The first air guns/rifles appear in history during the 1580’s. They were mainly used by wealthy sportsmen for hunting, but due to their unique functioning characteristics, were sometimes used in warfare. Napoleon, for example, didn’t much appreciate opposing special snipers armed with air rifles which caused morale issues in the French ranks. The fact there was no telltale smoke or loud report caused the French to wonder at first if some “magic” was entailed during a time of flintlock muskets as being the primary arm. Lewis and Clark took a Girardoni air rifle on their … Read More
Pursuing wintertime bushytails
When winter finally rolls in, I automatically begin pondering squirrel hunting, and there is little doubt in my mind that a highly underutilized outdoor pastime is pursuing wintertime bushytails. Personally, I thoroughly enjoy every opportunity to go squirrel hunting, and I have my favorite spots on both private and public land, not only in my home Thumb area, but also elsewhere in the state. A beauty about squirrel hunting is that you don’t have to travel far to find ample opportunities anywhere in our great state of Michigan, and with plenty of public land available, … Read More
Ode to the magnificent rimfire “Double Deuce”
There is little doubt that the most popular rifle and handgun cartridge in this country is the .22 rimfire round. Annual ammunition sales also state that it is the most fired round in America, and it is extremely versatile for being used from target shooting and simple plinking, to small game hunting and even personal defense. The fact that it isn’t overly loud with its report and lacks any noticeable recoil causes the .22 rimfire to be the perfect round to introduce new and young beginners into the shooting pastimes. Having shot the .22 rimfire … Read More
Summertime plinking while dealing with the “red menacing horde “
Spring and summer this year have proven to be a tad interesting, not to mention challenging, due to an ongoing invasion by very prolific red squirrels around our home and outbuildings. Of course, our living in the woods, so to speak, tends to quantify matters. We had quite a number of both gray and fox squirrels around our home, which we always enjoyed watching, and then the little red squirrels began appearing, just a few at first, but recently had become epidemic in numbers with them everywhere. At first, I had a “live and let … Read More