MI: Livonia Utility Worker Shoots, Kills Family Dog

"The next thing I heard was pop, a gun shot," he said.

And when he saw Katie, her lifeless body was on the ground in the family yard. Doug says a utility worker at the house next door told him it was in self-defense.

"(He said) 'Well your dog lunged at me, I felt threatened.' At a dog not on property?" Eiben said. "You got a 2-foot radius for the dog before it reaches the invisible fence line and the dog knows its boundaries."
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WA: Neighbor Shoots Gun to Scare off Cougar that Attacked Dog

The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office says Shannon Cernick was walking her dog about 8 p.m. when they came across a cougar on the trail.

The dog was not on a leash and the two animals started fighting.

The sheriff’s office said Cernick ran to get help. She returned with a neighbor’s friend who shot a gun at the cougar and it ran off.

Authorities say, “there was no sign that the cougar was struck.”
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TX: Jewelry Store Gunfight, Owner Shoots two, Kills one

"They began to beat him, pistol-whip him. At one point during the struggle, he managed to retrieve a pistol that was inside the store. He exchanged gunfire with the robbers," Lt. Thomas Gilliland, with the Harris County Sheriff's Office, said.

The 66-year-old owner told investigators that he believed he hit at least one of the three robbers before they left the store.

Investigators said a trail of blood led them to where the robbers' getaway car was parked at the car wash.

Investigators said one man showed up at a hospital with a multiple gunshot wounds, and another man was discovered dead at a residence in the 15600 block of Rosehearty Lane near Coppergrove, west of the robbery scene.
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PA: Domestic Defense, Father Shoots Son who Attacked him with Sword

"The son apparently cut his dad with a katana. He said it was a 4' katana. The dad was sitting out here. When the dad was going into the ambulance, we heard him say, 'I'm just trying to see if my son's OK. I shot him twice,'" neighbor Javontae Tinson said.

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TX: Gungfight, Restaurant Employee Wounds Suspect

HOUSTON - A suspected robber was shot in Third Ward Tuesday by a Wingstop employee, police said.

Houston Police have arrested and charged Benjamin Maurice Colbert with robbery threat, suspected of robbing the restaurant in the 3700 block of Scott Street just after 11p.m.
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Atlanta Journal Constitution Blames Trump for Not Helping the Gun Industry Enough

June sales chart not yet released. May shows industry growth since 2000

A staff writer for the Atlanta Journal Constitution blog has stretched the truth a considerable amount in saying that President Trump has been detrimental to the gun industry. From myajc.com:

President Donald Trump may yet rejuvenate coal mining or bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. But his election already seems to have been detrimental to at least one economic sector: the gun industry.

With the new president firmly aligned with gun-rights advocates, the FBI performed 9 percent fewer firearms background checks in the first half of this year compared to January through June 2016, according to newly released data.

In Georgia, the decrease was even greater. From January to June, the FBI performed about 269,000 background checks in Georgia – 11 percent fewer than the 302,000 it logged in the first half of 2016.

2016 was the highest year for background checks conducted by the FBI NICS (National Instant background Check System) ever.  2017 looks to be the second highest number of NICS ever. Through June, 2017, there were 12,601,102 NiCS checks. That is a little lower than 2016 for the same period. 2016 set records because of fears of Hillary Clinton being elected and passing legislation making it hard to buy and own guns.

In 2016, the first six months had 13,829,491 background checks. That was the all time record for the first half of a year. 2013 held the next highest number of background checks, when gun buyers feared that President Obama would pass restrictions on owning and selling guns. 2013 had 11,445,851  NICS checks in the first half of the year.

It is clear that 2017 gun sales were a bubble created by fear of Hillary Clinton. But instead of the bubble bursting, as people thought would happen with a Trump election, gun sales have only slowed down a little.

2016 was the hottest years for gun sales, ever. 2017 is on track to be the 2nd hottest. Stepping back a little from record sales is *not* bad for the firearms industry.

Any news can be twisted into "bad" news caused by President Trump. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is the gun industry group that most gun manufacturers belong to. It adjusts the NICS checks for gun sales, taking out the NICS done for carry permits or for permit rechecks. Their adjusted numbers show better news for the industry than the unadjusted NICS do. From thinkingafield.org:

The second quarter 2017 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 3,116,282 is a decrease of 2.0 percent over the 3,179,825 figure for second quarter 2016.

The adjusted NICS data were derived by subtracting out NICS purpose code permit checks and permit rechecks used by several states such as Connecticut, Illinois, and Utah for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases. NSSF started subtracting permit rechecks in February 2016.

According to the Industry group, the first half of 2017 is within 2% of the all time record for gun sales set in 2016.  That is not bad news. Six months that comes within 2 percent of the all time record for sales, is good news.


©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

SC: Homeowner Shoots Man who Attacked Him

LEXINGTON, S.C. (AP) — Authorities say a man shot to death in the front yard of his South Carolina home appeared to be attacking his neighbor who then fired in self-defense.
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OK: Fired Bullet Response to Thrown Hammer

A woman shot at a prowler who reportedly broke a window of her home and threw a hammer at her Monday night, police said.

The intruder, identified only as a black female, was confronted about 11:30 p.m. at a home in the 6900 block of East 18th Street, Sgt. Stephen Florea said.

The home's occupant told police she was sitting on her bed when the window was broken. She retrieved a handgun and fired one shot out the window toward the prowler, scaring her off, Florea said.
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GA: Trans-dressing Home Invader Shot, Killed by Homeowner

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Police say a homeowner shot and killed a man dressed like a woman after he broke into his home.

It happened in Lithonia near Brownsmill Road just after 2 a.m.

Channel 2’s Liz Artz spoke to DeKalb County Police Lt. Lonzy Robertson about the case Monday.

"The homeowner gave him a warning. The suspect continued to approach him at which time the homeowner fired one shot," Robertson said.
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NC: Motel Manager Shoots Knife Man

According to witnesses, a man — later identified as Auvil — who used to live in the Driftwood Motel pulled a knife on the motel landlord. Witnesses said when Auvil came closer, the landlord acted in self-defense and shot and killed him.
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Australian Gun Culture (part 11): Technological Response to Restrictive Legislation

When the Australian government passed its restrictive gun law scheme in 1996, it did not anticipate the technological innovations that would be promoted.

Some, like the straight pull FN/Browning Maral, above, are not much different from previous rifles. The British Lee-Enfield had 10 round detachable magazines a hundred and twenty years ago. The Canadian Ross and Swiss K31 rifles both used straight pull bolt actions with five shot magazines. The Maral has small improvements over all three previous rifles. From browning.eu:

With all its undeniable experience in making hunting rifles, BROWNING® has innovated yet again in the field of straight-pull action rifles with the new MARAL.

A real technical revolution, its « Quick Reloading System » offers shooters incomparable speed and unprecedented firing comfort.

BROWNING® combines this new technology with all the experience it possesses in barrel-making and its expertise in Safety with its 7-tenon bolt, which already equips over a million rifles throughout the world.

Efficiency can also be measured when you look at The breech, which is always contained inside the bolt-casing, this enables shooters to keep their target in their sights continuously when firing.

New in 2014 - Browning launches the Maral high capacity magazine (10-shots) - Available in caliber 30-06. Check out the video right here !

The WFA1 is another straight pull bolt gun with 10 shot magazines, but it is not available in New South Wales on a class B license. It is Class B compliant in Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and Northwest Territories.

It is likely being discriminated against purely on its looks. That is common in the world of guns.

Pump action shotguns require a special license in Australia. Lever action shotguns are regaining popularity. John Moses Browning designed the 1887 Winchester shotgun, which had a five shot capacity. It was improved in 1901, a hundred and 16 years ago. More recently, Winchester had some success with the 9410.

The Turkish made Adler lever action shotgun made a splash in Australia.   Link to video.  From gunworld.au:

Short Stroke Lever (5630 Hardened Steel), 4140 Hardened Steel Inner Mechanism, 4140 Hardened Steel Barrel with Air Cooling Vent Rib, Chrome Lined Barrel and Receiver, 7075 T6 Aluminum Receiver, 3-Screw In Chokes (IM, M, IC; Hardened 4140 Steel), Checkered Turkish Walnut Stock.

The Adler has had some success, but has been restricted to a five shot magazine. From abc.net.au:

The Commonwealth currently does not allow Adler A110 shotguns with a magazine capacity of more than five rounds into Australia.

The Federal Government has said states and territories must agree on a new classification before it removes the import restriction.

The nation's justice ministers could not reach a deal in October, with New South Wales wanting the gun more readily available than other states.

Adler lever action shotgun in Tamworth gunshop

An easy way to increase the capacity of a shotgun is to add another barrel. The shotgun is still a break open, simple design, that is available to a Class B license. A class B is the easiest to obtain in Australia. Three barreled combination guns, as drillings, are fairly common in Germany. But straight up 3 barrel shotguns are less so.  They are making a comeback in Australia.

The Chiappa tripple barrel has one trigger and no selector, so the barrels always fire in the same sequence, right barrel, left barrel, top barrel.  I would prefer two triggers and a selector for the top barrel.  Maybe the market will produce that option.

Australian authorities labeled the shotgun as a "punt gun" which banned it for hunting ducks, one of its most obvious uses.

For those Australians with sufficient resources, a custom made triple barrel 20 guage is available from Manton, for about $100,000 AU or more. As it is in 20 gauge, it might not be considered a "punt gun", and thus be suitable for shooting ducks.

Some of the overregulation of guns in Australia is being overcome with ingenuity and technological prowess. Guns never were much a problem in Australia, which has had a culturally low crime rate. The gun laws have accomplished little but make life inconvenient for sport shooters and hunters. Some think that was the real purpose.

New Zealand did not change its gun laws after the Port Arthur Massacre, and has had similar drops in murder rates to that of Australia. Like Australia, it has not had a mass murder with a firearm since Port Arthur. Australia has had mass murders with other tools, such as knives and arson.

I expect over time, Australia will moderate its extreme restrictions. It has some of the best hunting in the world. The rural residents have serious need of firearms for pest control.

The Internet revolution is well underway in Australia. The highly concentrated and politically unitary media in Australia will not continue its control over public opinion forever.

©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

Walmart Markets Jacket Designed for Concealed Carry

WalMart is carrying a jacket specifically designed for concealed carry. Clothing designed for concealed carry has been available commercially for decades. But most of the shops marketing it were specialty oriented. WalMart may have seen the latest CPRC report. It shows the presence of 16.2 million concealed carry permit holders in the United States. The 16.2 million does not include the populations of the 14 states that do not require a permit to carry concealed pistols. Second Amendment supporters are winning the culture war. From WalMart.com:

Rothco's Lightweight Concealed Carry Jacket has 2 inner pockets for concealed carry, one on each side, as well as 2 inner mag pockets on each side for ammo. The mirroring pockets on both the left and right, give the jacket a unique ambidextrous feature.

The jacket is a product of Rothco, and comes in Coyote Brown as well as black. The price at WalMart is $60-$78.

I have not examined the Rothco jacket. But its existence in the WalMart inventory is a powerful statement about the normalization of the exercise of Second Amendment rights.  There are 200 million registered voters in the United States. 16.2 million carry permit holders are 8 percent of all registered voters. Virtually all permit holders are eligible to vote. Nearly all of them are registered to vote. If we remove California's 19.4 million registered voters, (only 92,000 permits in the state) and New York's 12.5 million registered voters,   (only 88,000 permits in the state), there are 16 million permit holders for 168 million registered voters in the rest of the country.  Outside of the highly restrictive California and New York, permit holders are 9.5% of registered voters. 

I state this with confidence from my experience of teaching concealed carry courses for 15 years.  The people who go to the trouble to attend concealed carry courses are among the most responsible people in the community.  In fifteen years, I never had a check bounce. People showed up early. They offered to help set up. They are self selected as responsible individuals who anticipate problems and solve them before they happen.

President Trump appealed directly to them with his call for national reciprocity. Among permit holders, it seems absurd that their drivers license is universally recognized, but their concealed carry permit is not.

Permit holders are a force to be reckoned with in the economy, as well as at the voting booth, as evidenced by WalMart's marketing of a concealed carry jacket.

©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

SC: Young Woman pulled Gun to Protect People from Car Rampage

COLUMBIA, SC



A young woman with a concealed weapons permit and a gun was on the scene at the terrorism-like attack on mourners at Greenlawn Memorial Park and might have prevented further bloodshed.

The presence of a gun was confirmed by Jennifer Timmons, a spokeswoman for the Columbia Police Department.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article162994678.html#storylink=cpy

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IL: Party Guest Shoots Dog that bit Homeowner

YORKVILLE, IL — A party guest shot and killed a dog that attacked a homeowner Friday evening in Yorkville, police said. The dog, a tan and white husky, was running loose in the 600 block of Heustis Street at around 5:30 p.m. Friday when it wandered into a yard where a birthday party was happening, Yorkville Deputy Police Chief Larry Hilt said. According to police, the dog was growling and showing its teeth. When the homeowner attempted to grab the dog's collar, the dog bit him on the forearm, Hilt said.
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Followup MO: Police ID Man Shot in Self Defense by 70-Year-Old Taxi Driver

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - An investigation is underway after police say a taxi driver shot and killed a man in self-defense while driving on Interstate 70 early Sunday morning.

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D.C. Court of Appeals Strikes Down "may issue" Concealed Carry Law

A three judge panel on the D.C. Court of Appeals has struck down the District of Columbia "may issue" concealed carry law. The District of Columbia bans the open carry of firearms. With its law banning the concealed carry of firearms except in exceptionally rare cases, it has effectively banned the carry of weapons outside the home. The three judge panel of the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled the law to be an unconstitutional infringement on the right to bear arms. From foxnews.com:

D.C. requires gun owners to have a “good reason” to obtain a concealed carry permit.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit struck down the regulation as too restrictive in a 2-1 decision, The Washington Post reported.

“The good-reason law is necessarily a total ban on most D.C. residents’ right to carry a gun in the face of ordinary self-defense needs,” Judge Thomas B. Griffith wrote, according to the paper.

“Bans on the ability of most citizens to exercise an enumerated right would have to flunk any judicial test.”

 From the decision:

Our first question is whether the Amendment’s “core” extends to publicly carrying guns for self-defense. The District argues that it does not, citing Heller I’s observation that “the need for defense of self, family, and property is most acute” in the home. Id. at 628. But the fact that the need for self-defense is most pressing in the home doesn’t mean that self-defense at home is the only right at the Amendment’s core. After all, the Amendment’s “core lawful purpose” is self-defense, id. at 630, and the need for that might arise beyond as well as within the home. Moreover, the Amendment’s text protects the right to “bear”as well as “keep”arms. For both reasons, it’s more natural to view the Amendment’s core as including a law-abiding citizen’s right to carry common firearms for self-defense beyond the home (subject again to relevant “longstanding” regulations like bans on carrying “in sensitive places”). Id. at 626.

This reading finds support in parts of Heller I that speak louder than the Court’s aside about where the need for guns is “most acute.” That remark appears when Heller I turns to the particular ban on possession at issue there. By then the Court has spent over fifty pages giving independent and seemingly equal treatments to the right to “keep” and to “bear,” first defining those “phrases” and then teasing out their implications. See id. at 570-628. In that long preliminary analysis, the Court elaborates that to “bear” means to “‘wear, bear, or carry . . . upon the person or in the clothing or in a pocket, for the purpose . . . of being armed and ready for offensive or defensive action in a case of conflict with another person.’” Id. at 584 (quoting Muscarello v. United States, 524 U.S. 125, 143 (1998) (Ginsburg, J., dissenting)). That definition shows that the Amendment’s core must span, in the Court’s own words, the “right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation.” Id. at 592 (emphasis added).

From the examples of Peruta in the Ninth Circuit, the Maryland ban on "assault weapons" in the Fourth Circuit, and the 11th Circuit decision to uphold the chilling of Second Amendment rights by doctors as agents of the government,  I expect the District of Columbia will ask for an en banc ruling from the entire D.C. appeals court.

(Following paragraphs edited for clarity)

It seems that any upholding of Second Amendment rights is appealed en banc, which is to say, to the entire court. An en banc appeal may not be granted in D.C. It requires a majority vote of the D.C. non-senior judges. The D.C. Court refused en banc appeals by the D.C. attorney general for two previous Second Amendment cases in recent years.

If the court refuses to grant the en banc request, or if the case is heard en banc, and if the D.C. circuit upholds the three judge panel, the case will be appealed to the Supreme Court.

Senate Democrats, lead by Harry Reid, used the "nuclear option" to stack the D.C. Court of appeals with President Obama's appointees exactly for such situations as this.  The Republicans recently returned the favor by using the "nuclear option" to confirm Supreme Court justice Gorsuch.

The Supreme Court has been reluctant to hear Second Amendment cases. The decision of the three judge panel on the D.C. Court of Appeals has made Wrenn a case that upholds the Second Amendment. Most of the previous cases denied by the Supreme Court upheld infringements on the right to bear arms.

©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Link to Gun Watch

Maryland "Assault Weapon" Ban Appealed to U.S. Supreme Court

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ban on so called "Assault Weapons" (commonly owned semi-automatic rifles) and on standard capacity magazines that hold over 10 rounds of ammunition. The petitioners in that case, Stephen V. Kolbe v. Lawrence J. Hogan, JR., have decided to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Such an appeal is called a writ of Certiorari.  Most appeals are rejected by the Supreme Court.

In the Fourth Circuit decision, the appeals court claimed that semi-automatic rifles and magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds, fell outside the protection of the Second Amendment.  This is directly contrary to the decision in U.S. v. Heller, though the Fourth Circuit claimed the opposite based on a fragment of a sentence in the Heller decision.

From the petition:

Maryland has banned the most popular semi-automatic rifles and magazines – arms that are indisputably in common use for self-defense – from the homes of its law-abiding citizens. According to the Fourth Circuit, it was “compelled by Heller to recognize that those weapons and magazines are not constitutionally protected,” App.49, and, therefore, to hold that these common, popular firearms fall outside the Second Amendment and can be banned from the home because they are “ ‘like’ ‘M-16 rifles’ and ‘most useful in military service.’ ” App.61. The Fourth Circuit’s decision misinterprets and conflicts with Heller and its progeny, as well as with the decisions of other Courts of Appeals, on a central question addressed in Heller: What arms are protected by the core right of the Second Amendment – the right of law-abiding citizens to keep arms in common use for self-defense in the home.

Heller struck down a prohibition on the firearms most commonly chosen for self-defense – handguns – even though handguns are arguably more “dangerous” than other firearms, and even though firearms other than handguns remained available for use in self-defense. This Court recognized and protected the principle at the heart of the interests enshrined by the Second Amendment: The individual – and not the government – retains the right to choose from among common arms those that they believe will best protect their person, family, and home. Id. at 629 (“Whatever the reason, handguns are the most popular weapon chosen by Americans for self-defense in the home, and a complete prohibition of their use is invalid.”).

This is an area of law the Supreme Court should address. Handguns are used in crime, murder, and even mass killings far more often than semi-automatic rifles are.  If handguns are protected by the Second Amendment, it would be absurd to conclude that semi-automatic rifles and standard capacity magazines are not.

Moreover, the Second Amendment has a clear military component. If one purpose of the Second Amendment is to be able to form effective militias, then the right to keep and bear effective militia weapons is protected.  Semi-automatic rifles are the epitome of a militia weapon.

In a case reviewed by the Supreme Court, but not addressed by the Fourth Circuit, the Supreme Court unanimously held, in the Caetano PER CURIAM decision (pdf), that:

The Court has held that “the Second Amendment extends, prima facie, to all instruments that constitute bearable arms, even those that were not in existence at the time of the founding,” District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U. S. 570, 582 (2008), and that this “Second Amendment right is fully applicable to the States,” McDonald v.Chicago, 561 U. S. 742, 750 (2010).

Rifles, as a group, are arms that are least likely to be used in homicides. The Fourth Circuit cleverly avoided considering that fact by pre-emptively excluding those rifles from the protection of the Second Amendment. Because they excluded the rifles from Second Amendment protection, the Court avoided the requirement to apply strict scrutiny to the law.

The Supreme Court has been reluctant to hear Second Amendment cases. They recently refused to hear the Peruta case from the Ninth Circuit.

No one knows if the Court will grant the petition for a writ of certiorari in this case.

The reluctance to hear Second Amendment cases may change if President Trump appoints another Justice Gorsuch to the Court.

©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

OH: Gun Beats Hammer in Fight with Intruders

Police say two men broke into the home on Kenoak Lane just after 3 a.m.

That's when 24-year-old Gary Gross grabbed a hammer and confronted the two intruders that he says he's never seen before.After a brief struggle, Gross says he ran outside, grabbed a gun from his car, ran back inside and then shot both men who fled from the house and drove away.
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Followup OK: No Charges for Armed Homeowner who Shot Teen Attempting Break-in

The 62-year-old caller said he was at home when he heard noises outside and armed himself with a 12-gauge shotgun as someone continued to try to enter the home. The man told investigators he opened his front door and fired at the teen when the he rushed at him with an object ― later identified as a framing hammer― in a threatening manner.

The teen, dressed in dark clothing, ran a short distance before collapsing in the driveway, where he died, investigators say. He was found with a backpack containing a sledgehammer and items from the Community Church at LeJean and Westminster.
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NV: Abused Woman runs for Help, Neighbor Shoots, Kills, Pursueing Boyfriend

LAS VEGAS - The Clark County District Attorney will decide if a man will face charges in a late-night shooting death at an apartment complex near the Meadows Mall. Police said it appears the man was trying to protect a woman who was being beaten by her boyfriend.

Metro Police detectives said the shooter was not arrested and was cooperating with investigators.

Police were called to the apartment on Mission Laguna Lane around 10 p.m. Thursday night by a security guard who reported the shooting.
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Followup IN: No Charges for Dean Keller in Self Defense Shooting

JOHNSON COUNTY, Ind. -- A man who was shot multiple times after brandishing a gun during an argument with his neighbor has been charged for his role in the shootout.

Jeffrey Weigle, 59 was shot four times in the chest by his neighbor, Dean Keller, last month. Weigle was hospitalized in critical condition.

The Johnson County Prosecutor's Office said Keller acted in self-defense and wouldn't be charged.
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Australia Gun Culture (part 10): How to Shoot Kangaroos in Australia

Road Killed Eastern Grey Kangaroo near Quirindi in NSW, Australia

In Australia, there are few limitations on the hunting of non-native species. Rabbits, cats, feral dogs, feral horses, feral donkeys, feral pigs, feral goats, foxes, camels, wild cattle, and water buffalo can be taken with few regulatory limitations. Deer have some limitations on the calibers that may be used. Game can be shot with spotlights and from vehicles.

The shooting of Kangaroos, on the other hand, is highly regulated, and requires numerous different types of permits and licenses.  Kangaroos maintain high populations and are agricultural pests in large areas of Australia. In New South Wales, near Quirindi, road killed Eastern Grey Kangaroos are about as common as road killed deer in Wisconsin.

The shooting of kangaroos is regulated as to what position the animal must be in when shot (standing), where the animal may be shot (brain shots only), what calibers may be used (centerfire only, .204 Ruger and up), the range they may be shot at (less than 200 meters), and of course, who may shoot them (licensed commercial shooters and primary producers). Farmers are the most common primary producers. Commercial shooters need to apply for permits and numbered tags. Primary producers need to apply for a permit to shoot kangaroos that are damaging crops. Farmers are granted permission to shoot limited numbers of kangaroos. When the number is reached, they can apply for another permit.

Telescopic sights are required for rifles. Semi-automatic rifles may not be used. Some use of shotguns in special circumstances is allowed in South Australia. Rifles are required to be sighted on a non-animated target before each day's or night's hunting. Subsonic ammunition may not be used.

The regulations for shooting kangaroos commercially for meat and skins differ a little from shooting non-commercially for damage control and mitigation. There does not appear to be any allowance for shooting kangaroos by sport hunters.

In the United States, the regulations for most game vary considerably by state. In Australia, the regulations for kangaroo shooting varies a little bit by state, but is mostly controlled by  national codes of practice. The codes of practice were formulated by the Natural Resource Management Council.  All states follow the guidelines.

The United States has analogous regulation in the Federal requirements for hunting migratory birds.  Australians may think the U.S. steel shot limitations and multitudinous rules for hunting waterfowl to be as peculiar as the fine detail in the kangaroos shooting regulation seems to Americans. Australians likely think United States protection of feral horses and burros to be bizarre. Feral horses and burros are introduced species that do significant damage to the native ecology.

For most hunting other than for kangaroos, Australia is far less regulated than the United States.

©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Link to Gun Watch

AZ: Department of Transportation adds Armed Driver Guidelines

Image from https://aztroopers.org/

The Arizona Department of Transportation has added a section to its drivers manual suggesting the proper behavior for an armed driver, when stopped by police. The change was prompted by the tragic Philando Castile case.

From fox10phoenix.com, the manual change was requested by Democratic state Representative Reginald Bolding, from District 27. District 27 is a solidly Democrat stronghold in South Phoenix. Bolding was elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2016. 

From azdot.gov , page 57 of the Drivers License Manuel :

▪
Inform the officer of any weapons on
your person or in the vehicle.

In addition to the guidelines above, drivers
with firearms in the vehicle should keep
your hands on the steering wheel in a visible
location and when the officer approaches
let them know that you have a firearm in the
vehicle and where the firearm is located. If
requested, the officer may take possession
of the weapon, for safety reasons, until the
contact is complete.

Arizona law does not require that people carrying concealed weapons notify police, but it requires that people carrying a concealed deadly weapon answer truthfully if asked by police if they are carrying . If the officer does not ask, a person who is carrying a concealed weapon is not obligated to tell the officer they are armed.

From azleg.gov 13-3102:

A. A person commits misconduct involving weapons by knowingly:

1. Carrying a deadly weapon except a pocket knife concealed on his person or within his immediate control in or on a means of transportation:

(a) In the furtherance of a serious offense as defined in section 13-706, a violent crime as defined in section 13-901.03 or any other felony offense; or (b) When contacted by a law enforcement officer and failing to accurately answer the officer if the officer asks whether the person is carrying a concealed deadly weapon;

If the driver has a concealed carry permit, an alternative is to hand the officer the permit along with the driver's license. Then the officer will be responding to the positive information of "concealed carry permit holder", instead of "armed driver".

If you do not have a permit, use a positive phrase.  Many officers have been trained to react negatively to the word "gun".  Telling the officer that you are "legally armed" is better than saying "I have a gun".

The perception of concealed carry permit holders changed considerably in 1999 when  permit holder Rory Vertigan captured a cop killer with his legally carried Glock pistol. Police called Vertigan a hero and donated money for him to buy a new Glock while his was impounded as evidence. More recently, an armed citizen is credited with saving Arizona State Trooper, Edward Anderson.

There are numerous stories of people with concealed carry permits seeing a positive change in police attitudes when the police were informed the person stopped had a permit.

The acknowledgment in the DOT drivers manual that many drivers are legally armed is a sign of the normalization of armed citizens.

The tragic circumstances of the Philando Castile case will be cited for and against the advisability of notifying officers if you are armed. In some states, the notification is required by law. In others, it is conditional, depending on whether the officer asks or not. In other states, no notification is necessary.

Minnestota law is similar to that of Arizona. Castile was not required to notify the officer that he was armed until asked. The shooting of Castile might have been avoided if he had not volunteered that he was armed, or if he had kept his hands on the dash while waiting for the officers instructions.


©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

GA: Off Duty Detective, Shoots, Kills Hostile Trespasser

Hill stepped outside his home and confronted the man, later identified as Daniel Cash, according to authorities.

Police say Cash had erratic behavior and repeatedly confronted Hill in a hostile manner, despite being asked by Hill to leave his property.

Hill shot Cash after Cash advanced toward him, according to authorities.
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KY: Armed Victim Shoots Suspect; Suspect Arrested 6 Months Later

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- An alleged robber has been arrested months after police say he was shot in the chest by the man he was trying to rob.

According to an arrest warrant, it happened on Nov. 22, 2016. Police say a man called them to report that he'd just shot 19-year-old (now 20-year-old) Keith Dawson after Dawson tried to rob him.

Police say the victim told them Dawson walked up to him, pulled a handgun and demanded cash. At that point, the victim said, he gave Dawson $200, and Dawson pistol-whipped him.

The victim says he then pulled his own handgun and fired several shots at Dawson, hitting him in the chest.
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MS: Domestic Defense: Estranged Wife Shoots Husband

The two were going through a divorce.

Clinton had been under a protection order that had expired July 11, just four days prior to the shooting.

"I’m sad that it happened that way, but it sounds like she protected herself," said neighbor Hilda Tucker.

The sheriff’s office said it appears Hamm feared for her life that Sunday night.
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Australian Gun Culture (part 9): Quirindi Sporting Clay Target Club

On Sunday morning, July 23, 2017, Roy Eykamp, Jr. invited me to the Quirindi Sporting Clay Target club. The club is located 20 some kilometers out of town on a few acres of a former sheep farm, in New South Wales, Australia.

A small creek meanders through the property.  A combination of flat land for a club house and parking, with surrounding hills and mixed elevation gives an ideal location to configure challenging sporting clays competitions.

I fell in love with the atmosphere and the club from the start. The club house is a former shearing shed.  The exterior is sheet metal, the interior a finely crafted  wood pole framework constructed by hand with adze and saw, about a hundred years ago.

Members of the Club leadership gave me leave to take as many pictures as I wished. There was no hesitation. The club members were friendly, the atmosphere collegial. Everyone was there for a good time, and the feeling was contagious. I instantly felt at home. The gun culture transcends international boundaries.

Safety rules were followed scrupulously. I have seen the same at all gun clubs that I visited in America and in my travels.  Members of the gun culture are serious about following safety rules. Anyone who is not serious is not a member for very long.

This happens without legislation.  It is the same in Arizona as it is in New South Wales. It is caused by physics and human nature. Those in the gun culture know how guns work and what they can do. The requirements to prevent accidents transcend politics. People who join gun clubs are invariably some of the most responsible members of society.

Several dozen men and women participated in the planned event.  The course, as I recall, consisted of six stations, where four clay targets were presented to each participant at four stations, six at one, and three at a rabbit or ferret station to make a total of 25. The targets were highly varied and challenging.

It appeared to me an accomplished game shooter would be doing well to hit over half the targets.  Small groups of shooters went from one station to the next. I followed Roy Eykamp and his group around the course. 

Roy Eykamp, Jr. breaks clay at Quirindi Gun Club

Dozens of club members on a Sunday, attending a sporting clays event, would be a good turnout at any comparable town in America. Quirindi has a population of a bit over 3,500.  The total in attendance likely exceeded 50.

Some Quirindi Club members queuing up at the first station

Almost all the shotguns I saw were over/under 12 gauge. I saw one single barrel shotgun. The license requirements for pump and semi-auto shotguns are very restrictive in Australia. To be fair, in America, pump shot guns are almost never seen at sporting clays events. They are legal, easily available, and very popular in America, but the rules of the game favor double barrel guns. In America, semi-autos have a small following for sporting clays. The Quirindi club in Australia allowed for their use, but a special class of license was required. People who registered for the event were required to give their shooting license number.

I was asked what I thought of the shooting prowess of the participants. It was exactly what I expected at a local gun club in America.

To most shooters, the camaraderie and social interaction are every bit as important as the final score. Shooters at clubs have earned each other's trust.

The setting was gorgeous, the participants friendly and polite, the weather perfect, the course challenging. It is hard to imagine a better gun club event.

The gun culture is alive and well in rural Australia. The people there have a great deal in common with those in rural America.

©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

UT: Armed Father Returns Fire at Teens Shootng Vehicle

Just after 8 p.m. Thursday, a car with an unknown number of teens inside began shooting at another vehicle near 900 N. Redwood Road, said Salt Lake police detective Greg Wilking. The other vehicle was occupied by a couple and their teenage son. The attack appeared to be at random, Wilking said.

All of the windows of the victim's vehicle were blown out as the teens fired several shotgun blasts, Wilking said. The father being shot at is a concealed weapons permit holder and returned fire with his own gun, shooting the other vehicle multiple times, Wilking said.
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FL: Armed Pizza Hut Employee Shoots one of four Robbery Suspects

SARASOTA- Two armed masked men walk inside a Pizza Hut on 17th St. in Sarasota, hoping to rob the place but for one employee becoming a victim wasn’t an option.

Just before midnight, 22-year-old Alexsandr Gorislavets faced a life and death situation when 20–year–old Henry Morley and 21–year–old Shawnathan Young pointed a gun at him.

Gorislavets fired back with his legal to carry gun because he feared for his life.
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TN: Elderly Man Shoots Robbery Suspect

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Two men tried to rob an elderly man in Madison, but the victim fought back, pulled out a gun, and shot one of them.
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IA: Man Disarms Kidnapping and Robbery Suspect, Shoots Same

The complaint goes on to say Hopkins ordered Deyo to log in to his computer and transfer a domain name to a third party, that's when Deyo grabbed the gun and a struggle began between the two.

During the altercation the gun went off shooting Deyo in the foot, according to the complaint, that's when Deyo grabbed the gun and shot Hopkins twice before calling police.
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LA: Armed Elderly Homeowner Stops Home Invaders, Shoots, Kills one.

According to the Zachary Police Department, the shooting occurred in the 4000 block of McHugh Road when a group of people tried to break into an apartment. The suspect, Damon Hayes, Jr., 20, was shot and killed by a homeowner.
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White House Petition for National Concealed Carry Reciprocity H.R. 38

President Trump promised to protect the Second Amendment and to push for national reciprocity for concealed carry permits.

The Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) has created a petition urging President Donald Trump to push Congress to pass H.R. 38 and to send it to him for signature. H.R.38 creates national reciprocity for concealed carry.  The bill amends the federal criminal code to allow qualified people to carry concealed handguns in any state if they are qualified to do so in their state of residence.  Here is the summation from congress.gov:

This bill amends the federal criminal code to allow a qualified individual to carry a concealed handgun into or possess a concealed handgun in another state that allows individuals to carry concealed firearms.

A qualified individual must: (1) be eligible to possess, transport, or receive a firearm under federal law; (2) carry a valid photo identification document; and (3) carry a valid concealed carry permit issued by, or be eligible to carry a concealed firearm in, his or her state of residence.

Additionally, the bill specifies that a qualified individual who lawfully carries or possesses a concealed handgun in another state: (1) is not subject to the federal prohibition on possessing a firearm in a school zone, and (2) may carry or possess the concealed handgun in federally owned lands that are open to the public.

The passage of the bill would go far in keeping President Trump's campaign promises. It removes numerous existing infringements on the Second Amendment right to bear arms. Here is the wording of the petition. From whitehouse.gov:

Mr. President, you have said many times that you would sign a national concealed carry reciprocity bill. Please urge Congress to pass H.R. 38 as soon as possible!

H.R. 38 will allow America's 17 million concealed handgun permit holders to carry in every state in the Union as they go about their lives. As the recent shooting in Alexandria shows, crime and terrorism have no borders. Neither should self-defense!

No other group is as law-abiding as concealed handgun permit holders, regardless of which state they are from.

Currently over 20 states, such as Virginia, North Carolina, and Arizona, already honor permits from all other states, without issue. H.R. 38 will simply make such recognition uniform across the nation and will save many innocent American lives!

The petition was started on 18 July, 2017, and has over 8,000 signatures so far. It has until 17 August, 2017 to accumulate 100,000 signatures or more.

Here is the link to the petition. It requires submission of an email address and personal information to be counted.

Congress has already passed such legislation for current and retired police officers. The courts have already enforced that law, known as LEOSA, The Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act. LEOSA has been steadily expanded by amendment and by court interpretation. H.R. 38 would be following established legal precedent.

Update:

Some people insist that all our Second Amendment rights be restored immediately. They say any partial restoration of rights is no victory at all. The infringements on Second Amendment rights did not happen all at once. They accumulated over time, starting with restrictions on concealed carry in the 1830's.

Incrementally restoring Second Amendment rights has been working. Fourteen states now have close approximations of Constitutional Carry. All states have methods for people to legal concealed carry weapons.  The methods include shall issue permits in 41 states. Vermont does not have a permit process because they have always been a Constitutional Carry state. The eight states that egregiously violate the right to bear arms (by allowing permits to be denied at discretion) face the prospect of a Supreme Court decision or a national reciprocity law, either of which will remove many of their infringements on the right to bear arms.

Fighting with a petition, a friendly President, and a friendly Congress, is far easier than fighting an unfriendly President commanding a military force with all the resources of the Federal government aligned against you. I have signed the petition.

Here is a link to the petition.

©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

Truck Open Carry Case offers Chance to Validate Wisconsin Constitution

In Wisconsin, a truck driver, Guy A. Smith, is contesting an arrest for carrying a concealed weapon. The handgun was on the floor of his truck, and was visible to an outside camera. Smith made no attempt to hide the firearm when the truck was inspected by a Wisconsin State Trooper.

Open carry has always been legal in Wisconsin, but case law from 2003 found that carrying a loaded handgun concealed beneath a seat or in a glove compartment, was carrying concealed. The Supreme Court found the ruling to be correct, in spite of the passage of the strong protection for bearing arms in Wisconsin's Constitution.

In 1998, the people of Wisconsin voted for Constitutional Carry in a state referendum amending the state constitution. The amendment, which created Article I, Section 25, is very clear. It received 74% of the vote. From Article I Section 25:

 The people have the right to keep and bear arms for security, defense, hunting, recreation or any other lawful purpose.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has been changed since 2003. Ideological leftists that dominated the court have been voted out. Originalists and textualists have been voted in.  Another case on carry in a car, which is carry for security, and other lawful purposes, such as self defense, could have a different outcome.

In a recent case on carry on buses, the court ruled that local governments may not ban the carry of weapons on buses. Unfortunately, the defense did not bring up the constitutionality of the city regulation.  Several justices appeared to be asking for a reason to consider the constitutionality issue, but the defense refused to raise it.

As part of the shall issue law passed in Wisconsin in 2011, the legislature changed the law on carry in vehicles. Carry in vehicles has several exceptions.

From jsonline.com:

The issue is whether you can drive with a loaded handgun within reach, even without having a concealed carry permit.

Guy A. Smith, a 52-year-old commercial truck driver from Merrill, believes, as does a gun rights organization, that you can. That's why he said he made no effort to hide his revolver when inspectors entered his big rig at a weigh station in Pleasant Prairie in June.

Inspectors saw it on the floor of his cab via an overhead camera, then approached Smith and cited him for carrying a concealed weapon, a misdemeanor, and seized his gun.

Smith's case was set for a jury trial Monday, but the prosecutor seemed ambushed by the defense claim that a different Wisconsin law seems to specifically allow Smith's actions. The statute on transport of weapons says,

" ... no person may place, possess, or transport a firearm, bow, or crossbow in or on a vehicle, unless one of the following applies: 1. The firearm is unloaded or is a handgun."

At the time of passage, I thought the change was meant to apply to open carry. Several changes in the law clarified that open carry was legal, was not "disorderly conduct" and was a protected activity. It only made sense that open carry in a vehicle would be protected as well. Concealed carry was allowed for with a concealed carry permit.

Edit:  Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger may appeal if he believes the Judge ruled incorrectly or if he believes incorrect procedure was used. Binger has already stated that he chooses not to read the law the way it was written. He says that would nullify Wisconsin's concealed carry law, Act 35. The Judge corrected Binger, saying it would only nullify the statute in cars.

I expect the jury to find Smith not guilty. If found guilty, I expect the defense to appeal.

Wisconsin Carry is funding the case. If the Constitutionality defense is included, the Supreme Court will have a chance to clarify that the Article 1, Section 25 of the Wisconsin Constitution, ratified by 74% of the voters, actually means what it says.

©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

Australia Gun Culture (part 8): Brucellosis a Risk for Pig Hunters and Pig Dogs in NSW

Feral Pigs in Australia

Feral pigs in Australia are a serious pest. They destroy habitat and native species, and inflict large amounts of damage on crops. They are a favorite target of local hunters who shoot them as often as they can.

Few people in the area near Quirindi (200 miles NW of Sydney), eat the wild pigs that are shot. I was puzzled by this, as meat prices are high, and the wild pork that I have eaten in California and Texas was excellent. One of the reasons for a lack of consumption is the feral pig population is a reservoir of brucellosis suis, which can be transmitted to dogs and humans.

 Gunnedah, NSW, is about 50 miles from Quirindi.  The veterinarian, Tina Clifton, is urging care by the Gunnedah community following two confirmed cases of Brucellosis in dogs in the area.  Brucellosis suis is the variety of Brucellocis found in pigs.

Link to Video

The Brucellosis suis (pig brucellocis) is not a threat to the area cattle. There is a feed lot within two miles of where I am writing that produces 55,000 head of cattle a year, with a capacity of 20,000 at a time.

Wild pig shot less than 200 meters from local farm house

Pig hunters use many different methods in NSW. Nothing seems outlawed, but the use of semi-auto firearms requires a special license. My hosts used to hunt wild pigs from a helicopter with semi-auto rifles, shooting as many as 120 a day.

Helicopter hunting now requires a special license for both the pilot and the shooter. The farm helicopter was sold years ago. Shooting at night with spotlights is common, as is the use of dogs. Non-firearms license holders can legally shoot pigs if accompanied by a licensed gun owner.

The NSW government gives helpful advise on how to avoid exposure to brucellosis. From nsw.gov.au:

Feral pig hunting is the number one risk for catching brucellosis in NSW.

Farmers and others who shoot or trap feral pigs are also at high risk of infection.

Pig hunting dogs are also at high risk, and can potentially pass on the infection to other dogs and humans.

You can protect yourself, your family and dogs from brucellosis and other diseases that animals may carry by following these steps:

Farm dogs are at risk of brucellosis from wild pigs because they may find and feed on wild pig carcasses. In spite of the risks, cases of brucellosis appear to be rare. The finding of brucellosis in the two dogs mentioned above, was rare enough to make the news.

The feral pig problem in Australia is expected to become worse. From theland.com.au:

Mr Wishart said feral pigs were appearing in other states where they weren’t before.

“They’re increasing in range and density. We’re now hearing about them in the north of South Australia and in central Victoria were they weren’t previously.”

Australian feral pigs are probably the easiest big game to hunt in Australia. They are numerous, and people hunt them at all times of the year. If you can make contact with people organizing a pig hunt, there is a good chance for an invitation.

 ©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

AL: Man Kills 820 lb Hog with .38 Revolver

Wade was afraid the huge hog would injure or kill the family pet so he grabbed a .38 caliber revolver that he keeps for home defense and went out on the front porch.

"By the time I got in a position to shoot, the hog was about 12 yards away," Wade said. "Cruiser was out of my line to the hog so I fired."

It took three shots to take him down. The giant hog hit the ground near the carport. The next day, Wade took the wild hog to Brooks Peanut Company and weighed it on the drive-thru scales. The hog tipped the scales at 820 pounds and had six inch tushes.

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MO: Robbery Suspect Shot Dead by Victims

Kari Thompson with the Kansas City Police Department said the man who was killed was trying to rob a couple as they were unloading their car.

"These victims complied, however the suspect became more aggressive and attempted to get them to go into the residence," Thompson said. "At that time, one of the victims got their firearms, fired and fired upon the suspect."
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PA: Homeowner Shoots Teen Criminal During Attempted Break-in

Police detained a 17-year-old boy who was shot in the leg late Monday after allegedly trying to break into a home along Clearvue Avenue in Duquesne, according to Allegheny County police Superintendent Coleman McDonough.

McDonough said the teenager fled the area in a car after being shot but drove it over an embankment. Police found him at his Commonwealth Avenue home, McDonough said.
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Where We Disagree- the divergent opinions between gun owners and non-gun owners

Excellent essay by Rob Morse.  Good job, Rob.

Legal gun ownership is heavily regulated in the United States.  Protecting our rights is not necessary when we agree.  It becomes essential to protect a minority view, and gun owners are a minority here in the US.  Pew research conducted a series of interviews last month.  They released reports on the opinions of gun owners and non-gun owners.  Here are where gun owners and non-owners disagree based on recent polling data.

The urban/rural divide-

Gun-culture 2.0 is centered around self-defense rather than hunting.  That motivation has grown in recent years but there is still a large urban/rural divide in gun ownership and the attitude towards firearms.  Most rural households have a gun.  Urban households with a gun remain a minority. You’re almost twice as likely to live with a gun in your home if you live in the country as opposed to the city.  There are similarities.  A majority of gun owners in both settings have a loaded gun easily accessible.  

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VA: Armed Citizens Assist Police in Capturing Carjacking Suspect

“ I jumped out of my truck with my pistol and yelled at the man to get down. He was yelling, ‘ I need help!’ I knew who he was, and I probably used some words you can’t print,” Morgan said. “ I just kept yelling, ‘ Get down on the ground!’” Morgan said he fired a shot into the ground both to scare the fugitive as well as let Warfield and Dulaney know there was trouble.

“ Out in the field, I had no idea what was happening up the hill.”

Dulaney, 48, was on the phone with the 911 dispatcher, relaying exactlywhat was happening. Warfield had grabbed his rifle and was sprinting toward Morgan, who had the suspect on the ground.

“ The guy looked desperate,” Morgan said. “ He looked like he was going totake a chance and run.”

The three men said they were stunned to see the fugitive make the decision torun. “ By then, we had two guns on him, and we could see he had no weapon,” said Warfield, noting the suspect was only wearing shorts, which were falling down, “ and he had nothing in hishands.” Warfield said, “ We did not want to shoot anyone, but when he ran, I knew we needed to protect our neighbors.”
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WA: Teenage Girl uses Fathers Gun to Defend Self

Kimber's parents and boyfriend left for work and after seeing our story. Her boyfriend came across some deputies on his way to work and got more information from them. He then called Kimber to let her know what deputies told him. Kimber then called her dad and asked if she could grab one of his guns for protection. He said yes.

Kimber grabbed a gun, placed it under her pillow and went back to sleep. A short time later she says she woke up to the sound of someone coming into her house. She grabbed the gun and hid behind her makeup vanity. She soon found herself face to face with the man on the run from deputies.

Kimber pulled her gun out, pointed at the suspect and said, "Who are you?" and "Get the (expletive) out of my house!"

According to Kimber, the intruder's eyes got really wide and he ran out of the house. As he was running from the home, Kimber says she fired one shot into the ground.
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CA: Fresno City Councilman uses Gun to Drive off Criminal

No mention is made if Councilman Chavez took his firearm with him while pursuening the criminal. If he did, he might have violated California law.

On Sunday, a day after returning from Mexico, Chavez was watching television at about 8 a.m. when he spotted a man peering through his front window who matched the description of the Wednesday burglar. “As I went to grab my gun, he goes to the house at the back of the property,” Chavez said. “I raised up the back window, pointed my gun at him and asked him, ‘What the (expletive) are you doing on my property?’ ”

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article160613944.html#storylink=cpy

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AL: Church Member Shoots Armed Robber at Church, Killing Him

Although the church doors were open that morning, there were still worker there preparing for the upcoming week late into the night.

"They were getting ready to go on a youth trip and they were working late to get ready for the trip in the morning," said LT. Brian Smith.

Many may be wondering why this worker had a handgun on church grounds.

"In a church or not wherever you are you have the chance to defend yourself in your home you have certain additional rights," said LT. Brian Smith.

The second victim of the robbery fired a single shot into the upper torso of the suspect, who was 26-year-old Steffon Tolver.
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TX: Victim Fires Back at Armed Robbery Suspect

Two men were sitting on a front porch when an armed man walked up and attempted to rob them, the statement said.

Police were not sure if the suspect was hit in the exchange of gunfire.

The victim was not seriously hurt, the statement said.
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Australia Gun Culture (part 7): The Feral Predator Problem

Australia has a feral predator problem. Feral dogs and dingo/feral mixtures kill large numbers of lambs and calves. They predate on native species. But as bad as feral dogs and dingo/feral mixes are, the top predator in most places is the feral cat. Exotic foxes, that were imported from England are considered pests.

Restrictions on gun ownership and hunting have made the feral predator problem worse.  The government could encourage people to carry rifles and shoot feral predators. Instead, the government puts out 1080 ejector capsules. When an animal pulls at the bait, the spring loaded ejector propels the poison capsule into the animals mouth. Death comes quickly.

 Professional hunters also cull wild dogs. To hunt feral dogs, feral cats, or foxes on public land requires a restricted hunting license in New South Wales. It takes a bit more effort than a general license, but is available to those who take a test and belong to an approved hunting organization.

Tom Varney was a legendary wild dog hunter in Australia.

Link to video

Feral cats are extremely destructive to Australian wildlife. The ejector capsules do not work with them. Shooters are encouraged to reduce the feral cat population whenever possible. From smh.com.au:

Threatened Species Commissioner Gregory Andrews said the cull, which goes until 2020, did not target domestic cats, nor was driven by bloodlust.

"They are the single biggest threat to our native animals, and have already directly driven into extinction 20 out of 30 mammals lost," he said.

"We are not culling cats for the sake of it, we are not doing so because we hate cats.

"We have got to make choices to save animals that we love, and who define us as a nation like the bilby, the warru (Black-footed rock-wallaby) and the night parrot."

Members of the Eykamp family told me that local hunters had some success in baiting and shooting feral cats.

Feral cats are said to kill up to a thousand native animals apiece each year.  One feral cat was confirmed to have killed 102 bats in one week.  Shooters who are helping to control feral cats in Australia say that the .22 rimfire can work, but more powerful calibers work better. From sportingshooter.com.au:

Feral cats can be tough to eradicate so with a .22 rimfire close in shots are best and shots to the head or neck with high velocity .22 ammo are recommended. I have witnessed the Editor put a .22 LR High Velocity HP into the chest of a feral cat marauding around a warren from 30 metres and it ran away to be unrecoverable.

Depending on the size of property for the reason of safety, the .223 and other similar centrefire calibers will do a good humane job on feral cats. Also the fox whistle and predator type callers can help in attracting the feral cat and also glassing around rabbit warrens can be productive in finding them in the first place.

Natural selection seems to be favoring larger feral cats. From dailytelegraph.com.au:

“There’s no question there is a selection for bigger cats,” he said.

“The bigger a cat is, the more likely it is to survive in the wild and catch prey which means it is more likely to be successful at breeding.”

He said other factors such as the animals feral cats eat and their movements probably didn’t have as much of an impact.

“I think it’s got to be genetic,” he said.

A large feral cat in Gippsland was projected to be 170 cm long, or five and a half feet, long, including 60 cm or two feet, of tail. The record length for a domestic cat was claimed to be 121.9 cm.  The head of the Gippsland specimen was destroyed in the accident that killed the animal.

Foxes can be a problem for farmers, and are often shot in populated areas. They kill many native animals.

Exotic (non-native) foxes shot by a farmer in NSW, Australia.

Feral predators are a large problem in Australia. In America, before 1960, there were bounties placed on animals that caused problems.  Encouragement of widespread gun ownership and the hunting of pests can be part of the solution to feral and exotic pests in Australia.


©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

MI: Repo Man Shoots Pit Bull

DETROIT (WJBK) - A repo man said when he pulled up to repossess a vehicle in Detroit, he had no choice to but to shoot a family's dog that he says was ready to attack. But the owner of the dog says that's not true - from the back of a police car.
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MI: Armed Witness Shoots Aggressive Window Breaker

The person was arguing with the driver and at some point allegedly pulled out an object and broke a window in the truck.

The driver of the truck drove off, and the suspect gave chase, still with the object in his hand.

At that point, police say a 23-year-old man who was in the area pulled a gun on the suspect and issued a warning: “don’t come any closer.”
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CA: Rancho Cucamonga Homeowner Shoots Knifeman

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (KABC) -- A Rancho Cucamonga homeowner shot and wounded a thief who advanced at him with a knife, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said.

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UT: Man Shoots Acquaintance who kept advancing

RIVERTON — A Riverton homeowner tried several times to get an intruder to stay away before resorting to shooting him, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in 3rd District Court.
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SC: Victim Disarms Armed Robber, Shoots Same

Police say Bradley got into a fight with a 60-year-old man shortly after 2:00 a.m. Tuesday morning in the 5800 block of Koon Road in North Columbia. During the struggle, police say Bradley pointed a gun at the victim and then punched him in the head while demanding money. The two then struggled over the gun and the victim shot Bradley in the leg twice, according to police.

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TN: Robber Shoots, Murders Man, Armed Witness Shoots Robber

It happened about 10:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of McLemore. Officers arrived to find two people shot. They say an 18-year-old suspect robbed and shot a 24-year-old man. Police say a witness then shot the 18-year-old suspect. The person who shot the suspect is not in custody.

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MI: Gunfight, Homeowner Killed, one Invader Wounded

FLINT, MI - A pair of teenagers have been identified by Flint police as suspects in a home invasion early Tuesday morning on the city's east side that left a 63-year-old man dead.

Officers responded around 5 a.m. on Tuesday, July 11, to the 100 block of South Cumberland Street - off of Longway Boulevard - after a call to 911 in reference to a shooting in the area.

The incident started as a home invasion, but it soon turned into shots fired between the male homeowner and two teenage males, ages 17 and 18, police said. The homeowner was confirmed dead at the scene.
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Followup CO: Domestic Involvement, Shooting of Acquaintance Justified

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - A Colorado Springs man was justified in shooting and killing an acquaintance who had barged into his home and was charging at him as young children were just several feet away, the DA's office announced Tuesday.
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IN: Homeowner Shoots Robbery Suspect

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Police say a homeowner on the far east side of Indianapolis shot an attempted robbery suspect late Thursday night.

The shooting occurred in the 3200 block of Milford Road just before 11 p.m. IMPD officers tell us a man was returning home when another man attacked him.

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Book Review: "Oh What Have I Done" 266 pages, Amazon

Roy Ekamp, 99 with Dean Weingarten (mustache and hat)

Oh What Have I Done, by Roy Eykamp, Amazon, paperback 266 pages $25, Kindle $9.99, Kindle text to speech enabled.

Roy Eykamp is 99 years old.  He made his first gun when he was seven years old. It was a crude pistol made from a barrel he salvaged from the trash, fired with a hand held hammer, and later, strong rubber bands cut from inner-tubes and a breechblock.

He used it to start his lifelong talent for making money. He shot gophers with it, using .22 shorts. The government paid a 5 cent bounty for each gopher. He made enough money shooting gophers, that when his mother confiscated his homemade gun, he was able to buy a factory one with the proceeds, a Winchester single shot. It was likely a model 67, and cost $5.  With the Winchester, he was able to shoot jack rabbits, which had a bounty of 9 cents.

A picture of Roy when he was about 16 shows him with upgraded armament. He is holding what appears to be a Springfield 86, a good bolt action .22 with tubular magazine.  I carried the sister rifle, model 84-C, with the detachable 5 shot magazine, for most of my youth.

Oh What Have I Done is the remarkable story of a life of invention, adventure, and achievement.  Roy Eykamp lived through the transformation of farming from horsepower to the giant agricultural machines of today. He was born in 1918, and is clear headed today.  His story is one that could be inspirational reading for every high school student. He shows how an innovative thinker and hard worker raised himself and his family by his bootstraps. In the process, he improved agriculture world wide. One of his patents became accepted practice, and is widely used today.

His early years show that firearms were integral and accepted tools in America a hundred years ago.  Roy became an exceptional shot who always thought outside the box. From shooting pheasants on the fly with a single-shot .22, to hunting Canadian wolves from an airplane, his shooting skills were highly honed and superior to most.

I do not recommend attempting to duplicate his feats today. Using .22 shorts like artillery shells to take out geese feeding on corn, out of sight and half a mile away, over a hill, is not something to encourage in today's crowded society. You have to read the story to see if you find it credible. I did.

The book is about more than shooting and guns. As you follow Roy's adventures, you learn how a keen eye for detail and a talent for invention lead Roy to successful production.  Then an inner voice took him to Australia, in 1963.

Thomas Jefferson wrote:

The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful plant to its culture.

Roy Eykamp accomplished that feat. He added Kikuyu grass to the useful plants available to Australian and world agriculture. Kikuyu originated in South Africa. Several people had tried to find a way to produce Kikuyu seed in an economical way.  All had failed. Roy, ignoring the experts, using his own observations and experiments, succeeded. He was able to find ways to grow Kikuyu and produce marketable seed. The Eykamps market Kikuyu seed all over the world. Kikuyu produces remarkable turf, and superior pasture land.

Roy and his family are primary producers who have significantly increased the productivity of world agriculture.  Their success has improved the lives of innumerable people.

His story is worth the reading.  I am privileged to have met him.

Oh What Have I Done is available on Kindle and in paperpack at Amazon.com.

©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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