Sportsman's Blog

Ammunition Just Gets Harder To Find

A few days ago I was discussing with a friend the current state of our retail ammunition supply and the perceived “shortage” many of us are experiencing around the country.   My friend, who happens to work in the retail gun industry, was quick to snap back “there is NO damn shortage!   People are hoarding ammunition so badly that the normal ammunition supply just can’t keep up.   There just happens to be an overabundance of stocked ammo now being held in private reserves.”

Indeed, my friend is correct in his observation.   His response was quickly evident that a certain frustration also exists among retailers who are trying their damnedest to keep shelves full of all calibers of ammunition.   Yet, the buying frenzy continues.   Ammunition manufacturers, retailers and consumers, alike, have grown frustrated by this current situation.   One day shelves will seem well stocked, a few days later everything is empty again with replacement product still weeks away on backorder.

I’ve heard stories of individuals driving several hours just to purchase a couple boxes of desired ammo in stock.   I’ve also heard rumors that people are paying outrageous prices for ammo they know in their heart is not worth that much, but for some reason they must have it now.   So, this craziness lingers on and perhaps seems to be building with the passage of time.

So what’s causing the shortage?   Well, quite honestly there is no simple or definitive answer.   Surely it’s a combination of factors.   No doubt the election of Obama, a perceived gun-control advocate, has a lot to do with this.   Prior to last fall ammunition supplies were rather stable, albeit the prices were creeping higher thanks to the volatile metals market, but out-of-stock situations on ammo were not nearly as troublesome as they are today.

Oh, sure, I’ve even heard some of this blamed on the fact we have been at war now for several years.   Well, I guess this would explain the shortages of 9mm, .45ACP, .223 and 5.56mm…but since when did our armed forces start using .380Auto in large quantities?   It’s widely believed this caliber is one of the most difficult rounds to purchase these days.   Even .22LR has been flying off the shelves — that’s definitely not a popular military round.

Some even explain that our law enforcement agencies are stocking up for their practice reserves and this is diverting supply from the normal retail shelf.   I suppose this is possible, to some extent.

Of course, we are living in some extraordinary times these days.   Whenever economic strife hits our population there grows a general uneasiness about the future.   Remember that “clinging to their guns” comment made during the election campaign last year?   Guns without an adequate ammunition supply happen to be worthless.

Speaking of guns, did you know that some gun industry experts believe that roughly 30% of all guns being sold today are to “first time” gun buyers.   That’s amazing.   Of course, these individuals will need ammo.   New consumers of a product will certainly further stress the supply side of things.

Yet, another facet of the current political climate threatens us with outrageously high taxation on ammo.   How long do you have to listen to the political rhetoric proposing 500% tax hikes on ammunition before it has a negative effect?   Or even more ridiculous, serialization of our bullets so that every bullet is registered to a particular individual.   Oh sure, this sounds great in theory…but practically speaking this bullet identity measure would be the final nail in the coffin for the firearms industry.

Honestly, I’m not really sure anybody has a good handle on why certain kinds of handgun and rifle ammunition are now being found in short supply.   Certainly there are many factors at play here.   I suppose that one could even conclude that investing in ammunition has proven more worthwhile than the stock markets as of late.   Indeed, I’ve heard stories of individuals buying certain calibers of ammo when they don’t even own a gun now that shoots it.   You just wouldn’t have witnessed bizarre behavior like that pertaining to ammunition back a decade or so ago.

I guess what matters isn’t so much analyzing why ammunition in certain calibers happens to be difficult to buy.   No, what matters more is simply being able to purchase the ammunition one truly needs.   Problem is, when you wait weeks to finally locate the ammo you seek and then pay a much higher price at the cash register…how likely are you to go home and actually shoot it?   Honestly, when the commodity you’ve finally attained has such a high perceived valuable…does it somehow diminish your enjoyment for actually shooting it?

As my friend originally said, this may not be an ammo “shortage,” but whatever you want to call it, its a stinker of a situation we must now somehow deal with for at least the short term.

© 2009 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Now PETA Is Frowning On Dancing

That’s right.   If you stand up, tuck you hands under your armpits, start flapping your elbows rhythmically up and down, and, in general, prance around like a child about to wet their pants…well, my friend, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is trying to discourage you.   Yes, indeed, the coveted dance that is often played at so many weddings, known as the “Chicken Dance,” is now being considered a disgraceful activity, at least when performed at certain venues.

This coming weekend NASCAR fans will flock to one of the biggest race tracks on the stock car racing circuit and race fans in attendance will likely make history.   Their possible achievement?   Well, none other than a potential Guiness Book of World Records showing of the largest group “Chicken Dance” ever recorded.   It’s not that difficult to imagine a group of fun-loving, beer guzzling fans being asked over the loud speaker to stand up and dance wildly like a chicken-with-your-head-cut-off.

And that’s exactly what has PETA up in arms.   Apparently KFC is the sponsor of the record breaking attempt and we all know there happens to be no love loss between PETA and KFC.   Their feud, specifically restaurant protests by demonstrators dressed in chicken costumes, has been going on for years.

At this point it’s really not known how PETA expects to protest what dance activity is anticipated to happen at the race on Sunday, but as sportsmen we all know PETA has a penchant for being creative and doing “whatever is necessary” to draw attention to their silly cause.   Honestly, we all know this is nothing more than a publicity stunt, yet at the core of the issue remains an animal rights controversy that is surely not going away anytime soon.

Sportsmen have also long been the source of these sort of protests conducted by PETA.   Actually, there’s very few activities that we engage in that you would find PETA condoning.   If their tactics/politics weren’t so radical and extreme, perhaps they could actually perform some social good.   Yet, as this latest incident clearly demonstrates, this group is more about being in the spotlight than serving to fulfill a worthwhile cause.

In the meantime, I’m fighting the urge now to stand up and do the “chicken dance” in defiance of PETA.   Ask my wife, I’m not usually the dancing type, but if this dance somehow bothers PETA…well, then I feel somewhat giddy enough to be seen jumping around my office and acting like a total fool.   I guess you could say that’s my form of rebuttle protest on this matter.

© 2009 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Tough Times Sometimes Means Tough Decisions

Yesterday I received one of those e-mails I simply don’t like to read.   It went something like this.   “Due to the fact I got laid off from work last week, it now looks like I won’t be attending Fish Camp next month as I had planned to do.   Instead, I need to save money and start looking for a new job.”

Frustrating, both for my friend…but also for the other fish camp attendees.   The point is when personalities are missing from camp (whether it be fish camp or hunting camp), the overall experience for everyone is bound to suffer.   Problem is, this year I have received several e-mails with perhaps slightly different stories, but similar results — coming to fish camp is not in the cards for this year.

Indeed, my annual Minnesota Fishing Opener Bash (www.MNFishCamp.com) is going on it’s eighth year and typically we have about 25 guys and their kids who attend.   This year, however, due mostly to the current economic conditions, a few fisherman and their families are simply saying…”well, maybe next year.”

Quite honestly my usual camp of around 25 fishermen will likely be reduced to about 15 or 16 folks this year.   I’ve been told, even by some who still have their jobs, that they don’t dare take off the time from work.   Taking a vacation day or two at work might indicate to a supervisor that perhaps play is more important than work.   Understandably, nervous employees don’t want to give any reason for the ax to fall on them next.

Heck, I don’t blame them.   Other “regulars” to camp are likely not as worried about their job, but some have had their spouses lose a job.   The net result is the same…the family budget is being stretched to the max and a fisherman finds it hard to justify taking a personal vacation when the rest of the family may be sacrificing an upcoming summer vacation due to lack of funds.

Yea, times are tough and quite honestly I suspect there are a lot of excruciatingly difficult decisions being made around the kitchen table these days.   Perhaps that big game hunting trip being planned to the Western states this fall has been put on hold for many folks.   Likewise, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if deposits made earlier for Canadian fishing resort vacations are simply forfeited because life situations have drastically changed since making those original commitments.

That’s one of the challenges that always faces a bunch of sportsmen who plan activities together.   As a group, you often pro-rate the costs of the adventure out over several participants, but when folks drop out, even for perfectly understandable reasons, it puts more of a financial burden on those hunters/fishermen who still remain.

As for my 2009 Minnesota Fishing Opener Bash, the tradition will continue on like it has for many years prior to this recession challenged year.   Those of us attending probably will make do with the same old boat and equipment we’ve used in the past.   Sure, it would be nice to sport something new…but I’m sure most of us this year will feel fortunate enough just to be present in camp.

Optimistically speaking, recessions don’t last forever…and, of course, there is always next year to once again renew the spirit of the outdoor tradition being missed.   Rarely are life situations permanent, and with that belief we can forge ahead knowing that we are all currently living in some extraordinary times with better days surely ahead for all of us.

© 2009 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Gun-Owning Sportsmen Under Fire From Minnesota Legislature

Let’s imagine, for a moment, a proposed new Minnesota law (HF953) that would encompass the following critical changes to how Minnesota sportsmen would be able to own guns (of all types):

• Terminate the private sale of firearms (a.k.a The so-called “Gun Show Loophole”) requiring that all future firearms sales go through an FFL Dealer.   Incidentally, residents of Minneapolis or St. Paul would have to travel outside of their respective cities to complete a gun transfer to another individual.
• Even guns transferred between family members would be subject to strict transfer rules.
• Create a central state run gun registration system recording all firearms transfers for potential civil or criminal investigations.   Upshot, state gun owners should be prepared to give the State of Minnesota an itemized list of all guns currently owned or become criminal by the act of ommittance.
• Allow all local sheriffs and police chiefs the ability to charge whatever fees they want to complete transfer background checks (separate from Federal NICS checks).   Seller and buyer would also be required to purchase a Minnesota firearms transfer permit.
• Makes any gun owner a criminal if you loan a firearm (even for hunting) to someone else for a period of more than 24–hours.   Both the gun owner and the gun borrower would be subject to arrest and subsequent felony prosecution.   The gun registration system (above) would be used to determine to whom the gun properly belongs.

Don’t these provisions sound just wonderful?   Well, guess what…the bill to become a law has an important committee meeting this Friday.   It’s important for all sportsmen (and gun owners, for that matter) to put down these efforts and not allow this nonsense to progress any further along in the process.   Click HERE for more information and the contact list of committee members who need to be contacted.

You know, this happens to be a Minnesota proposed law but it could just as well be a federal congressional legislative proposal.   Much of this comes directly from some playbook the liberal Democrats seem to be playing by these days.   We are being bombarded by proposed new legislation that promises to infringe upon our most basic of American rights.

When will the Democrats learn that infringing upon our gun owning rights has had dire consequences against their political party in the past?   How soon they forget.   Once Minnesota sportsmen take notice of what these political clowns have proposed, it will be time to take names and then take action next time at the polls.

You have to know that the Democrats realize, to some extent, they are playing with dynamite on this issue.   This past election has given far too many lawmakers (in states and at the federal level) a feeling of “empowerment” that now is the time to move their ill-conceived liberal agenda forward.   And that’s fine…if they feel they must enact new laws that criminalize the actions of otherwise law-abiding citizens, let them try.

But they better be prepared to deal with that little light at the end of the tunnel.   Right now it seems pretty innocent and non-threatening.   Yet, when that freight train known as gun owner backlash comes barreling down the track I predict it will crush those lawmakers who decided to make this an unfortunate game of chicken.   It’s time gun owners, as well as sportsmen, purge these individuals from our elected ranks.   Any elected official who willing chooses to be contrarian to our established American gun owning rights deserves to be unemployed…and they will be!   That’s my promise to them.

© 2009 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Obama Administration Fires First Shot Over The Bow

It’s time sportsmen wake up and begin to realize just how our world is “changing.”   That’s right, the Administration that promised hope and change has now indicated its readiness to take the first step toward enacting major new gun control laws.   So, you think this won’t effect you…well, I have news for you if you’re a shooting sportsman you might want to think again.

Let’s begin by listening to some promises made only a few months ago on the campaign trail:

Oh, and by the way, Ray Shoenke who was part of this video representing “common sense” sportsmen…is nothing other than heading up a gun control front group operating under the guise known as the American Hunters and Shooters Association.   I’ve previously blogged about this bogus group, check it out.

So, Obama’s newly appointed Attorney General, Eric Holder announced that plans are quickly moving forward for a new and improved “Assault Weapons Ban” (AWB).   Seems fairly innocuous since most hunters don’t use “assault-style weapons,” right?   WRONG!   Let’s define some terms being bantered about on this topic:

Assault Weapon — Is a political term used to describe a variety of semi-automatic firearms that have certain features associated with the military — commonly a folding or telescopic stock, hi-capacity magazine, a flash suppressor or a barrel shroud, etc.   All items that are mostly cosmetic in nature.   In other words, to those not part of the shooting culture a gun that just looks down-right “scary.”

Cop Killer Bullets — True cop killer bullets are not readily available to the public.   However, Holder’s use of this term defines it as any bullet capable of penetrating body armor.   Okay, with the exception of my rimfire .22 caliber rifles…ALL of my other hunting rifles would fall under this criteria of using ammunition capable of piercing thru body armor.  

Gun Show Loophole — A fanciful way of saying that gun sales between two private parties can not exist unless you involve a Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer to record the transaction.   Think of it this way.   You’re a father and want to hand a prized family gun down to your son.   Well, in the future you might have to first take it to a FFL Dealer and pay them a $20 – $30 transfer fee so they can complete the government paperwork and do a criminal background check on your son.   Sound reasonable?   Imagine the hassle and expense involved with passing down an entire gun collection.

Folks, there will be much more to come on this topic, but it’s time we all start bracing for an onslaught against our 2^nd Amendment rights, the likes of which we have never before experienced.   If you want to trust Obama and his minions that they are working in our best interests, then go ahead and keep the blinders on.   But I’m here to tell you that Obama et al. is not just attacking the type of guns you wouldn’t even own for your sporting pursuits.   Nope, our new President has in his gun-banning sights the very genre of guns you likely already own that are tucked away securely in your closet.   Trust me on this one…and stay tuned!!

© 2009 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Tags: Obama+Gun+Ban, Obama+Assault+Weapon+Ban

Minnesota Considers Allowing Dogs To Recover Shot Big-game

Later this month the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, at its corporate board meeting, will be considering asking the Minnesota DNR to allow the use of dogs to recover wounded big-game animals.   The organization’s executive director, Mark Johnson, was recently quoted as saying, “deer hunters are not as good at tracking as they used to be.”   At first glance, the comment seemed strangely odd.   Almost a slam to any self-respecting person who calls themselves a Minnesota deer hunter.   Yet, it’s an interesting comment, nonetheless, worthy of further examination.

To begin, I personally know Mark Johnson and he’s a good guy who means no ill will towards the hunting community.   In fact, his statement was so blunt it couldn’t have been more effective to generate discussion on the topic.   But are hunters as a group really losing their skills in the field?   Seriously, is the average hunter of today lacking in the sort of woodsmanship abilities so as to recover a wounded deer that they must rely on a four legged companion?

First, let me get my bias out of the way and go on record as saying I am opposed to the use of dogs to recover wounded deer.   I realize this tactic might be employed in other states with no negative ethics or legal violations…but in Minnesota the practice has long been taboo to incorporate dogs into the picture no matter what aspect of big-game hunting might be undertaken.   If you hunt deer you don’t use dogs…end of story.

But has the typical hunter in today’s world become so lazy or lax in certain skill sets that we must change the long-standing rules of the hunt?   In my opinion it’s sort of a dumbing down of the hunter to think that the use of dogs is sometimes THE ONLY option for the recovery of game.   Honestly, Mark’s comment is sort of a sad commentary on our sport if indeed it happens to be true.

Back 25 years ago when I used to teach Advanced Hunter Education for the Minnesota DNR, we used to make mock blood trails simulating all sorts of different blood trailing scenarios.   The students would break up into groups…and as a team they would compete against other groups to see who could find their “fallen trophy” first.   We made it a game, but the exercise was highly educational to instill in hunters the proper technique for following a wounded animal.

Let’s face it…anyone who has hunted long enough will have a tracking story.   The one that comes to my mind was back probably 18 years or so ago when a young, first-time hunter shot and wounded a deer in our group.   My buddy Mitch and I assisted this young hunter for over 8 hours tracking the animal with several sightings.   In hindsight, we probably should have let the animal bleed-out for awhile before continuing…but the sightings kept us hot in pursuit until late in the day.

We were beat having walked through some of the gnarliest vegetation known to man.   Just as the sun was about to set, the deer came to a plowed field lacking any vegetation.   Blood on dirt just doesn’t work to your advantage, let me tell you.   We came to the conclusion that we had given it a full and proper effort.   Several times earlier in the day we thought we had reached a dead end…but our persistence eventually paid dividends in finding new blood trailing evidence.

The point I make with this story is PRACTICE.   That’s how you get good at recovering downed big game.   Using dogs might seem logical like it’s a better way…but it’s not.   In my book it is a lazy, reprehensible way to perfect the legitimate kill on a big game animal like a deer.

I hope like hell Mark made the statement about hunters not being that skilled anymore as sort of a tongue-in-cheek response to generate further discussion.   My fear, however, is that whether we like to believe it or not, many hunters are always looking for ways to take a short-cut.

Look, hunting is hard work and it begins the moment you pull the trigger or release the arrow.   The incentive should be to make a quick, clean kill relying on the hunter’s own senses to perfect the recovery of the fallen game.   It seems to me that allowing the use of dogs will only encourage hunters to be more sloppy and careless in this all-important process.   That’s not what we need happening in our beloved sport — now or in the future.

© 2009 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Tags: deer+hunting+dogs, dogs+game+recovery

This Should Put A Smile On Your Face

It seems the world has had its fill of negative news lately, particularly pertaining to financial matters.   Bank bail-outs, auto maker bail-outs, the Madoff Ponzi Scheme…there’s simply no doubt about it the national psyche has been greatly bruised by witnessing widespread corruption and money woes.

Yet, this news story put a smile on my face.   The Wall Street Journal reports that PETA got scammed as part of the Madoff investment debacle.   That’s right, poor PETA in a strange set of circumstances purchased a package of tickets to the Inaugural festivities which included a chance to meet President Obama.   Obviously, officials from PETA were planning to use the face to face meeting with the President to push their whacky agenda.   The tickets or the meeting never materialized.

The WSJ reports in the story that PETA’s plan was disrupted because the firm offering the tickets for sale had direct ties to Mr. Madoff, someone who has confessed to running a $50+ Billion fraudulent scheme bilking investors.   It’s uncertain if PETA will ever recover the money they paid hoping to lobby the new President.

Just goes to show you…out of every negative situation if you look hard enough you can usually find SOMETHING positive to come from it.

2009 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Tags: PETA

I'm Growing A Bit Embarrassed By My Home State...

And with damn good reason.   This continuing news-making issue of lead contamination in harvested venison is starting to make my home state look down-right silly.   Seriously.   My home state of Minnesota has intentionally juxtaposed itself to be at the forefront of this controversy and the nagging question that comes to my mind is…WHY?

Let me condense this down.   As you may recall, last year Minnesota, as well as a few other states, pulled thousands of pounds of hunter-donated venison off the food shelves because of trace particles of lead being found in certain packages.   So, last summer the DNR agencies from several states convened in Minnesota to discuss how they best deal with the situation this fall and into the future.   I was there and blogged about that conference.

Among other things, a plan went forward in Minnesota to train all the meat processors on the new strict guidelines which basically boiled down to only accepting whole cuts of protein from deer that was not all shot up.   In essence, the meat processors were given more discretionary control to reject hunter-donated meat intended for the food shelves if it was deemed to be unwholesome by the new lead standards.

Well, to certain news-hungry state agencies dealing with the problem, such as the Minnesota DNR and the Minnesota Departments’ of Health and Agriculture, that apparently was not the end to the story.   Nope, this fall they began “fueling the fire” once again by choosing to x-ray all of the donated meat.   That’s right…with the holiday season fast approaching and the desperate need for protein to reach certain low-income families, my home state has opted instead to undertake the tedious task of x-raying all firearm harvested meat before distribution.

Brings me back to my original question.   WHY?   Are they (Government officials) being overly cautious or is there a hidden agenda being promulgated here to eventually end the use of lead bullets for hunting?   I’m starting to wonder about their intent much like many of my hunting cohorts.   Lead used to harvest wild game has never been documented to cause death or debilitation, so what is all the sudden fuss about?

I’ve got a simple solution to the problem.   If these agencies are going to get their underwear all bound up about this topic, then why not simply require that venison donated to these programs only be done with so-called non-toxic ammunition.   Furthermore, because the ammunition costs three or four times as much money as traditional lead rounds, why not use some of that “available” money now spent on x-raying the meat and instead use it to subsidize the cost of the ammo used by the venison donors.

In other words, when a Minnesota hunter donates a deer shot by a copper solid (or equivalent) bullet, as a small thanks for the donation, the hunter could get a voucher or coupon worth $10 off their next purchase of another box of the outrageously expensive ammo these state agencies want us to use.   Sounds rather simple, doesn’t it?   That’s the reason why the government would never adopt a common sense approach such as this.   It seems they would rather twist what should be a good deed (hunters donating food) into a relentless public lynching of a tradition still not proven to be a public health hazard.

2008 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Tags: Lead+in+venison, MN+DNR

Zero Tolerance + School Administration = Zero Common Sense

Okay, it’s time to rant.   I’m growing fed up with high school students being suspended by their schools because they committed the indiscretion of violating the zero tolerance for weapons policy.   Yea, I understand that in a world where “Columbine” is still vividly on the minds of school officials they can’t afford to take potential situations lightly.   But c’mon, where has the common sense gone?   These school officials are highly paid professionals who seem incapable (or perhaps unwilling) to deal with the situations with pure common sense.

Case in point.   A Milaca, MN teen is on suspension because he accidentally left his “hunting bow” cased in the back of his SUV.   It was a simple mistake.   He had been hunting a few days before and forgot about the bow when he drove to school.   While at school, it occurred to him that he had made the mistake, so he did the proper thing and reported it to his teacher.   Several hours later, the principal called him to his office and informed the student that he was going to be suspended from school.   More importantly, this violation could lead to the youth’s expulsion from school.   You can read more HERE.

What does this action teach the youth?   Well, in my mind it shows that being honest certainly doesn’t pay.   Seriously, do you think the child would have told anyone if he didn’t have to knowing he would face this sort of punishment?   I’m guessing not.   Here’s a young adult who’s an avid hunter who now is being treated like he’s the next Eric Harris or Dylan Klebold.

Of course, it doesn’t end here.   Just a few weeks back a similar incident happened in a different school in Minnesota.   This time the student didn’t turn himself in…instead a security guard doing rounds in the student parking lot witnessed a box cutter in a console compartment between the front seats of the student’s car.   Again, the school over-reacted and levied a suspension with possible expulsion.   In this case the student worked at a local grocery chain after school and the knife was used to breakdown boxes.   Admittedly, he should have left the tool at work…but it accidentally got left in his pocket which then made it to his car.   You can read more on this story HERE.

Now let’s face the facts here.   When is the last time you’ve heard of a killer going on some uncontrolled rampage shooting a bow and arrows?   Moreover, I haven’t heard of a box cutter being used as a weapon since 9/11.   Sure, in both cases it can happen, but it seems awfully far-fetched to me.

I guess my real problem is in both of these instances the kids made mistakes but they had plausible excuses.   When a school can’t rely on its own discretion to evaluate matters on a case by case basis, what does this say about the school?   The school is teaching our youth to reason out problems and make proper judgments in life, but when the school needs to act on a matter they rely on a rigid, and dare I say, an unnecessary policy.

When an honest sportsman admits to his teacher that he errored by leaving the bow in his vehicle this deserves kudos for being upstanding and admitting his mistake.   Obviously, if he had ill intent he wouldn’t have made the admission.   And common sense would certainly grant the kid a pass on the first incident, wouldn’t it?   I would think so.

I sure know this…in the nearly 30 years since I graduated there have been lots of changes that have occurred in most high schools.   Certainly some I understand…but when the school officials have been stripped of their common-sense, judgment-making abilities on these matters it’s enough to cause me to just shake my head in utter disgust.

2008 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Tags: Zero+Tolerance+Weapons+Policy

Are Economic Woes Hitting The Sportsman's Life?

Let’s be honest here.   If you’re like me these days there seems to be a little less money taking up space in your pocket.   Thankfully I’m not hurting financially like many families seem to be across this nation, but I would be less than truthful if I didn’t admit to the necessity of some budget tightening in my family.   Fact is, if you want to get depressed simply turn on the news.   Lately you’d be hard-pressed to find much of anything positive going on in our world right now — particularly in financial quarters.

In talking to my circle of friends it also seems there’s a little less spending going on when it comes to this fall’s hunting plans.   Several friends have scaled back their Western hunts.   Some have even cancelled altogether.   Problem is when you have a group of guys planning a hunting adventure together all it takes is one or two dropping out and the proverbial “domino effect” begins to take place.

It’s really hard to justify spending the equivalent of a month’s mortgage payment toward hunting expenses when some families are not even certain they can scrape up the money to stay current with their bills.   Moreover, financial woes are not a topic everyone likes to share openly with others.   It can be deeply personal, and frustratingly aggravating to talk about money worries among your sportsman peers.

Again this fall I’m not planning any extravagant hunt out-of-state.   My reasoning, however, is more career-related rather than money saving.   In the fall I just don’t have the time to get away hunting for a full week.   Weekend forays into the outdoors is about all I can afford at this point in my career.

I’ve also noticed that some of my sportsman friends seem to be re-acquainting themselves with hunting closer to home this fall.   Due, I’m sure in large part, to cutting back on costs.   Mind you that’s not a bad thing, but merely a subtle sign of the tougher financial times many households currently are experiencing.

I did find it interesting to note recently that there is some news that’s contrarian to the bleak picture I have thus far painted here.   Gun sales are reportedly brisk all around the country in advance of the election where the threat of a Democrat residing in the White House is a distinct possibility.   This action is mostly in anticipation of the likely reinstatement of some form of Assault Weapons Ban thanks to a probable Democratically controlled Legislature and Executive Branch.

Okay, so I'm just curious…how has the past 18 months or so of paying higher fuel costs, food costs, etc. affected the way you intend to recreate outdoors this fall?   Are you cutting back?   Or is it just a momentary bump in the road for which you’re not really changing anything?   I’d like to hear from you. [hit the comment link below]

2008 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.