How Hunting And Fishing Helps Our Economy
I was reading an article the other day and was amazed how hunting and fishing greatly boost our economy in Texas. There are 2.7 million hunters and fishermen in Texas which is more than the whole population of our largest city of 2.1 million people.
State and local tax income from hunting and fishing alone brings in $415 million. This industry also provides 65,000 jobs in Texas related to the hunting and fishing industry.
There is also $4.1 billion spent annually on hunting and fishing which is much larger than Texas’s second-largest agricultural commodity which is the cotton industry which produces $2.3 billion. However, the hunting and fishing could be in jeopardy because of animal rights activist which are well funded all over the nation along with frivolous lawsuits and the exploiting of the Endangered Species Act. Millions of dollars have also been spent by these groups for emotional advertising which shows to be very effective in Michigan, Minnesota. Wyoming and Wisconsin. Michigan has already disallowed dove hunting in their state. Wyoming can no longer control their wolf population by hunting. These activist groups would like nothing better than to infiltrate the state of Texas and control our wildlife.
There are 18 states that have already passed right to hunt and fish amendments which show to be effective.
Texas has two bills that are currently making their way through their legislature that would provide constitutional protection of our hunting and fishing rights. These bills are the HJR 61 and SJR 22 bills.
No matter what state you live in or whether or not you hunt or fish, we need to all sick together and fight against these activist from trying to take away our American rights. They do not understand that the animal population is controlled by hunters and fishermen. If not for them, only starvation awaits animals which seems to me to be animal cruelty.
The First Gatling Gun
Richard Gatling invented and patented one of the first machine guns which was the Gatling Gun in 1862.
His gun was the first practical, rapid-firing machine gun developed in the United States. It could fire about 600 rounds a minute. It was used only to a limited extent during the Civil War.
An endorsement from General Horatio Wright, after seeing the weapon fired, he wrote a report which recommend the Army test it further. In his report he included the following statement: “I have examined … the invention known as the ‘Gatling gun’ and it seems to me to possess much merit.”
Despite the endorsement, and many successful tests, the Union Army never really adopted the gun.
By the end of the Civil War, the War Department took interest in this technological marvel and rather than fading into obscurity Gatling and his famous battery gun patent became an indelible part of US combat history.
Russia became the first foreign purchaser of Gatling Guns in 1862 with the purchase of 100 Guns at a cost of $1500 each. Literally hundreds of Gatling’s were later manufactured in Russia under license. Russia actually built and had more Gatling Guns in the service than any other country in the world. There are reports that these battery guns were still in service on the China border during World War II.
Improved models became standard equipment for the U.S. Army and Navy in the Spanish-American War. Without a doubt, the Gatling Guns finest moments in U.S. combat had to have been during the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, and the Boxer Rebellion in China at the turn of the century. At Santiago, the battle of Bloody Ford, three Gatlings were credited with laying down 18,000 rounds of ammunition in less than 8 minutes, saving countless American lives.
On February 26th, 1903 Richard Gatling died at the age of 84. His Gatling Gun company was to follow shortly thereafter. With the introduction of the Maxim machine gun, the death bell had also tolled for the Gatling Gun. In 1911, Colt produced the last gun. In 1915, the last US military manual was printed for them and they became obsolete by year’s end. Most U.S. Gatling guns were eventually melted down for the brass scrap. The name Gatling nearly faded from history. However, in 1947, the U.S. Air Force commissioned General Electric to develop a rapid fire cannon for aircraft. Out of the mothballs came the Gatling Gun.
The Favorite Gun Of The Old West
I always thought that the preferred gun of the old west would be the pistol (6 six shooter) or a rifle. But from what I have been reading, I was wrong. The most influential gun was the shotgun such as the 1889 Remington curl hammered double barrel.
The double barrel shotgun (sometimes called “scattergun” because it was loaded with numerous lead pellets) was the easiest load, easiest to operate and the cheapest to buy. It was very versatile in use. It could be used for putting food on the table by shooting fowl, small game and larger game when loaded with buckshot (large pellets).
If ever in a gunfight in those days, they did not even need to aim to hit the target and the enemy new that.
Everyone respected the damage the shotgun could do at close range with the many lead pellets it sprayed out. Moments before the legendary “Gun Fight At The OK Corral”, Virgil Earp gave his trusted shotgun to Doc Holiday in exchange for Holiday’s cane that he was carrying.
The expression “riding shotgun” was derived in 1919 from the (then called) “stagecoach guards or shotgun messengers” which sat next to the driver of the stagecoach. They were hired to protect the stage from being robbed by bandits when they were carrying valuables such as money or gold in their strong boxes. The guard typically carried a short (or sawed-off) 12- or 10-gauge double-barrelled shotgun, loaded with buckshot. This was a most effective weapon in use against pursuing riders. Such weapons were sometimes referred to as “messenger shotguns” or, more commonly, “coach guns” (a name still used today). To some extent these weapons also carried over to use by private guards in trains with strongboxes or safes, where they were again effective.
The reliable shotgun was also the early settler’s home security as is today.
Rules for a Gunfight
I received this interesting information and thought I would share it with you.
Various Concealed Carry Instructors have laid out some shooting tips to consider if you ever catch yourself in a gunfight.
RULES:
1. The first and most important rule is have a gun and know how to use it.
2. The main reason police carry guns is not to protect you but to protect themselves.
3. There are two enemies that a gun has and they are rust and politicians.
4. It’s always better to be judged by twelve than be carried by six.
5. If you feel you are being theatened by someone or something, never let them, or it, get within arm’s
length of you.
6. Always win if your ever in a gunfight. That is the most important rule. A gunfight is a deadly struggle and there is no such thing as a fair fight, so cheat if necessary.
7. Never tell someone “I’ve have a gun.” If you need to use deadly force, the first sound they hear should be the safety clicking off.
8. 911’s average response time is 23 minutes; the response time of a .357 magnum is 1400 feet per second.
9. If you’re in a gunfight:
If you’re not shooting, you should be loading.
If you’re not loading, you should be moving.
If you’re not moving, you’re dead.
10. If you carry a gun, people may call you paranoid. That is incorrect. If you have a gun, what do you have to be paranoid about?
11. You can say ‘stop’ but a large bore barrel pointed at someone’s head is pretty much a universal language.
12. Never leave an enemy behind. If you have to shoot, shoot to kill. If you end up in court, yours will be the only testimony.
And always remember this quote from America ‘s premier Founding Father:
“Peace is that brief glorious moment in history, when everybody stands
around reloading” — Thomas Jefferson
Gun Safety First
Gun safety for all hunters is what I consider the most important rule in the sport of hunting. I live in Tyler, TX and our local news paper is the Tyler Morning Telegraph who has (who I consider) one of the best outdoor writers in our state. His name is Steve Knight. With his permission, I have used a portion of his latest, as of this date, editorial and wanted to share it with all hunters.
“To be honest, I would rather hunt alone in a place where there is not as much to shoot then in a crowd where there is game everywhere.
I understand accidents happen. I just don’t want to be involved in one.
Over the years I have found myself in some scary situations while hunting. Because of that I tend to reduce my chances of getting shot by only hunting with people I know very well. To this day the group I hunt with announces to everyone that their rifle is unloaded and bolt is open when approaching or getting in a truck.
We don’t have to, but this way the hunter leaves no doubt in his mind or ours that the gun is safe.
That is something you may not learn in a hunter education course, but when you take one you do get the building blocks for what makes a hunt safe and a hunter safer.
Believe it or not the opening of dove season is just eight weeks away, and there is a lot to do in a quickly shrinking amount of time. Nothing may be more important than taking a hunter safety course.
Sure you can put it off until later in the fall, but you know what it going to happen. An opening day is going to sneak up and someone who needs the course is not going to have it and there isn’t going to be a course around because the demand for hunter education in Texas is growing. And that is good news for hunters and their safety”.
Hunter education courses are offered in lot of states and also on-line to promote gun safety while hunting.
