Letters

Setting the Record (Straight)

I understand that much of the information and requests for mention in your publication come from usually credible sources. My concern of a recent press release from Howard Communications may interest you regarding the integrity of your magazine. I just finished reading Michael McIntosh's Shooting column ["Shooting Stars"] in January/February, and I would like to set the record straight for our mutual benefit.

Mentioned in this column was that Patrick Flanigan had broken my record of shooting 10 hand-thrown clays with individual shots. If this were true, I would be the first to congratulate him. Because I am the record-holder, I think it would be fair to say that challengers should provide visible proof of said claim.

My relations with Benelli for the past 14 years have been supported by indisputable, full-sequence, one-camera-angle, unedited (of the actual scene of the act) video that can be viewed in super-slow motion or stop motion regarding all three of my records (nine clays with a semi-auto, eight clays with a pump, and 10 clays with a semi-auto). The criteria that I mandated for my records should hold true to any challenger-the most critical being that each target must be struck (and broken) with a separate shot.

Mr. Flanigan's sponsors have been asked repeatedly to provide such proof, yet nothing has been offered. Mr. Flanigan himself has promised to reveal such proof dating back to the 2005 Grand American, and he continues to promise forthcoming video on his Website. His said success was posted on July 6, 2005. I find it strange that visible proof has yet to be released.

Regarding another inaccuracy in the aforementioned column, stating that Mr. Flanigan is "the first exhibition shooter to be sponsored by Winchester since the legendary Herb Parsons" makes it difficult for me to believe that the two Winchesters would allow this press release out of the barn. I happen to have my sponsor contracts from US Repeating Arms (Winchester Guns) from 1990 to '92 and from Winchester-Olin (Winchester Ammunition)-who regarded me as their "exhibition shooter"-from 1991 to 2002.

I have achieved and proven all that has been boasted about me. I think that, to be fair, any challenger should be made to do the same.

Tom Knapp
Elk River, Minnesota


Michael McIntosh responds:

Patrick Flanigan's accomplishment was witnessed and certified by a representative of the National Rifle Association. It now has been documented on videotape.


Eagles in the Room

I tend to agree with Mr. Fredi [Letters, Jan/Feb] that predation has been a large contributor to the decline of the sage grouse. And the red fox is certainly a major grouse predator. But out here in Wyoming there's another elephant in the room that the government and the environmentalists seem to overlook even more: the golden eagle.

Twenty-five years ago, during the spring in the high desert, I witnessed a scene that could have been taken from the pages of Jurassic Park. A raptor in pursuit of prey, hunting on the ground, sprinting through the sage until it hooked a young sage grouse, mantling for a minute or two, and then resuming the chase. After a half-hour the bird lifted into the air and sailed off, skimming the brush, still on the hunt. I went over to the spot and found five young grouse carcasses. I could have missed more.

Young grouse just don't have much chance of escaping a killing machine like a golden, with its superior intelligence, sight, hearing, agility, stealth and, most important, flying abilities. An entire clutch generally is taken out at once.

The red fox has made significant inroads here, but in the high desert I still have to hand the grouse-killing crown to the golden. (Around here we call the latter "flying coyotes.")

Golden eagles never will be controlled or even recognized as predators of anything but mice. So they will continue to proliferate, eating grouse, sheep, deer and antelope. And God help anyone who suggests we do otherwise. Unless goldens happen to acquire a taste for wolves, possibly then and only then will the elephant in the room be noticed.

Bob Hafey
Cora, Wyoming


On Snipe & Shooting Well

I enjoyed Vic Venters' article on snipe ["Three Snipe & a New Year," Jan/Feb], and his advice about snipe flushing into the wind held true later that day as I found myself bagging a few brace of my own. Having known Vic for some time, it was telling of his personality that he shared his embarrassing moment shooting in Ireland. I can assure those who are wondering that Vic is an excellent shot who suffers each miss. When he visited me a few years ago, I mentioned snipe and he practically jumped out of his seat to go. We slogged out through some good country but, having found disappointingly few birds along the way, I thought I'd better get him some shooting. So I stationed him at a hot "funnel" between two islands and circled wide. Soon the borrowed gun he was testing began to bark-about eight or so times. Upon my return, he said that he had five down. My wirehair, Quill, picked up the birds and then pointed a bit farther away at a sixth that Vic had thought he'd only touched. Vic later scored on two atmospheric shots that would have made any sport smile and had his limit.

Well, those snipe were not plucked with the entrails left, but later that day they still tasted good wrapped in bacon on the grill (pardon, Vic). Anyway, I tell this story for two reasons. First, to set the record straight: Vic writes about guns well and shoots well, too. Second, to put more pressure on Vic, as we all know that gun writers had better shoot well. Right, Vic?

Bill Palmer
Via e-mail


Lauding Los Gauchos

Wow! What a great issue [November/December]. I travel for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, and of course there are a lot of bankers in the hunting "side" of my business. This issue was spectacular for all Texas, New Mexico and Louisiana hunting fans. "Gunning with Los Gauchos" [by Clair Kofoed] had awesome pictures, and the owner/outfitter, George Criddle, is a local Texan, so it made the magazine a much-wanted item. The dog on the cover is also part of the Los Gauchos staff and family. I have people wanting to know about the first-class hunting and how to get a dog like the beauty on the cover. Bankers all over my district and beyond are out right now trying to experience the wingshooting that was described so eloquently in the article. There will be many off to Argentina next summer . . . .

Susan Vice
Via e-mail


Spencer v. Henry

I really enjoyed your article on pumpguns ["The Pump," by John Taylor] in September/October, although I'd like to clarify one point. In giving a brief history of Christopher Spencer, the author refers to Spencer's repeating carbine as a "gun you could load on Sunday and shoot all week." This rather famous quote from the Civil War era was not referring to the Spencer carbine but rather the Henry Rifle. The origins of this quote go back to the memoirs of Samuel H. Merrill, Regimental Chaplain with the First Maine and 1st District cavalry units. He was quoting a southern guerrilla chief named Mosby who, after encountering some of Merrill's men, said that "he did not care for the common gun or Spencer's seven shooter but, as for these guns [the Henry rifles] that they could wind up on Sunday and shoot all week, it was useless to fight against them."

Tim Mahn
Ontario, Canada

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