The Hunting Times

 Educated as a Mechanical Engineer and trained as a Six Sigma Black Belt, I love data.  Data is neither good nor bad.  It is just data.  And as long as it's collected accurately and properly, it cannot be refuted.  You may like it or not, but that's a human emotion you attach to the data.  There is just no arguing with data.  It is what it is.  Based on that, I wanted to know why my Apple Watch Ultra II, Strava, and my Sig Sauer rangefinder do not agree on distances... I have a thousand-yard range set up on my property.  I know exactly how far 880 yards (one-half mile) are from the target to direct line of sight of my marker.  Well, to within 1 yard (3 feet) as sighted by my Sig Sauer Kilo 2200 BDX rangefinder.  This Kilo model is accurate to within 1.5 feet out to 500 yards and to within 3 feet (1 yd) beyond 500 yards.  So when the rangefinder, using Lightwave DSP Technology, says my marker is at 880.1 yards, I believe that I ...

 So RePhil and I met over at Michael's house to load up at 4:45 am.  We hit the road for our 1:45 drive to the strip mine pits in Clinton, IN where Davey was camping.  We were not 2 miles down the road when a doe jumped in front of Michael's truck.  At first it crossed the road.  Then it turned around and tried to go back from whence it came.  Mistakes were made.  The truck hit her almost center with her head wrapping around the front quarter panel.  Michael had already hit the brakes and we were doing less than 30 mph.  There was a collision.   We stopped and exited the truck.  RePhil and Michael surveyed the damage on the truck.  I walked back to check on the doe - saying a quick silent prayer that it was not my new truck that took out the deer!  Not that I'm hating on Michael's truck - in the least.  He has a steel bumper and there was hardly any damage.  It would have been very expensive had it been my t...

 Had the gang gather here at the Ranch at 0630.  Let them all pick their spots and the shooting began.  We didn't get a group photo, which I now regret, but you can see some action shots.  There were six hunters (Kathy, Alex, Nick, Zach, Harrison, and me) and five non-hunters (Will, Hadley, Mallory, Wes, and Hailey).  More doves than years' past, but lots more fun!  Enjoy the photos... First dove of the day and Wes is acting as the "dog" Mallory and Will set up in the sunflowers. And according to Will - freezing to death! Will is getting his Hunt On Will waiting on the dirt pile for some action Must be some birds nearby Will putting on a stalk Nick is claiming:  One shot = One bird BUT - this is Kathy's picture of her one shot = one bird. I'm thinking I may have reared a bunch of liars in my family! Nick is stalking the power lines hoping that the doves land in the dead tree! (L to R) Harrison, Alex, and Will are coming back from the curve. They were t...