This Week on Outdoor Quest TV

Don't forget to watch the all new season of Outdoor Quest TV. Vanessa and I head to Argentina to hunt water buffalo and blackbuck with Caza Pampa.

Operation Cougar

Operation cougar begins tomorrow...watch for updates from the field.

Some Horn Porn

Here's a little horn porn for a Friday morning. These are some of the rams we videoed last week to help promote the Minister's Special Licence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxEUSZFCSco

There is some justice in the world

Two charges dropped against Ian Thomson, two others to be dealt with later

Increased police presence at Welland self-defence trial By QMI Agency Posted 20 hours ago WELLAND — Two charges against a Port Colborne man who fired a gun to scare off men allegedly trying to firebomb his house in August were dropped by the Crown Wednesday morning in court. Ian Thomson, 53, had been facing a number of charges in relation to the incident, which Crown attorney Tyler Shuster called a dispute between neighbours that had been "simmering for years and boiled over." Shuster said on Aug. 22, 2010, Thomson heard a loud noise behind his house at 3499 Snider Rd. When he went outside, he found a man in a ski mask with a lit Molotov cocktail, yelling: "Are you ready to die?" "Mr. Thomson went back into his house and grabbed a loaded .38 (calibre) and fired three rounds in the direction of the man," Shuster said. A peaceful protest had been planned for outside the courthouse. Niagara Regional Police had officers inside the courthouse doors using a wand to screen people entering and also had a presence outside. One officer could be seen on the roof of a building across the street. A police videographer was also at the courthouse. Police spokesman Const. Nilan Dave said the extra officers were on hand to ensure the safety of the public. "We were prepared for the event," said Dave, adding police also wanted to ensure the safety of Thomson and his lawyer. Shuster said when looking at a case as a Crown attorney, he must consider the likelihood of conviction, including when and how a person can defend themselves and when a case goes to trial, the Crown must disprove self-defence. He said in the circumstances of Thomson's case, he saw little chance of a conviction on the first two charges — careless use of a firearm and pointing of a firearm — and asked they be withdrawn. He asked that the two remaining charges, two counts of careless storage of firearms, be dealt with at a future date. Thomson's lawyer, Ed Burlew — self-described as Canada's top gun-specialty lawyer — will meet with the Crown April 11 in Welland for a pre-trial hearing on the two remaining charges. Burlew was interviewed about Thomson's case by the website www.dailysplit.com earlier this year. Video of the interview can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Lu0NnyDYoA. The video includes what is presented as part of the attack, at 6:04 of the clip. Thomson will return to Welland court April 11, to deal with the remaining charges. Four people are facing arson charges in relation to the incident at Thomson's home. Randy Weaver, 48, of Port Colborne; Justin Lee, 19, of Welland; Richard Coulthearst, 46, of Welland; and Michael Theberge, 20, of Port Colborne, will all appear in a St. Catharines courtroom Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Viewer Email

Received this e-mail from a viewer of Outdoor Quest TV today and below it is my response...what do you think?

"I was just watching your program Outdoor Quest. and i have to say that it was some truly terrible hunting. As someone who truly loves hunting and the outdoors, i don't believe that chasing a Bear with dogs up a tree then shooting it constitues as hunting. As someone who really likes all ur other programing, I have to say this disgusted me as I watched it."

"Hi Braden:

Thanks for the e-mail. There are many types of legal hunting in Canada and the use of hounds for numerous species is legal in several provinces and has a long tradition in this country. While I appreciate that this type of hunting may not be for you, it is important to realize that many of the types of hunting you engage in may not be for others either. Hunters must not be too quick to criticize other hunters for practices they may not be familiar with or that they may personally decide not to partake in or soon there will not be any hunting opportunities left for us. Not only is hunting with hounds legal, it falls under the definition of “fair chase” as defined by the Boone and Crockett club, and it is a practice that takes a great deal of dedication by the houndsmen. It seems with the recent proliferation of social media sites that criticizing other hunters has become fashionable and it is tearing at the very fabric of the hunting tradition. If there is one thing we strive to do in our program, it’s to expose our viewers to all types of hunting with the hopes they will gain a bit more respect for their fellow hunters that engage in different techniques and practices. Thank you for taking the time to express your concerns and I hope my reply puts some of your angst at ease. At the end of the day, we are all hunters and must stick together to support this great heritage we so cherish.

Yours truly,

T.J. Schwanky"

New Zeiss Conquest line up

Here's a sneak preview of the new 5X zoom Zeiss Conquest HD scopes for 2013
http://sportsoptics.zeiss.com/hunting/en_us/riflescopes/conquest/conquest-hd5.html

New Season of Outdoor Quest TV

Don't forget that the new season of Outdoor Quest TV started this week on Wild TV. Sandy is hunting bighorn sheep in the mountains of Alberta.