By Chad Love

Behold the appearance of the sacred white cow moose, for it portends...uh, something? OK, so maybe the appearance of a rare albino moose can't be tied into any prophecy or supernatural event, but it's still pretty cool. Especially if it happens to wander by your hotel bedroom window and lets you snap pics of it...

From this story in the Anchorage Daily News: 
A white moose that has been seen around Delta Junction for several years has shown up again, this time with a brown calf in tow. he moose was photographed by guests at the Alaska Garden Bed and Breakfast on the morning of Sept. 1, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported. Tim Barnes, who was visiting from Quincy, Ill., took a picture of the moose after he first spotted it. The cabin overlooks an open field and Barnes saw the white moose and her calf through the window, he said Monday. [ Read Full Post ]

By David Draper

Among the many signs hunting seasons have begun—including unreturned phone calls, text message trophy pictures, and shotgun blasts in the distance—my favorite is the fresh batch of antelope green chile simmering away on the back of the stove. Well, that and the fresh antelope steaks I’ve been eating since my trip to New Mexico last week. Of the two, I have a pretty good hunch as to which one is going to win this week’s Food Fight, but maybe the voters will surprise me.
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By David E. Petzal

Now that hunting season is approaching, it’s time to think about slings. This is not half so entertaining as thinking about Ms. Elisha Cuthbert, but since I doubt Ms. Cuthbert is willing to carry your rifle around for you, it’s more practical.

There are plenty of slings around, and most of them are cheesy, worthless, and silly. They don’t last; they get in your way; they slide off your shoulder; and they contain absurd gimmicks which are so many pains in the ass.

The best sling I know of is the Murray A-1 Quick Set Rifle Sling, made by Murray Custom Leather in Texas. It’s dead simple, does everything a sling (or more properly, a carrying strap) should do, and lasts forever. I have a couple of them that have been in use for close to 30 years, and they show no signs of weakening. I learned about Murray slings from Kenny Jarrett, who includes them with his rifles as standard equipment. Kenny also gave me this tip:
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by Scott Bestul, Dave Hurteau, and Jeff Hull

Thirty-one years ago, at age 14, Jack Schoonen shot his first elk. He has killed an elk every year since. Hunting the forested slopes of Montana’s Big Hole Valley, Schoonen specializes in tracking bulls and killing them in the timber, often with shots of less than 50 yards. He’s taken all 31 of his elk on publicly accessible land—and he’s done it hunting only on weekends. “I’d love to hunt four or five days in a row, but I’ve never had that opportunity in my life. I’m a schoolteacher,” says Schoonen. His family relies on the meat he and his 15-year-old son, Sage, bring home.

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--Chad Love

They say curiosity killed the cat, but for one enterprising Nevada mountain lion, all curiosity got him was a tranquilizer dart in the ass and a one-way ride out of town.

From this story on wtvr.com: 
A nearly 100-pound mountain lion was returned to the wild in Nevada Saturday after a trip through downtown Reno. Authorities said the male lion tried to get into Harrah’s Hotel and Casino on Friday morning. Guests at the casino reported seeing the cat try to walk into the casino, but it couldn’t figure out the revolving door, so it hit under an outdoor stage. Wildlife officials were able to subdue the animal with a tranquilizer dart. [ Read Full Post ]

By David E. Petzal

This unfortunate term (I rank it right alongside the truly loathsome “.257 Bob” for .257 Roberts.) arose on the Internet some years ago to describe a firearm that spends its time in a closet or safe, never to be used. Most of the time, this is not the fault of the gun involved.

Recoil is probably the main creator of closet queens. When the .458 Model 70 Winchester African came out in 1956 it was the first American big-bore in a long time, and there was a lot of interest in it. People who would never get closer to Africa than a Tarzan movie rushed to buy one, and then discovered that the things kicked harder than they ever dreamed. What to do? These Model 70s were not cheap rifles, and not easy to sell, and if you did sell you admitted that you were a little short in the manhood department. Thus they became closet queens.

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