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P.O. Box 621489

Littleton, CO 80162-1489

February 2011 Newsletter

REMINDER TO ALL MEMBERS

Lockheed Martin's Workplace Security policy, CPS-565 is strictly enforced. One provision of the policy is a workplace free of weapons, which includes Firearms, Ammunition, Bows and Arrows. The club must emphasize this policy to our members. Additionally, a state issued CCW permit does not supersede nor over ride this LM policy. Members wanting to store firearms or archery equipment during the day ONLY, must contact Gene Adamson (303-971-1531) or Dave Mulholland (303-977-3674) for access instructions.

CLUB NEWS

President’s Corner

(Range Status)

As you all know we are still working with LM to arrive at a final solution for re-opening our firing ranges… The SHFC Board of Directors (BOD) will be meeting again with LM during the March time frame to discuss these final issues,… We really appreciate the membership's patience over the last months, and reassure you that the SHFC BOD is working this situation as timely as possible, and will keep all members informed as to our status…

Membership 2011 Renewal Info

2011 membership renewal information is forthcoming in a special announcement e-mail…

winter Season road conditions

At this time the range is open to all archery activities, so during our entire winter season please drive with extra care during the slippery winter road season. Four wheel drive is recommended. Winter weather may cause some parts of our roads to be impassable at times. LM is responsible for road maintenance and snow removal and has indicated that every effort will be made by their subcontractor to maintain the road. If the Road Closed sign is displayed at the front gate, do not attempt to access the range. Even without the sign, you are responsible to judge the road conditions for yourself. If you get stuck or have an accident, call Plant Protection at 303-977-4646. Also dial 911 for medical emergency.

"Reminder To All Members"

"Call Plant Protection (7-4646) if you have an incident or injury on the range. This is a range rule."

2010 Member meetings and GATHERINGS

Below is a listing of a few of our schedule meetings / gatherings for the 2011.. The Board of Directors meet monthly on the first Monday of each month. General Membership meetings are held quarterly on the second Monday of the month.

February 20 (Sunday), 2011

Annual Banquet, Pinehurst Country Club & Membership Meeting

March 14 (Monday), 2011

General SHFC Membership Meeting

MEMBERSHIP information

John LaRue is the SHFC membership chairperson for all new member application and renewals. You can contact John at 303-977-9807 or e-mail (john.d.larue@) with any inquiries about joining the club or renewing your membership.

SHFC 2011 Annual BANQUET and February Members Meeting

The Skyline Hunting and Fishing Club annual banquet and combined February members meeting will be on Sunday 20 February 2011 at the Pinehurst County Club. Arrival at 11:00 am with brunch served at 12 noon. This event is your opportunity to welcome the new board members and engage in general camaraderie. Annual awards will be presented and door prizes will be distributed (adults only). The price is $20 for adults, $10 for children under 12 years old and kids under 5 years old are free. Tickets sold at the door.

The Pinehurst is located at 6255 West Quincy Avenue, Denver, CO (between Wadsworth Blvd and Sheridan Blvd).

Reminder: The Pinehurst Country Club dress code prohibits the wearing of "Jeans" , so please no Jeans….

The Pinehurst is located at 6255 West Quincy Avenue, Denver, CO (between Wadsworth Blvd and Sheridan Blvd). Please find attached a map and driving instructions to the Pinehurst Country Club. We look forward to seeing you there….

Construction Note:

QUINCY AVE. CONSTRUCTION

Construction to lower the elevation and widen Quincy Avenue to four lanes from the Marston Water Treatment Facility to South Pierce Way will begin on Monday, January 3, 2011. This is an extensive project and may extend through May, 2011.

Quincy Avenue will be closed to east bound traffic at S. Pierce Way on January 3rd. The detour will direct all eastbound traffic north to Hampden frontage road, then to Sheridan. During construction, all access to the Club will be on Quincy Ave. from Sheridan Boulevard.

Pinehurst Country Club

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David Mulholland

Lockheed Martin

303-977-3674

2011 SHFC Officer election results

Here is a listing of your SHFC 2011 Elected Board Members

President Jim Cathcart

Vice President Tom Frickell

Recording Secretary Walter Tang

Corresponding Secretary Brian Sompayrac

Treasure Tom Moore

Past President Tim Anderson

Director 2011 Sherry Woodard

Director 2012 Wally Hill

Director 2013 Gene Adamson

WORK BOND INFORMATION

We need help with 4 items: 1) 12 new target stands. 2) Clean up and organize the storage shed at the 100 yd range. 3) Help finish the inside of the new pistol House. 4) Range Safety Officers during shooting hours. Other work bond jobs can be found at the website . Click the “Workbond “ tab and then “ Job List”. If you want to volunteer for one of the jobs or a task you think needs to be done please contact the Work Bond Chair, Norm Viste at normviste@ or 303-980-7131. Work Bond that you volunteered for with a specific committee should still be coordinated through that committee chair who will coordinate with Norm. Thank you for your help and participation.

Electronic Gate

Per the SHFC Range Rules, each club member is required to "wand" their electronic gate card at the electronic gate for accountability. This will also reset the arm’s timer so it doesn’t come down on your vehicle. If the gate is locked open, listen for the “beep” as confirmation that badge was read. Upon leaving the range, each person should push the gate open button so the arm’s timer is reset so it doesn’t come down on your vehicle on the way out.

members input

If you have club related pictures, stories, member news, comments, suggestions or questions, please e-mail them to me john.d.larue@ or other board member and I’ll put it on here. If it’s a question or suggestion, we’ll put the answer or board response on here also.

Lost and Found at the Range

FOUND:- An eyeglass case on the range road around 7:30pm on Sunday, May 9th.. Contact Brian Sompayrac at 303-971-6462 if this is your case.

FOUND:- Scope Pop-Up Lens Cover.. Found in September time frame. Contact Bob Ventura at 303-953-1966 (bjventura@).

Committee News

HUNTER EDUCATION 2011

Regular Hunter Ed

The 2011 schedule for the rifle and archery regular hunter education is listed below. The current instructors are Gene Adamson, Jeff Edwards, Mitch Arnold, Don Biesecker, Dave Unruh, Jim Gilmore, Ron Steen, Mike Jacobs, Mike McKaig, Ken Ruiz, Margaret Rothermel, Clayton Allen, Bob Ventura, and Jim Ball. Hunter Education always needs help in both the classroom and range. If you are interested in helping out in either the rifle and/or archery hunter education courses contact: Gene Adamson at 301-971-1531 or Mitch Arnold at 303-977-2117 and we’ll get you started.

Regular Hunter Ed students must attend the 3 classroom sessions (Tues, Wed, & Thurs; 6:00 to 9:00 P.M.) and the range session (Saturday 8:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.) to complete the course. All classes will be held at the clubhouse in the SHFC recreation area. You must attend all four days in a month’s session. Cost for the class is $10. Pre-register by calling Mitch Arnold at 303-972-8983 or Bob Ventura at 303-953-1966. A minimum of 10 students are needed at the first class to continue the class. Classes are open to the public.

Dates for 2011 Firearm Hunters Ed:

(Three classroom sessions, One Range Day)

Feb 8, 9, 10 & 12 1800 to 2100 Tue, Wen & Thur 0830 to 1500 Sat

Mar 15, 16, 1 & 19 1800 to 2100 Tue, Wen & Thur 0830 to 1500 Sat

Apr 26, 27, 28 & 30 1800 to 2100 Tue, Wen & Thur 0830 to 1500 Sat

May 17, 18, 19 & 21 1800 to 2100 Tue, Wen & Thur 0830 to 1500 Sat

Jun 21, 22, 23 & 25 1800 to 2100 Tue, Wen & Thur 0830 to 1500 Sat

Aug 23, 24, 25 & 27 1800 to 2100 Tue, Wen & Thur 0830 to 1500 Sat

Sep 27, 28, 29 & Oct 1st 1800 to 2100 Tue, Wen & Thur 0830 to 1500 Sat

Oct 18, 19, 20 & 22 1800 to 2100 Tue, Wen & Thur 0830 to 1500 Sat

Nov 15, 16, 17 & 19 1800 to 2100 Tue, Wen & Thur 0830 to 1500 Sat

Dates for 2011 Archery Hunters Ed:

(Complete Course, 3 days)

Jun 8 1800 to 2100, Wed

Jun 9 1800 to 2100, Thur

Jun 11 0800 to 1400, Sat

(Advanced one day course)

May 7 0800 to 1700, Sat

Jul 10 0800 to 1700, Sat

Archery Committee NEWS & Hunting Report

When SHFC receives the LMSSC HR and Plant protection permission letter to archery hunt on LMSSC property for the 2011 season, the entire membership will be informed. This is part of the CWD control plan requested by the CDOW:

* The boundaries will probably be similar to 2010, with some minor changes.

* Only personnel who are SHFC members in good standing effective April 1 of the current year will be allowed to archery hunt the LMSSC property during the 2011 season.

* Anyone wanting to archery hunt the 2011 season must complete 4 hrs of 2011 work bond (any committee type) (Guests are exempt, but encouraged, from this requirement) prior to obtaining a 2010 permit.

* The definition of immediate family who may be a guest hunter includes spouse, child, grandchild, & parent of SHFC members.

* The following personnel are NOT included on the list given permission to archery hunt on

LMSSC property as a guest or member

* Brothers & Sisters, in laws, nephews, uncles, etc of SHFC members

* SHFC members who work for either the government or a subcontractor.

Other requirements include

* Must attend the safety/security briefing & hold a permit issued by plant protection

* Be in possession of a valid DOW hunting license

* Possess an archery hunter education card

The archery hunter education card will be required for all personnel prior to getting a hunt permit for 2011. Your regular hunter ed. card will not be adequate if you desire to get a permit to archery hunt on LMSSC property in 2011.

FISHING NEWS

“The fishing club ran over 20 trips to Chatfield Reservoir and beyond in 2010. The year started on the ice with none other than Nathan Zelinsky showing us how the walleye work at Chatfield. We took this knowledge and continued to find fish (although not always walleyes) throughout the winter. After the thaw the walleyes were right where they were supposed to be and the fish counts went up. As the heat of summer came there were multiple trips with guys bringing their kids out for an evening on the water. The kids always seemed to catch the larger fish. Fall seemed to come quickly and included two trips to Spinney for some northern pike. By late October there was a waiting list of people who wanted to go on the weekly trips, but these guys had to dress warm. The final trip ended on November 30 (the day they closed the boat ramps) with 35˚F water temps and similarly frigid air.”

“The first ice fishing trip is already here and hopefully a cold winter break will bring front range ice to Chatfield and the ponds where we will start the season over again. Look for weekly Chatfield and gravel pond trips, kids trips, and a final group trip to the mountains in March. Then it’s back on the boat every week.”

“The auger, ice huts, heaters, and more are available for checkout throughout the winter.”

Here are a few photos of SHFC member Steve Choromanski and his daughter Dani at a local "fishing hole" (I think Chatfield Lake):

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(Here's Steve with a nice 17", 3.96 Lb. Trout….. Tasty !!!....)

Here's a Close-Up !!

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(Here's Dani with her Trout Treasure !!... Great Job !!)

Walleye at Chatfield—

We’ve been catching trout and walleye at Chatfield pretty consistently in the past few weeks. For awhile in early September things were tougher but the shad have grown a bit and the fishing is great. We are still doing weekly trips and there’s two more boats that need to go out. These trips are a great way to learn how to get some on-the-water experience with the boats (after the dry land intro from Bob) and a good way to learn how to fish at Chatfield.

Cast-n-Blast and Fly fishing summit—

October 15th is the annual cast-n-blast and fly fishing summit at 11-mile and the dream stream. Email me if you are interested. We set up some decoys at the 11-mile inlet and blast the skies until noon, then fish for big browns, hungry rainbows, and spawning salmon on the dream stream until dark.

Pike fishing at Spinney and 11-mile---

Pike fishing is my passion and it’s that time of year again. If you want to go let me know. I’m good to take a day off from stressful work and head up there mid-week.

Questions about fishing any other Colorado lake or stream are welcome and I will do my best to find some hot spots and techniques. I know most of the local guides and can get discounts if needed.

Look for past fishing results on the forum.

Fishing Hot Spots---Dream Stream Trico hatch, Colorado River dries, Upcoming Green Drake Hatch, Casting for trout at Antero, and Trolling Chatfield for Walleye.

Here's some info on the Cherry Creek Anglers Club

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HANDCRAFTED, CUSTOM MADE FISHING NETS! These beauties are made right here in the heart of Colorado, one of the fly fishing Mecca's of the world. Brandon Lenderink, a space systems employee is not only an avid fisherman but loves the art of woodworking. The nets are good looking enough to hang on a wall and tough enough to catch some very large fish. Click the link below to see his work. If you’re interested, his contact information is on the website.



Dave Harrison, Fishing Committee

David.r.harrison@

303-977-3509

Crestline 1750 Fish Hawk boat for sale: $28,500.00. This is Bernie Keefe's boat from this year, and includes maps and waypoints from Lake Granby. It has only been used for a year, and is actually in tip top shape for a guide boat. E-mail me at (david.r.harrison@) for more details. It does have a top-notch trolling system (to survive Granby's winds), and a 10.5" lowrance color fish finder.

Alternative Shooting Location

(Cherry Creek Shooting Facility)

Doug Hamilton, former LM employee who now runs the Cherry Creek Shooting facility is offering a $12 discount off the normal shooting price to Skyline members who are without a Range at this moment in time.

Take your SHFC badge to Doug for your discount. Unfortunately, it doesn’t cover the park entrance fee, but it’s a great discount

I am also offering trap rounds at $5 (normal price is $7)… I will do sporting clays at the same rate of $5 (normal price $10) per round of 25 birds). Actually, it is not "$12 discount off the normal shooting price". The $12 is a discounted range fee for all day, for all the ranges that a range fee is paid (rifle, pistol, hand trap, archery and patterning board). $12 gets one shooter onto all of those ranges for all day. Regular range fee is $15.50. For the retirees, the range fee is only $7… We are officially the "Family Shooting Center @ Cherry Creek State Park".

Web Address:



Doug Hamilton

Family Shooting Center @ Cherry Creek State Park

Range Tips

How to Open and Close the Range

Do you know how to open and close the range? You show up to the range and you are the first one there – what do you do? What do you do??

A. Do a Happy Dance

B. Call Plant Protection

C. Go back home and start on the “Honey Do List”

Hopefully, it is obvious that the correct answer is “B” (and then maybe “A”). Call Plant Protection at 7-4646 and tell them “The range is going hot”. Next, turn on the warning light (aka Red Light) and put out the Red Flag. The same steps apply no matter which area you are at.

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If when you arrive there are already shooters present, be sure to check in with the appropriate range officer.

If you are the last one to leave your area, turn off the warning light at your area and put the flag away. If you are the last one to leave the entire range, be sure to call Plant Protection at 7-4646 and tell them “The range is cold”.

This entire process must be repeated each time the range is cold and a new member arrives.

See the official SHFC range rules for more details.

Next Month: Cold range etiquette.

See you at the Range

Brian Sompayrac and Sherry Woodard

YOUTH SHOOTING SPORTS PROGRAMS

SHFC will continue to offer a youth shooting sports programs this year. This will consist of Firearm Safety Training, Small Bore Rifle, High Power Rifle, Shotgun, and Muzzle Loading. We will also be hosting Boy Scout shooting events. The programs are COED, and open to all youths between the ages of 12 through 19 and who have a valid safety or NRA firearms safety card in their possession for admittance to the SHFC range. A parental permission form is required. At this time Paul Monce is the contact for all youth shooting programs, including the Explorer Scout shooting programs. Paul can be reached at 303-977-3823. His e-mail is: paul.a.monce@.

YOUTH SHOTGUN:

The shotgun program will consist of informal trap shooting, a trap league, and a couple of trips to a sporting clays range. We also have an opportunity to register one or more teams (5) in the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Scholastic Trap Program. These teams will participate in the Colorado State Shoot. Winners at the state level will get an expenses paid trip to the Grand American Tournament

EXPLORER SCOUT SHOOT:

The first explorer scout shoot for 2011 will be announced in a future newsletter and/or by special announcement. These shoots are normally held on Sunday from 0900 - 1300. This event normally takes place at the 100yd Range and Shotgun Range, and is also a range restricted event.

NRA Class Schedule

Our NRA basic hand gun and personal protection in the home (PPITH) classes will pick in the April time frame.. The class schedule will be coming out shortly..

Contact Tom Frickell at 303/971-5493 (tom.frickell@) if you would like some advance information on these classes, and also reserve a spot in one of the classes…

Winter 3-gun

As soon as we get the go ahead from LM, we'll announce the Winter 3-Gun event, which is usually the last Saturday in January. Start time is normally 9:00 am with setup starting at 8:15 am. For those new to 3-gun or multi-gun, we shoot pistol, shotgun and semi-auto carbine/rifle for a combination of accuracy and speed usually including movement and target transitions.

Typical ammo requirement is roughly 25 rounds of pistol, 50 rounds of rifle, 25 rounds of shotgun (mostly birdshot and occasionally 5 rounds of slug and buckshot).

Contact Dave Mulholland at 303-977-3674 or email david.b.mulholland@ to get advance information and get on the mailing list.

We will inform the entire membership as soon as we know the dates

High Power NEWS

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The SHFC High Power matches are conducted every “Track A” off-Friday, finishing by noon or 1 PM. We welcome all types of high power service or match rifles; some choose to shoot the Garand or M1A but the AR15 is the choice of most. The club has three AR15s, a Garand, two shooting mats, and two spotting scopes, and one stand which are available to use during matches.

The High Power Matches, including the Vintage Matches are pending, and will be scheduled as soon as our range status is changed to "Open". A special announcement

Check the club website for the regional schedule as well as articles for the aspiring High Power competitor. For further information, or to check out club equipment, please call Gene Adamson (303-971-1531), Corey Kroll (303-977-5507) or Dennis Casey (303-971-7197) with any questions.

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METALLIC SILHOUETTE MATCHES

We have 22 RF and High Power silhouette matches running. All new shooters are always welcome. Schedule is 1st Saturday of the month is 22 RF and the 3rd Saturday of the month for CF. Start time is 9:00 am at the 200 yard range. For more info call Ron Gorski @ 303-977-8474 or 303-904-8196 or Keith Davis @ 303-972-1661.

.22 RIMFIRE SPORTER MATCH

This activity is similar in format to the high-power service rifle competition and will follow the guidelines described in the Civilian Marksmanship Program guide.

To encourage participation, SHFC will allow ANY rifle capable of firing .22 long rifle ammunition, either bolt action, magazine fed, or, semi-automatic. Any type of sights or scopes of no more than 6 X are allowable. (Variable power scopes which go beyond 6X, can be set to 6X max.) The match will be fired at distances of 50 and 25 yards using paper targets and will consist of unlimited sighting shots followed by 60 shots for record in position stages of prone, sitting or kneeling, and standing.

No special equipment is required but a spotting scope or binoculars may be helpful during the sighting stage and a mat or carpet runner would be helpful for the prone and sitting stages. The club can provide these if one is not handy. This event is for both beginners and experienced shooters of all ages and is a fun, low cost activity which will definitely improve your marksmanship skills.

This match will continue on the 1st Saturday of every month, following the .22 rimfire silhouette match, beginning 11:00 am. For more information or any questions, call Corey Kroll @ 7-5507 or Gene Adamson @ 1-1531.

Redding Reloading EQUIPMENT

SHFC has a direct dealer account with Redding Reloading Equipment and for 2011 our cost is 50%

of the retail price. Shipping is usually free. Their web address is redding- Email

me your order to my home email or call, and I will process it. Redding makes some outstanding

equipment and you won’t find a better price anywhere. I especially like their competition dies. Thanks.

Vito 303-730-3459 medeangelis78@

DILLON RELOADING EQUIPMENT

If you are a reloader/or soon-to-be in need of a progressive reloader, go with the best of the best, used by 85% of competitive shooters in the world and 95% of all the champions. Go Dillon, with a “NO BS Lifetime Warranty”. We, SHFC, are a dealer of Dillon products and will get you a discount on all Dillon specific items ordered. Go to to check out their products. Call Tom Frickell (303-971-5493) for info.

SHFC REFERENCE LIBRARY

WANTED: Suggestions

As chairman of the SHFC Gunsmithing/Library Committee, I need your input for any ideas and suggestions for tools, books, widgets, manuals, gadgets, and equipment that would be of interest to club members. Items that are fragile in nature have been rejected by the Board in the past, so a bore scope is out (also too expensive). I’m always looking for ideas, so keep this in mind throughout the year. Please email me.  Thanks. vito 7-9527; home 303-730-3459; medeangelis78@

I have received 2011 product catalogs for Redding Reloading equipment. Contact me if you’d like a copy. vito 7-9527; home 303-730-3459; medeangelis78@

New Additions to the SHFC Reference Library

 

Shooting Lever Guns of the Old West, by Mike Venturino and Wildcat Cartridges, Vols I & II, by Wolfe Publishing have been added to SHFC’s reference library. Following the same approach as Mike’s other books, lever guns covers 19th century lever actions with lots of black powder loading data. Some 20th century rifles are there too, like .357 and .44 Magnums. And if you really want to know how the Cowboys and Indians played, he covers that also. There’s 300 pages of info detailing Winchester, Spencer, Whitney, James H. Bullard (not Ballard), Warren R. Evans and Marlin rifles, and carbines, and cartridge data from .25-20 to .50-110. There’s chapters on sights, hunting, and fighting guns. It’s easy reading and straight forward, and the photos are cool too. Wildcat Cartridges, Vols I & II covers rifle and pistol wildcats, .17 Pee Wee to .50 Alaskan, and some factory rounds also. It is a collection of previously published articles from Handloader and Rifle magazines. It’s thick, 1050 pages, covering rounds for varmints to elephants, including Gibbs, Ackley, IHMSA and JDJ. Call or email me to check them out.  vito 7-9527; home 303-730-3459; medeangelis78@

Shooting Buffalo Rifles of the Old West, by Mike Venturino, Shooting Sixguns of the Old West, by Mike Venturino, and Guns of the New West, by David Chicone. If you have a passion for shooting black powder in handguns and rifles, especially big bore rifles, Mike’s books will keep you up late at night. There’s a lot of 19th century history in them about the guns themselves and lots of great loading data. Buffalo rifles covers Sharps, Rolling Blocks, Ballard, Shiloh Sharps and High Walls. Sixguns covers Colts, S&Ws and Remingtons, including conversions from percussion to cartridge. I also found the history of the buffalo/bison hunters especially interesting. There’s no loading data for smokeless powders, but I still found his loading techniques and data interesting. And it is quite amazing how well .40 to .50 caliber 100+ year old cartridges, in rifles just as old are holding 1 ½ to 2 MOA groups out to 1000 yards, slinging 400 to 550 grain lead bullets, at 1100 to 1300 fps, with tang sights. Amazing. Quigley wasn’t kidding. Are you ready for a .50-110? Guns of the New West addresses what’s working for today’s cowboy action shooters and has a lot of gun tests for revolvers, rifles and shotguns, as well as covering leather, hats and how to shoe your horse (just kidding). There’s also a lot of good general shooting data and well as some black powder coverage. Call or email me to check them out. vito 7-9527; home 303-730-3459; medeangelis78@

WANTED: LOOKING FOR GOOD GUNSMITHS

Several people have asked about good gunsmiths in the Denver area. If you have any experience with local gunsmiths, good and bad, please give me their name, phone number and the work they have done for you. I will compile the data and publish it in future newsletters. For starters, I have had good experiences with the Colorado School of Trades in Lakewood and with Gander Mountain in Aurora. I’ve been told that Darryl at Prairie Arms is also very good. Thanks.

Vito 303-730-3459 medeangelis78@

Human Interest Stories

"Why We Shoot Deer In The Wild"

Submitted by SHFC member Ted Carlson

The following story was from someone who wants to remain anonymous, who's a farmer, writes well. and actually tried this !!!...

I had this idea that I could rope a deer, put it in a stall, feed it up on corn for a couple of weeks, then kill it and eat it. The first step in this adventure was getting a deer. I figured that, since they congregate at my cattle feeder and do not seem to have much fear of me when we are there (a bold one will sometimes come right up and sniff at the bags of feed while I am in the back of the truck not 4 feet away), it should not be difficult to rope one, get up to it and toss a bag over its head (to calm it down) then hog tie it and transport it home.

I filled the cattle feeder then hid down at the end with my rope. The cattle, having seen the roping thing before, stayed well back. They were not having any of it. After about 20 minutes, my deer showed up-- 3 of them. I picked out a likely looking one, stepped out from the end of the feeder, and threw my rope. The deer just stood there and stared at me. I wrapped the rope around my waist and twisted the end so I would have a good hold..

The deer still just stood and stared at me, but you could tell it was mildly concerned about the whole rope situation. I took a step towards it, it took a step away. I put a little tension on the rope .., and then received an education. The first thing that I learned is that, while a deer may just stand there looking at you funny while you rope it, they are spurred to action when you start pulling on that rope.

That deer EXPLODED. The second thing I learned is that pound for pound, a deer is a LOT stronger than a cow or a colt. A cow or a colt in that weight range I could fight down with a rope and with some dignity. A deer-- no chance. That thing ran and bucked and twisted and pulled. There was no controlling it and certainly no getting close to it. As it jerked me off my feet and started dragging me across the ground, it occurred to me that having a deer on a rope was not nearly as good an idea as I had originally imagined... The only upside is that they do not have as much stamina as many other animals.

A brief 10 minutes later, it was tired and not nearly as quick to jerk me off my feet and drag me when I managed to get up. It took me a few minutes to realize this, since I was mostly blinded by the blood flowing out of the big gash in my head. At that point, I had lost my taste for corn-fed venison. I just wanted to get that devil creature off the end of that rope.

I figured if I just let it go with the rope hanging around its neck, it would likely die slow and painfully somewhere. At the time, there was no love at all between me and that deer. At that moment, I hated the thing, and  I would venture a guess that the feeling was mutual. Despite the gash in my head and the several large knots where I had cleverly arrested the deer's momentum by bracing my head against various large rocks as it dragged me across the ground, I could still think clearly enough to recognize that there was a small chance that I shared some tiny amount of responsibility for the situation we were in. I didn't want the deer to have to suffer a slow death, so I managed to get it lined back up in between my truck and the feeder - a little trap I had set before hand....kind of like a squeeze chute. I got it to back in there and I started moving up so I could get my rope back.

Did you know that deer bite?

They do! I never in a million years would have thought that a deer would bite somebody, so I was very surprised when ..... I reached up there to grab that rope and the deer grabbed hold of my wrist. Now, when a deer bites you, it is not like being bit by a horse where they just bite you and slide off to then let go. A deer bites you and shakes its head--almost like a pit bull. They bite HARD and it hurts.

The proper thing to do when a deer bites you is probably to freeze and draw back slowly. I tried screaming and shaking instead.

My method was ineffective.  It seems like the deer was biting and shaking for several minutes, but it was likely only several seconds. I, being smarter than a deer (though you may be questioning that claim by now), tricked it. While I kept it busy tearing the tendons out of my right arm, I reached up with my left hand and pulled that rope loose. That was when I got my final lesson in deer behavior for the day.

Deer will strike at you with their front feet. They rear right up on their back feet and strike right about head and shoulder level, and their hooves are surprisingly sharp... I learned a long time ago that, when an animal -like a horse --strikes at you with their hooves and you can't get away easily, the best thing to do is try to make a loud noise and make an aggressive move towards the animal. This will usually cause them to back down a bit so you can escape.

This was not a horse. This was a deer, so obviously, such trickery would not work. In the course of a millisecond, I devised a different strategy. I screamed like a woman and tried to turn and run. The reason I had always been told NOT to try to turn and run from a horse that paws at you is that there is a good chance that it will hit you in the back of the head. Deer may not be so different from horses after all, besides being twice as strong and 3 times as evil, because the second I turned to run, it hit me right in the back of the head and knocked me down.

Now, when a deer paws at you and knocks you down, it does not immediately leave. I suspect it does not recognize that the danger has passed. What they do instead is paw your back and jump up and down on you while you are laying there crying like a little girl and covering your head.

I finally managed to crawl under the truck and the deer went away. So now I know why when people go deer hunting they bring a rifle with a scope......to sort of even the odds!!

All these events are true so help me God... An Educated Farmer

Human Interest Stories

"The Gun Is Civilized"

Submitted by SHFC member Pat Beck

THIS IS THE BEST WORDED PRO-GUN ARGUMENT THAT I HAVE EVER READ. Very good article, of course from a Marine.

As the Supreme Court hears arguments for and against the Chicago, IL, Gun Ban, I offer you another stellar example of a letter (written by a Marine), that places the proper perspective on what a gun means to a civilized society.

Interesting take and one you don't hear much... Read this eloquent and profound letter and pay close attention to the last paragraph of the letter......

"The Gun Is Civilization"

By Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret)

Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another:  reason and force.. If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either convincing me via argument, or force me to do your bidding under threat of force. Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories, without exception. Reason or force, that's it.

In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction, and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some.

When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force. You have to use reason and try to persuade me, because I have a way to negate your threat or employment of force.

The gun is the only personal weapon that puts a 100-pound woman on equal footing with a 220-pound mugger, a 75-year old retiree on equal footing with a 19-year old gang banger, and a single guy on equal footing with a carload of drunk guys with baseball bats. The gun removes the disparity in physical strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and a defender.

There are plenty of people who consider the gun as the source of bad force equations.  These are the people who think that we'd be more civilized if all guns were removed from society, because a firearm makes it easier for a [armed] mugger to do his job. That, of course, is only true if the mugger's potential victims are mostly disarmed either by choice or by legislative fiat - it has no validity when most of a mugger's potential marks are armed.

People who argue for the banning of arms ask for automatic rule by the young, the strong, and the many, and that's the exact opposite of a civilized society. A mugger, even an armed one, can only make a successful living in a society where the state has granted him a force monopoly.

Then there's the argument that the gun makes confrontations lethal that otherwise would only result in injury. This argument is fallacious in several ways. Without guns involved, confrontations are won by the physically superior party inflicting overwhelming injury on the loser.

People who think that fists, bats, sticks, or stones don't constitute lethal force watch too much TV, where people take beatings and come out of it with a bloody lip at worst.  The fact that the gun makes lethal force easier works solely in favor of the weaker defender, not the stronger attacker. If both are armed, the field is level.

The gun is the only weapon that's as lethal in the hands of an octogenarian as it is in the hands of a weight lifter. It simply wouldn't work as well as a force equalizer if it wasn't both lethal and easily employable.

When I carry a gun, I don't do so because I am looking for a fight, but because I'm looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means that I cannot be forced, only persuaded. I don't carry it because I'm afraid, but because it enables me to be unafraid. It doesn't limit the actions of those who would interact with me through reason, only the actions of those who would do so by force. It removes force from the equation... And that's why carrying a gun is a civilized act.

By Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret.)

So the greatest civilization is one where all citizens are equally armed and can only be persuaded, never forced.

LEGISLATIVE ACTION NEWS

Lax State Gun Laws Tied to Crimes in Other States, New York Times, September 26, 2010

A study due to be released this week by a coalition called Mayors Against Illegal Guns uses previously unavailable federal gun data to identify what it says are the states that most often export guns used in crimes across state lines. It concludes that the 10 worst offenders per capita, led by Mississippi, West Virginia and Kentucky, supplied nearly half the 43,000 guns traced to crime scenes in other states last year. The study also seeks to draw a link between gun trafficking and gun control laws by analyzing gun restrictions in all 50 states in areas like background checks for gun purchases, policies on concealed weapons permits and state inspections of gun dealers. It finds that, across the board, those states with less restrictive gun laws exported guns used in crimes at significantly higher rates than states with more stringent laws. An advance copy of the study was provided to The New York Times. Chris W. Cox, the National Rifle Association’s chief lobbyist in Washington, dismissed the upcoming report as “a cute little P.R. stunt.” When told of the main findings, Mr. Cox said the report appeared to have relied on “flawed assumptions” about how guns flow across state lines and are traced back to their original purchasers. He said that the best way to prevent illegal trafficking was for the police and prosecutors to crack down on criminals, not to enact further restrictions that, he said, serve only to make it tougher for law-abiding citizens to purchase weapons. He predicted the new data from the mayors’ coalition would have no real impact on public policy.

To view the entire article, go to

NRA Challenges Constitutionality of Federal Handgun Ban for Law Abiding 18-20 Year Olds, NRA Press Release, September 08, 2010

The NRA is challenging federal laws that prohibit law-abiding Americans eighteen through twenty years of age from legally purchasing a handgun through a federally licensed firearm dealer. The case was filed Tuesday evening in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas Lubbock Division. James D'Cruz of Lubbock, TX is the plaintiff in this case. The suit asserts: "At eighteen years of age, law-abiding citizens in this country are considered adults for almost all purposes and certainly for the purposes of the exercise of fundamental constitutional rights. Indeed, at eighteen, citizens are eligible (and male citizens could be conscripted) to serve in the military-to fight and die by arms for the country. Yet, Section 922(b)(1) prohibits law-abiding adults in this age group from lawfully purchasing -- from the most prevalent and readily available source -- what the Supreme Court has called "the quintessential self-defense weapon" and "the most popular weapon chosen by Americans for self-defense in the home." The case is D'Cruz v. BATFE.

To view the entire article, go to

Update: NRA’s Challenge to Semi-Auto Ban Referendum in Illinois a Success, NRA Press Release, August 25, 2010

The Electoral Board in Cook County, Illinois has agreed to dismiss a bogus petition to create a referendum on the November ballot asking if the sale of semi-automatic firearms should be banned in Illinois. The National Rifle Association backed a protest filed in response to the referendum petition. The petition asked, “Shall the Governor and the members of the Illinois General Assembly enact legislation to ban the sale of semi-automatic and assault weapons that are used by criminals to threaten the lives of law enforcement and the people of Illinois?” NRA member Selvin Morgan, a resident of Cook County, filed the objection to this petition and the NRA supported him in this effort.

To view the entire article, go to

Agreement Allows Guns in NV State Parks, The Associated Press, September 22, 2010

The Nevada attorney general's office has settled a lawsuit and agreed to allow anyone who can legally possess a firearm to bring a loaded gun into state parks. Under a stipulation filed Sept. 14 in Reno federal court, a rule that barred most visitors from possessing loaded firearms will not be enforced while regulations are amended. Colorado-based Mountain States Legal Foundation sued in July on behalf of an Idaho man who claimed he was threatened with jail time if he fired his gun, even in self defense, in a Nevada park.

To view the entire article, go to

Long-Gun registry Still Firing: MPs Vote to Keep Controversial Gun Database, The Regina Leader Post, September 23, 2010

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Wednesday night his government will continue to fight until the federal long-gun registry is abolished, refusing to budge after the database survived a critical vote. By a 153-151 margin, MPs voted to preserve the 15-year-old registry, with the three opposition parties joining forces to defeat a bid by Tory backbencher Candice Hoeppner to scrap the databank.

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New Crime Statistics: Crime Rates Continue to Fall, FBI Press Release, September 13, 2010

During 2009, violent crime declined for the third year in a row, with an estimated 5.3 percent drop from 2008 figures. Property crime continued to fall as well—for a seventh straight year—with an estimated decrease of 4.6 percent. That’s according to our just-released report, Crime in the United States, 2009.

Some crime highlights from the 2009 report:

• Each of the violent crime categories decreased from 2008—murder (7.3 percent), robbery (8.0 percent), aggravated assault (4.2 percent), and forcible rape (2.6 percent).

• Each of the property crime categories also dropped from 2008—motor vehicle theft (17.1 percent), larceny-theft (4.0 percent), and burglary (1.3 percent).

• Among the 1,318,398 violent crimes were 15,241 murders; 88,097 forcible rapes; 408,217 robberies; and 806,843 aggravated assaults.

• Among the 9,320,971 property crimes were an estimated 2,199,125 burglaries; 6,327,230 larceny-thefts; 794,616 thefts of motor vehicles; and 58,871 arsons.

• During 2009, the South accounted for 42.5 percent of all violent crime in the nation, followed by the West (22.9 percent), the Midwest (19.6 percent), and the Northeast (15.0 percent).

• During 2009, 43.9 percent of all property crimes in the U.S. were recorded in the South, with 22.7 percent in the West, 20.8 percent in the Midwest, and 12.6 percent in the Northeast.

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EDITORIAL: Obama's Backdoor Gun Ban, The Washington Times, September 3, 2010

President Obama is afraid of the M1 Garand, the U.S. rifle that helped win World War II, defeating Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. Administration officials earlier this year moved to block the government of South Korea from selling vintage U.S.-made M1 Garands and M1 Carbines to eager stateside collectors. The State Department confirmed to The Washington Times that it was considering "alternative options" to deal with the classic rifles. During the Clinton administration, such code words meant melting them down. The government in Seoul was told that this step was being taken for the protection of Americans. "The U.S. insisted that imports of the aging rifles could cause problems such as firearm accidents," a South Korean Ministry of National Defense official told the Korea Times last month. It's hard to see how these M1 rifles could be considered risky when they already are offered for sale by the U.S. government through the Civilian Marksmanship Program. It's more likely that the administration is seeking to win the admiration of gun grabbers. Future generations, young and old, should have a chance to experience this piece of history at an affordable price. Congress should take action to reverse the State Department and allow these storied weapons to return home.

To view the entire article, go to

More States Allowing Guns in Bars, New York Times, October 4, 2010

Happy-hour beers were going for $5 at Past Perfect, a cavernous bar just off this city’s strip of honky-tonks and tourist shops when Adam Ringenberg walks in. Mr. Ringenberg, a technology consultant, is one of the state’s nearly 300,000 handgun permit holders who have recently seen their rights greatly expanded by a new law — one of the nation’s first — that allows them to carry loaded firearms into bars and restaurants that serve alcohol. Tennessee is one of four states, along with Arizona, Georgia and Virginia, that recently enacted laws explicitly allowing loaded guns in bars. (Eighteen other states allow weapons in restaurants that serve alcohol.) The new measures in Tennessee and the three other states come after two landmark Supreme Court rulings that citizens have an individual right — not just in connection with a well-regulated militia — to keep a loaded handgun for home defense. Experts say these laws represent the latest wave in the country’s gun debate, as the gun lobby seeks, state by state, to expand the realm of guns in everyday life.

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NRA opens new front in gun rights battle, The Statesman, November 25, 2010

In two recently filed court cases that could expand gun rights if they are successful, two Lubbock men are challenging federal and state laws that limit 18-to-20-year-olds from buying handguns and carrying them as concealed weapons. Attorneys and supporters on both sides of gun rights issues said the federal court cases pose a significant test of Texas' concealed-handgun law and a separate, 32-year-old federal law barring handgun sales to those under age 21. In addition, the lawsuits could significantly figure in debate about expanding gun rights when a more conservative Republican Texas Legislature convenes in January — including proposals to allow Texans to openly carry pistols and allow concealed weapons on college campuses.

To view the entire article, go to

Self-defense gun bill vetoed by Rendell, Associated Press, November 28, 2010

Gov. Ed Rendell on Saturday vetoed a bill that he feared would escalate violent acts by expanding a person’s rights in Pennsylvania to use deadly force, even when safe retreat is possible, if feeling threatened outside their home. Rendell criticized the bill as a dangerous solution to a nonexistent problem that would encourage a “shoot first, ask questions later” mentality. Under current law in Pennsylvania, the use of deadly force in self-defense is not justifiable when safe retreat is possible, unless a person is attacked in their home or workplace, Rendell said.

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Gun Rights Violation Costs City, The Morning Call, November 20, 2010

The taxpayers of Allentown just got stuck with an unnecessary $23,500 tab.

That may not be much in a city that treats tax money like the water flowing over the Hamilton Street Dam (proposed new budget: $88.5 million), but it might have been avoided if people paid to enforce the law could be persuaded to obey it themselves. On Oct. 6, 2008, Jerry Corliss, a law-abiding citizen who then lived in Allentown, was carrying a Glock handgun in a holster when he visited the Home Depot store just off Lehigh Street. It appears that somebody there became hysterical over the idea that anyone not in government might exercise his or her right to bear arms. [pic]Soon, according to court documents, Dale Stokes, an Allentown police officer, stormed into the store, detained Corliss for doing absolutely nothing illegal, searched him without a warrant and seized his pistol. Corliss was not charged and the weapon was returned, but those actions clashed with both the Bill of Rights and the Pennsylvania Constitution, which will cost the city, or its insurance carrier, $23,500 to settle a federal lawsuit brought by Corliss, who now lives in Lebanon. City officials do not seem eager to publicize the case and I learned about its resolution last month only when Corliss called me — because, he said, somebody told him I support the Bill of Rights, as if that's something unusual these days.

To view the entire article, go to

Obama Picks a Director for the A.T.F., The New York Times, November 15, 2010

Nearly two years into his term, President Obama on Monday finally chose a director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Mr. Obama will submit the name of Andrew Traver, the special agent in charge of the bureau’s Chicago field division, to the Senate for consideration, the White House said. He may face a confirmation fight; after Congress changed the position to make it one requiring Senate confirmation, President George W. Bush’s nominee was blocked by senators who used it to criticize the enforcement of gun laws against firearms dealers.

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Boulder leaders give nod to immigration, gun issues, The Daily Camera, November 9, 2010

In addition to immigration policies, the council heard from its policy adviser about proposals for the city to lobby for closing the federal gun-show loophole -- through which some states do not require criminal background checks at gun shows -- and to oppose any legislation that would expand Colorado's "Make My Day Law," which allows homeowners to use deadly force against intruders. Other proposed legislative goals include reconciling differences in state and local laws that govern the operation of medical marijuana businesses, working to become a bigger player in shaping national energy policies and fighting against laws that would shift the burden for maintaining certain highways from the state to municipalities.

The council is scheduled to vote on the city's lobbying goals Dec. 7.

To view the entire article, go to

Have Gun, No Vote, Atlanta Journal Constitution, November 10, 2010

The right to vote is an aspect of American life we all take for granted. We expect to be able to show up at our polling place every other fall and cast our ballot for the candidates we believe will best represent us in our local government, in the state legislature, or in Washington, DC. James Dearing, a Bangor, Maine police officer, showed up two weeks ago – in his regular uniform — to cast an in-person absentee ballot at Bangor Civic Center; the only early voting location in the city. Upon entering the polling place, however, Dearing was confronted by Wayne Mallar, the election warden, and told to surrender his weapon to another officer before he would be permitted to vote. Dearing declined, and was not allowed to cast his ballot. To his credit, Officer Dearing declined to make an issue over the incident at the polling place, but did raise it thereafter.  And, to their credit, polling officials more knowledgeable and intelligent than Mallar declared that Dearing certainly would be permitted to vote, in or out of uniform and whether carrying his sidearm or not.  Importantly, they relieved Mallar of his duties as a polling warden, at least for last Tuesday’s election. While this incident was resolved properly, it raises serious questions about the power permitted to be wielded by petty officials, who are neither knowledgeable of the law nor sufficiently versed in common sense to understand that a police officer is supposed to carry a firearm.

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Kansans Back Two Amendments, Topeka Capital-Journal, November 2, 2010

An amendment to the Kansas Constitution that was drafted to declare a person's right to own guns for any lawful purpose was approved overwhelming by voters in Tuesday's election, while an amendment to end the Legislature's authority to deny people with mental illness from voting seemed to be on its way to being passed by a narrower margin. Amendment 1 will rewrite Section 4 of the Kansas Constitution to clarify an individual's right to bear arms. A 1905 Supreme Court decision interpreted the right to bear arms as a collective right, rather than an individual right. That ruling meant an individual couldn't own a gun for hunting or recreation, but militias could arm themselves. The Kansas Constitution will now read, "A person has the right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self, family, home and state, for lawful hunting and recreational use, and for any other lawful purpose."

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Colo. Supreme Court to hear CU gun ban case, The Daily Camera, November 18, 2010

The Colorado Supreme Court will hear arguments on the legality of the University of Colorado's campus wide firearms ban, the court's justices announced Monday.

In June, the CU Board of Regents voted 5-4 to appeal to the state's highest court in an effort to overturn a Colorado Court of Appeals decision that CU violated state law by banning concealed weapons from its campuses.

CU has banned concealed weapons on campus since 1994, with an exception for law enforcement. The ban applies at campuses in Boulder, Denver and Colorado Springs.

Officials for both the university and its opposition in the case, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus LLC, said they hope the seven justices provide clarification.

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Senators to Secretary Clinton: Backdoor Gun Ban Violates Americans’ Constitutional Right, Senator John Cornyn Press Release, October 6 2010

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today led a bipartisan group of Senators including Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY), Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK), and others in sending a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, urging her to reverse the State Department’s reported decision to ban the sale of surplus antique rifles from South Korea to qualified buyers in the United States. The letter was also sent to Attorney General Eric Holder and Acting Director Kenneth Melson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE).

Recent media reports indicate the Obama Administration inked a deal with the South Korean government to bring home nearly one million American-made WWII-era surplus military rifles.  However, the State Department stepped in at the last minute and arbitrarily blocked the agreement. The rifles in question are the iconic M1 Garand and M1 Carbine rifles, which are popular among collectors and military historians.

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BATFE Requests “Emergency” Authority To Track Semi-Automatic Rifle Sales, , December 17, 2010

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has proposed that it be given emergency authority for six months, beginning January 5, to require about 8,500 firearms dealers along the border with Mexico “to alert authorities when they sell within five consecutive business days two or more semiautomatic rifles greater than .22 caliber with detachable magazines.”  A Washington Post story reporting on the BATFE proposal described that definition as being applicable to “so-called assault weapons,” but it would also apply to many rifles that have never been labeled with that term. The reporting requirement will apparently be imposed under the “authority” the BATFE has used in the past to demand reporting of other types of transactions from certain limited groups of dealers over the past 10 years, but the new proposal is far broader than any previous use of this authority.  Of course, there's no law today that prevents dealers from reporting suspicious transactions (or attempted transactions) to the BATFE, and dealers often do so. The BATFE is also free to inspect dealers' sales records—either for annual compliance inspections or during a criminal investigation. The Post says “The plan by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives revives a proposal that has languished at the Justice Department and in the Obama administration for several months,” and that the gist of the plan was proposed by Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) last year. In its August 2009 Blueprint for Federal Action on Guns, MAIG indeed proposed that “ATF should identify the long guns most linked to crime and require dealers to report multiple sales of such guns.

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Maryland Court of Appeals Upholds State's Handgun Laws, , January 5, 2011

Maryland's highest court has ruled the state's handgun laws are still constitutional despite a 2008 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that gutted gun statutes in D.C. In an opinion issued Wednesday, the Maryland Court of Appeals affirmed a gun possession charge levied in Prince George's County against Charles F. Williams, Jr. The court specifically said the Maryland law governing Williams' conviction falls outside of the Second Amendment's scope, because it bars having a handgun in public. The judges also said Williams did not have standing to challenge aspects of the state's gun permit statutes "because he had failed to even apply for a permit to wear, carry, or transport a handgun."

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New York Gun Owners Face Rough Road, Binghamton Press, December 29, 2010

New York gun owners are in for a rough ride with the new administration. The Paterson administration had so much dumped in its lap that radical gun control never got to priority status. But governor-elect Andrew Cuomo is a nationally renowned anti-gun advocate and new Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was the primary mover and shaker of virtually all anti-gun legislation in the state, including microstamping. A Republican Senate is likely to protect us against downstate sentiment and truly radical anti-gun measures, but grassroots advocacy is desperately needed to let all legislators know what we want and don't want.

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Granholm Signs Michigan Moose Hunting Law, Petoskey News, December 24, 2010

Gov. Jennifer Granholm has signed a bill that could allow moose hunting in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The state says on its website that the measure was signed this week into law. An advisory council is expected to conduct a study of the moose population and recommend the number of hunting licenses that should be sold. Such a license would cost $100.

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Emotions and Tradition Clash Over Anti-Gun Move, Swissinfo.ch, December 22, 2010

Switzerland has the highest number of arms per capita, with estimates varying between 1.2 million and 2.3 million. But exact data are not available as there is no central arms register. Shaken by a number of high-profile killings over the past decade a broad alliance of human rights groups, churches, women’s organizations, trade unions and centre-left political parties has succeeded in forcing a nationwide ballot on an anti-gun initiative. As in other countries many arms are in the hands of hunters, collectors and marksmen in Switzerland. Yet one of the peculiarities of the country is that members of the militia army keep their personal army-issue guns at home - in many cases even following completion of mandatory service. It is a long tradition that carbines, pistols and even assault rifles - a standard infantry weapon - are kept in Swiss households. For decades the high number of firearms in the public sphere appeared to give little cause for concern. The problems only came to the fore in the context of a series of attacks and family killings, including the attack by a lone gunman on a cantonal parliament in 2001 and the murder of a former Swiss ski star by her husband four years ago. A 70-strong coalition from civil society - backed by the centre-left Social Democrats and the Greens - last year handed in the necessary number of signatures for an initiative which seeks to set up a national arms register and ban army-issue firearms from private households. It also aims to tighten regulations for licensed gun holders in an effort to fight possible abuse. However, most parties in parliament, notably from the centre-right and rightwing, as well as the government have come out against the initiative.

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United States Should Shoot Down U.N. Small Arms Treaty, National Center for Policy Analysis, December 15, 2010

The Obama administration recently appointed a negotiator to work with the United Nations on a treaty to regulate international trade in small arms. The ostensible goal is to staunch the flow of illegal weapons to drug cartels, terrorists and guerillas.

There is no evidence that U.S. participation in the small arms treaty would do anything to decrease the illicit flow of small arms, but it would threaten citizens' constitutional right to own and use firearms. For instance, such a treaty might require federal licensing and registration of any firearms possessed by individuals.

The Obama administration echoed the claims of Mexico's President Felipe Calderon that more than 90 percent of the guns used in crime in Mexico come from the United States. This is a misleading interpretation of the facts, however. From 2007 to 2008, more than 29,000 firearms (and more than 2,000 grenades) were picked up at crime scenes in Mexico. A report from the Department of Homeland Security indicated that only 3,480 guns could be traced to the United States. If the United Nations is put in charge of U.S. gun policy, American sovereignty will be reduced with no corresponding decrease in international violence. The biggest killers of people have been governments and their surrogate militias, not individual citizens. Indeed, before every attempted or successful genocide, those in power disarm the group targeted for extinction, aided by laws requiring firearm licensing and registration.

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Justice Breyer’s Remarks on Guns Revisionist Thinking, Daily News, December 14, 2010

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is an ideologue, a judicial activist who rules by his own political and personal philosophy, rather than the rule of law and what our founding fathers intended when they wrote the Constitution and Bill of Rights more than 200 years ago. On Sunday, Breyer, a Bill Clinton appointee, said the founding fathers never intended guns to go unregulated. Breyer said history stands with the dissenters in the court’s decision to overturn the Washington, D.C., handgun ban in 2008 case “D.C. v. Heller.” Language in the Heller decision, however, acknowledged the constitutionality of some restrictions on guns. Breyer wrote the dissent and was joined by Justices John Paul Stevens, David H. Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsberg. He said historians would side with him in the case because they have concluded that founding father James Madison was more worried that the Constitution might not be ratified than he was about granting individuals the right to bear arms. There are limitations on the right to keep and bear arms just as their are limitations on freedom of speech and of the press, as well as other rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights. During the revolution, settlers had to depend on their guns for protection against marauding bands of Indians incited by the British. Perhaps Breyer should read the account of the siege of Fort Boonesborough in our own state of Kentucky. But perhaps not, since Breyer seems more partial to history of the revisionist variety.

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State Bird, State Flower ... Now a State Firearm?, The Salt Lake Tribune, December 6, 2010

Virtually all states have a state bird, a state flower and a state motto. But Utah soon could be among the first to have an official state firearm — the Browning model 1911 .45-caliber handgun, designed by Utah gun maker John Moses Browning. Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman — a former police officer, a life member of the National Rifle Association and an instructor for concealed weapons classes — wants to take a shot at creating that designation when the Legislature convenes next month. At least one anti-gun-violence group bemoans the move but sees no real harm. The Model 1911 is a single-action, semiautomatic, magazine-fed and recoil-operated handgun. It became the standard-issue side arm for U.S. armed forces from 1911 to 1985 and is still carried by some U.S. forces. It had few changes since it was originally issued. “This is not something that we are going to spend a lot of time doing, and it won’t take time away from more pressing issues,” Wimmer said of his proposal. “I think it is something that we can get done very, very quickly early in the session. I don’t think it will be controversial.”

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If you know of any issues or specific articles that should be reported in the Legislative Action section of the newsletter, please drop me a line. Thanks!

James A. Cathcart

303-977-7263

james.a.cathcart@

CLASSIFIEDS

(Please contact John at john.d.larue@ for additions or changes.) RULES FOR CLASSIFIED ADS: Ads will ONLY be run for three months unless I hear from you. No exceptions. The new ads will be listed first in the order I receive them. Send me the ad at least one week before the end of the month to make sure it gets included in the next month’s newsletter.

For Sale: Ruger SP101 .357 Magnum Hammerless w/ Crimson Laser Grip. Less than 1 year old and less than 75 shots fired through gun.

Will include a nice leather holster, box of .357 Remington Golden Saber JHP Ammo, and .357 Speed loader. $575 for everything. (02/11)

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Craig Bullock

E-mail: craig.h.bullock@

Tel: (303) 977-5145

For Sale: Components and equipment to reload for 38 Special/357 Magnum

* 38 Special/357 Magnum Titanium Carbide Reloading Die Set part # 88282. Brand New. $50.

* 500 unfired Winchester .357 Magnum Brass. Brand New. $90

* 158 Grain .357 Nosler JHP 250 Ct. Bulk Pack. $30/box, I have two boxes.

* Winchester 1-1/2M small magnum pistol primers, Box of 1000. $25.

* Will sell all of the above together for $215

* Contact: Chad @ chad.a.bulich@ or 303.971.8253 work or 303.818.5884 cell.

(02/11)

For Sale: Smith & Wesson M&P 15T AR15 (5.56 mm NATO caliber 16” barrel) carbine. Equipped with GG&G (GGG-1048) ambidextrous single point sling adapter, Ergo Grip pistol grip and folding fore-grip. Rifle is in like new condition, $1150. Contact Craig Bullock at 303-346-8575 or e-mail at tigers1985@ . (Photo is a stock M&P 15T) (02/11).

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For Sale: Crimson Trace laser grips model LG-305 fits Smith & Wesson J-Frame revolvers. Like new condition, $190. Contact Craig Bullock at 303-346-8575 or e-mail at tigers1985@ (02/11).

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For Sale: Magpul CTR black mil-spec carbine stock (model MAG310-BLK). Like new condition, $80. Contact Craig Bullock at 303-346-8575 or e-mail at tigers1985@ (02/11).

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For Sale: Nosler .338, 200 grain Accubond Bullets: 2 Boxes (50 per box), $25.00 per box - Contact Tom

Fellon at 303-908-6565 (tom.fellon@qinetig-) (01/11)

For Sale: Several cases of Remington 1 ½ small pistol primers. Brand new $25.00 per 1000. Contact Bob T. at cell 720-208-8276 work 303-977-4586 e-mail bktott@ or robert.t.totten@

For Sale: Crestline 1750 Fish Hawk boat for sale: $28,500.00. This is Bernie Keefe's boat from this year, and includes maps and waypoints from Lake Granby. It has only been used for a year, and is actually in tip top shape for a guide boat. E-mail me at (david.r.harrison@) for more details. It does have a top-notch trolling system (to survive Granby's winds), and a 10.5" lowrance color fish finder. (01/11)

For Sale: Beretta AL391 Urika 2 shotgun; 20 gage; 28 inch barrel. Like new condition. Comes with hard case, original shipping box, 2 boxes of ammunition, cleaning kit. Photos available. $1100. Contact Dave Mulholland at 303-977-3674. (08/10)

For Sale: HANDCRAFTED, CUSTOM MADE FISHING NETS! These beauties are made right here in the heart of Colorado, one of the fly fishing meccas of the world. Brandon Lenderink, a space systems employee is not only an avid fisherman but loves the art of woodworking. The nets are good looking enough to hang on a wall and tough enough to catch some very large fish. Click the link below to see his work. If you’re interested, his contact information is on the website. (08/10)



For Sale: Ruger Mini-14 Early model, S/N 182-19844 with 3-9X scope, walnut stock, RCBS small base die set, nearly 1000 rounds swaged and CCI-primed brass, about 150 rounds loaded 55 gr ammo, 20-round Ruger factory clip. Near mint condition. Probably a few other accessories if I look hard. $595.00 (08/10)

Rick Webb 303-794-6612 or rwebb@

For Sale: Lyman 3-9X scope, Duplex reticule. Great condition. $75. Rick Webb 303-794-6612 or rwebb@ (06/10)

For Sale: Great bullet bargains for hunting if you're reloading for any of the .270 calibers. I sold my .270’s and have no use for the components. (06/10)

150 Speer Grand Slam, 55 ea, $22; 130 Speer BT, 30 ea, $5; 150 Speer Spitz, 83 ea, $18; 130 Nosler Ballistic Tip, 182 ea, $48; 140 Nosler Ballistic Tip, 64 ea, $18; 150 Nosler Ballistic Tip, 135 ea, $40; 130 Nosler Part, 72 ea, $36; 150 Nosler Part, 97 ea, $52; 150 Nosler Solid Base, 106 ea, $25. (06/10)

BONUS – An extra 10% off if you buy them all.

Rick Webb 303-794-6612 or rwebb@

For Sale: Leupold 3.5-10X 40 mm Objective Scope, Gloss finish, Duplex reticule. Excellent condition with only very minor ring mounting marks. Matching set of Michaels of Oregon covers. $325. (06/10)

Rick Webb 303-794-6612 or rwebb@

For Sale: 12 and 20 gauge once fired Remington Premium hulls.  If you’re still using AAs you should try these superior hulls -  $5 per hundred.  I also have them in bulk – boxes of 500+ 12s for $20 and 700+ 20s for $30.  Don Hodder 303-278-2949 dongolden@

(06/10)

For Sale: Premium Game Birds Spring Turkey calling tape -  $3. Don Hodder 303-278-2949 dongolden@ (06/10)

For Sale: 1) CVA percussion rifle, .50 cal., brown ironworks, maple stock, pewter forend cap and German silver patch box. $350.00 See photo below. Please call for more photos.

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2) 12 foot Inflatable pontoon boat w/rowing platform and seat, whitewater capable. Excellent condition. $1400.00 new. Sell for $500.00

Please contact Bob Boyd 303.798.1740 rockies427@ (02/10)

For Sale: 1) AMT Automag IV, 45 Winchester Magnum – Excellent condition, bought new in 1998, fired approximately 50 rounds, and has sat in the safe ever since (except for periodic cleaning). Includes 3 mags (1 brand new) and some brass and ammo. $650

2) Smith and Wesson Sigma 40, 40cal, 1997 Limited edition – excellent condition, includes 2 ten round magazines, 3 used 15 round factory magazines, and 6 brand new 15 round factory magazines. $400

3) Smith and Wesson model 645 45acp - very good condition, includes 3 used magazines and 3 brand new factory magazines, still in wrapper. $350

Please contact Michael.b.dean@ or 303-921-1176 (02/10)

For Sale: Savage Model 12 barrel. Chambered for 22-250 Rem, 26”, stainless steel, varmint contour, small shank, made by ER Shaw Custom Gun Barrels. Approx. 200 rounds shot. $150.00 or make offer. Contact Ron Gorski @ 303-9777-8474 or 303-904/8474. Email ronald.m.gorski@

For Sale: Remington UMC 25 automatic, 50 grain bullets. 2 boxes, 50 per box. Will sell for $20 per box or best offer. Dave Wilson - 303-548-8564 (07/10)

For Sale: Pontoon Boat, Contact: Bob Boyd (rockies427@ (08/10)

($350.00)

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Wanted: More experimenting: looking for some .45 cal lead pistol bullets, 150-155 grain, .451-.452 dia. So if you have some, 10-20, you don't need anymore, please let me know what you have and the price. Thanks. vito 303-977-9527; home 303-730-3459 (08/10) medeangelis78@

SHFC February 2011 Calendar

|Sun |Mon |Tue |Wed |Thu |Fri |Sat |

|Jan 30th |Jan 31st |1st |2nd |3rd |4th |5th |

|(Range Closed) |(Range Closed) |(Range Closed) |(Range Closed) |(Range Closed) |(Off Friday) |(Range Closed) |

|(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Range Closed) |(Archery Only) |

| | | | | |(Archery Only) | |

| | | | | | | |

|6th |7th |8th |9th |10th |11th |12th |

|(Range Closed) |(Range Closed) |(Range Closed) |(Range Closed) |(Range Closed) |(Range Closed) |(Range Closed) |

|(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |

|13th |14th |15th |16th |17th |18th |19th |

|(Range Closed) |(Range Closed) |(Range Closed) |(Range Closed) |(Range Closed) |(Off Friday) |(Range Closed) |

|(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Range Closed) |(Archery Only) |

| | | | | |(Archery Only) | |

| | | | | | | |

|20th |21st |22nd |23rd |24th |25th |26th |

|(Range Status, |(Range Status, |(Range Status, |(Range Status, |(Range Status, |(Range Status, Pending) |(Range Status, |

|Pending) |Pending) |Pending) |Pending) |Pending) |(Archery Only) |Pending) |

|(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) | |(Archery Only) |

|27th |28th |Mar 1st |Mar 2nd |Mar 3rd |Mar 4th |Mar 5th |

|(Range Status, |(Range Status, |(Range Status, |(Range Status, |(Range Status, |(Off Friday) |(Range Status, |

|Pending) |Pending) |Pending) |Pending) |Pending) |(Range Status, Pending) |Pending) |

|(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |(Archery Only) |

| | | | | | | |

(Updated SHFC Activity Calendar Pending)

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