Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays All!

For those of you with outdoor pets on this very cold holiday season, I offer you this:

YUM!

Post Hogmageddon

After my first, not so great attempt at hog hunting, I had a winner!   I shot dead a 320+ pound wild hog!   I put in the "+" because he exceeded the weight of the scale.  This was one big hog, it took 3 of us to haul it onto the ATV's trailer:

This one shot dead as a doornail at 50 yards.  BLAM!  And, he keeled over.   Not a very difficult shot at that distance.

Below is Mr. Piggy taking a shower, courtesy of the outfitter:

In my utter magnanimity, I will not gross you out with any butchering photos.

Onto the gun p0rn:

The indicated weapon was a Savage Model 16 calibered in .243 Winchester.  Power-wise, the .243 occupies a spot in between the .223 and the .308.   The rifle is topped off with a Nikon 3x9 power scope. Total cost - $700.00

Here are some photos of this beauty on the range:

 

Feeds from a 4 round detachable box magazine, seen below.

Here are some range results:

The following is a 100 yard group using Federal "Power Shok" 100 grain soft point bullets - Sub MOA using medium quality ammunition.  Savage makes a great rifle for the money.  I used this ammo on Mr. Piggy.

 

Below is a 50 yard group shooting the same stuff.  Note the "figure 8" and the floater.  The 3rd round was at 8 O'clock low.  I get the same sort of results with my Remington 700:  First 2 shots are almost through the same hole, then the 3rd opens up the group.  I estimate this is due to the barrel heading up, thus causing more "barrel whip" on the 3rd shot:

Now, does anyone know why I shoot pretty much right on target at 50 yards, but an inch or so high at 100?  A big smiley-face for anyone who knows the answer.

So many hogs.... so little time....

The train never stops crashing

More on my #1 muse!

"Mickey had his check up today, and he has a clean bill of health. No lumps, bumps or any other nasty thing.
His skin was a little irritated, so he is now being bathed and massaged 3 times a week. (basically a spa day 3 times a week). This has worked great, and as noted above he looks great!
We do not want to jinx our guy, but right now he has the best attitude, in the best shape, and in the best condition physically/medically possibly ever...

He was very happy and excited to see John, though he did wear out after awhile, as pictured in this photo!"

If this is a troll, it is a very good one.

Mick has no cancer, so why is he still in the 5 star veterinary facility?  Do we not return home after we are cured?  Should he not be returned to the jail as per the COURT ORDER?   He now appears to be in top shape for mauling - is the public not at risk?

How many of us working, tax paying, HUMAN, members of the political body get this sort of consideration?

As usual:

Peak Fido

Fads come and go.  Some last a few months, some can last almost a century.   In a way, a fad is like an economic bubble.  Remember when dot.com stocks were all the rage?   Now, the survivors are a utility:  Only those sites with a legit business model survived.   Pursuant to that, how often to we hear Disco on the radio these days?   While all the rage in the 1970's, today you're lucky to hear anything from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack on your local oldies station.

Good article on Anilak.com the other day.   Link is to the right.  The author, after having been ravaged by barking abuse and other dog related matters, is finding the situation much improved.

The author writes:

"Silent nights.
Yes, several nights in a row that you hear NO BARKING. Not a single bark. At all!
Seems that all mutts have vanished from the face of earth and normalcy came back, turning our times of sleep civilly again."

So, where did all the mutts go?   Were they vacuumed up by space aliens?  I've noted a bit of the same in my area recently.  I haven't had a nearby barker in over a year, and the larger neighborhood is quieter, too.   Recent RV (caravan) excursions have indicated less dog lunacy, as well.   Little to no barking, fewer dogs off leash, less dog poop everywhere. 

While I certainly can't complain, I find the turn of events interesting.  What is going on?

Consider that these anecdotes do not by themselves indicate a trend.  The most likely reason for my recent barking relief at home is probably due to the fact that I literally ran some nuisance barkers out of here.   I ramped up the counter-aggression until they couldn't take it anymore.   I estimate that the other dog fanatics don't want to put themselves through a grinding neighborhood trench war they are nearly sure to lose.   The big stick DOES work.

That said, everything I am reading about and experiencing first hand gives me a gut feeling that the "dog bubble" is deflating, and may be doing so at a rapid pace.   I am going "Bearish" on dog mania!

Consider this chart.  It illustrates the pathology of a bubble:

I could have a field day (or decade) comparing the above to the dog mania we've experienced the past 10 years or so.  I intend to write a series of articles on the evolution of the cult of the dog within the past 70 years.  In short, it appears that the modern dog cult started in the mid-20th century, increased in scope over succeeding decades, and became a mania in the early 2000's.

Fads (bubbles) fade and go away when the general population gets bored with the object of the fad.   The fad consumes more and more resources, and at some point a tipping point is reached and most people head for the door.   The social and political capital invested in Fido is not producing returns.   Many dog owners, disappointed that they did not get the cartoon dog they bargained for, drop out of the dog owning demographic.  This dynamic is exacerbated by the hatred, outrage, and disgust aimed dogs and their owners by a bitter, battered larger public.  Being a dog lover may no longer increase one's social status.

Based on the chart above, I would say society hit the "delusional" phase a few years ago.  Dog lawyers?  Give me a break.   The entire "Mickey" debacle was an attempt to superimpose a Disney-esque ethic over reality.  The result was a train wreck of epic proportions.

Looking forward to the "Fear" phase... that should be interesting.

Have a great evening!

Mickety MickMick Mickers!

Allahu Mickbar and Happy Easter my friends!   Just when you thought it was safe to walk the streets, the Mickmaster train wreck continues!

 

Don't you just LOVE the smug arrogance on display, here?  Not only are they defying a court order, but they are doing it out in the open!  They even advertise it on the Watch Mickey Beat Cancer Page!

While not sure of the precise details, I am confident that the above is a flagrant violation of a court order.  Wasn't the mutt supposed to be confined in the jail, or similar facility, for the rest of its life?  I suppose they could argue that the beast is being "escorted" by a law enforcement official, thus putting it into a grey area, but WHAT THE HELL PEOPLE?!

Dog nutters really love to push the envelope... they keep doing it until something happens, then blame someone else!  

Consider this - what happens if Mick attacks someone while on one of these leisurely strolls?   They sure as hell can't argue that they didn't know the dog was dangerous... it was sentenced to life for attacking a kid!   I suppose one line of defense might be that they argue that Mickey isn't really "THE" Mickey of internet fame, merely another Bulldog that looks like St. Mick.   Of course, then they would be forced to declare that Mickey is a Fake.   Would be VERY interesting to watch that unfold.

I estimate that these folks actually believe their own BS - that if they love a dog enough, it becomes totally harmless.  ALL dog bites are due to abuse and neglect, right?  That is why its always the victim's fault... they must have done something to antagonize poor Fido!  

On a slightly different note, the internet frenzy over dear MickBar has not subsided.  Forces are at work to white-wash the past of the Dear Mickster.  Consider this sobby story.   In short, a dog with flowers on its head would never hurt anybody.  How can you argue seamless logic like that?

 

For new readers, click here for some back story on Mickey.

As usual:

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

The Padster Strikes Again!

In a not-so-shocking development, "Padi" the ear-eater has struck again!

Here is Dogsbite Decatur AL's article on the issue.

Here is my backstory on PADI.

Excerpts:

A Manatee County dog that was given a second chance after biting a child is under investigation again. Deputies say the dog named Padi is now accused of biting a 4-month-old puppy on the nose at his owner's veterinary clinic. The sheriff's office says Dr. Garenberg could face criminal charges.

Now, if they had taken MY advice and killed the damn thing after the last attack, this would not have happened!

Why was Padi not only spared, but left to CONTINUE to run loose in Gartenburg's office?  ...Soon a Free Padi Facebook page racked up more than 27,000 like and hundreds of supporters turned out at county commission meetings and at the hearing in November.   Yep, the dog-worshiping crusade was out in full force!

His owner asked a judge to spare the dog's life; the judge ruled that the dog wasn't dangerous. Sarasota Judge Andrew Owens ruled Florida's 25-year-old dog bite law unconstitutional calling it "arbitrary and unduly oppresssive." That move released Padi.

These folks need to learn the basic definitions of words.  There was nothing "Arbitrary" about the original decision to destroy Padi... the dog attacked a 4 year old!   If that is not a good reason to put down a dog, then what is?

Pursuant to that, there is also nothing "Oppressive" about killing a dog that attacks children.  You want to know what is REALLY oppressive?  This "anarcho-tyrannical" regime that dictates that dog owners get to attack us any place, any time and for any or no reason and there is NOTHING we can do about it!  That regime, my friends, is VERY OPPRESSIVE. 

I might have been overwhelmed by the rank foolishness of Gartenburg and Padi's rank-and-file fans, but for the fact that these people are by definition totally delusional.  In their world, dogs and dog owners can do no wrong.  The victim was blamed for the last "encounter" so they figured that there was no need to contain PADI.

I truly hope PADI gets his long overdue dirt-nap, and does not move on to permanently maim someone as Gus did.

Gun P0rn: Savage 110e in .223

Time for moar gun P0rn!  HT to Mom in Eugene, she got me started on these targets!

As per my last essay, if you intend to actually shoot something, it is incumbent upon you to select a target that resembles what you intend to shoot.  Wild hogs, coyotes, and that-which-can-never-be-identified do not exactly go around with bulls-eye's painted over their vital organs, now do they?

Anyways, I have this handy light rifle, a Savage 110e chambered in .223.  The .223 is an "intermediate" rifle round.  It has more energy than a typical handgun round, but a lot less than a full power rifle round (such as a .308).   On the plus side, you have very little recoil, good accuracy out to a few hundred yards, and the ammunition does not cost much (target loads can be had for about 35 cents a round).

Yes, I know the cheek pad looks like shit.  I had to work it around the sling attachment.  It works great the way it is with this scope setup.  Go ahead and sue me.

 

It shoots great with this ammunition:  Black hills 55 grain.

 

Like many precision rifles, it is "tuned" for specific bullet types.  This thing is a "tack driver" with the right ammo, but is an epic fail with others.   My Rem. 700 is the same way:  Shoots great with 168 grain "boat-tails", but with other bullet types I don't even hit the paper.   This may be worked around with a (big) scope adjustment, but I figure its just better to just feed it what it wants.

I bought this rifle used a few years ago for around $250.00.   I'm not sure of the exact vintage, but it was probably manufactured in the 1990's.   It comes with iron sights, which is unusual for a hunting rifle:

I went ahead and scoped it, anyway.  This was strictly a budget build, so I went with a Weaver scope.  Weaver's are not the best scopes, in my opinion, but they do have really good dollar value.  This scope has 3 to 9 times magnification, is fully adjustable, and runs around $100.

So, total build on this rifle:

- Used rifle:  $250.00.

- Weaver 3x9 scope:  $100.

- Picatinny scope rail:  ~$20.

- Scope rings:  ~$15.

- Nylon sling:  ~$15.

- Cheek pad:  ~$15.

- Total build:   ~$415.00 (approx.)

Not bad for what is essentially a mid-shelf hunting / target rifle.

On to the shoot...

50 yards (~45 meters).

I started out with this Deer target.  I got these off Amazon, and 5 types of game are indicated.  Check it out, here.   While not my preferential "splatter targets", these are good targets.  I would buy them again.


Consider this deer target.  This target is approximately 1/3 to 1/2 to scale so would have been equivalent to 100-150 meters.

I fired 3 rounds of the Black Hills each at the head and heart area:

 These 3 head shots are in a 1/2 inch group (I measured them).  At 50 yards, that is 1 MOA (google that).

While leaning to the left, the below 3 heart shots are probably sub-MOA (again, Google that).   Consider that these slugs are less than 1/4 inch wide, and the 3 bullet holes overlap!

I moved on to a hog target: 

And, here are the results of that.  3 shot groups to the head and heart areas:

3 head shots below.

3 heart shots below:
 

Again, this target is less than life-size, so the equivalent distance would have been more like 100 yards.

Conclusion.   These are definitely recommended.   With the right ammo, it is a consistent accurate shooter.   When going used, YMMV, so unless you know what you are doing, you may not want to go the used route.

Savage's model line-up has changed somewhat in the past ~20 years.   One current semi-equivalent would be this.   Note that this is a complete build, including a Nikon scope (which is probably a better scope than my Weaver).   It also has a wood stock, which has its ups and downs (definitely better looking than my composite stock).

The newer version also has a detachable magazine, which I would find advantageous.  My version is a top loader, and with the picatinny rail screwed down over the bolt opening, loading cartridges can be a bit of a hassle.  

Savage Arms website.

The Hogmageddon?

Yep... that is an H not a D!

Last weekend, I decided to put my shooting skills to some practical use.   I took the RV down to South FL, and went on a guided wild boar hunt!   It was a great experience, and I plan to pursue the interest.   Keep reading for the outcome....

There is quite the Animal Uncontrol problem in the wild hog (boar) universe.  Wild hogs are descended from domestic hogs.  There are approximately six million wild hogs in the continental United States today, with many of them concentrated in the southeast.  It is my understanding that Florida has the highest population of wild hogs.

Consider that hogs are not not part of the natural environment in this part of the world.  The proliferation of hogs has caused quite a few problems, that include but are not limited to:

- Destruction of wild plants.  They will literally destroy acres of forest undergrowth... I've seen it multiple times hiking the area.  This disrupts the entire food chain.
-  Attack wild animals.  They are very aggressive and extremely intelligent.  They are crowding out other wildlife at an accelerating rate.
- Attack humans and domestic pets.   So far, this has been unusual but as the hog population increases, so do the attacks.
- Destroy farm crops and other domesticated plants.  They will literally destroy an entire field of corn or other crop.

In response to this, the State has declared open season on wild hogs.  You do not need a hunting license, there is no bag limit, you may utilize any legal weapon, and you can hunt them year round on private property.  Hog hunting on *public* land (i.e. National Forests and the like) is limited to hunting season (typically late fall and early winter). 

Stock photo of a wild hog:

In any case, I signed up for a guided hunt (it was just the guide and myself).   I had no hunting experience, so I figured it would be a good idea to "apprentice" a few times before going off on my own.

For a weapons selection, I brought this rifle.  I went in with the assumption that, given that the .308 has colossal stopping power, and any hit to the thorax would drop Mr. Piggy like a bag of dirt.   Any shot within 200 yards was going to be a no-brainer with the Remington, I figured. 

Well, you know what they say about assumptions?  It turns out that my assumption is correct for just about every living thing except a hog!  Before heading out, I was discussing shot placement with the guide.  I said that I was just going to shoot it through the chest and I figured it would just drop.  According to the guide.... NOPE!   Hogs are extremely resilient, and you can shoot a hog through BOTH lungs and it can live up to 24 hours!   If you shoot it straight through the heart, it can run over 100 yards, with fountains of blood shooting out both sides!   He said the only way to guarantee a one-shot drop was a head shot:  Blow its brains out.  Even that is very difficult, as a hog's brain-pan is rather small, and the skull is very thick - the bullet may ricochet off the skull if even at a slight angle. 

So, there I was, up in a tree stand with the monster rifle.  The 700 SPS has a 26 inch "bull" barrel and is quite heavy.  The tree stand did not have a rest for the rifle, so I had to shoot straight off the shoulder.

After 2 hours, a "brood" of about 7 hogs appeared at the tree line, about 50-60 yards away, rooting around in the dirt.  Holy Crap!   I selected my target, lined up a head shot and BOOM!   I did not drop him.... he darted forward about a foot or so JUST as I squeezed the trigger.   It appears the bullet went right through the chest cavity, and he was knocked over, but the SOB got up and took off into the underbrush with his buddies.

The guide and I went over to the target area.  There was blood spatter all over the palmettos behind where he was standing.  We tracked it through the underbrush for a while and found some more blood trail, but not a lot.  Apparently, I did not hit anything vital.

Oh, well.  Better luck next time.

Mistakes made and lessons learned:

- Poor weapon selection.  The power of the .308 does not grant much of an advantage over a hog.  You are more or less limited to head shots.  A lighter rifle in a smaller caliber would have been a better choice for the tree stand.  You really do not want to be charging through the brush with a rifle of that size and weight if you do not absolutely need to.

- Lack of rifle practice.  I had not been to the range much, recently, and I should have been practicing with hog targets or a reasonable proxy.   Hogs do not come with bulls-eye's painted on them.

- Poor knowledge of game in question.  Again, I made a big assumption about the characteristics of a hog, and I should have done more research beforehand.

With all of that said, it was a very enjoyable and productive day.  I learned a lot, and should do a lot better next time.

Coming up... Moar gun p0rn!

BSL Collapse 5.0: More ruminations

Another in this series.

One thing that I, and indeed many people, find infuriating about this regime is that nothing gets attention until someone is killed.   The Roy McSweeney, Klonda Richey, Jordyn Arndt, etc.. etc... ad nauseum scenarios were all preceded by months, sometimes years, of atrocious, barbaric behavior on the part of dogs and their owners for which there was no intervention.   

Remember, Fido has been granted absolute moral authority.   Whatever Dog does is well and good because... Dog is doing it!   If a jogger gets attacked, or the UPS guy winds up in the hospital.... no shits given.  The victim is held accountable and everything is just peachy in Dogville!

Over 4 MILLION Americans are bitten by dogs each year, with about 400,000 of those requiring hospital emergency room visits.  Where is the outrage at that?  NONE ... because we are conditioned to love Fido no matter what.  Again, Fido has Moral Authority!   Extending that to a few dozen killed, well.... that is just statistical noise.   Don't you think that Fido, in His infinite wisdom, may see fit to take the lives of a few useless 2-leggers each year?   Who are we mere mortals to challenge the wisdom of Dog?

Of course, some folks are going to argue that "there is a big difference between a bite and a mauling".    Where do you draw the precise line between a bite and a mauling?   Why is it that bites are perfectly OK, but maulings are not?   Why are "maulings" of huge societal import but "bites" are irrelevant?   Is not the level of accountability the same in either case?

Lets consider this analogy:   You get drunk, drive, run a red light and hit my car.  That crash (I won't call it an accident) was your fault.  You are responsible.   Now, the results of the crash could be anything from a minor fender-bender to me winding up in the morgue, but the precise outcome is not really relevant to who owns that outcome.  Again, you are at fault.  You made it happen.   Its not like you just get to say "Hey, the damages were only a few grand.... I'll take my keys and go home now".   NO.  That is not the way it works!

Pursuant to that, dog owners own those 400,000 emergency room visits.   When a GSD runs into the street and attacks a jogger, the dog owner owns that scenario.   Again, accountability does not vary according to outcome:  If its your dog, its your problem. 

BSL Collapse 4.0: Drain the Swamp

Another in this series.

'Twas another DBRF in Miami last month.  Hey, aren't Pits BANNED in Miami?  Didn't the Miami electorate vote to uphold that BAN by an overwhelming margin?   In a recent comment section, I did a back of the envelope computation and came to the conclusion that Pit Bull related homicides are more likely in pit bull "free" Miami than the nation at large.  Why is that?

Lets check out Miami-Dade's Animal Services pets of the week.

Cici is a 1-year-old Brindle Terrier mix in search of a loving forever companion that will shower her with lots of hugs and kisses. Connect, adopt and fall in love with Cici at Miami-Dade Animal Services.

[EDIT:  It appears Miami-Dade Animal Services has updated the page and the photo has changed.  I have re-posted CICI's photo]

See, there is the answer to the Pit Bull problem right there:  Simply call them all something else and Voila!   No more Pit Bulls!

The hideous beast depicted above literally screams "PIT BULL!!!" yet a city agency is GIVING THEM AWAY in defiance of local law.   This isn't the first time this has happened, either:  I have written about this problem previously.  And, the cheeky SOB's are doing it right out in the open!   Typical dog worshipers, giving the proverbial middle finger to everybody!

This is what happens when your ass is in front of your head.  That little piece of paper may say that there are no pit bulls allowed within city limits, but with the dog culture in full force you'd have a better chance of enforcing a ban on Catholicism at the Vatican.

Did you BSL folks really think you could just pass this law and walk away?

While the electorate appears to favor some controls, nothing is accomplished because city agencies and other authorities are staffed with dog worshipers, animal rights nutters, and various other miscreants with an interest in maintaining the dog owning overclass.   These foul degenerates will do everything they can to make sure that any laws that are passed are NOT enforced.  This goes for biting, barking, dog at large and YES breed restrictions!

Always consider the Ten Commandments!  Any breed restriction is a violation of just about all of them.  When you have an enforcement apparatus loaded with dog cultists, you can pretty much count on any "anti-dog" statutes being ignored.   Hell, I would not be surprised if reporting an illegal pit in Miami got you arrested for harassment!  How dare you critique the almighty dog!   Fido is a "Lab Mix" and how dare you say otherwise!

Consider the root word of "enFORCEment".  All policy reduces to the use of force at some point.  No animal rights cultist or dog fanatic is going to use force against a dog or an owner.   These types need to be purged, with extreme prejudice, from ALL positions of authority.

While the above proposition seems rather harsh, its the only path to improvement.  Anyone who adheres to criminal ideologies, i.e. Animal Rightism, Dog Worship, Dog Fighting, etc... etc... must be terminated from ANY and ALL positions of authority.  You wouldn't hire a NAMBLA activist to be a child care director, would you?  While people have freedom of speech and expression, WE THE PEOPLE have a right to choose who enFORCEs our animal control statutes.  These degenerates need to take their poisonous ideologies and hit the road!   This conflict of interest cannot be allowed to continue.

What time is it?

Happy New Year, all!

2015 was a GREAT year for Fido.  A pit bull kills another in Miami... where they are banned!  Indeed, the city is giving away banned pit bulls!  How much better can it get?

On a related note, we now have the first "suicide by dog" in history!   "O cruel world!  I must depart this mortal coil!  I must ignore all those nasty knives, firearms, pills, large bodies of water and tall buildings!  I will end my live by.... diving into a backyard full of pit bulls(?)"  Maybe its just me, but this seems a little far fetched to me.   Perhaps the "official" outcome was, ahem, "influenced" by the fact that a local cop owned the property in question?   This is shaping up to be a major scandal.

And, of course, we have the 9 year old boy living in a small travel trailer killed by his sister's 3 pit bulls.  Again, (and again, and again...) a pack of large dogs in a small camper is SUCH a good idea, isn't it?   The sister may go to jail, and yadda, yadda, yadda... but nothing ever really changes, now does it?

Happy 2016 folks!

[EDIT]  Here is a video of Griffin-Heady's pit bulls.  You know, the dogs that killed her brother?  Get it while the getting is good... probably won't be on youtube for long: