(Urged Press Release)
Vancouver, Canada - Please be advised ... to all who have heard a recent United States political ad on the radio, the person speaking is NOT Jim Shockey. We have received many e-mails from fans who have misheard the person's name.
This radio ad is approved by the Obama campaign, and the speaker is Ray Schoenke, the president of the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA)*. He pronounces his name such that it sounds like "Shockey." Jim, obviously, has no affiliation with this group.
We would GREATLY appreciate it if all of you who read this would help to clear Jim's good name. As you can imagine, Jim has taken some unfair criticism as a result of this mistaken identity.
The fact that people don't take the time to investigate the facts before they lash out has caused substantial confusion. Many of Jim's TV sponsors, licensees and business partners have received e-mails and phone calls from angry consumers saying that they will never again buy their products. As you can see, this kind of error on the part of folks who rush to judgment can turn into more than just a rumor. It can begin to impact on a person's livelihood and reputation.
Here is a statement from Jim: "I am 100 percent for gun ownership by law-abiding citizens. As a Canadian I cannot vote in U.S. elections, of course, but I would never ever support any candidate who is anti-gun."
Thank you for your support and helping to spread the word. Please consider forwarding this important statement of fact to any and all persons on your e-mail list so that they can help us to clear Jim's good name.
(*) The American Hunter and Shooters Association (AHSA) is a anti-gun organization masquerading as a pro gun and pro hunting organization. The AHSA has in the past continually attacked the National Rifle Association (NRA) for their pro-gun and pro Second Amendment stance. Obama’s anti gun agenda is heard very loud and clear even up here in Canada and him being supported by the AHSA is very telling of that organizations real agenda. I am a Canadian and urge all my American friends to take this years election very seriously and act accordingly.
Tags: Jim Shockey, Obama Campaign, Anti Gun Message, Second Amendment, Right to bear Arms
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
My kind of week
© By Othmar Vohringer
It stared with an unforgettable morning in the duck marsh and went on to become on of the most enjoyable weeks in my hunting career. In this blog post I will take you along on my outdoor journey illustrated through pictures. Enjoy.
As I said it all stared with that memorable waterfowl hunt. The day after that hunt I found myself sitting in my office cutting green cord pieces to the exact length needed to braid a duck call lanyard. With the memories that hunt stirred up in me it brought a knowledge that was buried deep inside me. The knowledge my father passed on to me of how to make your own duck call lanyard. It didn’t click right away but after the second try it all came back to me and within a few minutes I held a finished lanyard in my hands.
The next day I went back to the marsh for some more duck hunting. This time I was a little bit better prepared and knew what to expect. I planed on shooting a few mallards but ended the morning with a pintail hen, two gadwall hens and a green-winged teal. Mallards, the most hunted of the duck species, are very spooky at this time of season and to get them close to the decoys I have to camouflage the boat much better in the future. Still I had a good morning and I am very happy with what I got.
Two days later I headed out to scout at a new hunting area that I have discovered earlier in the fall. I found lots of deer sign, even some fresh rubs. The weather has cooled down over that last few days from warm to frost in the morning. That was all that is needed to get the deer in the pre-rut phase. Rubs start to turn up everywhere now. After the scouting I spent the rest of the morning hunting grouse. In the aspen grove draped in beautiful golden fall color I shot two grouse.
On Friday it cooled down even more which put the rainbow trout into a feeding frenzy. They have to eat as much as they can now to fatten up and make it through the winter when the lake is frozen over. This in turn makes for some excellent fishing. After changing lures a few times I found the one that the fish were going for. Within thirty minutes I caught these three rainbow trout. The largest is a monster that measured 1.5 feet and weighed cleaned out still over 3 pounds.
In between all these activity I continued on my quest to find a nice mule deer buck. Unlike whitetail deer hunting mule deer hunting involves sitting for hours at an elevated point in the landscape and glassing the terrain below for traveling or bedded bucks. If a buck is spotted bedded down the difficult task of stalking within shooting range begins. If the buck travels out of shooting range watch where he is headed and then try to follow him undetected and either anticipate where he is heading and try to get ahead of it and ambush the deer or stalk after it. Any which way you choose mule deer hunting is though.
This will be my last post for this week. On Friday my hunting partner comes up to us and we head together to our annual hunting camp for three days. I will be back here next week and hope to report that I have succeeded in my quest for a big mule deer buck. If the weather keeps as cool as it is right now the bucks should all be on the move and that makes hunting them a bit easier.
It stared with an unforgettable morning in the duck marsh and went on to become on of the most enjoyable weeks in my hunting career. In this blog post I will take you along on my outdoor journey illustrated through pictures. Enjoy.
As I said it all stared with that memorable waterfowl hunt. The day after that hunt I found myself sitting in my office cutting green cord pieces to the exact length needed to braid a duck call lanyard. With the memories that hunt stirred up in me it brought a knowledge that was buried deep inside me. The knowledge my father passed on to me of how to make your own duck call lanyard. It didn’t click right away but after the second try it all came back to me and within a few minutes I held a finished lanyard in my hands.
The next day I went back to the marsh for some more duck hunting. This time I was a little bit better prepared and knew what to expect. I planed on shooting a few mallards but ended the morning with a pintail hen, two gadwall hens and a green-winged teal. Mallards, the most hunted of the duck species, are very spooky at this time of season and to get them close to the decoys I have to camouflage the boat much better in the future. Still I had a good morning and I am very happy with what I got.
Two days later I headed out to scout at a new hunting area that I have discovered earlier in the fall. I found lots of deer sign, even some fresh rubs. The weather has cooled down over that last few days from warm to frost in the morning. That was all that is needed to get the deer in the pre-rut phase. Rubs start to turn up everywhere now. After the scouting I spent the rest of the morning hunting grouse. In the aspen grove draped in beautiful golden fall color I shot two grouse.
On Friday it cooled down even more which put the rainbow trout into a feeding frenzy. They have to eat as much as they can now to fatten up and make it through the winter when the lake is frozen over. This in turn makes for some excellent fishing. After changing lures a few times I found the one that the fish were going for. Within thirty minutes I caught these three rainbow trout. The largest is a monster that measured 1.5 feet and weighed cleaned out still over 3 pounds.
In between all these activity I continued on my quest to find a nice mule deer buck. Unlike whitetail deer hunting mule deer hunting involves sitting for hours at an elevated point in the landscape and glassing the terrain below for traveling or bedded bucks. If a buck is spotted bedded down the difficult task of stalking within shooting range begins. If the buck travels out of shooting range watch where he is headed and then try to follow him undetected and either anticipate where he is heading and try to get ahead of it and ambush the deer or stalk after it. Any which way you choose mule deer hunting is though.
This will be my last post for this week. On Friday my hunting partner comes up to us and we head together to our annual hunting camp for three days. I will be back here next week and hope to report that I have succeeded in my quest for a big mule deer buck. If the weather keeps as cool as it is right now the bucks should all be on the move and that makes hunting them a bit easier.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
An unforgettable morning in the duck marsh
© By Othmar Vohringer
An hour before daylight my boat glided silently under paddle power over the mirror like surface of Nicola Lake toward the first of several pre-prepared duck blinds I set up a few days earlier. The nightly scene with the stars glistening on the water’s surface, the thin layer of fog on the lake and the barely audible sound of the paddles being pushed in the water was reminiscent of the setting from Richard Wagner’s opera “Die Walküre” (The Valkyrie). There is a scene in the famous German composer’s opera where the heroine of Nordic myth crosses the River Rhine in a Viking battle boat in the middle of the night.
I’m sure that I thought of the similarities because of my father who was very fond of Wagner’s operas, not to mention an avid hunter- I’m certain I could feel his presence very clearly the moment I arrived at the lake and throughout the morning of my duck hunt.
As I wrote in All ducks lined up and ready to rumble I had gone to great lengths to prepare for the waterfowl hunting season. One of the reasons why I had prepared so well is because I wanted it to be a special hunt. A hunt my father, and mother too, would be proud of.
My father hunted many animals but if given the choice he would go waterfowl hunting. He was actually something of an expert and often gave other hunters advice on shotguns, hunting tactics and calling.
Whenever he would go out to the duck marsh I followed him whenever I could. There were times when I skipped school just to be with him and, interestingly enough, these were the only times my father would look at me and ask, “skipped school today?” and then smile. At no other time he would put up with such nonsense from me. As an adult I would spend time in the duck hunting blind with my father whenever I had time and so, waterfowl hunting became something very special and I never had another duck hunting partner in my life.
Ironically, shortly before my father passed away we shared our last hunt but it was not in the duck marsh but rather out hunting rabbits. At that time my father was greatly weakened from illness and had stopped going out to the marsh. That was 19 years ago and since then I have tried to hunt ducks alone, but it was such an emotionally painful experience that I never tried it again. Then about a year ago I found myself thinking about hunting waterfowl again and was surprised to realize that although I had to think about my father it was not painful anymore. Perhaps I could now venture out to the marsh again, on my own.
This led up to the preparations I described in “All ducks lined up and ready to rumble”. When I got up in the morning I still was not sure how I would feel and then arriving on the lake I got a bit sentimental and even shed some tears. Once on the water heading toward the first set up I felt amazingly calm and relaxed, I even smiled in anticipation of what laid ahead.
Arriving at my set up I immediately began setting up the decoys and then headed the boat around the corner of the cove where the approaching ducks would not be able to see it. Heavily hunted ducks soon will get very suspicious the moment they spot a boat on the water or close to shore. Once the boat was hidden and covered with reeds I took all the gear I needed out and walked the short distance to the blind.
Once there I just had time for a quick hot coffee, getting the gun loaded and adding a few more cattails to the blind. Sitting on a comfortable folding chair with duck calls hung around my neck and gun at my side, I was ready for action. It was just in time too. Looking to the east I could see the first silver lining of daylight. Any minute now and the ducks would start coming to feed on the marsh. I was about to put a duck call in my mouth when I remembered what my father taught me. “Never call ducks until you can see them. If they’re coming to you wait until they are over the decoys. If it looks like that they can’t make up their minds start with feeding chatter to coax them to land. If they try to fly away use 'come back' calls. But if the ducks attempt to land in the decoys don’t call at all, pick the gun up and get ready to shoot.”
Right at that moment I heard the familiar faint whistling sound ducks make with their wings when they fly. Looking up I saw a gaggle of Green-Winged Teals* heading my way. By the time these fast flying little birds arrived at the decoys I had the gun up and pointed at the duck leading the gaggle. I knew the decoys were exactly 30 yards from the blind. The gun barked loud in the quiet young day and the lead duck tumbled out of the sky.
It was my first duck in over 19 years and it felt good. “Did you see that dad?” I heard myself mumbling as I waded out to retrieve the bird. An hour passed and no more ducks came in. News most have gotten around that this spot was not safe. Time to pack up and head to the next spot. This spot on the lake was in the middle of a huge bed of reeds. It was the perfect sanctuary for waterfowl. I had scouted the location over at Google Earth and noticed a narrow path leading through the reeds to the open center and so, the previous week I had cut that path wider to make it passable for the boat and then closed the entrance again with reeds amd cattails to camouflage it from other hunters.
Silently I pulled the boat along the channel by grabbing reed stalks and pulling on them. The channel was so narrow that I could not use the paddles. I could smell the stench of duck droppings long before I arrived.
The end of the path opened up into a good-sized clearing in the reeds where hundreds of ducks had come to hide from the hunters. Upon my arrival the ducks took off everywhere complaining loudly at my intrusion. As soon as they had all flown out of sight I began setting up the decoys. Another trick I learned from my father: “Never ever set decoys out when the ducks can see you. If only one bird is seeing you setting up fake ducks he will go and tell the others.”
Once I had the boat in position I covered the boat completely with reeds and cattails that I had pre-cut at the other location. Then I laid a blanket of reeds and cattails over me leaving a hole just big enough to get the gun out. The waiting game began and an hour later the first ducks, a flock of Northern Pintails*, returned. I have heard it often said that Pintails make better table fare than mallards. Again the bead of my gun found its mark on the lead duck then swung ahead and the gun went off. Another duck fell out of the sky.
Despite all the practice I still have to learn to follow a flying target more quickly. After the first duck I was not fast enough to reload and follow the next one before the birds were out of shooting range. Still, after 19 years I had two ducks in the boat and was more than happy with the result. I enjoyed this hunt more than any other. Perhaps with the exception of the first buck I shot with bow and arrow. I am now back to waterfowl hunting and I can do so without experiencing sadness and loss. I miss my father and I always will, just like I miss my mother but now I am a waterfowl hunter that can enjoy the hunt and carry the heritage that has been passed on to me by my father. For this special occasion I dedicated the two ducks with a silent prayer to my father and mother.
On the way home I phoned up my wife to tell her about my waterfowl success and she was thrilled about it. I think deep down in her heart she felt how much that particular hunt meant to me. I am looking forward to many more waterfowl hunts yet to come.
For those interested in equipment here is what I used:
Lowe L 1436 Jon Boat without a motor
Mossberg 535 ATS Waterfowl 12 gauge 3 ½ magnum shotgun
Federal Premium Ultra-Shok 3” #3 steel ammunition.
Advantage and ASAT camouflage.
LaCross boots and hip waders.
Flambeau duck decoys, 6 drakes and 6 hens single rigged.
Knight & Hale and Primos duck calls.
(*) Both ducks are eclipse hens for those who are not familiar with ducks. An eclipse duck is a bird that has changed its summer plumage (molted) to winter plumage. An eclipse drake has similar plumage to a hen. Duck hens “eclipse” too but their appearance is not as dramatically different as an eclipsed drake.
Tags: Waterfowl Hunting, Nicola Lake Duck Hunt, Ducks, Green-Winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Mossberg Shotgun, ASAT Camouflage, Atvantage Camouflage, TEXT, Duck Calls, Knight&Hale, Primos, LaCross Boots, Federal Ammunition
An hour before daylight my boat glided silently under paddle power over the mirror like surface of Nicola Lake toward the first of several pre-prepared duck blinds I set up a few days earlier. The nightly scene with the stars glistening on the water’s surface, the thin layer of fog on the lake and the barely audible sound of the paddles being pushed in the water was reminiscent of the setting from Richard Wagner’s opera “Die Walküre” (The Valkyrie). There is a scene in the famous German composer’s opera where the heroine of Nordic myth crosses the River Rhine in a Viking battle boat in the middle of the night.I’m sure that I thought of the similarities because of my father who was very fond of Wagner’s operas, not to mention an avid hunter- I’m certain I could feel his presence very clearly the moment I arrived at the lake and throughout the morning of my duck hunt.
As I wrote in All ducks lined up and ready to rumble I had gone to great lengths to prepare for the waterfowl hunting season. One of the reasons why I had prepared so well is because I wanted it to be a special hunt. A hunt my father, and mother too, would be proud of.
My father hunted many animals but if given the choice he would go waterfowl hunting. He was actually something of an expert and often gave other hunters advice on shotguns, hunting tactics and calling.
Whenever he would go out to the duck marsh I followed him whenever I could. There were times when I skipped school just to be with him and, interestingly enough, these were the only times my father would look at me and ask, “skipped school today?” and then smile. At no other time he would put up with such nonsense from me. As an adult I would spend time in the duck hunting blind with my father whenever I had time and so, waterfowl hunting became something very special and I never had another duck hunting partner in my life.
Ironically, shortly before my father passed away we shared our last hunt but it was not in the duck marsh but rather out hunting rabbits. At that time my father was greatly weakened from illness and had stopped going out to the marsh. That was 19 years ago and since then I have tried to hunt ducks alone, but it was such an emotionally painful experience that I never tried it again. Then about a year ago I found myself thinking about hunting waterfowl again and was surprised to realize that although I had to think about my father it was not painful anymore. Perhaps I could now venture out to the marsh again, on my own.
This led up to the preparations I described in “All ducks lined up and ready to rumble”. When I got up in the morning I still was not sure how I would feel and then arriving on the lake I got a bit sentimental and even shed some tears. Once on the water heading toward the first set up I felt amazingly calm and relaxed, I even smiled in anticipation of what laid ahead.
Arriving at my set up I immediately began setting up the decoys and then headed the boat around the corner of the cove where the approaching ducks would not be able to see it. Heavily hunted ducks soon will get very suspicious the moment they spot a boat on the water or close to shore. Once the boat was hidden and covered with reeds I took all the gear I needed out and walked the short distance to the blind.
Once there I just had time for a quick hot coffee, getting the gun loaded and adding a few more cattails to the blind. Sitting on a comfortable folding chair with duck calls hung around my neck and gun at my side, I was ready for action. It was just in time too. Looking to the east I could see the first silver lining of daylight. Any minute now and the ducks would start coming to feed on the marsh. I was about to put a duck call in my mouth when I remembered what my father taught me. “Never call ducks until you can see them. If they’re coming to you wait until they are over the decoys. If it looks like that they can’t make up their minds start with feeding chatter to coax them to land. If they try to fly away use 'come back' calls. But if the ducks attempt to land in the decoys don’t call at all, pick the gun up and get ready to shoot.”Right at that moment I heard the familiar faint whistling sound ducks make with their wings when they fly. Looking up I saw a gaggle of Green-Winged Teals* heading my way. By the time these fast flying little birds arrived at the decoys I had the gun up and pointed at the duck leading the gaggle. I knew the decoys were exactly 30 yards from the blind. The gun barked loud in the quiet young day and the lead duck tumbled out of the sky.
It was my first duck in over 19 years and it felt good. “Did you see that dad?” I heard myself mumbling as I waded out to retrieve the bird. An hour passed and no more ducks came in. News most have gotten around that this spot was not safe. Time to pack up and head to the next spot. This spot on the lake was in the middle of a huge bed of reeds. It was the perfect sanctuary for waterfowl. I had scouted the location over at Google Earth and noticed a narrow path leading through the reeds to the open center and so, the previous week I had cut that path wider to make it passable for the boat and then closed the entrance again with reeds amd cattails to camouflage it from other hunters.
Silently I pulled the boat along the channel by grabbing reed stalks and pulling on them. The channel was so narrow that I could not use the paddles. I could smell the stench of duck droppings long before I arrived.
The end of the path opened up into a good-sized clearing in the reeds where hundreds of ducks had come to hide from the hunters. Upon my arrival the ducks took off everywhere complaining loudly at my intrusion. As soon as they had all flown out of sight I began setting up the decoys. Another trick I learned from my father: “Never ever set decoys out when the ducks can see you. If only one bird is seeing you setting up fake ducks he will go and tell the others.”
Once I had the boat in position I covered the boat completely with reeds and cattails that I had pre-cut at the other location. Then I laid a blanket of reeds and cattails over me leaving a hole just big enough to get the gun out. The waiting game began and an hour later the first ducks, a flock of Northern Pintails*, returned. I have heard it often said that Pintails make better table fare than mallards. Again the bead of my gun found its mark on the lead duck then swung ahead and the gun went off. Another duck fell out of the sky.
Despite all the practice I still have to learn to follow a flying target more quickly. After the first duck I was not fast enough to reload and follow the next one before the birds were out of shooting range. Still, after 19 years I had two ducks in the boat and was more than happy with the result. I enjoyed this hunt more than any other. Perhaps with the exception of the first buck I shot with bow and arrow. I am now back to waterfowl hunting and I can do so without experiencing sadness and loss. I miss my father and I always will, just like I miss my mother but now I am a waterfowl hunter that can enjoy the hunt and carry the heritage that has been passed on to me by my father. For this special occasion I dedicated the two ducks with a silent prayer to my father and mother.On the way home I phoned up my wife to tell her about my waterfowl success and she was thrilled about it. I think deep down in her heart she felt how much that particular hunt meant to me. I am looking forward to many more waterfowl hunts yet to come.
For those interested in equipment here is what I used:
Lowe L 1436 Jon Boat without a motor
Mossberg 535 ATS Waterfowl 12 gauge 3 ½ magnum shotgun
Federal Premium Ultra-Shok 3” #3 steel ammunition.
Advantage and ASAT camouflage.
LaCross boots and hip waders.
Flambeau duck decoys, 6 drakes and 6 hens single rigged.
Knight & Hale and Primos duck calls.
(*) Both ducks are eclipse hens for those who are not familiar with ducks. An eclipse duck is a bird that has changed its summer plumage (molted) to winter plumage. An eclipse drake has similar plumage to a hen. Duck hens “eclipse” too but their appearance is not as dramatically different as an eclipsed drake.
Tags: Waterfowl Hunting, Nicola Lake Duck Hunt, Ducks, Green-Winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Mossberg Shotgun, ASAT Camouflage, Atvantage Camouflage, TEXT, Duck Calls, Knight&Hale, Primos, LaCross Boots, Federal Ammunition
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Versus offers all year long hunting seasons
© By Othmar Vohringer
Everybody that is reading this blog for a while knows by now that I am a hunter with every fiber of my body. So much so that I consider hunting my way of life. It should therefore not come as a surprise to you that I also watch TV shows about hunting. Not any show mind you. The shows I watch have to be quality productions that are entertaining to watch and pass on knowledge too.
Besides a few Canadian shows I really enjoy watching Versus Country broadcasting many different shows all over North America. With more than 73 million homes connected via cable and satellite it has become on e of the most popular outdoor shows on TV.
As a whitetail enthusiast my favorites are David Morris in the Bucks of Tecomate . Morris’s experience includes over 20 years of whitetail deer hunting and owner/manager of Burnt Pine Plantation. David is also the executive publisher/owner of the famous Game & Fish Magazine and North American Whitetail magazine.
David’s wealth of hunting knowledge, conservation and quality deer management becomes apparent in every Bucks of Tecomate show. David Morris is joined on the show by co-host and everybody’s favorite comedian and deer hunter Jeff Foxworhty. The show is all about big whitetail bucks and, with sound advice, what it takes to hunt them.
Versus Country offers a lot of different outdoor related shows - to numerous to list them all here - for the fishing and hunting enthusiasts. I am sure if you visit the Versus Country website you will find a show that suits your interests. Who said that all hunting seasons have to come to an end? With Versus Country the hunting season lasts 12 months.
Tags: Versus Country, The Bucks Of Tecomate, David Morris, TV Hunting Shows, Whitetail Deer Hunting
Everybody that is reading this blog for a while knows by now that I am a hunter with every fiber of my body. So much so that I consider hunting my way of life. It should therefore not come as a surprise to you that I also watch TV shows about hunting. Not any show mind you. The shows I watch have to be quality productions that are entertaining to watch and pass on knowledge too.
Besides a few Canadian shows I really enjoy watching Versus Country broadcasting many different shows all over North America. With more than 73 million homes connected via cable and satellite it has become on e of the most popular outdoor shows on TV.
As a whitetail enthusiast my favorites are David Morris in the Bucks of Tecomate . Morris’s experience includes over 20 years of whitetail deer hunting and owner/manager of Burnt Pine Plantation. David is also the executive publisher/owner of the famous Game & Fish Magazine and North American Whitetail magazine.David’s wealth of hunting knowledge, conservation and quality deer management becomes apparent in every Bucks of Tecomate show. David Morris is joined on the show by co-host and everybody’s favorite comedian and deer hunter Jeff Foxworhty. The show is all about big whitetail bucks and, with sound advice, what it takes to hunt them.
Versus Country offers a lot of different outdoor related shows - to numerous to list them all here - for the fishing and hunting enthusiasts. I am sure if you visit the Versus Country website you will find a show that suits your interests. Who said that all hunting seasons have to come to an end? With Versus Country the hunting season lasts 12 months.
Tags: Versus Country, The Bucks Of Tecomate, David Morris, TV Hunting Shows, Whitetail Deer Hunting
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