I spoke with Ken Thompson the other day, owner of Cactuflage camo. He indicated that in spite of a struggling economy, he continues to ship Cactuflage, and is working on some new developments. I own some Cactuflage and can tell you that their products are tough, and well made. Ken is very approachable and always willing to answer questions about his products. Try reaching the owner of Mossy Oak to see if he’ll chit-chat with you. Best of all, Ken’s camo is made in the USA. You don’t hear that very often, either.

Here is a photo of Cactuflage Pro-Staffer Jon Yokley with an awesome Coues

An Arizona company, a great guy, a pattern made for the desert, quality duds, and Made in the USA - how can you do better than that?

Visit the Cactuflage Online Store to purchase!

Easton Foundation and NFAA Foundation Award $20,000 Archery Scholarships

Yankton, SD—Easton Sports Development Foundation and the National Field Archery Association Foundation are pleased to announce the Archery Scholarship Recipients for 2009. Total scholarships of $20,000 were awarded to 20 student athletes in middle school, high school, and college that compete with either compound or recurve bows. Individual scholarship awards varied from $500 to $5,000, with the top award going to Erika Anschutz of Hamilton, Ohio.

“Erika started competing when she was seven years old and she has excelled at all levels of archery from her first JOAD experience to her current status as a top member of the USA Archery World Team. We are very pleased to award Erika our top scholarship award for 2009. She is an outstanding example of an athlete committed to excellence in archery while also earning her degree at the University of Nebraska,” stated Bruce Cull, President NFAA.

Erika Anschutz stated, “I learned very early in archery that a disciplined effort, sharp mental focus, and hard work were critical for me to succeed from my first JOAD tournaments to the most recent National and International archery competitions. Archery has helped me to develop the skills needed to not only compete successfully, but to also succeed in my personal and scholastic efforts. I want to thank the Easton and NFAA Foundations for recognizing me with their top scholarship award in 2009.”

The NFAA Scholarship program started in 1990 to support student athletes that compete in archery and excel in academic and intellectual achievement. Funding limitations in the past limited the value and number of scholarships that could be awarded each year. “The Easton Foundation shares the NFAA Foundation goal to support student athletes that compete in archery. Additional collegiate scholarships will help USA Archery grow their college archery program and strengthen future Olympic and World Championship Teams. By combining our respective Foundation efforts, we can award more student scholarships in the future, and individual scholarship levels will be increased to more significant amounts. In 2009, $20,000 was awarded to twenty of the 58 applicants. We expect a major increase in the number of applications in future years, and plan to increase the level of total annual scholarship awards to $50,000 in 2010,” said Erik Watts, Director Easton Foundation.

The 2009-11 scholarships are funded by a $150,000 grant from the Easton Foundation to the Easton-NFAA Foundation Scholarship Program. Future revenue from the Easton Foundation Archery Center of Excellence in Yankton, plus the scholarship donations from both individuals and companies will be placed in an endowment account to fund the scholarships in 2012 and beyond.

Dave Gordon, of Gordon Composites, has made a substantial contribution to the scholarship endowment fund. Dave stated, “Archery has been a big part of both my personal and business success. My contribution to the Easton-NFAA Foundation Scholarship program allows me to give back to the sport I love, and to award our very best archers and student athletes for their success in both archery and scholastic efforts. I encourage everyone that shares my passion for archery and desire to support our young archers to make their own donation to the scholarship program.” Individuals or companies interested in donating to the scholarship endowment fund or learning more about the program are encouraged to contact Bruce Cull, NFAA President. The NFAA Foundation is a 501(c )3 Public Charity and all donations meet the IRS requirements as charitable donations.

Scholarship applications, program requirements, and additional information is available on the NFAA website at www.nfaa-archery.org, or from the NFAA Headquarters, 800 Archery Lane, Yankton, SD 57078. All applications for 2010 scholarships must be submitted to the NFAA Office by December 31, 2009. For additional information contact Marihelen Rogers, Executive Director, at 605-260-9279 Ext. 102 or at NFAAArchery@aol.com

Greg Easton, Easton Foundation Director, presenting a $5,000 check to Erika Anschutz,

winner of the top 2009 ESDF-NFAA Scholarship Award for excellence in archery and academic achievement.

You read right - you have a chance to hunt your favorite big game species for 365 Days! The Arizona Big Game Super Raffle is an awesome program:

There are very few limitations on hunting areas and the prices for each ticket have been set to give every hunter in the world an opportunity to win a true hunt of a lifetime. Prices range from $5-25 each. (See the Buy Tickets page).

Arizona offers some of the best trophy opportunities in North America for each of these species. A quick review of the both the B&C and P&Y record book will confirm this. If you are after a truly huge mule deer, elk, antelope, Coues deer, desert bighorn sheep, or buffalo, then Arizona is where you need to be. The only huntable population of Gould’s turkeys in the United States exists in Southern Arizona and can be hunted with this tag.

Optics Raffle

In addition to these tags is an optics raffle for a package of products donated by Swarovski . This package will include the 15×56 SLC binoculars, 10×42 El binoculars, STS-80 spotting scope, Swarovski Rangefinder and 4x12x50 rifle scope.
What is the Raffle For?

These Special Tags are designed to earn money for wildlife and wildlife management in Arizona. Every dollar raised for each species by the raffle of these special big game tags is returned to the Arizona Game and Fish Department and managed by the Arizona Habitat Partnership Committee (AHPC) for that particular species. With input from 12 local habitat partners across the state, as well as the input from the organizations involved with the fund raising, they collectively determine which projects will provide the most benefit to each species represented.

Operating costs are covered entirely by sales of the Optics Raffle tickets as well as contributions from the sponsoring organizations. The management of the raffle is overseen by a volunteer board of directors.

About the Drawing Process

All mail-in ticket order forms are data entered by an independent professional accounting service. This data, along with online ticket order data are then used to produce computer generated tickets with your name, address, city, state, zip, and phone number and the species/item that you have purchased a ticket(s) for. If you purchase more than one ticket they are all computer generated prior to the drawing. These tickets are then placed into separate raffle barrels and the winning tickets are pulled during a public drawing. One ticket per species and one optics winner will be drawn, for a total of eleven (11) winners. After each winning ticket is drawn, the remaining tickets for that species are placed in containers, still separated by species, and made available for inspection for one year.

You can read more about the raffle HERE. Deadline is July 12th!

While perusing the message boards at ArcheryTalk the other day, I was excited to see a familiar name popping up in several threads - Strother. Anyone who is an avid archer is probably familiar with this duo. Kate was the original “Martin” girl, and Kevin was a designer with Bowtech. Kevin left Bowtech and together they formed Elite Archery. Legal battles threw them off of their path. Elite is still in business, under different owners. It appears that Kate and Kevin are taking another crack at it, and I wish them well. Meanwhile, I’m trying to reach them in order to get some more info. Stay tuned!

Sorry my musings have been light this week. Was a busy week at work, 2 days out of the office at a conference, and a good friend from High School swung by for a visit (thanks Billi-Jo!) Am working at getting by blog back up to speed this weekend - for a full week next week!

Now this is rich…. It’s OK that federal Cabinet nominees don’t pay tens of thousands of dollars in taxes - but heaven forbid a blogger get a free ice cream sandwich. Gimme a break. Product reviews have been around for years; heck - centuries. ~Desert Rat

Read the full article here: FTC plans to monitor blogs for claims, payments .

A snippet:

Savvy consumers often go online for independent consumer reviews of products and services, scouring through comments from everyday Joes and Janes to help them find a gem or shun a lemon.

What some fail to realize, though, is that such reviews can be tainted: Many bloggers have accepted perks such as free laptops, trips to Europe, $500 gift cards or even thousands of dollars for a 200-word post. Bloggers vary in how they disclose such freebies, if they do so at all.

The practice has grown to the degree that the Federal Trade Commission is paying attention. New guidelines, expected to be approved late this summer with possible modifications, would clarify that the agency can go after bloggers — as well as the companies that compensate them — for any false claims or failure to disclose conflicts of interest.

It would be the first time the FTC tries to patrol systematically what bloggers say and do online. The common practice of posting a graphical ad or a link to an online retailer — and getting commissions for any sales from it — would be enough to trigger oversight.

“If you walk into a department store, you know the (sales) clerk is a clerk,” said Rich Cleland, assistant director in the FTC’s division of advertising practices. “Online, if you think that somebody is providing you with independent advice and … they have an economic motive for what they’re saying, that’s information a consumer should know.”

The guidelines also would bring uniformity to a community that has shunned that.

As blogging rises in importance and sophistication, it has taken on characteristics of community journalism — but without consensus on the types of ethical practices typically found in traditional media.

Journalists who work for newspapers and broadcasters are held accountable by their employers, and they generally cannot receive payments from marketers and must return free products after they finish reviewing them.

The blogosphere is quite different.

“Rules are set by the individuals who create the blog,” said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project. “Some people will accept payments and free gifts, and some people won’t. There’s no established norm yet.”

Bloggers complain that with FTC oversight, they’d be too worried about innocent posts getting them in trouble, and they say they might simply quit or post less frequently.

Between ads on her five blogs and payments from advertisers who want her to review products, Rebecca Empey makes as much as $800 a month, paying the grocery bill for a family of six. She also has received a bird feeder, toys, books and other free goods.

Now the 41-year-old mother of four in New Hartford, N.Y., worries that even a casual mention of an all-natural cold remedy she bought herself would trigger an FTC probe.

“This helped us. This made us feel great. Will I be sued because I didn’t hire a scientist to do research?” Empey said.

Empey, whose blogs include New York Traveler and Freaky Frugalite, said she discloses compensation arrangements on a page on her blogs or through a “support my sponsor” logo. She said most of her readers understand that she sometimes gets compensated.

By contrast, a mommy blogger on Double Bugs praised Skinny Cow low-fat ice cream sandwiches and thanked a Web site called Mom Central for the chance to try them. But there’s no clue that Nestle SA’s Skinny Cow division was giving bloggers coupons for free products.

Now this is some freaky stuff. I wonder if they happen to look for illegal aliens, while they’re at it..? No, probably not. ~Desert Rat

From NRA-ILA:

In Border States, BATFE Asks: “May We See Your Guns?”

Friday, June 19, 2009

NRA-ILA has recently received several calls from NRA members in border states who have been visited or called by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In some cases, agents have asked to enter these people’s homes, and requested serial numbers of all firearms the members possess.

In each case, the agents were making inquiries based on the number of firearms these NRA members had recently bought, and in some cases the agents said they were asking because the members had bought types of guns that are frequently recovered in Mexico.

This kind of questioning may or may not be part of a legitimate criminal investigation. For example, when BATFE traces a gun seized after use in a crime, manufacturers’ and dealers’ records will normally lead to the first retail buyer of that gun, and investigators will have to interview the buyer to find out how the gun ended up in criminal hands. But in other cases, the questioning may simply be based on information in dealers’ records, with agents trying to “profile” potentially suspicious purchases.

On the other hand, some of the agents have used heavy-handed tactics. One reportedly demanded that a gun owner return home early from a business trip, while another threatened to “report” an NRA member as “refusing to cooperate.” That kind of behavior is outrageous and unprofessional.

Whether agents act appropriately or not, concerned gun owners should remember that all constitutional protections apply. Answering questions in this type of investigation is generally an individual choice. Most importantly, there are only a few relatively rare exceptions to the general Fourth Amendment requirement that law enforcement officials need a warrant to enter a home without the residents’ consent. There is nothing wrong with politely, but firmly, asserting your rights.

If BATFE contacts you and you have any question about how to respond, you may want to consult a local attorney. NRA members may also call NRA-ILA’s Office of Legislative Counsel at (703) 267-1161 for further information. Whether contacting a local attorney or NRA, be sure to provide as many details as possible, including the date, time, and location, agent’s name, and specific questions asked.

Copyright National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action. This may be reproduced. It may not be reproduced for commercial purposes. 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030 800-392-8683 Contact Us | Privacy & Security Policy

Every year, when Father’s Day rolls around, the mushy poems, odes, and tributes spring up all over. Heart-wrenching stories will fill our e-mail inboxes. The department stores will tell us that if we really love our Dads, we will buy that tie, those golf clubs, or even that snazzy jet-ski. Don’t get me wrong – I like a tribute to Dad as much as the next person. It’s just that – well, why don’t people make that much fuss about their Dad’s the rest of the year? Especially if on any other day, it wouldn’t be expected, and stands a much better chance of being a pleasant surprise. My Dad is about 3500 miles away. I haven’t seen him in about 3 years. My Grandfather is about 3500 ½ miles away – I haven’t seen him in 8 years. Visiting is a major logistical exercise, but I think of em both a lot. I miss them a lot, too – and I’m not just saying that because I know they read my articles. We just aren’t a particularly affectionate family – I think they know I love them. I feel like they love me too. We just don’t have a need to prattle on about it, or to set aside a special day, once per year, to reassure each other. It’s just the way we are. They know, I know. We all miss each other, and always hope that the cards will allow for another fishing trip or two. Nuff said. The menfolk in my family aren’t big on Oprah, I guess. We’re not in touch with our sensitive sides.

If anything, I think we should have “Being a Father” Day. In my mind, it is inferred that the current holiday is all about “having a Father”. You don’t have to “do” anything to have a Father – so why should we have a special day to remind us, that we have one?? On the other hand, being a Father – now there’s something to be commemorated! Now, some Dads make it look easy, but for most of us, I think it is an undertaking with an awesome amount of responsibility. It appears to me, however that some Dads don’t treat it like it is. And that is a crying shame. I’m not trying to judge, but when I weigh my observations against my own feelings, there is a real big gap sometimes. Children drowning in pools – what’s up with that? Or dying in parked cars. Or kids looking like .. well, not looking like young ladies, when they are at the mall. Or not being polite. Or not being respectful and kind. Maybe a day every year to remind Dads just how important they are in the lives of their children would be more productive than a day to phone our own Fathers, that know we love them anyway…

Just over 7 years ago, my life changed forever. Mikaela was born. She arrived via C-Section, and I had to wait just on the other side of a solid door. I heard her cry. The nurse brought her out, all covered with yucky stuff, wrapped in a little white, striped blanket – and handed her to me. I was petrified. My eyes welled up. So powerful was the moment – that I was now responsible, forever, for this little being – the gravity of it was overwhelming. I’ve been scared ever since. Scared that I don’t read to her enough. Scared because I’ve put off teaching her to ride a two-wheeler. Scared because I get mad and holler at her sometimes. Scared when I haven’t heard her for a few minutes. Scared because she was just there a second ago, and now I can’t see her. Scared because I’m too strict. Scared because I’m not strict enough. Scared that if she’s this stubborn now, what the heck will she be like when she’s 14? Scared that I don’t spend enough time with her. Scared that she won’t be a responsible parent. Scared that she won’t recognize the value of hard work. And integrity. And kindness. And honesty. Scared that she’s not really “just going through a phase”. Scared that the decisions I’ve made for our family have been the wrong ones. Decisions that have resulted in her not meeting her Great-Grandparents in Canada yet. Or her Aunt, Uncle, and Cousins. Scared that the decision to home school her was not the right one. Scared that the “Cat’s in the Cradle” song will play out in my own life – I’m too busy today, she’s too busy tomorrow. Now, granted – most of us make these decisions all the time. I think what is important is not what our final decisions are, but that we recognize the gravity enough to worry about them. Some never make them. Some never seem to worry one way or the other. Others seem to make them flawlessly, and make the whole “father thing” look easy.

So, in that context – maybe it’s not such a wild idea for us to change Father’s Day from what it is now to a day where we reflect on being Fathers. Maybe if there are Dads among us who think that being a Father is no big deal, they could take one day per year and just worry. They could reflect. They could take stock of how they are doing. They could ponder on what needs a little polish, when it comes to fatherhood. They could really notice their children, and wonder how they are going to turn out. I get the impression from experienced (retired) fathers that if you put a lot of heartache and effort into the task now, the pain and frustration softens with age. Much like Boot Camp, which is a terrible trial at the time, but years later, you only seem to remember the good times. I mean really, if one day a year isn’t too much to reflect on having a father – could it be that big a deal to take that same day, and reflect on being a father?

The other day at work, I was having a particularly daunting day. I was in an irritable mood (hard to believe, I know), had a flu bug thing dragging me down, and half the factory seemed to be in my face. It was one of those days where, if you could, you’d pack your stuff up, and walk out the door for good. Anyway, the smoke seemed to clear for a few, and I plopped down at my desk, and noticed my message light blinking, on my phone. After punching in the code, I heard my daughter’s sing-song voice over the speaker. “Ummm, Hi Dad, this is Mikaela. So how are things going over there? I miss you, Dad. I just wanted to call and see how things are going. Love you. Bye.” Once in awhile, just for a second, I stop worrying so much, and notice just how proud I am, to be her father. I don’t tell her that enough. I’ll have to remember to do that, on Father’s Day.

A reprint from a piece I had in a local paper a few years ago.. ~Desert Rat

You may recall that I have started reading Death in the Long Grass by Capstick. A good friend just surprised me by sending me 3 more books by Capstick.

Anyway, my daughter Mik and I were talking about the books. She had recently read a passage in Death in the Long Grass - a particularly riveting account regarding the attack of a man-eating lion. This morning I said “Maybe some day you and I could go on a hunting trip to to Africa. Wouldn’t that be cool?”

“Yeah”, she says, “but it would suck if we got torn apart by lions”.

Suck, indeed.

I ran into some awesome ladies at the recent NRA Convention. Turns out that they were there representing the Arizona Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association. So, what’s this all about? According to their site:

We are very pleased that you are interested in information about the Arizona Cowboy Mounted Shooters Association, ACMSA. Please consider joining us for the fun. Newcomers are always struck with the supportive, positive atmosphere. You will find our shooters cheering every competitor and wishing them well. As a participant, the fun and excitement you will experience in this type of competition is unforgettable.

We, ACMSA, are one of the original affiliate clubs of CMSA (Cowboy Mounted Shooters Association), which is a national organization. Our club is a not-for-profit club run for the benefit of our members. There is an election meeting and Old West Ball every January.

A unique aspect is playing cowboy and putting on a show. Our Show is the Old West. CMSA has a dress code requiring period western clothing. You will find 1880s cowboys, silver screen cowgirls, flowing dresses, Indian outfits, cavalry dress and vaqueros. We have great sponsors who can help any cowboy or cowgirl step back to the 19th century!

Currently, the organization has been holding monthly matches all around the state of Arizona. See the ACMSA 2008 Schedule for Arizona Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association (ACMSA) match dates in Phoenix and the surrounding areas.

There are matches scheduled throughout the year in almost every state in the United States. Check the CMSA 2008 Schedule for a match sponsored by other clubs in Arizona and many other states.

Cowboy mounted shooting is one of the nation’s fastest growing equestrian sports. Mounted contestants compete in this fast action, timed event using two .45 caliber single action revolvers each loaded with five rounds of specially prepared blank ammunition. Courses of fire are set in a variety of patterns. The first half (5 targets) of a course of fire will vary with stage and often requires the horse and rider to rate speed, turn, change leads and accelerate. The second half (5 targets) is usually is a straight course with targets set at 36 foot intervals, called the “run down”. Both horse handling ability and raw speed are showcased.

Typically, a competitor crosses the timing beam engaging the first pattern of five targets. After the shooter fires the fifth shot in the first revolver, the Cowboy or Cowgirl returns the empty revolver to a holster, draws a second revolver, turns around a barrel and then races to the far end of the arena shooting the balloons in the rundown. Matches are from 3 to 6 stages.

Scoring is based on elapsed time plus a five second penalty for each target missed or barrel knocked over. A course of fire normally takes a contestant between 10 and 35 seconds to complete, depending on the stage being run and the level of competence of the horse and rider. There are currently over 50 different courses of fire (stages).

There are no judges. You are competing against the clock! We have classes so every rider will have a competitive group in which to compete.

It takes time and training to participate in this sport. Almost every shooter started at a trot or even walking part of the course! New participants are cheered and encouraged.

To get started, here are some tips:

1. Attend a match and ask anyone to point out a board member who can introduce to experienced shooters. We all love to talk about the sport!

2. Polish your riding skills in arenas so you confidently guide the horse around a course. Start at a walk or trot and then move to a canter.

3. Train your horse by bringing him to matches to see how he handles gunfire. Tie him up with seasoned horses that ignore gunfire. About 90% of horses can handle gunfire if trained properly. Above all, go slowly at a speed that the horse is comfortable and you are safe. Older horses typically do very well. We have horses over 20 years old who still win matches. A current world champion horse is 17!

4. Consider taking some lessons with your horse. Our club has several members who train both horse and rider. They have trained many horses. Unless you are an advanced rider, it is wise to have an accomplished rider fire that first shot off horseback.

5. Get advice on revolvers and holsters. This saves money in the long run. Members often have pistols and holsters for sale.

6. Most of all, come out and get started!

You don’t want to miss out on all the fun!

Peruse my blog and you will see lots of posts regarding Vortex. In my mind, you can’t get a better value for optics - backed by an awesome warranty!

Visit the Vortex site now.

Press Release
For Immediate Release

Media Contact:
Kim Cahalan
kim@mediadirectcreative.com
(309) 944-5341

May, 2009…Wildlife Research Center® – The industry leader in scent and human scent elimination is proud to announce that they are an official sponsor of Heavyweight Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Champion Brock Lesnar. John Burgeson, President of Wildlife Research Center® says, “I expected a lot when I watched a couple parts of his work out, but I was amazed at how far Brock’s speed, power, and ability went beyond my expectations. In regards to his hunting, I was also impressed by the Trophy Bucks that Brock and his wife have taken.”

Since age 5 Brock has been an avid enthusiastic hunter and outdoorsman, and he is proud to team up with America’s Top Brand® of scent and human scent elimination products, more specifically Wildlife Research Center’s® attractor scents, dispensers and Scent Killer® family of products.

Brock approaches a hunt just like he prepares for a fight. As he explained, “to be successful you have to understand your opponent. I know that a deer’s nose is his best defense, and if he smells me he will run. By reducing human odor, Scent Killer® products give me an edge.” He went on to say that, “as a bow and gun hunter, I am honored to be part of the Wildlife Research Center® team and look forward to assisting in developing the brand and helping more hunters become successful.”

Brock grew up in Webster, South Dakota, where he was 33-0 in his senior year as a high school wrestler. At Bismarck State (Junior) College, then at the University of Minnesota, Brock was a four-time All American, two-time Big Ten Champion and 2000 NCAA Division I Heavyweight National Champion. After finishing his college career with an astounding record of 106-5, Brock became world famous as a professional wrestler, and even had a short stint with the NFL® Minnesota Vikings – despite not having played football since his junior year of high school. Looking for a new challenge, Brock turned to mixed martial arts in 2006, and in his first fight on June 2, 2007 took only 69 seconds to destroy Olympic judo medalist Min Soo Kim with strikes that led to a submission. On November 15, 2008, Brock defeated MMA legend Randy Couture by TKO to become the new Heavyweight Champion.

Wildlife Research Center’s John Burgeson remarked that, “all of those trophy whitetails on Brock’s wall make me think that he may be a better hunter than athlete, if that is possible.” Brock agreed, pointing out that “when I’m not fighting, I’m hunting. It is a great sport that both my wife and I enjoy.”
Wildlife Research Center® has been studying how deer relate to different scents for decades and is committed to providing information and state of the art products to help you become a very high-level whitetail hunter. John Burgeson proudly declares that “Our company has one simple policy and everything flows from there – Treat people the way you would like to be treated. That includes offering the best products available, great information on how to use them, our 100% Money-Back Guarantee, and more. Having Brock Lesnar on board with Wildlife Research Center® increases our brand awareness and commitment to smash human odor. Wildlife® is proud to be associated with a quality person like Brock. Brock Lesnar’s MMA record speaks for itself, but I really like the fact that he takes the Brock Lesnar enthusiasm and work ethic into the field to hunt. To me, that says a lot about who Brock really is.”

For more information on the entire line of products offered by Wildlife Research Center®, please visit www.wildlife.com.