Happy Friday, Gentle Readers,
I hope this missive finds you well.
As I write this, I am preparing for several meetings this afternoon, and all my devices' batteries are low. Did you ever notice that in those Jetson reruns, nobody ever asks, "Have you seen my charger cord?" Who thought the 21st century was going to be such a pain in the keister?
Deer hunters use guns. Who knew?
(Yes, I know, some people are bow hunters. Let's not go there right now.)
The first cold front of the year is moving through my part of the state. The leaves are starting to turn up on the slopes, and from my backyard, I can see hunters on the mountainside scouting locations for the upcoming hunt. Unless I am mistaken, archery elk season starts in Utah in a few weeks, and deer season is on the way.
I've never been a hunter. We actually own a purebred German Shorthair Pointer, and he isn't into hunting, either. I was flirting with the idea of hunting pheasant, even though pheasant season in Utah is so short that you could practically measure it in hours. So I tried to gauge the dog's interest. Ducks and geese routinely fly over our yard, and so far, he hasn't shown the slightest concern.
Once, there was a hawk in the yard trying to figure out how to get in the chicken coop. I set my dog loose to chase it away. He walked right by the hawk to hike his leg on the cherry tree. Even the hawk was a little offended. There was a look on his face that seemed to say, "Dude, aren't you even going to try?" But he's a sweet dog, and like me, he isn't going to head up the mountains to stand around in the cold on the off chance a deer might walk by.
I'm not opposed to hunting. If hunting is your thing, by all means, have a great season. I like trap shooting, but those clay pigeons are tough to field dress and don't make for good eating. There are very few recipes for them.
Having lived in a rural area for much of my life with plenty of elk and mule deer to go around, I've known plenty of hunters. None of them were wild-eyed gun nuts, staggering drunkenly through the forest with tobacco spit dribbling down their chins, randomly squeezing off shots at anything that moved. On the contrary, the hunters I knew were all intelligent, thoughtful people who cared about the land and wildlife and who understood the outdoors on an almost visceral level. They also had a healthy respect for firearms and gun safety.
However, the brain trust at Princeton, which is likely made up of people whose outdoor experiences are relegated to croquet matches and marina brunches, does not understand this. In fact, it is quite concerned that the start of hunting season will lead to an uptick in gun violence.
In this case, we are not talking about wabbits or ducks. It is the deer hunt. The College Fix notes that Princeton recently completed a study that was, unsurprisingly, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study, titled “Deer Hunting Season and Firearm Violence in US Rural Counties,” asserts that greater firearm prevalence results in greater firearm violence. Specifically, “This study suggests that the start of deer hunting season is associated with a substantial increase in shootings, highlighting the role of firearm prevalence in gun violence.”
The authors added, "The findings highlight the role of firearm prevalence in gun violence and suggest the need for focused policies designed to reduce firearm violence in areas with substantial hunting activity during the first weeks of deer hunting season."
Mark Chestnut is a Second Amendment advocate and a writer for the NRA. He commented:
[T]his “study” was nothing more than a ridiculous waste of money and time. It did not prove that any of the increased shootings were committed by deer hunters or even had anything to do with deer hunters or deer season. It did not “find a linear association between hunting licenses per capita and shootings.” Plus, “The start of deer hunting season was associated with null effects on overall crime, as well as a reduction in alcohol-related arrest,” according to police data.
In fact, since the first three weeks of deer season likely encompasses Thanksgiving weekend in the vast majority of those counties, it would be just as easy to conclude that shootings go up in rural counties around the Thanksgiving holidays.
And he has a point. The authors of this study obviously know nothing about hunting and even less than nothing about hunters. I suppose one could make the case that the risk of being a victim of gun violence goes up during deer season, provided one is a deer.
I miss the good old days when the Left was able to feign a little credibility and inject some semblance of substance into these studies. Now, they are just scrambling for anything. I feel a bit like the hawk looking at my dog: "Dude, aren't you even going to try?"
As it turns out, they didn't have to try. The Fix reports that Chestnut added that U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, NBC News, and CBS News jumped right on board with the narrative, eyes wide with glee, tongues lolling, and tails wagging. That should come as a surprise to no one. Does anyone remember the 2017 USA Today article decrying the dreaded AR-15? The one that included this?
Chain-saw bayonet
When the ammunition finally runs out, rifles can be equipped with knives called bayonets attached to the tip of the weapon for hand-to-hand combat. Bayonets were commonly used in World War I and II.
One of the more creative extensions for the AR-15 is a chain-saw bayonet.
For some extra context, click here.
Yes, kids, the MSM once believed (and probably still believe) that you can attach a chainsaw to a gun barrel. So keep that in mind if you decide to waste your time reading the Princeton study, the JAMA, or USA Today.
Wine recommendation
Because you need something to go with all that tasty venison.
Believe it or not, this week's offering would probably go well with venison. As I have said before, my local store has started to run low on wines that I have yet to try, and I am not so desperate that I am going to get my vino in a bottle shaped like a cat. So, on a lark, I grabbed a bottle of 2021 Skouras Saint George Agiorgitiko from Greece.
This wine starts with a very bright cherry-red color, and you can catch cherries and other red fruits in the bouquet and the taste. This makes for a rich but not overwhelming wine. It is well-structured and supported by balanced tannins. This is technically a dry wine, but it finds the middle of the road between dry and sweet, which can appeal to different tastes.
It is fermented in stainless steel vats and then spends about a year in oak French barriques (small barrels) before bottling. The result is an understated bit of oak in the flavor. There are definitely some herbal elements to it, and you should look for a peppery finish. As regular readers know, I try to look for moderately-priced wines, and this bottle ran me $19.99. I felt it was worth it for a bottle that could double as a good table wine and as a stand-alone on a crisp late summer evening.
It would go well with lamb if you wanted to pair it with a Greek dish, but it will also work nicely with any red meat and, yes, venison. Chainsaw not included.
That's it for me. Have a great weekend, and I'll see you next time,
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