Hunt Smart Think Safety

In honor of the fact that I’m contemplating taking a hike this weekend I thought it would be a good time to discuss what you should do if you get lost. Every year hunters and hikers go out into the woods and venture off the known trails and have to be rescued. Here are some ideas for ways to help yourself if you do get lost, and also some tips to ensure that, should you need to be rescued, you will be found alive and safe.

How to Reorient Yourself if You’re Lost

Tip 1: Use Your Compass - This supposes that you brought a compass with you. A compass should be a standard part of your hiking gear.

Tip 2: Use Nature’s Natural Directional Indicators - The North Star indicates where north is. If you put a stick in the ground and follow the shadow as the sun moves, you will get an indication of which way is East and which way is West.

Tip 3: Don’t Fool Yourself - If you’re lost and really want to get home you may fool yourself into thinking you see landmarks you know when they really aren’t there. Unless you’re very sure of which direction you should go, your best bet is to stay put and wait for rescue.

What To Do While You Wait for Rescue

Tip 1: Check for Immediate Danger - Make sure the area you’re in is secure. If you are on a hill or a mountain make sure there are no rock slides in your vicinity. If you are in the woods, make sure there are no dangerous animals in your area.

Tip 2: Provide Clues - If you are something that is brightly colored, tie it to a tree limb. If you have the materials to make a fire, light one. Use rocks to spell out SOS or use tree branches to make an arrow pointing to your location. The more clues you leave for searchers, the easier it will be for them to find you.

Tip 3: Make Noise - Yell, whistle, clap, do anything you can to make noise. The noise can lead searchers to you and may have the added advantage of keeping you awake and alert. It may also scare away any dangerous animals in the area.

Of course, the biggest thing you can do to help yourself if you’re lost is to let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to be back. Even if it is something as simple as leaving a note on your kitchen counter if you live alone, the information you leave could be invaluable to searchers who are trying to find you.

Here are a few websites with good information about what to do if you’re lost.

How to Survive If You’re Lost In the Woods
How to be Found if You’re Lost
Staying Alive If You’re Lost or Stranded

Technorati Tags [Safety Friday, what to do if lost, staying safe if lost]

I’m not really sure how I feel about this story, so I thought I’d discuss it and see if any of you had opinions on the subject. Here are the bare bones of the tale. A Wisconsin man was turkey hunting with his son and was stopped by a Sheriff’s Deputy. In his truck was a 12 gauge shotgun in a case. The hunter told the deputy he was helping his son hunt turkeys.

As it turned out, the guy who was stopped had been convicted of two non-violent felonies in 1982, twenty six years ago. Since then his record has been clean and he has committed no more infractions. Regardless, the law in Wisconsin prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm. The man who had the gun is now facing a fine of $25,000 and up to five years in jail.

As I said I’m not really sure how I feel about this story. On one hand, if you’re convicted of a felony, there should be punishment. On the other hand, shouldn’t there be some sort of statute of limitations? It doesn’t say whether or not the original conviction carried jail time or fines, but couldn’t it reasonably be assumed that he who did the crime has also done his time?

Since the original convictions in 1982, the person in question has apparently been on the straight and narrow. He has had no further run-ins with the law, or at least none that are mentioned in the article I found. While I can see the point of those who say that the law is the law, I can also have to ask what harm was being done here, and is it really worth putting this man in jail and fining him $25,000?

For me, the main question is where do you draw the line? If you’re convicted of a felony in which a gun was used, than I’m all for prohibiting you from having guns in the future. If the crime was non-violent and you’ve managed to stay out of trouble for the 26 years since then, I’m thinking it should be a different story.

I guess, in the end, it comes down to whether or not we believe that guns are more dangerous than other weapons that can end up in the hands of felons. After all drunk drivers may lose their licenses for a time if they’re convicted of drunk driving, but once they’ve served their sentence, they’re allowed to drive again. People convicted of felonies aren’t prohibited from having axes, or sledgehammers, or knives, any of which could be used as a weapon and make someone equally as dead as a gun could. Why is a gun the only weapon that is singled out? What makes a gun in the hands of a convicted felon so much more dangerous than any other weapon?

There definitely is a movement out there that is working to demonize guns, and laws like the one in Wisconsin are part of that movement. If the average citizen can be convinced that guns are more dangerous and have more potential for violence than other weapons, than laws which restrict who can have a gun and how it can be used can be passed more easily. It’s really that simple.

Sadly, for the guy in Wisconsin, who seemed to have made something of his life since he made a mistake when he was young, common sense about guns and gun laws may come too late. I certainly hope it doesn’t come too late for the rest of us.


Technorati Tags [Seboygan Wisconsin, gun laws, felony conviction and gun posession]

Let’s Hear It For Little Girls Who Hunt!
Mike Hanback has a great post on his blog about 3 South Dakota bucks. Check out the picture of the hunter who took the first buck. You’ve got to love that. Stop by and congratulate this young huntress on her success.

A Significant Moment in Fatherhood
Bill, the writer of the Muskoka Outdoors Blog has a terrific post about a couple of moments that may only have significance to him. It’s a good read.

Why I Hunt: NorCal Cazadora
Holly is the writer I want to be when I grow up. She has written some very beautiful and inspiring pieces about her hunting experiences, but her post on why she hunts may be one of her very best. It definitely makes the must read list.

Why MTR Continues in West Virigina
Bluemountainmama at Ruminations of a Country Girl points out one reason why MTR continues in West Virginia, many of the politicians are in league with the coal company executives. It’s a sad state of affairs.

Because I Know How You Love the Deer Pictures
Liberty Pines Ranch Breaks was recently added to the OBS Blogroll. Wayne, who writes the blog, recently posted some great deer cam pictures. Jeff at Lowcountry Hunting also posted some great photos of big bucks which were taken by a friend of his. I know deer season is still a way off, but there’s no harm in looking, right?

Fishing Across the Pond
The Suburban Bushwhacker did a great piece on fishing in a suburban environment. There are some great pictures accompanying the story as well. It makes me want to hop a flight and go explore England.

An Update on Brad
Some of you may remember that Jon Bryan’s son, Brad, has been fighting lung cancer. Based on this post it sounds as though he is doing well. Here’s hoping the good news continues!

Hunters Helping Kids: The Good Work Continues
Othmar has a great story about a youth turkey hunt hosted by Hunters Helping Kids in New York. This organization does a lot of good work and introduces kids to hunting. It certainly deserves our support.

Be Careful Out There!
Phillip’s post “To The Anti Hunter” has been getting most of the press this week, but I wanted to point out another one of his posts instead. He wrote a post about hunting accidents that almost perfectly echoes a lot of the stuff I’ve been saying in my last few Safety Friday posts. People do need to be more careful.

A Funny Hunting Post
Marian, who has been doing a lot lately to spotlight some newer bloggers, has led me to the Base Camp Legends Blog. As Marian points out, the post “Guns, Ammo and – What’s This” is a very funny post. If you haven’t been by yet, stop by and give it a read.

When Bad Customer Service Happens to Good People
Arthur at Simply Outdoors tells us the story of the bad customer service he got from Taurus. Most of you probably know what a customer service zealot I am, and there is no excuse for this sort of treatment. One of the pluses of having a blog, however, is that you can let people know when things go bad. If enough people do that, and companies can get feedback in real time, those with bad customer service will either change their policies or they’ll find they have no customers to serve.

41 Years as an Outdoor Writer
In my opinion Dave Richey is one of the premiere outdoor writers alive today, and certainly one of the premiere outdoor writers in my home state. His post “41 Years of Helping New Writers” shows you a bit of why he has been so successful. He has been a great resource for outdoor readers and outdoor writers for many years. Congratulations on 41 years Dave, and thanks for all you’ve done.

Technorati Tags [Community Wednesday, outdoor blogs, outdoor blog posts]

Last week Arthur from Simply Outdoors wrote a stellar post detailing the reasons why he hunts. At the end of his post he said the following:

“I even wouldn’t mind seeing a post from Kristine explaining why she has contemplated taking up hunting. That would great!”

It’s actually kind of funny, because I’ve never really tried to articulate the reasons why I’m considering becoming a hunter. I’ve written before about that fact that I went from someone who absolutely would not want to hunt, to someone who was willing to admit she might like to try hunting, to someone who is fairly certain she will hunt at some point, but I don’t think I’ve ever tried to describe how that transition was made and what caused it to happen. I’m not sure that subject is one that I can cover in a single post so, for today, I’ll simply explain some of the reasons behind my change in attitude.

Reason 1: It’s Unexpected - I’ve said this before, I’m the original indoor girl. The thought of me hunting or even considering hunting still mystifies most of my family and long time friends. I think part of the reason hunting intrigues me so much is because it is so far outside the realm of the things I normally do. I’m wondering if trying something radically different might not bring an additional dimension to my life.

Reason 2: I Should Try It - I’ve now become a part of this outdoor community that has accepted me and my opinions with open arms. I regularly write about various aspects of hunting in spite of the fact that I have no practical experience with the sport. I feel I should at least try hunting once, so I’ll be able to write on the subject with more authority.

Reason 3:The Camaraderie - I am accepted by the hunting and outdoor community, which is a wonderful thing. Still, I’ve never sat around a campfire at the end of a day’s hunting and discussed how things went that day. I’ve never celebrated a successful hunt in person. I would like to know what being part of a hunting party feels like when you participate in the hunt, not just watch from the sidelines.

Reason 4: I Have This Gut Feeling - Don’t ask me why, because I couldn’t tell you, but I have this feeling that the outdoors is going to be part of my professional life for a long time to come. The more I learn about hunting, fishing, conservation and how all these things interact and can be attacked, the more I feel I could have a voice and an impact. Given that feeling, it stands to reason that I should find ways to enjoy the outdoors and to connect with others who enjoy the outdoors. Hunting is one of those ways.

Reason 5:I Want to See If I Can Do It - There’s a lot of new stuff to learn. I have to pass my hunter safety course. I have to learn to shoot much better than I do at present. I have to learn to find the animals I want to hunt. I have to see if I can pull the trigger (I don’t think I’ll know until I’m in the moment). Hunting puts a lot of new challenges in front of me, and I like new challenges.

There are many more reasons why I think I’ll give hunting a try at some point, but the reasons listed above are probably in the top 10. There are days when I’m still not sure how I got from where I was to where I am, but I guess that’s a post for another day.


Technorati Tags [hunting, Simply Outdoors, reasons for hunting]

In last week’s Safety Friday post I asked why, despite all the available information, some people still choose to behave in an unsafe manner. This week, I’ve read yet more stores about people who were injured or killed because they couldn’t follow basic safety rules. Reading these stories makes me equal parts sick and angry. Being safe requires following some relatively simple rules. Why is it some people just can’t seem to do that?

I suppose what bothers me more than anything is the fact that the actions of unsafe hunters can often have consequences for other people who are innocently in the woods minding their own business. Maybe it’s a person hiking. Possibly it is another hunter. Suddenly the stupid actions of one individual impact the life of another individual who did nothing but happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In the end, I think being safe comes down to two things. The first thing is knowledge. In order to be safe, you have to know what the dangers are, and how to avoid them. That’s why there are classes to teach you to shoot a gun or bow. That’s why hunter safety classes are required if you want to hunt legally. That’s why it is recommended that you practice the safety techniques you are taught, so that when the moment comes, you’re body and your brain will both know how to make the right, and safe, decision.

The other part of being safe is responsibility. Learning safety techniques is a necessary part of being safe, but there most likely won’t be an instructor in the woods to make sure you follow through on what you’ve been taught. The only one who can take responsibility for keeping yourself and those around you safe is you. The sad fact is that you can read all the pamphlets and attend all the classes in the world, but that won’t mean anything if you can’t take responsibility for your actions.

There are a lot of debates about what age is too young to hunt, or whether hunters as a group are irresponsible or whether anyone at all can be trusted with a loaded gun. I don’t think there will ever be an answer that covers all situations for any of these questions. So many variables like experience, and personality and maturity and intelligence can come into play. If a person has learned how to be safe, and has the responsibility and maturity to put into practice what he or she has learned, they will most likely not be a danger to themselves or others. If a person does not have that responsibility or maturity, and doesn’t take the time to get the knowledge, they probably will be dangerous. It’s really that simple.

And, sometimes, that sad.

Technorati Tags [Safety Friday, how to be safe, outdoor safety]

Updating the Blogroll

Back in February I asked the all of you who read this blog how you handle setting up your blogroll. At that point I knew I wanted to make some changes to the blogroll here, but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Back then, you guys gave me some very good advice.

Fast forward two months, and I’ve finally had time to make some adjustments to the list of blogs we read. Since time is at a premium, I wasn’t able to get as elaborate as I would have liked, but I was able to add some blogs that I enjoy reading. I was also able to recognize a few people who have been staunch supporters of GSI and of me, personally. I think I have now linked to most of the people who link to us, but if I missed anyone, let me know and I will try and remedy the oversight.

All the blogs on our blogroll are blogs I like and read daily. If you’re looking for entertaining and interesting reading, I would recommend each and every one of these blogs.

Health Update

I will keep this bit short, but I just wanted to let you know that last Friday I had my big stress test/echocardiogram and I passed with flying colors. There is no afib, there are no blockages in any of my arteries, and the enlargement of my heart is already decreasing. Needless to say I’m absolutely relieved and grateful. I’m also very glad the test is over and I came through it so well. It was by far the best result possible.

I have to tell you one funny story. While I was preparing to take my test, my cardiologist came into the room to say good luck. I was hooked up to the heart monitors and everything, and when he came into the room my heart rate jumped about 20 points. Like a goon I said “Oh look, he walks into the room and my heart speeds up.” Oh course, as soon as I said that everyone started laughing. I probably turned about five shades of red, but I found it funny too.

Blog Update Schedule
Finally, I wanted to let you know that blog updates may be sparse and short the next few weeks. I have a lot of deadlines that need to be met, and sometimes when that happens blog posts suffer. I will do my best to keep writing here and to keep visiting everyone as usual; I just wanted you to know why I was less visible than normal if you didn’t see me for a while.


Technorati Tags [Hunt Smart Think Safety Blog, Kristine Shreve,outdoor blog posts]

Guess a Name, Win a Prize
Blessed from A Blessed Crazy Life is running a contest. If you guess the call name of her dog Thumper, you win a prize. Even if no one guesses correctly, everyone who makes a guess will be entered in a drawing for a prize.

Blessed Gets Tracked
This week’s Tuesday’s Tracking on the Jake’s Outdoor’s Blog covers A Blessed Crazy Life. If you haven’t been over to read A Blessed Crazy Life you should definitely stop by this blog. You can also read a sample of Blessed’s writing on the OBS Blog. She’s a terrific writer with a lot of good things to say.

A Fringe Group Accuses Hunters of Being a “Fringe Group”
You’ve got to love Holly who writes NorCal Cazadora. If you want to refute an argument just give her some statistics and get out of the way. In yesterday’s post, she takes issue with the HSUS calling hunters a “fringe group”. She makes a good argument for why hunters and anglers and those who eat meat are right in the center of things not hanging out on the fringe.

The Hunter’s Wife Goes Fishing
Jody went fishing last week and came back with some fishing tips for women. These made me laugh, as always, but there is also a lot of truth in what she writes. I do still want to know why Mark dropped a fish on her head when she bent over in front of him. Maybe, perhaps, he was distracted?

Hunters 1, HSUS 0
I know a lot of us have been following the saga of the HSUS and the Meijers store chain in the last few days. As Othmar tells us, hunters and anglers were able to put enough pressure on the company, causing them to end the promotion. Now, if only hunters and anglers could learn from this experience and start working together in the political arena.

Where in the World is Darrell?
Darrell at Alpha Trilogy has been pretty silent these last few months. First there was his mother’s illness, and how he’s had eye surgery and is healing slowly. Go over and let him know we hope he gets better soon and we want more posts! (Mostly, go over and say you hope he gets better, but more posts would be good too.)

Why Do You Hunt: Arthur’s Answer
Arthur at Simply Outdoors has written a terrific post about why he hunts. He has also named some people from whom he would like to see posts about why they hunt. If you’re on his list, or even if you aren’t, I hope you write a post about what attracted you to hunting. Also, while you’re visiting Simply Outdoors, say congratulations to Jeff, who won the contest between himself and Arthur and got the first turkey of the year.

Jeff has had a Rough Week
Poor Jeff. His air conditioning broke. His dog got sick. He hit a cat and a deer with his truck. He still hasn’t gotten a turkey. Go over and show the guy some comment love. I think he needs it.

Some Things Are Just too Absurd
Finally, to end things on a “say what?” note, I wanted to point out this post on the Newshound Blog. Apparently, there is now a record book for road kill animals. Last time I checked, hitting an animal with your car didn’t take any skill. Personally, I think this is a silly idea. What do the rest of you think?

Technorati Tags [Community Wednesday, outdoor blogs, outdoor blog posts]

A lot of people are writing about the contest that Meijer is running in conjunction with the Humane Society of the United States. Many people who support hunting and fishing, and who feel that the HSUS does a lot to harm hunting and fishing are outraged that Meijer would be supporting this group, and they probably should be. Not, of course, that their outrage will make much difference.

I’ve been working in marketing in one fashion or another for almost as long as I’ve been working. For the past two years, I’ve been guiding the marketing for this company, for our parent company and for our other subsidiary companies. There are a million decisions to be made every day, and each decision requires a cost-benefit analysis of some kind. For us those decisions and the accompanying analyses are pretty easy. We support hunting and fishing, and will not align ourselves with groups that don’t support those things. Of course, our customer base is fairly unidirectional, in that the majority of our customers support hunting and fishing too, so our decision is a bit easier.

Suppose, however, that you’re a large store chain, like Meijer. Your customer base encompasses a large number of people, all of whom have different belief systems. If you’re this sort of company, you really only have three options when it comes to deciding the marketing activities you will do and the ones in which you won’t participate.

Option 1: Be entirely neutral: This is a lovely thought, but not so easy to do. Staying neutral means you don’t support any side, but how do you know what the motivation is behind every marketing and publicity activity you’re offered? The only way to truly stay neutral is to do all your own marketing and advertising and to never align with any organization on any level. You also need to make sure your marketing and advertising campaigns stay as bland and non-controversial as possible. The problem with this strategy is that bland marketing campaigns aren’t going to get people to buy your product or shop in your stores.

Option 2: Support Both Sides Equally: Again, in theory this sounds lovely, but it is hard to put into practice. Corporations, even really large corporations, only have so much money to spend on marketing and publicity. Dividing those dollars right down the middle so that each side gets exactly the same amount isn’t always the best marketing strategy. It also doesn’t guarantee there won’t be any controversy. By supporting every side equally, you’re probably just ensuring that every part of your customer base is angry at you at some point. That’s not very effective marketing.

Option 3: Do a cost-benefit analysis: Look at the marketing opportunities being offered. Weigh the potential consequences of angering one group against the benefits of the promotion. If the benefits outweigh the costs, go with the promotion.

My guess is, in the case of Meijer and the HSUS they did number three and decided that angering the HSUS had a bigger cost than angering hunters and anglers. Granted this is just my opinion, but I would guess I’m right. If I were a marketer working for a large chain like Meijer, it is probably the decision I would make. I don’t like that reality, but it is the reality. The HSUS can mobilize a lot of people and really make some noise. Hunters and anglers have not yet proven they have the ability to do that.

Here’s the cold hard reality folks, if we want Meijer and Wal-Mart and other major organizations and retailers and, yes, our government, to stop giving the antis what they want, we have to show them there is a cost to ignoring the pro hunting and fishing agenda. Until we can mobilize and get our message out there in an effective manner, until we can work together and vote together, until we can present a unified front, things like the HSUS contest will continue to happen.

If we want to change that, we have to be able to make it more costly for companies and our elected officials to ignore us. It’s really as simple as that.

Technorati Tags [marketing, Meijer, HSUS]

I have been writing Safety Friday posts for almost a year now. I wrote the first official Safety Friday post in May of 2007. Since then, most Friday posts on this blog have been devoted to a discussion of outdoor safety of some type. Now, before you wonder if I’m deluded enough to think that everyone in the world reads this blog (although wouldn’t that be nice), I’m not, and I’m fully aware that my Safety Friday posts probably only reach a relatively small group of people. That really doesn’t matter, however, because I’m not the only one talking about outdoor safety, hunting safety or fishing safety. If you Google the phrase “outdoor safety” you get 751,000 results. Google “hunting safety” and you get 336,000 results. “Fishing safety” gets you 686,000 results from Google.

There are also a lot of venues besides the Internet through which you can learn about safety. There are safety classes. There are safety pamphlets. There are television shows and DVDs about outdoor safety. Obviously, a lot of people think being safe while you hunt, fish or enjoy the outdoors is important. Sometimes, it seems like information about outdoor safety is almost unavoidable. Despite that, some people seem to avoid learning how to be safe anyway.

We have a father in Minnesota who mistook his son for a turkey and shot him and killed him. A jogger in Alaska kept compost on his front porch which attracted bears to the area and then panicked when he saw those bears while jogging and was mauled. A Swedish ice fisherman apparently forgot to test the ice on which he was fishing, which then broke underneath him. He almost drowned.

What is so frustrating is the fact that, with all the information out there on how to be safe, there are still people who act in an unsafe manner. You can pass it off as carelessness or thoughtlessness or ignorance or simply the arrogance that leads you to assume an accident can’t or won’t happen to you, but the real fact of the matter is that accidents can happen to anyone at any time. Knowing how to be safe is likely to decrease the odds of an accident, or should something happen, increase your odds of coming out of an accident with a better result. Knowing how to be safe and what to do in unsafe conditions helps you think more clearly and avoid panic. It also can help you avoid potentially dangerous situations entirely.

Every time I read a story like the one about the father who shot his son, I think how senseless such tragedies are and how easily such things could be avoided. I guess that’s why I keep writing these posts every Friday. If even one person reads what I write and stops to think before they do something unsafe, my time will have been well spent.

Technorati Tags [Safety Friday, safety news, outdoor safety]

At least once a week or so I try to hit the Internet and read the latest hunting news. I like to read what other people have to say about hunting and fishing and I also like to read the latest public opinion pieces or editorials that have been written. Lately it seems that a lot of what I’ve been seeing has been firmly in the “anti” category, which I suppose isn’t a surprise, nor is it, I suppose, a surprise that the arguments made against hunting and fishing aren’t very logical. Even though I’ve learned not to expect logic, there is still the occasional article that just stops me in my tracks.

Take this article for instance. According to the woman who wrote it, hunting and fishing is apparently the root of all evil in this country. Her thesis appears to be that people who hunt and fish will naturally be led to prey on humans, because they’ve been dehumanized by “murdering” animals. Every child who hunts or fishes, in her opinion, is being prepped to become the next Michael Vick.



One of the things the antis tend to do very well is use scare tactics. From their comic books with pictures of Dad chopping up fish like a psycho killer, to this article, which links hunting and fishing with everything from rape to domestic abuse to behavior issues in children, antis paint a picture of hunting and fishing as one step away from chopping up the neighbors and making stew. If you don’t hunt and fish, or know anyone who hunts or fishes, you may not see the illogic behind what they say. After all, a lot of us are taught that animals in the wild are one step away from Disney characters, and who wants to kill Bambi or Thumper or Nemo?

What is really sad is that there isn’t any way to change this woman’s mind. She looks at a picture of a young girl holding a string of fish on the cover of a magazine (the image that prompted the article she wrote) and sees a heartless murderer, smiling gaily as innocent fish lives are snuffed out. It wouldn’t be any use to say that the little girl is smiling because she is enjoying the outdoors. It wouldn’t make any difference to say that the fish might have been eaten by any number of animal predators. It certainly wouldn’t have made any difference to say that a little girl out fishing is not a little girl playing video games or lacking for exercise. Logic and reality don’t matter.

I have to say, the article ends on an ironic note, which I, for one, found funnier than I probably should have done. In her final paragraph, the writer includes an anti-hunting quote from Theodor Heuss, who was the first President of Germany. Heuss also voted to turn Germany over to Hitler in 1933, and apparently did nothing to help the many humans who were massacred by the Nazi regime.

There are a million things I could say here, but I won’t.

Technorati Tags [anti hunting, anti hunting articles, PETA]

Fashion Through the Ages
The Water Valley Sesquicentennial was this past weekend and Rex was kind enough to share some pictures. I especially liked the pictures of all the local ladies dressed in fashions through the ages. It’s amazing how clothes and fashions change over time.

Orphan Works Legislation
I mentioned this on the OBS blog, but I also wanted to mention it here. Artemis has written a great post about the Orphan Works Legislation and what it could mean for those who do creative work. Anyone who writes a blog should go read this post. It gives a very good analysis of the subject.

Rational Thought about Hunting from a Non-Hunter
Hat tip to the Desert Rat for pointing the way to this post. It is a refreshingly clear headed and balanced analysis of the Dear Abby letter by a non hunter. How cool is that?

More Blogs to Go Visit
Kris, who writes Jake’s Outdoors, also writes two additional blogs. In his Tuesday’s Tracking post for this week, he spotlights the other blogs he writes. I’ve only had a chance to pay a brief visit to the other two blogs, but I will be going back. He’s also offering some free advertising in exchange for a guest post on one of his blogs. Go check it out.

Every Pro Hunting Advocate Should Read this Post!
Once again Holly hits it out of the park. Her post, “Hunting, Violence and Politics” is very well written examination of how the antis influence public opinion. This is another on my must read list.

Blog Analysis
It is always interesting to read about the goals and ambitions that a blog writer has for his or her blog. Othmar gives a great summation of his ambitions and goals for his blog in his April 22 post. In my opinion, he’s accomplished a lot of what he set out to do.

Fighting to Preserve the Past and Protect the Future
Denny has been very busy lately working to inform people about the dangers of Mountaintop Removal mining. Part of the reason he is so diligent in his fight against MTR is that he is seeing it ruin country that he has loved all his life. When you read stories like this one Denny wrote about growing up in the hollows, you can see why he is fighting so hard.

Sierra Club: For Us or Against Us
Phillip at The Hog Blog was the first to bring this to my attention. Jeff at Lowcountry Hunting followed up with his own analysis of the Sierra Club’s effort to attract hunters and anglers. I’m still not sure what I think about this. What do you guys think?

Technorati Tags [Community Wednesday, outdoor blogs, outdoor blog posts]

I’ve probably had this discussion on this blog before, but I wanted to discuss it again because it seems to be popping up more and more lately. Cliff has this discussion about hunters who disagree about methods on his blog. Othmar wrote on the BC Fishing Blog about disagreements over catch and release vs. taking fish home for dinner. I’ve also seen some discussions on outdoor forums that have basically degenerated into name calling and mud slinging. This sort of thing seems to be happening more regularly and is, in my opinion, one of the biggest dangers threatening the future of hunting and fishing.

First, I need to make clear that I am not against disagreement and debate. In fact, I love a good debate and a passionate discussion of ideas. I always have. Where the problem comes in is when one side or the other gets so entrenched in their position that nothing will change their minds. An even bigger problem occurs when one side of the debate starts demonizing the other side. Once that happens there is rarely room for a compromise to be reached or for people to figure out a way to work together.

What concerns me most is the fact that hunting and fishing seem to be factionalizing. A lot of hunters and anglers belong to certain groups based on how they choose to hunt or fish, with what they choose to hunt or fish and even with whom they choose to hunt or fish. The groups all have their own agendas and goals and their own thoughts about what is right or wrong when it comes to hunting and fishing. So far, this doesn’t seem like a big deal, and it probably wouldn’t be, except for the fact that these factionalized groups can’t seem to put aside their differences when facing an issue that threatens the entirety of hunting and fishing. At that point we definitely have a problem.

Let’s face it when PETA comes out with their latest diatribe against hunting, they’re looking at the big picture and the long term results. They may be targeting hunting in a particular state, or of a particular animal, or with a particular weapon, but they really don’t care whether you hunt with a cross bow or a rifle or a blow pipe. Whatever the publicized target of the latest anti-hunting campaign, the real target is stopping hunters and anglers from enjoying hunting or fishing, even if meeting that goal requires taking on one type of hunting or fishing at a time.

In my opinion, the biggest helpers that PETA and anti-hunting and animal rights groups like PETA have right now are hunters and anglers themselves. We have to learn to put aside our differences to work for the greater good. As long as hunters and anglers are busy arguing over crossbows or whether or not fish should be eaten or released, they can’t and most likely won’t pay attention to what they antis are doing.

The bottom line is that hunters and anglers need to work together to support hunting and fishing in general, regardless of what their particular views might be on a particular form of hunting or fishing. “United we Stand, Divided we Fall” is not just a nice slogan, it’s the truth. If we want to preserve hunting and fishing for the future, we need to learn to be united and we have to exercise the power of our unity in ways that best serve the sports we love.

It’s really as simple, and as difficult, as that.

Technorati Tags [the image of hunting, anti hunting groups, hunting and fishing]

It seems like the last few Safety Friday posts have had a water theme. Last week I talked about basic water safety. The week before that it was boating safety. I seem to keep coming back to this these; mostly because there is so much good information out there right now and I think it should be shared. Plus, as Blessed tells us in the second part of her series on her blog, accidents take only a minute to happen, but can change lives forever.

I also wanted to point out Keith Sutton’s post about falling overboard and how deadly it can be for boaters. He tells us that falling overboard ranks number one as the precipitating event that leads to a fatality. He also includes tips on what to do if you should fall overboard.

I’ve been around boats most of my life. My family had a speedboat when I was growing up. We also canoed quite a bit and there was the occasional rowboat for those who weren’t yet old enough to drive a boat with a motor. We jumped out of the boats and swam around the boats and tipped over the boats and fished from the boats and probably didn’t give much thought to what could have happened. I remember having to wear a life jacket when I was very small. After I learned to swim, however, I don’t remember a life jacket being required. I know I certainly haven’t worn a life jacket every time I should have since I’ve been an adult.

If you really want some eye opening reading, go and read the 2006 Boating Statistics from the U.S Coastguard. The section on lifejackets alone is very enlightening. From what I could see, wearing a lifehjacket seems to reduce the changes of a fatal accident by at least half in almost every scenario. If something that simple can help decrease your risk should an accident happen, why wouldn’t you wear one?

It is pretty likely that all of us know at least one person who owns or uses a boat regularly. I know, living in Michigan, that boats and water have been part of my life since I can remember. Luckily no one among my family or friends has ever experienced a bad situation, but that doesn’t mean we still all shouldn’t make an effort to be as safe as we can be. As Blessed tells us in her story, it only takes a moment, and a few unwise decisions, for everything to be changed forever.

Technorati Tags [Safety Friday, boating safety, lifejackets and safety]

I know I ask a lot of questions of the readers of this blog. That’s largely because you are the best source of feedback that I have. You are also representative of the type of people we want to recruit to be our customers. So, and I freely admit this, I use the faithful readers of this blog as a sort of free focus group. The information and advice you give me is very valuable, and I appreciate it very much when you take the time to answer the questions I ask.

Today, I wanted to let you know that I do listen to what you tell me and that we do follow your advice. Let me give you a couple of examples.

In late January I wrote about the fact that had a logo and were contemplating selling logo wear. In the post I asked what sort of items people would be inclined to buy. The responses to that post included the information that people t-shirts, hats, truck decals and sweatshirts were mentioned. Somehow all of those items ended up in our store.

Another idea that I floated in a post was the idea about using the strengths of our parent company and offering logo wear made to order through GSI. You left some great comments on this post and gave me a lot about which to think. We are still planning to pursue this idea. Right now I am the process of figuring out how it will all work. As soon as I have more to tell, I will.

In early April I asked you a question about a video we had made back when the product was still called the Gunslinger. In that post, I told you that the content of the video was still good and informative, it was just the name of the product was wrong. Most of you advised me to put the video up with a disclaimer. If you visit the current front page of the GSI site, you’ll see that’s what we’ve done.

Just last week I wrote a post about the fact that we were thinking of selling the GunTriever on Ebay. I wanted to get your opinions about that before we tried it. The comments were, for the most part, positive about our trying to sell on Ebay. As a result of your advice, we are now giving Ebay a try.

There are probably literally a hundred more examples of times when I’ve asked your advice about hunting, blogging and the company and our products. I can’t tell you how much it means to have a group of people of whom I can ask these questions and be confident that I will get reasoned, well thought out answers. I appreciate it more than I can say.

Technorati Tags [Gun Safety Innovations, GSI Logo Wear, Gun Safety Innovations web site]

Did You Know This Was Causing Controversy?
Othmar writes on the BC Fishing Blog that there is some conflict among anglers over whether you should release the fish you catch or whether you should eat them. He makes the point, which I think is a good one, that anglers, like hunters, need to learn to work together and not let differences in technique separate them.

NRA Recognizes Influential Women
Desert Rat has taken the time to point out that the NRA recently gave awards to four women the organization felt had made contributions toward the 2nd Amendment. It is nice to see women being recognized and thank for the work they do on the behalf of the 2nd amendment and on behalf of hunting and shooting.

Hunter or Hunted, Which Are You?
Leave it to GP at Innstyle Montana to bring the philosophy. Her theory is that humans show a lot of the same traits as animals do, and divide into the same groups, hunters, scavengers and prey. The difference between animals and humans is that humans have more of a choice about the group in which they want to be. It’s an interesting idea, particularly if you are feeling trapped in a particular part of your life.

Do Hunters Love and Respect Animals?
Holly at NorCal Cazadora has written another great, thought provoking article. This time she deals with the question of whether those who hunt can love animals. It’s a good question, and her answer will really make you think. You should definitely take a minute to go and read this post.

It’s Cool, but I Wouldn’t Fly in It
CDGardens has posted some pictures of her husband’s plane, which he built himself. It’s really cool, but it looks tiny. I don’t even like flying in the big planes. Still, what an awesome thing to be able to do, first to build your own plane and then to fly the plane you built.

Eagle Eyes has a Different Type of Forum
For those of you who may not know, Eagle Eyes from the Idaho TroutHunter blog has added a forum to his site. He also mentions a little bit about his forum policies and philosophy in in this post. If you fish or are interested in fishing, go visit the forum.

Keeping Updated on the Lead Issue(s)
Phillip at The Hog Blog has been great about keeping everyone informed about the various issues concerning lead that have been occurring around the country. For the latest news, stop over and read his current post on the subject. He’s right, as hunters and as people who support safe hunting and outdoor safety we need to know what’s happening with this issue.

Gun Bans Coming ‘Round Again
Moose has a great post about the one year anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings and how gun control advocates will use the date to push for gun bans. He has some interesting thoughts on why gun bans and gun registration are the wrong way to handle things.

Arthur’s Shiloh Visit
A while ago Arthur from Simply Outdoors wrote about his desire to visit the Civil War battlefield site in Shiloh. He finally got to make that visit and the post he wrote about it is a terrific one. He’s also contemplating doing a series of posts about Shiloh. After reading this post, I think that should definitely be encouraged. So go read, and then encourage him to post more.

Technorati Tags [Community Wednesday, outdoor blogs, outdoor blog posts]