Heli-Hunting

[Savoia]

The Joys of Shooting From a Helicopter

By Kirsten Weiss on January 24, 2014

“Don’t be scared of hanging out of the helicopter to get a better shot, you’ll have a harness.” the helicopter pilot over the blades whipping above us. “You mean this?” I held up a floppy black seatbelt, looking no more secure than the belts in the old Jetta I hoped to blow up. Well, here we go. I shrugged my shoulders internally, and locked into go mode . . .



There wasn’t a choice of whether I would accomplish the shot or not, there was simply shooting.

It didn’t matter that this was the second time I’d been up in a helicopter in my entire life, the first being a tour over the Grand Canyon with my mom and dad when I was just a tiny Weiss. It didn’t matter that in order to get a good shot on the car, I had to hang my body and my left leg out of the door, high above the solid ground. It didn’t matter that a bunch of people below were watching me, waiting for the outcome. It didn’t matter that my hands first touched the SCAR rifle only 45 minutes before. It didn’t matter that worry filled the helicopter pilot’s eyes as he asked, “You’re gonna use a scope?” and when I nodded my head yes, he said, “well, that’s going to make it a lot harder.”

No. None of that mattered. Correction. None of that could matter. That’s all clutter in the mind, distracting from the shot. All that matters is the shot itself. The gun in my shoulder, aiming, the recoil, the follow through.

Same thing in life. We have so much clutter filling our minds if we let it. Worry of what could have been, what we should have done, what we should’ve said, or what we wished we had known. Then we bounce over to the future. We worry about how all the things we think could’ve been better, might mess up our future moments — or worse — our whole life path.

STOP.

Focus, my friend.

Center on this moment. Play the cards that are dealt, and play them the best you can. That’s all you have control over. Keep your thoughts wrapped in the task at hand, with the tools in hand. Give yourself grace.

Back in the ‘copter, for a split second my mind rushed as I saw how tiny the car actually looked from way above, and the fact that the roof was my only target. The explosives technician rigged the roof with a strike plate. Hit it and it would blow. My scope picture danced and bounced all around the target, subject to the movement of the ‘copter. It was like being in rough and stormy seas and trying to keep your eye on a tiny life preserver in the distance flowing in and out of the frothing waves.
And then. Everything quieted.



Be it determination or a tiny clearing amongst the clouds of the mind, in that moment none of the challenges surrounding me mattered. I sent a shot, and in that split second as the flames began billowing around the Jetta from the first shot, I didn’t believe it. How could I possibly have gotten a shot like that off on the first shot? Before the flames reached their half way point or the success registered fully, my second shot sped through the bubbling fire as the black smoke greeted the azure sky.

Now, my friend, that whole video shoot was a learning experience. Usually I do things on my own (as you can probably tell). There were many more players for this one. So many things could’ve gone wrong, and did go wrong. Just one example, the MK116 rifle arrived for the first time in my grip shortly before I shot the RC car. I didn’t have a way to sight it in properly, so I had to aim a foot above the twirling little bugger, to even hit it. This of course meant my sites obscured the view of the RC. But, I didn’t have a choice. Correction. I didn’t allow myself a choice. Alternative choices to what you really want, contributes to more mind clutter. I simply had to work with what I was given for those moments, and not fret about the outcome.

There’s always a good possibility we will fail. We’re human. But we don’t actually fail if we max out the potential of the moment we have, and the tools we’re given for it. What’s happened and what will happen, is not in our control. Let that sink in. Outcome is not in our control.

Give up control of the moments surrounding the moment you grasp now, Sharp Shots. You may fail, but you may succeed. Forget the outcome. All that matters is this present moment. Work with what you’ve got starting right… … … NOW.

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2014/01/kirsten-joy-weiss/kirsten-joy-weiss-the-joy-of-shooting-from-a-helicopter/

[Savoia]

Keep your cows fenced-in!

Federated Farmers is asking its Ruapehu members to keep stock secured after 15 to 20 cattle were shot by a joint agency operation on Wednesday.

Ruapehu District Council said stock wandering on roads had become a major problem and staff fielded about four calls a week from people reporting near misses or crashes.


Hughes 500 used for cattle control

The situation reached crisis point this week with cattle wandering on State Highway 37 posing a danger to drivers on the busy road.

Police, Department of Conservation and the council used a helicopter to shoot the cattle, about 15 to 20 animals.
It was the only option left to solve the problem, the council's team compliance officer, Wayne O'Shannessey said.

"The cattle are not wild but due to the state of the surrounding fences and the nearest cattle yard being unsuitable to hold the animals a muster was not a viable option.

"I have personally attended one vehicle collision with a cattle beast that required the animal to be shot and have heard of other near misses," he said.

O'Shannessey said a collision between a car and a cattle beast would "write-off the car" and there was a "very high likelihood" the driver or passengers would be seriously injured "if not killed".

Federated Farmers president Bruce Wills was aware of the operation and said it was up to farmers to make sure fences were secure.

"Many of us are working next to main highways and there is no question that stock can be a hazard if they make it on to the roads.

"But sometimes things happen like a slip, a tree comes down on a fence or a gate is left open, providing opportunities for stock to get out."

Wills said losing stock can cost a farming business big dollars.

"But I haven't had a case like this across my desk for a number of years so I would say it was a rare event."

Federated Farmers Ruapehu representative Lyn Neeson said any killing of farm stock should be the "absolute last resort".

". . . and I feel for the farmer. Boundary fences must be maintained to a high standard and that includes boundary fences with all neighbours, the roading network and DOC."

Ruapehu District Council communications manager Paul Wheatcroft said staff had shot other cattle before Wednesday's operation.

"We had an incident where a cow was on the road and it was hit by a car."

He said the council hoped farmers would ensure stock were secured and that another multi-agency operation was not needed.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times...copter-Ruapehu

[Savoia]

Hog hunting with Heli-Bacon:

Heli-Bacon, Bay City, Texas

Note: When hunting my preference is always to consume what is culled and, in this regard I offer (below) a wild boar recipe which some may enjoy:

Cinghiale alla Romana in Agrodolce (Roman-Style Sweet and Sour Boar Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 4/5 pounds (800 g) leg of wild boar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• A rib of celery, chopped
• 1 1/2 ounces (45 g) sultana raisins, plumped in warm water
• 2 cloves
• 4/5 cup (200 ml) red wine vinegar
• 3 onions, peeled, and two of which chopped
• A carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 pound pitted cherries (the Italian kind called for is visciole)
• 1/4 pound (100 g) dried prunes, plumped in warm water
• A bay leaf
• A clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• 1 ounce (30 g) bitter baking chocolate, shaved
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1/4 pound (100 g) lean prosciutto, cut in a single thick slice and diced
• 1 pint (500 ml) dry white wine
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Butcher's twine

Preparation:

Combine the two chopped onions, the chopped carrot and celery, the bay leaf, the thyme, the garlic, the cloves, half the vinegar, and the wine in a pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it cool, transfer it to a bowl, and marinate the meat in it for 24 hours.

Drain the meat and discard the chopped vegetables. Filter the marinade.

Tie the meat with the twine so it keeps its shape. Heat the olive oil in a pot and brown the meat in it, together with the prosciutto seasoning all with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the filtered marinade over the meat and simmer until it has evaporated; add cold water to cover and simmer, covered, for another 2 1/2 hours.

When the time is up drain the meat, untie it, slice it, and put it in a bowl. Filter the pan drippings and set them aside.

While the meat is cooking, prepare the sweet and sour, timing things so you will have the pan drippings when you need them: finely slice the remaining onion. Put the sugar, onion, and 1 tablespoon of water in a small pot and cook gently until the sugar has dissolved. Add the chocolate shavings and stir gently until they have melted. Add the vinegar and continue to cook until the liquid's volume is reduced by half.

Add the pan drippings from the boar, as well as the raisins, prunes, cherries, and pine nuts. Mix well, and spoon the sauce over the boar. Serve at once.

Enjoy!