Do You Vacation In North Carolina ??

NC Seeks Game Fish Designation for Striped Bass, Red Drum and Spotted Sea TroutA special joint legislative committee seeks to designate striped bass, red drum and spotted sea trout as game fish in North Carolina state waters. By designating these three species as game fish, they will be managed solely as recreational fish for the use and enjoyment of the public. Striped bass, red drum and spotted sea trout represent only 2 percent of North Carolina's commercial harvest with a $1.5 million economic impact, while recreational fishing for these fish contributes more than $140 million annually to North Carolina's economy. Similar measures in South Carolina, Florida and Texas have resulted in healthier and more abundant fish populations in their waters with the associated economic benefits. The Coastal Game Fish Bill will limit these fish to recreational take, improving the quality of recreational fishing and boosting North Carolina’s economy.

A Visitor From The North

The Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) is a rare visitor to West Virginia. It is uncommon to rare; even in the spruce forests of the Far North where it breeds. This predator feeds on small mammals and birds. This photo was taken in Canaan Valley, Tucker County, WV on 1/10/12. I only had the opportunity for one single photo. This bird is extremely spooky and doesn't like to stay in the same spot for any extended period of time.
I was able to crop the photo and you can see more detail in the bird. Note the narrow mask, white around the eye and the hooked bill on the smaller photo. The Loggerhead Shrike, which is not common; but more common in our area has a much wider mask.

FROZEN MUSHROOMS

I just ate some Chicken of the Woods mushrooms that I had put in the freezer.  They were just frozen in zip-lock freezer bags; nothing fancy.  I was suprised.  They kept their texture and flavor.  This was the first season that I have ever had enough to freeze.  Just something that may be useful to others.

ENCORE TUNE-UP

TUNE UP YOUR ENCORE

I have been using a Thompson-Center Encore for all of my hunting for the past 12 years. Yes, there are limitations, but for my purposes, it is a good fit. Not once during this time; have I needed or wished for another shot. I don’t hunt bean fields, clear-cuts or vast, open areas. I hunt the woods of the eastern mountains.  In these conditions, a firearm is carried a lot more than it is shot.  I don’t need a heavy rifle, capable of bench-rest accuracy, nor do I  need a lot of unnecessary firepower.  I have never been stricken by magnumites, and don’t enjoy having my eyes crossed every time I pull the trigger.  I have owned five different barrels for my Encore, and everyone has proved satisfactory. I have also found a few inexpensive and simple ways to make an Encore even better, as a hunting rifle.

STOP THE DRIFT

The factory hinge pin, which holds the barrel and frame together is the first step in reaching accuracy potential.  There is a small amount of inherent drift, every time the action is opened and closed.  This movement is very slight, but to achieve accuracy, you must start with the same alignment of barrel and frame, on every shot.  The Encore Locker-Pin was designed by Cecil Epps of Precision Rifle to solve this problem.  This product makes sure that the mechanical lock-up of the Encore action is exactly the same from one shot to the next.  The Locker-Pin is comprised of three parts; installation is as simple as removing the old pin, replacing it with the new Locker-Pin and tightening an Allen screw with the supplied Allen wrench.  The Locker-Pin is available from sources listed at the end of this article and will cost around $40.00.

RELIEVE THE PRESSURE

Encore fore ends bind on the frame and create pressure.  I really don’t know what effects this has on accuracy, but it can’t help anything.  It is a very simple problem to solve.  All of my fore ends are synthetic.  I use a rotary tool to grind away the excess material from the inside of the fore end ears.  Keep checking your work, until you have clearance on both sides.  Make sure you wear a dust mask while grinding. The whole process should take about 15 minutes.  I haven’t worked on any wood stocks. I would use sandpaper to do the same thing and seal with linseed oil. This process is mandatory to provide clearance for the Locker-Pin.

MAKE IT CRISP

Nothing effects accuracy as much as a poor, sloppy trigger pull.  Send your frame to a good gunsmith; with experience in Encore actions.  They will be able to tune-up your trigger pull and smooth everything out.  E.A. Brown does this for around $75.00.  Your groups will shrink with these three simple methods and around $125.00 in expenses.  Your confidence as a single shot hunter will also improve.  My barrels are all standard factory barrels and will shoot MOA from a cold barrel with three shot groups.  I need to stress cold barrel again and I mean cold.  Not warm. After they heat up, strays tend to begin.  Remember; it is a single shot, hunting gun.

SENSIBLE CALIBERS

The Encore is lightweight; that is why it is a joy to carry all day.  Don’t make the mistake of choosing the biggest and baddest caliber that it is chambered for.  Muzzle blast and excessive recoil do not translate into an accurate lightweight hunting gun.  You will shoot better and harvest more game; if your mindset will let you choose a .308 over a .300 Winchester Magnum. I have personally been using a 7mm-08 over the past six seasons and it has preformed above my expectations.  Caliber choices for the Encore are nearly unlimited.  Factory barrels are offered in many popular calibers. Custom barrel makers offer just about any chambering; that you can dream up.

E. Arthur Brown Co, Inc. www.eabco.com     Precision Rifle www.prbullet.com

Why Grandpa Carries A Gun

PEOPLE ASK WHY?
Why Carry a Gun?
My old grandpa said to me 'Son, there comes a time in every man's life when he stops bustin' knuckles and starts bustin' caps and usually it's when he becomes too old to take an ass whoopin.'

I don't carry a gun to kill people.
I carry a gun to keep from being killed.

I don't carry a gun to scare people.
I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.

I don't carry a gun because I'm paranoid.
I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.
I don't carry a gun because I'm evil.
I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world.
I don't carry a gun because I hate the government.
I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.
I don't carry a gun because I'm angry.
I carry a gun so that I don't have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.
I don't carry a gun because I want to shoot someone.
I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.
I don't carry a gun because I'm a cowboy.
I carry a gun because, when I die and go to heaven, I want to be a cowboy.
I don't carry a gun to make me feel like a man.
I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.
I don't carry a gun because I feel inadequate.
I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am overwhelmed.
I don't carry a gun because I love it.
I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.
Police protection is an oxymoron. Free citizens must protect themselves. Police do not protect you from crime, they usually just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess.
Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.....author unknown (but obviously brilliant)
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Confusing Sparrows

It is now time for the Winter sparrows to dominate fields and feeders. At first glance they are all the same; little brown birds. A second look gives many frustrations with identification.

Let us take a good look at this first winter White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys). Now you are already thinking; it doesn't have a white crown. This is a juvenile, the white crown is only present on adults. This species is often confused with the more common White-throated Sparrow. Notice the bill. White-throated Sparrows have dark bills. White-crowned Sparrows have pinkish-orange bills.
Two other species which may be confused with this juvenile White-crowned Sparrow, could possibly be the American Tree Sparrow and the Field Sparrow; both have un-striped breasts. Both have rufous-rusty crown markings. The American Tree Sparrow has a bi-colored bill and a spot in the center of its chest. The Field Sparrow has a rufous and gray head pattern; with a stout pink bill. The other sparrows that we are likely to see during the Winter months have striped markings and can be eliminated from consideration.

White-crowned Sparrow

 Photos (c) High Virginia Images All Rights Reserved

Shaggy Manes

Shaggy Manes (Coprinus comatus) are one of the latest edible mushrooms that we can expect to find in this area. These were photographed and the smaller ones were picked on November 1, 2011; near Horseshoe Run in Tucker County, WV. The recent snow did not seem to bother this clump at all. I picked some last Thursday; near Huttonsville. They had been rained on for three days and were pretty soggy; but still tasted all right. Shaggy Manes and Oyster Mushrooms are what we can expect to find, this late in the season; if we are lucky.

Photo by High Virginia Images
Posted by High Virginia Outdoors
(c) 2011 All Rights Reserved