Dang Wind!

Well we had one day of fall colors before the wind whipped them off the trees. We took the hounds for the nightly walk around the quarter last night and all the pretty leaves are on the ground now. *sigh*

George Jonas: Armed citizens should look to their own security

.Did Canada’s firearm-phobic urban elites score an own goal? Did they open up a political opportunity for Stephen Harper? Many commentators seem to think so.



I’m not as sanguine as some, but if, by their narrow rescue of the registry, Ottawa’s gunless wonders did elevate a wasteful program of loony liberalism into an election issue, it may open up an opportunity to re-examine the debate about gun control.



The police carry guns for a reason: They’re great tools for law enforcement. Letting firearms become the monopoly of lawbreakers, far from enhancing public safety, is detrimental to it. Canada has gone out of its way to make criminals as invincible, and victims as vulnerable, as possible. This wasn’t the aim of gun control, of course, only the result.

Canada isn’t alone. Two years ago, terrorists in Mumbai, India, claimed some 500 casualties, dead and injured. Among the many questions raised by the outrage, there was a purely practical one: Why was the attack so successful? How could so few terrorists claim so many victims?



One obvious answer, as I wrote at the time, was firepower. Guns were illegal in the hands of both the terrorists and the victims. The victims obeyed the laws, the terrorists didn’t. A Mumbai-type atrocity couldn’t have happened in Dodge City — or in Edwardian Europe, for that matter, where gentlemen routinely carried handguns for protection — but it could happen again at next month’s XIX Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India.



Some regard carrying guns uncivilized. Would you call an era of legal guns in the hands of Edwardian gentlemen less civilized — or less safe — than our own era of illegal guns in the hands of terrorists and drug dealers? I wouldn’t. The civilized place was turn-of-the century London, where citizens carried guns and the police didn’t.



Society needs crime control, not gun control. Violent crime in America declined in the past 20-plus years after a majority of states enacted “right to carry” legislation. There may have been several reasons, but the “right to carry” was clearly one.

There are Second Amendment absolutists in America, and libertarians elsewhere, who regard a person’s birthright to own/carry a firearm beyond the state’s power to regulate. I’m not among them. Communities set standards for many things, from the possession of exotic animals to the operation of ham radios; why not lethal weapons? But our aim should be to enhance, not diminish, the defensive capacity of the good guys, and increase rather than decrease the number of auxiliary crime-fighters who are available to be deputized when the bad guys start climbing over the fence.



The relationship between citizens and the law is magnificently simple. Citizens are the law. Not the bureaucracy, not the police, not the pundits: Citizens. It’s all right for people to take the law into their own hands because in a free society the law is, in fact, in their hands. It is the people who delegate the power of law enforcement to the police, not the other way around.



The police may think they license citizens to carry arms, but they don’t. It’s citizens who license the police. They license them to carry arms, to enforce the law, to investigate crime, to serve and protect. All power flows from the public to the authorities, not the other way around.



In free societies, that is. There are societies where power flow is reversed. They’re called police states.

Canada isn’t a police state and we don’t want it to become one — not even our gun-shy urban elites, most of them. The police chiefs with their disarming rhetoric aren’t looking for a police state, either; it’s just that “the policeman’s lot is not a happy one,” as Gilbert and Sullivan pointed out, and being the only ones armed would make their lot happier.



Maybe so, except an arms monopoly only serves and protects the police, not the public. While we support our cops, making police work congenial isn’t Canada’s national purpose. Our entitlement to carry arms, unlike our American cousins’, stems from no particular provision of a constitutional amendment, but intrinsically from our fundamental traditions of freedom, subject to whatever conditions we choose to impose on ourselves.



If the gun registry becomes an election issue, it may serve as a reminder that guns aren’t only for hunting ducks, but also to help people safeguard themselves. It’s as proper for citizens to defend their homes in peacetime against domestic robbers as to defend their homelands in war against foreign invaders. People who defend their families act as honourably as those who provide for their families. They must do so within the law, needless to say, providing or defending, in war or in peace, but as long as they do, one type of action is simply an extension of the other.



If someone could persuade criminals and lunatics to obey gun control, it would be a splendid idea. As long as only law-abiding citizens obey it, it amounts to countering stray cats by neutering vets: Showy, but not very useful.



National Post



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Read more: http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/09/25/george-jonas-armed-citizens-should-look-to-their-own-security/#ixzz10l0jyuvt

Windy Weekend

With temperatures in the mid 20s and winds hitting 100kph, we knew that hunting likely wasn't going to be great but Vanessa and I got out Saturday morning and tried some bugling for big bull elk. Not surprisingly, we never got any answers. So Sunday, we decided to head out to Banff with Mom and Dad to see some buging elk there. This is an annual tradition for the Schwanky family and we were not disappointed. While we didn't see a ton of elk, we were treated some some intense bugling by a good looking 6 point. This was Jet's first exposure to elk and he handled it amazingly well. He's becoming quite the little pack dog. The day was topped off with a great breakfast at Melissa's, another family tradition. The best eggs benny in Alberta!

Moose Hunting

Jake drew a calling season moose tag around home this year. We had plans to get out for a week starting on Oct 1st, but the season opened on the 24th so we snuck in a couple day trips over the weekend. Jake is looking strictly for a moose to fill the freezer and could careless about the horns. After having fed him for the first 18 years of his life I know how much he can eat so a really big one wouldn't hurt anything either! (grin) We caught terrible moose hunting weather, 24 degrees and windy. We had a cow answer first thing Sat morning but her next answer was much further away. It was obvious she had a bull with her and she wasn't let him stick around and listen to our sweet serenade. There is still all the leaves on the trees and visibility is low but the view is breath taking. So off to camp in a week! No biggie a week in the Deluxe Wall tent away from the office is just what the doctor ordered!

Yukon Bull Moose

Well after 14 days in the yukon me and dad finally made it off the wind river and back to civilization. It was deffintly a trip of a lifetime as we took two big bull moose.
Since we were on a backpack trip we were able to access areas that had never been hunted before.
I have now backpacked a yukon bull and i can truely tell you that they are one of the largest animals i have ever hunted, i was able to harvest him at 300 yards with my model 70 winchester 30-06 shooting a 165 grain hornady bullet.

Long Gun Registry

Well it looks as though gun owners in Canada were once again the victim of dirty politics. We may have lost this go round but if gun owners in the ridings where MPs flip flopped on the vote remember that come election time, we could easily see a Conservative majority in the next election. Let your MP know how you really feel about their dirty politics in a way that really counts...with your vote.

Still more snow

We hiked up into a favourite haunt of ours yesterday to take a look for sheep and elk. Deep snow made the 3,000' climb very challenging and more than a bit dangerous in places. We got to the top at about 10.00am and were treated to one of the most beautiful mornings this fall. We glassed for about three hours but only saw two ewes and a large grizzly. The elk were really bugling hard in the morning but we could not coax one into our drainage. Well, back to office work for me for a few days now!

Lots of snow and sheep

The day started off in search of elk but after striking out at our "honey hole" we quickly switched our focus to sheep. The snow seemed to have sheep moving everywhere and we saw over 60 ewes and lambs and a dozen rams. One ram was easily legal and at a little over 400 yards, taking him would have been easy but we decided that he just wasn't big enough. We also saw a 7 year old ram with huge bases that was no where near legal. He will be a monster in a few more years. We also saw loads of whitetails and a young sow grizz. Quite the day and we were home by noon!

The Yukon Experiment

Sorry for the tardy follow up to our Yukon hunt but the plane was late coming in to get us and we've been in and out of cell reception for the past few days. The trip ended without a shot being fired but it was far from a failure. We got to spend some time in the most incredible landscapes in the world and we got to hunt where no other hunter has tread for over three decades. After spending a couple weeks in the region, it looks as though it's subject to some very heavy snowfalls in the winter, likely explaining the lack of game.

It was exciting to be part of an exploratory mission for Jarrett at Deuling Stone Outfitters and I'm sure we'll be back doing it again next year. He took some great sheep and moose out of his established camps this year and the great thing is, there's thousands of square miles yet to be explored. I've already got my eye on a couple lakes we flew over on our way out. Jarrett runs a first-class outfit that produces world-class trophies each year but my wanderlust has always attracted me to the places less explored. If you are looking for hunt of a lifetime, be sure to check Deuling Stone Outfitters out http://www.deulingstoneoutfitters.com/ As for Vanessa, Jet and I, we'll definitely be back next year in yet another unexplored corner of his vast area. Who knows, next time it could turn out to be game Utopia.

Now to tune up the elk call and get out after some bugling bulls.

Lazy Weekend

Amazing as opener is usually a zoo trying to get out hunting. This year we had other plans that we couldn't change and then someone else changed the plans! I spent Saturday morning spray painting the interior of the garage and then Sandi and headed out for a drive to see if we could find anything interesting in the farm crops. We did find a few deer only one mule buck was more than a fork horn but we never had tags for muleys anyways. A black blob on the edge of a canola field got us out of the truck and after a bit of a sneak Sandi passed on a smallish black bear.

Sunday was rainy here and Fudd the dog had the best idea on what to do when curled up in front of the fireplace for a long snooze.

Fourth Live Update from the Yukon

The weather has changed and the critters are moving.

Third Live Update from the Yukon

Holy cow they are having it tough!

Second Live Satellite Update from the Yukon.

Just In!

First Live Satellite Update from the Yukon.

Just in from TJ and Vanessa in sheep camp with Dueling Stone Outfitters.

Labour Day Weekend

Fresh divots, I was surprised what a cheap 90 grain bullet from a 243 did!

OK so in the spirit of Labour day I got a few things done and out of the way to clear the decks for the opening of rifle season. Sunday I finally got off my duff and welded together 10" gongs for the range. I made one each for 100, 200, 300 and 400 yards. The idea behind this is for Sandi and I to practice shooting off the sticks for our Africa trip with Wild Horizon next June.

2,3 and 400 yard gongs.

Then today I cut and split a little firewood for the garage heaters this winter. Sandi was a big help in the stacking. I need about double of this and I'll be set.

Thoughts on gear from sheep hunting

Home, and I ache more from 8 hours in the truck than all those miles on the rocks.
As a hunter the trip was a page right out of the dream book. We seldom miscued on hiking (well there was this muskeg and 120lb packs!) scouting or stalks. From a technical standpoint most of the gear was primo. The Zeiss optics (rifle scope, binos, spotting scope) were perfect and the new Victory range finding binoculars were beyond belief. DON'T pack these out on the mountain unless you have the change in your pocket before hand! Matt ranged to beyond 1600 yards and the clarity made them seem to be 15x or more. The Rocky Mountain Rifle in 260AI was light weight and flawless, shooting 3/4" 300 yard groups with handloaded Berger 130 grain bullets. The packs worked well, my Kenetrek boots, OR gaiters,bamboo shirts, underwear, camo duct tape and schuller pants will all go back up the mountain with me. The tent and sleeping bag, and a couple of others will be traded out for lighter equipment.

There is a lifetimes treasure store of memories packed into the 4 days. The goats, the rams, the lambs that jumped up out of the scrub 5' away scaring the daylights out of us. Sweat washing the rocks at your feet as you bent over catching your breath. The struggle to balance the huge packs and cling in the gale force wind to the "Devil's Eyebrow" a sheep trail over a vertical canyon. The enormous grin on Matt's face even when we were ripping the elevation climbing out with the ram on our backs.

As a Dad I'm known to be tough and rather short with even well deserved compliments especially for my children. Anyone who knows me at all will attest that I don't give false praise to make people feel better. But I'm very proud to say my boy is a good man to hike the sheep trails with.