Tuning up my soul.

Last night I poured a glass of Ardbeg and settled in to re-read A Rough Shooting Dog (ISBN: 0385479921), by Charles Fergus. It's a really nice story about the first year hunting with a springer spaniel.

I'm thinking about how the local WMA, McKee-Beshers, is going to look to me with a dog at my side. I'm reading some web posts about how to take full advantage the Potomac during the watefowl season.

It's a bit premature, but I'm getting excited about rediscovering my neighborhood.

Tune -up with Artemis

Took the Mis-tress out for a quail tune-up. Hot, but we had fun. Thanks to Elon for the fine camera work. I'll run her a few more times and then its off to Black Lake for the real deal.

Oh, and the quail, of which there were three...

Breasted, salt rub and slathered in olive oil and garlic. Cinnamon sprinkle on both sides. Grill, baste liberally with orange spice sauce (found in asian section of wegman's). Serve w/ mint garnish. Delicious.










Miss on "slam" point.










Found one in the hedgerow.











The Miss-creant and Pops.

For the one or two loyal readers of Vassili's deer sniping blog, Vassili has updated the blog with an account of his latest kill. Day 50. Some of you might find it mildly amusing.

Josh, that's an interesting looking pooch. Is that one of those naked mole rat terriers?

Breed selected, now on to preparations ...

Just a few short months ago I unloaded all my dog training books to KGT. I had accumulated them over the years knowing one day I too would be with dog.

This past Spring, I had come to the sad conclusion my life would be dogless. I packed up the books (a number of Wolters titles, and a few assorted other authors) and dropped them off with KGT when I visited for Spring turkey season.

KGT is a wise man and insisted, despite my confident contrariness, he would hold the books on long-term loan and not take them as gifts.

I now stand before you requesting advice on books and your own insights concerning training dog as hunting buddy (of the retrieving and flushing kind) and family member.

Umm, KGT , could you send some of those "gifts" back my way?

goose pimples for early goose

Here's another oldie but goodie to get you all pumped up for early goose--or as we in the nuisance sniping trade like to call it, the September Nuisance Goose Season.

Frederic Remington, "Goose Shooting"

I'm wondering what goose sausage would taste like . . . .

Empty out those freezers, boys

Superior Shooter's laundry list of killables reminded me that it's that time again--you should all be cleaning out the freezer of all the old game flesh in order to make room for the new.

Which means that the barbecue grills should be working overtime. Serious sportsmen, of course, will have a full time grill attendant on staff . . . just like they did back in the 1950s, when this picture was published. It was truly the heyday of sportsmanship.

Remember: girls love grills.

cattails yellowing
vacant seats at double black
ducklings hide beneath

Must be everyone's gearing up...

Wow, even Superior Shooter's call for grouse group gabbing has gone unheeded. I'm guessing everyone's just busy polishing their dekes in eager anticipation of another long hunting season.

Well, I've been busy at least. Made up a beautiful batch of venison summer sausage--turned out awesome! I went back to the store today to order another 2-3 pounds of pork fat for the next batch, which I figure will fill the smoke box with 20 pounds or so. Just in time for goose season, early grouse, and who knows, maybe even Safari Jim's Michigan grouse camp. Say Jim, is that still a possibility? haven't heard. I don't know with the price of gas whether I'll even be traveling this year, but we can still hope, can't we. Anyway....

Here are some vintage sporting road hunters to pump you up.

I got tired of Vassili's fan mail

Here is some sporting art to get us in the mood for the upcoming hunting season. I don't know about you all, but I can't wait to be surrounded by dead thangs.

The painting is a self-portrait by Alexandre François Desportes, circa 1699.

I'd say that's impact!

Moments after completing this evening's entry for Confessions of a Deer Sniper, Vassili received the following comment, which was then forwarded to me moments before Zaitsev deleted it from the blog.

From: Anonymous <anonymous-comment@blogger.com>

To: jat4@cornell.edu

Subject: [Confessions of a Deer Sniper] 8/04/2006 10:32:43 PM

Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2006 19:32:45 -0700 (PDT)

u sound like a sick fucker...i hope someone gutts the daylights outta u one day

--

Posted by Anonymous to Confessions of a Deer Sniper at 8/04/2006 10:32:43 PM

I'd say that's impact!

The Site Meter data indicated our fan mail came from India, which gives us the international recognition we have long craved:

Domain Name touchtelindia.net ? (Network)

IP Address 203.101.5.# (BTNL-DL-DSL)

ISP Bharti Broadband networks Limited

Location

Continent : Asia

Country : India (Facts)

State/Region : Maharashtra

City : Pande

Lat/Long : 18.3833, 75.2333 (Map)

Language English (United States)

en-us

Operating System Microsoft WinXP

Browser Internet Explorer 6.0

So we got that going for us!

Five Smart Guys who Hunt and Mr. Mike

Five Smart Guys who Hunt and Mr. Mike