Shooting sticks

I made a new pair of shooting sticks out of some 5/8ths dowel rod. I candy-striped them and wrapped some electrical tape in the "V". I've taken them out a time or two now, they're proving their worth.



They are a nice compliment to my main pair, the old stand-by.



The nice thing about the older pair, being thicker, I can fold them out and have a really handy walking stick. But the new ones are nice because they're lighter and easier to grab with thick gloves on and carrying a butt-pad to sit on at your calling stand in the same hand.

You can make your own shooting sticks, bi-fur-pod, whatever you want to call 'em, by getting your instructions on Varmint Al's Hunting Site.


Ben

Dad has to have fun too!

Late this morning, Dad, who likes to look with binoculars or a spotting scope at the big hill across the road, spotted a coyote on top of the hill laying down. We kind of gave up on it because there wasn't really a good way to go up without getting picked off. We went on with the day but kept our eyes on the coyote. Later in the afternoon, Mom looked through the spotting scope and saw it was limping really bad on it's right front leg! Now that changes everything! Dad, Nash and I got our gear and started after it. Here's a picture of the coyote on the hill, about 1/2 a mile from our living room window. You can see it holding up it's leg.


Long story short we hiked up the hill in knee deep snow, huffin' and puffin'! We got to the top and took a minute to glass, and Dad spotted the yote. It was too far to shoot, so we dashed around the hill and got set up. We got close enough and BAM! he dropped it in it's tracks, DRT!
Here are some pictures.






It was a little female, looked like this year's pup. She has an old injury that looks like a lion or another coyote got her. Dad's first coyote of the season.

Thanks for looking!

Ben

True Grit

Wow, the new version of True Grit is awesome! This one is more based on the book than the one with John Wayne. It is great! Jeff Bridges is wonderful as Reuben J "Rooster" Cogburn, and the girl who plays Mattie Ross deserves an Oscar for her performance. : ) Matt Damon as La Bouef is a great foil to Rooster, and is very funny. He is always extolling virtues on "the Sharps carbine" lol. Lucky Ned Pepper is played to perfection, but his Remington 1875 SA steals the show!
All in all, an EXCELLENT movie, I give it 10 stars. Don't go into the theater expecting to see John Wayne spinning his '92 Winchester or you'll be disapointed. Keep an open mind, and you'll love it!


~Ben