Season Hunting, Fishing Licenses Go On Sale Aug. 15 AUSTIN, Texas — Texas hunting and fishing licenses for 2009-2010 will go on sale Saturday, Aug. 15. Sportsmen are reminded all current Texas annual hunting and fishing licenses (except for the year-to-date fishing license) expire Aug. 31. Most fees for recreational hunting and fishing licenses have increased by five percent;......
• Hunting South Texas I know we have a page to review hunting land, but I figured since this particular land is where we have our Top Gun competition every year, it deserved its very own post.     Since 2003 we've been hunting opening day of the south zone at the Las Palomas WMA in......
• Effects of Drought on Dove Hunting Blistering heat, dead or failing crops, dead lawns, and burn bans pretty much describe this summer here in Texas. Most say this year's almost fourteen inch shortfall of rain is a curse, but I say it's great news for dove hunting. Before you call me crazy, let me explain. “In......

• Goals and Objectives for 2010! Need Help Solidifying The main reason I started this blog was to create a diary of My Journey and it didn't take long for me to realize that accountability leads to success.  As such, every year I create a sort of Goals and Objectives, my latest one being my Goals and Objectives for 2009.   I then highlighted......
• School and State at Ends over Gun Decision The decision was made less than a day before the East Wake High School (North Carolina) marksmanship team was set to face off in a statewide shooting competition. At the behest of one of the principals of East Wake, along with the superintendent, the school team was barred from competing......
• The Unemployed Flocking to Grad School - A Bad Idea that Won't Die It seems that the young and unemployed are working their way toward becoming slightly older while earning dubious grad school credentials. According to this Forbes article, graduate business and law programs are all the rage with unemployed Gen-x'ers. Such a dubious plan would backfire with me as a potential employer:......

Looks like the 20th century traditions still hold true today. Out of nearly 300 votes Black labs received some 140 votes. Yellow labs took 2nd with 98 votes and chocolate came in 3rd 56 votes.

Thanks to everyone who participated.

• Bird dog training (part I) The following is the first article, written by my brother, in a series on how to train your bird dog. Darla. his lab, is an awesome bird dog. He has trained her since she was a puppy. Not only is she awesome hunting dove, she's great hunting quail also. If you've......
• 2010 Full Line Shotgun Catalog Okay, here is the line-up of 2010 shotguns from my favorite shotgun manufacturers. By no means is it their entire line of shotguns, but simply, my picks for wingshooters and a few target guns. Click on the pictures to go to the manufacturer's site. Enjoy. Benelli M1 & M2 Field Gauge: 12......
• Walton Ranch Review I know this site is mainly about dove hunting, but hunting quail is a lot of fun also. Last Christmas, my brother took me and my oldest son, (Dad couldn't make it unfortunately) to the Walton Ranch  just outside of the small town of Navasota, TX. The Walton Ranch is a......