Life of a College Educated Redneck

A lot of people don't seem to get what hunting is about, and that's okay. It's just not their gig. But I get so pissed when I read stuff like this:

In his commentary on 60 Minutes on November 26, 2002, Andy Rooney started out talking about newspapers. "Newspapers are better than they used to be," he starts out innocuously enough. But two paragraphs down he digresses into this: "The Burlington Free Press has a story about shooting deer with a bow and arrow. Hunting deer with a rifle is one thing but shooting at anything with a bow and arrow is barbaric. Imagine all the places you could hit a deer with an arrow and not kill it."
The only possible explanation for that statement is pure ignorance. Apparently, as he reads through the newspaper, Rooney discovers something called bowhunting. He obviously knows nothing about it, but what difference does that make? Andy, being Andy, is qualified to form a judgment on any topic, and since he has a forum for spewing that judgment to the world, why not?

Well Andy, you haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about, and that thought crossed my mind last night.

I haven't hunted squirrels in years, mostly because there are so many other things to do, fish to catch, animals to pursue. (And they're a complete pain in the ass to skin). So last night I went to the farm, the place I grew up, and sat down under an old grove of shagbark hickory. It's the place I shot my first squirrel, and a part of my youth. Sitting there under those trees was like visiting old friends. I gathered some hickory nuts, and my girls loved them.

I never saw a squirrel....

Posted by: christopher  / 3:34 PM

A bunch of pro-2nd Amendment bloggers have launched Shooter's Carnival. Cool site. This site is purely about shooting and guns, not about politics. I've linked it to the right.

I also heartily recommend Accurate Reloading. A greater bunch of hunters and shooters would be hard to find.

Did you know that if you eat something, it's dead? If you answered in the affirmative, I think you're in the minority.

Not too long ago, Mrs. Redneck and I visited a (not too) local grocery, and stopped to examine the beef counter. This place is one of the "new" groceries in our area, built among and to serve the doyens of the massive, poorly built, heavily mortgaged houses, each sitting on 1/4 acre of previously good yielding cornfield. Quality here is hit and miss, at best, and there were no hits to be had this day. When I commented on the generally poor appearance of the meat available, the Mrs. said "Hey... we've still got a couple of venison roasts. I'll make that tonight."

Well, the comment was overheard by a portly, menopausal, minivan driving suburbobitch with too much perfume that commenced to opine on the beauty of deer in general, and the cold-hearted redneckedness of anyone who would shoot said delicious ruminate, etc. The wife just rolled her eyes; not at this overstuffed wench, but because she knew what was coming. I had not yet said a word.

Having appropriately chastised us, she picked up her approximately $52.00 bundle of Argentinian, antibiotic soaked, slightly green strip steaks and "shuffled" off with that "air"; you know, the one that makes John Kerry look humble.

Just as she hit the edge of hearing, I said "Ma'am?"
She turned, and acknowledged me with a look that didn't require speaking.
"You eat meat, I take it?", I asked.
"Of course. You watched me buy it!", she snorted.
"That's the difference between us; I'm a predator and you're a scavenger".

Daughter #1, at age 3, is something else. The other day she cried horribly when Papa came home without any doves. She wanted to eat them.

I have the odd habit of setting my computer's wallpaper as a photo of whatever happens to be in season at the time. At present, a lovely photo of two bluewinged teal is my wallpaper. Of course, if a browser window is open, the teal cannot be seen. As I write this, she is climbing on me saying repeatedly "Can I see the yummy ducks? Can I see the yummy ducks?..." I must be doing something right.....

Yesterday opened dove, teal, and goose seasons here. Rained like hell, so no joy in the morning, but shot as few doves in the afternoon. Daughter #1 didn't want to wait until they were cooked before eating them. That's my girl!!

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Just wingin it now.......