Buddhist Belief of No Harm and Spiritual Ruminant Pelts.

Mrigadava means "deer-park".

Remember this: Austerities only confuse the mind. In the exhaustion and mental stupor to which they lead, one can no longer understand the ordinary things of life, still less the truth that lies beyond the senses. I have given up extremes of either luxury or asceticism. I have discovered the Middle Way. ~Buddha~

Disclaimer: This diatribe is not meant to attack Buddhism in any of its forms. Think of it as a train of thought.

I was pondering the spiritual aspects of animal symbology as it pertained to a female hunter and the creatures she hunts in my readings. I wondered if I could find a contrasting scenario that I could parallel some portion of the act of hunting with to show a sort of irony to the symbology of an animal, the regard that is held for a particular animal, its particular use and my Sherlockian deduction of what the information meant, or appeared to be. I thought of one my favorite animals, the deer.

Enter the Buddha and his discourse entitled,  "Dhammackkappavattana Sutta".  

“The Buddhist emblem of a golden eight-spoked wheel flanked by two deer represents in Buddha’s first discourse, which he gave in the Deer Park at Sarnath, near Varanasi. This discourse is known as the ‘first turning of the wheel of dharma’, when the Buddha taught the doctrines of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Noble Path to five Indian mendicants. As a symbol of the Buddha’s teachings a gilded three-dimensional wheel and deer emblem is traditionally placed at the front of the monastery and temple roofs, from where it shines as a crowning symbol of the Buddhadharma.” (Beer 59)

As I quoted the Buddha above, it would seem that the Buddha was noted to give a discourse at the Deer Park of Sarnath in India (a long time ago).  I thought this novel for the time that there existed a deer park and what its particular use was. While there the Buddha gave his commentary on his Enlightenment and its applications to his Sangha, who were dispersed out into the world to spread the meaning and interpretation of Dharma. What are the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold path?

The Buddha preached the Four Noble Truths which are as follows:

• There is suffering


• Suffering has a cause


• Cause is removable

• There are ways to remove the cause

To address these Four Noble Truths, the Buddha extended the Eight-fold Path which is as follows:

• Right Speech


• Right Action


• Right Livelihood


• Right Effort


• Right Mindfulness

• Right Concentration


• Right Attitude


• Right View

Seems pretty straightforward; avoid inflicting suffering on self and others by positive mores.

The Buddha is sitting in this deer park in Sarnath, India with noted five men and a crowd of golden Ruru deer where he says that he is turning the wheel of Dharma. This wheel represents samsara (the world) and the eternal existence which goes forward through cycles of reincarnation because of worldly cravings and the inability to tell one’s self no to things that cause suffering. 

If the basic precept of Buddhism is non-harm, because you don’t want to incur suffering in the self or other sentient beings, then there is no way to survive life. 

I was reading one snippet on a white rabbit sacrificing itself out of compassion to other animals as nourishment; of its own accord. One would have to do as the white rabbit and selflessly give up life to avoid inflicting suffering on self, or others by ingestation, or death at other living sentient beings monkey hands, mouths, claws, etc. These same sentient beings, who do not feel the same as you, are going to devour you. Otherwise, it would be Jim Jones Kool-Aid 24-7.  Even if you decided eating fruits and vegetables was the way to go, you are still stopping life in order to eat as plants are life. To eat them you have to pull them up from their happy home and cook them or eat them raw. 

If a plant could decide if it wanted to sacrifice itself for human consumption I would dare say it would reply, “No”. This sacrificial rabbit reminded me of indigent tribes of North America interpreting a lone animal giving itself over to a hunter as a sacrifice as a show of compassion to the people for food because the animal’s kind could spare them.  

With this being said let us visit the deer in this little drama of to kill or not to kill; which is really the question. Why the deer? Why a female and male deer?

The deer being male and female could signify the human element of sexual desire in people. This desire is at the heart of suffering for it is brought about by lust, longing, loving, and attachment through emotion onto some article, animal, place, or person.

I also wondered on the interpretation of the male being on the right and the female being on the left. It would seem direction wise this was in reference to how each sex is percieved. To be male and on the right meant acrion and solar existance. Right sided maleness in the deer emblem harkened to being the conscious side, nobility, and wisdom. 

The left female side interpreted means to be weak, unconsious , lunar, and sinister. Why am I surprised at that?

If we reflect on Jung's idea of the female form in left direction he thought this was flowing from the heart and might I add......all the evil thoughts connected with it.

Buddha’s observation of deer in the wild, or at the park, may have brought him to the conclusion that we should strive not to be as humans but as animals. I would think the Buddha distanced himself from predators as they were instigators of suffering. The Buddha did not have a lot of people as his friends, it would seem.  As one reading the story of his approaching the mendicants to give the discourse, they had planned to shun him altogether but changed their mind based on his glow. 

One can see why he may have been against suffering for it was also social suffering and not physical suffering. Suffering of the mind can be just as great to the soul as an actual bullet to the heart.   

In regards to deer, there is the idea of domination through ownership or power. Marpa the Translator cited, “The Dharma is owner-less, like deer in a meadow.”  

When I pondered this, I thought it could be a sign of not wanting to strap oneself to the responsibilities of the world that humans have generated such as capitalism, jobs we hate, or governments that rule out laws that bind us daily for insensible reasons. Either way, we are caged canaries singing right along to our sad, sad songs. Buddha always ran from the expectations that were placed upon him. He ran from his wife, his son, his court duty as Prince. He ran from the prisons other people had made that were waiting on him to enter dutifully. Strange way about saying no but everyone has their quirks.  

Let us look to the emblem (ridag choekor) because this is significant to show the location of where the discourse took place. Humans have long referenced the character of deer as human. These deer symbolized a significant place, conscious state, and also sensual desire.

“However, the wheel and deer emblem eventually became the enduring symbol of an establishment where the Buddha’s teachings are transmitted, and where the endless wheel of the dharma continues to turn.

The two deer peacefully rest in attentive obedience on either side of the golden wheel, with the male deer to the right and the female to the left. The male deer is sometimes depicted with the single horn of the seru deer (unicorn) or rhinoceros, and on gilded bronze sculptures the sexual organs of the two deer may be shown. The gentleness and grace of the deer represent the qualities of the true Buddhist mendicant.” (Beer 59)

“The deer is the vehicle of Shou-lao, and he is traditionally represented riding upon a stag with mature antlers. Deer were believed to live to a great age, and were credited with being the only creatures capable of locating the ‘fungus of immortality’ (Ch. Ling-chih). The deer of longevity may be depicted with a piece of this fungus in its mouth. Chinese legends describe the Islands of the Immortals’ as being located in the eastern ocean. Here the immortals consumed the divine food of the ling-chih, and drank from the eternal waves of the jade fountain. In Buddhism the deer is an auspicious symbol of tranquility, harmony, non-violence, and particularly of renunciation, because like a homeless mendicant the deer is believed to rest in a different place each night.” (Beer 55)

Enter Irony.

Irony consists in stating the contrary of what is meant; the surface meaning and the underlying meaning of what is said are not the same. Irony is a form of utterance that postulates a double audience, consisting of one party that hearing shall hear and shall not understand, and another party that, when more is meant than meets the ear, is aware both of that more and of the outsiders' incomprehension.

Enter Disparity.

Disparity is most often used when the author causes a character to speak or act erroneously, out of ignorance of some portion of the truth of which the audience is aware.

After this I guess you are wondering what does this have to do with hunting.  I was researching how followers of the Buddha’s discourse where using animal by-products in the form of relics for spiritual, symbolic attire and functional uses. How many times have you seen a hunter take a part of an animal carcass and use it for a trophy head, belt, seat cover, or in a spiritual rite? No matter what even if you kill the animal humanely, it dies abruptly or slowly of natural causes, or some other animal kills it; there is going to be some length of suffering. 

Yet Buddhist followers were acquiring pelts either directly or indirectly. Let us face reality. Once you kill an animal if there is an essence of soul or life inside that body it is gone once the animal is killed. It’s no more than an empty sausage casing once you remove the meat, bones, and organs. That is a rude way to put it with indifference to its suffering. Only if you are generating a pseudo emotion of calm in your mind by believing you are absorbing energy from a sausage casing should be scrutinized but still you have its symbolic meaning. In rituals, the symbolic meaning is what helps the person transgress over into a spiritual realm even though humans can’t see spiritual realms. Otherwise, we could have that profane question, “Is there a God?” answered.

This reminds me of a question posed by a philosophy professor of mine. We drew a circle. Inside the circle was the Natural World and outside the circle was the Supernatural World. Professor Black asked, “How to you transpose from one place to another?” I replied, “Why do we think there is a barrier? I believe it is a semipermeable membrane of sorts that can interchange things from side to side in equal measure. We just can’t see it.” 

Here I found documentation:

“Deer or antelope skins serve as meditation seats (Skt. Asana) for Buddhist yogins or siddhas, such as Milarepa, rechungpa, or Thangtong Gyalpo. As an asana the deer-skin is believed to enhance the solitary tranquility and awareness required by as ascetic, with the pure or sattvic energy of the deer being absorbed by the practitioner. In wrathful deity practices a tiger-skin asana is more commonly used, denoting rajas or dynamic energy.

Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion, wears the turquoise skin of a magical deer or antelope draped over his left shoulder and heart. This skin is known as a krishmasara or krishnajina, meaning ‘black antelope skin’, and is a symbol of the deity’s love, compassion, and tenderness. The black antelope skin was originally an emblem of Shiva in his forms as Lokanath or Lokeshvara, the ‘Lord of the Worlds’. “(Beer 63)

Maybe this is the difference minus the fact someone skinned that ruminant and tanned the hide for the magical deer drape? The skin was a symbol of the deity's (Buddha was not a God) love, compassion and tenderness versus the present day huntress's animal hide throw being an object of horrific cruel death, ego enhancing relic to top predator status, and objectified taxidermy of animal suffering. Why can this present day hide not mean the same thing? If you humanely kill an animal with minimal suffering, and preserve its hide because you want to remember the hunt, and show tenderness at its numbers while caring for it in the off season, why not? Then again I thought its not just enough for some to kill one when it means food and there is no spiritual value granted to the prey. It's all in the mentality and the perception of each individual huntress and hunter. Those buddhist probably just showed up with it one day swung over their shoulder and no one bothered to be obsessive over where the pelt was acquired, in what way, and how the animal died to get the pelt. Maybe the new hunting reply should be, "It's not against my religions?"

Here it has been documented in stories how renunciates who give up worldly life wander around with a deer or antelope pelt over their upper body (usually the left) or as a garment. One reasonsing for hanging a pelt over the left side is this is the location of the heart which is the abode of the mind. This is the symbolic skin of the Sil-snyen deer of legend who feels heart felt compassion towards all sentient beings.  This Sil-snyen deer lives between snow and rock on a mountain, with strength and compassion for nature. Hunters trying to gain access to the Sil-snyen deer’s land pretend to fight amongst themselves.  The Sil-snyen deer becomes impatient with compassion and goes out to mediate, where its life is assaulted. Touching the skin of the Sil-snyen calms the mind and endows bliss. Here is another story where Hunters are crafty evil-doers. Even though this pelt is a by-product of a dead animal it still is removed from the judgments of society as being a bad thing, not an object of past suffering if you regard that moment before death or death itself as suffering.

I thought in Western culture if you had such a pelt or animal article mounted, worn as clothing, petrified or taxidermy there could be backlash as it is seen as an object of suffering inflicted by cruelty. Then again, it’s the interpretation it has or its significant use. The monks pelts were used as symbols of spiritual Enlightenment towards compassion.  These pelts symbolized sacrifice on the part of the deer through stories.

Thinking about this pelt over the heart gives the heart a dual reality of being the actual heart beating in your chest pumping blood and in another non-physical reality where the heart is a decision maker and a memory keeper.  I refer to this second matter when you hear someone tell you to listen to your heart for decisions as they put their hand over your actual heart. This could also be when you have a dead relative you cared about and someone refers to you carrying that relative’s memory in your heart. At all times the actual brain is ignored.

Given all this the truth here is that in order to address suffering one can only alleviate the degree of suffering and not eradicate it. As far as Buddha’s Middle Way of dealing with suffering, it was directly aimed at people not animals even though he thought animals could attain Dharma. Even though deer can represent all those terms contrary to suffering they are always seen living in a realm absent of fear. 

The irony of the use of an animal pelt on behalf of Buddhism is very interesting to regard when faced with the onslaught of people against hunting when you consider the history of animal by-products used in tenets that were defined to cause no harm, or suffering. I guess the act of wearing the pelt was showing reverence for the symbolic meaning of the deer but today groups are repulsed by wearing animal by-products unless you are a shaman or the article has a spiritual meaning. When in regards to hunting and the animal suffering there is a belief that you do it as humanely as possible, otherwise suffering itself can hardly be avoided even on the minute levels. That animal had to die for that Buddhist pelt........

"Om mani padme hum'.

Written by: W Harley Bloodworth

~Courtesy of the AOFH~

Literature Cited:

Beer, Roberts. Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols. Chicago, Ill: Serindia Publications, Inc. 2003. Print, pgs: 53-59.

Other links to enjoy:

http://www.sakya.com.au/clearmind/95/dharmawheelbuckdoe/

http://world.time.com/2012/11/10/as-tibetans-burn-themselves-to-protest-chinese-rule-communists-in-beijing-stress-happiness-in-tibet/

http://buddhism.about.com/od/sacredbuddhisttexts/a/The-Golden-Deer.htm

The Moving Target

Remember this: Out there in front of you is a moving target.


Watching the competitive shooters at the 2013 US Open Sporting Clays Championship in Georgetown, SC, my son and I observed several prominent and proficient competitive shooters. The target hitting consistency varied depending on the shooter and his/her preferred style.

In the pursuit of investigation, what would be some observations one could glean from watching other people shoot?  Well, let us investigate what is exactly moving in front of the business end of the shotgun.   When starting out to do any kinds of sport always taken into consideration the following:

• Get checked by a doctor for health problems; eyes, ears, spine, shoulders, reflexes, etc.
• Do your research into the Sporting Clay event.
• Talk to people in the Sporting Clay Field and ask questions.
• Go to Sporting Clay events and read current news.
• Find an exceptional or adequate patient instructor with a good reference list.
• Sign up for the NASC or the NSSA.
• Purchase a gun after shooting, appropriate ammo, clays, clay thrower, or join a reputable sporting clay club.
• Stay away from negative or deceitful people that would hinder your progress or are out only for themselves.
• Practice, practice, practice.

 With this being said, let us focus on the shooting of the clay target.

Things to Consider:

Shot-string: Once the shotgun casing ejects pellets, they move in a uniform string formation where each pellet is occupying a differing place in time and space from the other ones. As the pellets travel (depending on choke use or not) and the distance of the target the pellets will spread wider apart but eventually will fall in an arch to the ground if not on a target.

Time lag: The difference in the time you decide to shoot and the time it takes you to react and put the shotgun in play. This also includes the speed at which you swing the gun (which varies with different clay bird speeds.)  *If you shoot then do not carry the shotgun all the way through, lag time is going to send the pellets into an area of space that is after the interception of the clay bird; causing a bird away.*

Gun Mechanism Timing: Each gun will probably be different so get your gun evaluated or ask before you purchase.

Fast-moving targets: Swing the shotgun to track the target and over take it. Pull the trigger. This will send the shot-string out into the path of the air borne clay to intercept the clay for a break. Keep your follow through.

Straightaway shot: Cover the target point blank. Lead horizontal and vertical on targets angling away and gaining or losing altitude.

Slow Flying birds: Less lead then a fast flying bird.

Rising Shot: Shoot a little above the target.

Falling bird: Shoot a little below the target.

Target Break point: Approximate area in which you want to break a target. (Consider natural barriers, distance to target, target flight, shot-pattern efficiency, and maximum exposure of target surface.)

Eye Focal Point: Where you will focus your eyes to pick up the target visually after launch.

Between Target break-point and Eye focal point is the Gun hold-point:  The direction your muzzles will be pointing when you call for the target.

 At the Station

As we were looking over the shoulder of the shooter from a distance you can get a pretty square assessment of what might be on the shooter’s mind when he’s preparing to yell, “Pull”. One shooter would be standing in the station, gun at the ready, while his amigos are standing behind him doing hand gestures and looking like bird dogs pointing out a fowl. There was a moment where each clay is released to give the general direction from winced the clay makes birth from the bush across its arc to land on the ground. This is when you put on your internal wide angle lens as you go to shoot it while taking the composition in completely.

I waited to see where the target would eject from. There were a couple of machines that had bushes in front. As for where in flight there might be some ‘landmark’ to tip off the shooter when to blast it out the sky I do not know. When you are standing at an angle behind the shooters or to the sides of the station, does not give you a good idea what presents a great shot opportunity unless you are standing in the station yourself. That would be like checking your eyes to see which one is dominant.

As for angles:  “If the target will be coming from a sharp angle, over your shoulder or even behind you, don’t screw your body around or move your feet in order to see the target as soon as possible. Foot and body position should never be compromised just to see a target a little sooner. The target break-point should always be your top priority when positioning your feet and setting yourself in for a shot.” (Meyer 37)

I walked the course, which was huge, and each station had a different direction, height, and patterns of sequential target toss that challenged the shooter. Each station affords the shooter to alter his attempt by testing shooting style to hit the clays. There were also stations where shooters where lined up like race horses while taking their turn.

Observing these differing stations gave one a better sense to the care it takes in gauging target activity from the time it leaves the clay target thrower to the moment it reaches the ground; whole or in pieces.

“There is much more to be learned from observing a target than just where it comes from and where it is going. Is it a standard, mini, midi, or battue? Is it raising or falling? Where in its flight is the trajectory most level? Where is target speed most uniform? Are there obstacles that will interfere with visibility or obstruct shot patterns? Is wind affecting target behavior? Does the sun become a factor at some time during the target’s flight? Where in its flight will the target expose the largest surface area to your shot pattern? “(Meyer 38)

Always observe and ask questions. When you step up to that station; you better prepare yourself for silent major decisions.

 “There are three major decisions that must be made prior to stepping onto a station and attempting to break a target. First, you must decide on the general area in which you intend to break the target. This is what I call the target break-point. Once the target-break-point is identified, you will then decide upon where the eye focal point and gun hold-point will be. “ (Meyer 39)

When looking at the clay target burst after impact:

• Small piece distribution with one large chunk falling to the ground: Shot to high.

• Big chunk goes to the left: Shot too far to the right. *Bird quartering to the left-shot behind the target.*

• Big chunk goes to the right: Shot to far to the left and ahead of the clay.

 After spending several days watching others I was rift with the fact that even the best of shooters do miss and the bird is away. That is normal otherwise it would not be a competition. My son was also eased of his tension when he saw that even the ‘best’ missed. As this is not a replacement for sound schooling of a shotgun or competitive shooting, it’s a start in the right direction for readers to see the challenge of competitive sporting clays.

As for shooters in the sport that may not be experts just yet, watching, learning, and applying are what helps a shooter become proficient at making his/her mark.

There is a lot to be said for going out to any event no matter what it is. Go, the outing might bring to you a new sense of social participation that you found lacking in your life. If this chance at viewing a sport that is new to you would lead you down to the NSCA booth or online and have you sign up; go ahead. As a novice, getting out there and participation is what is going to open that door to learning sporting clays. All you have to do is sign yourself up. If you never put your name in the pot then no one is going to know how well you might do. Not even you. It's easier to hit the wider side of a sporting clay than the thinner side.  Always know what is moving in front of you.

If you would like to see what the NSCA~NSSA are all about click on the link:

http://www.nssa-nsca.org/index.php/2013/05/shooting-tip-shot-tempo/

Literature Sourced:
George Laycock.  The Shotgunner’s Bible, revised edition. Garden City, NY:  Doubleday & Company, 1969, 1987. Print.

Meyer, Jerry. The Sporting Clays Handbook. Guilford, CT. Lyons Press. 1990. Print, pgs.37-39.

Angelia's Reading list:

Written by Angelia Y Larrimore

~Courtesy of the AOFH~

Do I Really Need A Henchman?

Remember this: A woman's money burns as good as a man's. Sometimes a woman's money is a man's and vice versa.

Seeing how I had a Vender mistreat me in the way of looking at guns they had for sale this episode reminded me of another situation where I was on the lamb for a gun I wanted. I wondered how prevalent was this kind of prejudice. I know I look like a little girl but come on. If you are in the business of selling a product customer service should be a given and mistreating your potential client should not be an option, poor or rich.

The first part of June I made rather large purchases at the Bass Pro Shop. Round trip it takes me close to two hours to visit that place. Seeing how I had a lot of 'points' on that receipt I went back to claim some archery tips and a traditional suede shooting glove, price a shell belt and shells. I was having a pretty good evening. I had gotten my truck mostly fixed so life was decent.
I was standing near the gun cases looking at the shotguns and rifles. I was pretty disappointed in the rifles. They all looked plastic and impersonal. I then looked at the shotguns but was only impressed by maybe five or six out of that bunch.
A older salesman with brown hair and glasses was leaning against the cash register then blurts out, "Can I help you?"
I really didn't like his tone but said to him, "I wanted to look at your Benellis."
He then walks over and says, "We don't carry Benellis here."
I was taken aback because for 3 minutes I drilled my eyes into the name tags on the gun wall right behind this man.
There was three Brownings, a couple of Mossburgs and some weird snub nosed Marlin that looked like one of the Seven Dwarves might use it to practice shooting at cans? As for Benellis? There was at least two just sitting there. A Benelli Nova and a Benelli Youth. At this point red flags went up.
I said, "Are you sure?" I am looking at the gun directly behind him but I say nothing about it being there.
He says, "No ma'am."
I realized at this point he must not want to help me. He was telling me 'no' and not 'yes' to the question. lmao. Or thought I was stupid?
I tell him, "I am looking to see if you can order this gun I had seen. Its made by Benelli. The advertisement said it shoots like an over and under, self-corrects, is balanced, light weight, has reduced recoil. I can't remember the name of it but Benelli makes it."
He goes to the back pissed off. Brings out the book, slams it on the glass case, then tells me that Benelli doesn't make an over and under shotgun. Benelli doesn't make such a gun. I just stared at him. I think he made a wish I would just go away?
He wasn't listening to me and trying to assess my need. He just took it literally that the gun I was asking for was an over and under. He started flipping madly through this book talking about Beretta and Franchi. I'm standing there looking at his wild behavior. He then starts to explain barrels to me. I stopped him right there. I looked at him and closed his book and said politely, "Sir. You are not the one to help me with this." I then walked off down the shot gun shell aisle.
I didn't see the point in having a screaming match in Bass Pro Shop.
I realized this man was not listening to me AT ALL.
I then thought on the drive home after watching a movie that I shouldn't have to drive for 25 minutes to pick my brother up, have him go to this store so I can have a translator to buy a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun. Do I really need a Henchman to stand behind me in a threatening manner while I ask my questions? I then thought of my brother snatching this man over that glass counter then having to bail him out of jail. Not a good idea.
I thought then if a wife tells her husband, "I want to go to town and buy myself a shotgun." That man shouldn't have to load up in the truck like a coon hound and stand over his wife like she's a child just to purchase a weapon.
I've been wanting this gun quite a while but I've put it off for more important things. Besides in the mean time I have a Wingmaster Super Mag passed down from my grandfather through my brother. It shoots a tight uniform.
I guess to this whole fiasco with fixing my truck and having to juggle the lies of several different parts places its making me feel swept aside? Maybe not worthy of someone's time? I don't know. Then having to nail them to the wall for a final answer and calling them on it. They then get that 'You're a Bitch' look on their face.
I guess if a stupid face is what I have going for me then when they find their ass nailed to the wall they ask for it.
I wasn't going to let it get to me. I came home. Looked up the Benelli site then found this gun in all its glory. It was a Benelli Super Vinci 12 G.
The salesman had a Benelli Nova there for $495. Super Vinci is around $1695-$1800.
I decided to call the Bass Pro Shop and speak to the Manager. I walked out onto the porch not really paying attention. I then train my eyes on this one spot in the yard and realize something is looking at me.
Over along the corn field edge, posed is one of the more elegant bucks I've ever seen. I started talking to it. I thought it would run for cover like a bat out of hell. I spoke to it and told it I saw it standing there. It was okay. I wasn't going to do anything. It started to walk toward the porch. I wondered if it was one of those that would charge you? They do that. I started singing to it. I know that is ass crazy. It made sense to me. It turned and stretched itself out and began walking across the yard, which is mostly clover to disappear into the corn field across the road. Last time I saw a buck like that it dove through my car window at eleven o'clock at night on top of my child then after coming home there was another one standing under the mimosa tree in the yard. That was one of those full moon nights and considering it was a Blood Moon the other night: you might see some crazy stuff.
That singing business I picked that up along time ago. I always try to sing to things when they are sick. Weird. Even the hardest hearted person would crump if you sing to them.
It must have been that dude's lucky day because I realized Bass Pro Shop had closed.
Now I have a camera set up in the yard to see if I can get a better picture of that deer. It would be my luck the camera's not working.

Written by  W Harley Bloodworth

~Courtesy of the AOFH~

2013 US Open Sporting Clays Championship

 

 

Remember this: Where ever you go, there you are. There is a purpose for it.

Starting on May 13th in Georgetown, SC the Back Woods Quail Club  is hosting the 2013 US Open Sporting Clays Championship. This event will go on until May 19th.  There is ample parking directly across the road from the entrance where eventers or non-eventers can park their trailers or vehicles. As of this time there is no charge for parking or entry into the event. The grounds are clean and each shooting zone is spaced amply apart. Near the roadside where the Main Event takes place is an area where you can rent a very nice all terrain vehicle for $75/day or take the shuttle which is free of charge. Otherwise it is not a trying walk to go all over the event area if you have the desire to do so.
From the license plates it seemed most of the eventers came from the Southeast coast.
The weather has been fabulous but slightly breezy during the day and clear with a crescent moon and stars at night. Perfect weather. The only other angle for the weather is its extremely bright in the spring and the backdrop for most of the shooting is green or blue. There was muted gun play sounding out in the wooded areas and in the fields planted with knee high corn. This simulated a lot of dove hunting or game bird shooting.

**For all intensive purposes take for granted that I am a 'babe in the woods' here.**

I thought I would first go over to the vendors. I stopped at one vendor to admire the guns sitting on a table. I asked the lady if I could pick one up to inspect it out of respect because people at times have no manners. This is what she said, "Don't you think about running away with that. You won't get far. I can run faster than you." I was perplexed this woman would even say such a thing. Her stall mate began to talk over me like I wasn't there insultingly. I picked up the metal work then just as quick put it down because I got this repulsed feeling in my stomach. I looked at that woman and said, "I hope you survive that." She sat up in her chair. I may look like a dim wit but I love seeing the startled look on peoples face when I speak and its pretty obvious 'dumb don't live here'. People (comically people saling wears like gypsies in wagons) that threaten others needlessly like that are usually cowards and think they can run over people or mistreat them. It didn't help that there was a total redneck standing behind me using very colorful profanity as he talked on the phone. Don't worry this would be only a hiccup in my day and overall not stain my experience at the event.
If it were money then I can relate a story about a dirt farmer that came to the veterinary practice to have his favorite goat catherized for a blocked urethra. As I was holding this goat down, the older man was questioning me about anatomy of his own goat. I chuckled then answered him. We were all joking out there but later one of the workers said the older dirt farmer took a shine to me. The co-worker told me that he was a millionaire peanut farmer. I thought he was joking but he was not. Goes to show you money doesn't always dress in a suit or Sunday clothes. Sometimes its covered in goat smell and wearing overalls.
I should have turned her in but the Krieghoff stall was a jaunt away. I went over. The beautiful dark haired lady at this stall had exemplary manners and in non-judgemental fashion answered my questions while letting me examine the Krieghoff wares. Redemption and a true professional. I had never seen a Krieghoff gun 'in the flesh' but I picked one up wanting to know if it were heavy. I finally wanted the gun to be real in my hand. It would have been more awesome if I could have fired it off at something. Pictures can give you a false perception of weight and texture. The engraved guns were indeed light and manageable even with the intricate metal work. I was delighted. I asked her about the  stock. When I looked and touched the varnished area it seemed like plastic. I have experience working with certain things that require textures and surfaces so this was strange to me because it was perfect; not a scratch. The smooth texture of the varnish under my fingertips gave it a non-organic feel. It felt foreign to me. I could only think this because I was familiar with thinly varnished wooden guns through use from a hundred years ago. One rifle I shoot with was manufactured the year before I was born. I would have to shoot a Krieghoff gun to get a total sense of my opinion of the gun but for now I love admiring engraved guns. I was also intrigued by the inside bowels of the mechanisms. I had taken apart different cheaply made brazilian (made in a barn after checking its history) and american guns to refurbish them.  The insides were made of different metals.Usually when you put different metal on metals it corrodes faster. Even though these shot well I wondered about the accuracy of shot of one gun versus the other. I can only imagine its all good?!
I then walked over to the Caesar Guerini stall. Yet again beautiful guns but one gun had an organic feel to it.
I then inspected the eye wear which you could get in prescription or non-prescription. My eyes are very pale blue eyes that can look green at times but light glare drowns out on shiny surfaces for me. I also have better luck with certain tints on glasses. I was at the Ranger booth looking at their optics. The vendor let me put some on and I decided that the purples and rose colors were the best for me but the most awesome lens was the ColorMag. This Premium lense dramatically intensifies orange targets against any background while keeping other colors neutral, offering the best contrast when possible. I looked over at this orange colored ATV and under the lense it was a bright candy apple red. I was amazed. When I considered the Back Woods Quail Club's set up and terrain, you are shooting at targets on a blue sky or in the woods on bright or dark green foliage. The Pale yellow, medium yellow, and orange I was not impressed with but that might be attributed to my eyes. It might work for someone else. The  brown colored lens was more for highlighting actual game birds and open back grounds. I am not saying one is better than the other but you have to do some consumer testing to figure out which one works.
After getting some complementary water and fruit I strolled around taking pictures of the different stands. There was the Long Bird, Make-A-Break, Practice 5-Stand and 2-Man Flush & 3 Shot. After watching the different contenders stand in position and wait for the skeets to be releases before taking a shot and reloading, I could watch from the back as each person had a different shooting style. Some were consistant breakers, others, hit and miss. This I will leave for another posting.
I walked on down into the woods as shooters drove past me  in semi-haste to get to the next stand. There were several clay stands down in the woods; two on water. I thought this is aerial golf at its finest.
 I found this older gentleman sitting at table trying to eat a boiled egg.He was the moderator for that clay stand. I started asking him some questions. I told him my son was learning to shoot but I wanted to find someone to help him out other than me. He pipes up that he would offer to give my son a couple of pointers. He then tells me he is a Navy Seal. I asked him what it would cost? He said nothing. I was so appreciative I told him that because he had been nice to me that something good was going to happen to him. Here I was given an opportunity for which I normally do not ask for help.
I moved along down this wooded path thinking about how I had almost planned not to come because I was scheduled for a post operative appointment midday...but somehow after one road block and detour found myself standing in the woods emblazed with the sounds of guns. Once again I was going to be the instigator of revealing to someone the opportunity before them and untapped ability.
Maybe something out there in the universe was trying to tell several people something? Me included.
As always, being the general all around person to instill in random people I don't know, a sense of encouragement, I found this skinny little freckled face girl all alone down near the pond. I walked up to her and asked her some questions about what she was doing. My thoughts right off were: she's in the behind the scene workings of a clay shooting club so she has a benefit of sequence, direction and layout on the part of a would-be Clay bird shooter. She also has the benefit of watching and examining each shooter to see what is working best for them in terms of accuracy or gun use. I asked Freckle Face was she experienced in shooting clays. She replied no. I asked her did she hunt or even shoot a gun. She said no. I asked her did she want to. She went into this short speech on how other people in her family did it but she didn't. She seemed to have that look of 'I want to but no one bothers or they don't have the time or patience to do it'. It could have been dubious fear I was smelling.  This is what I find in a lot of kids. Here was a young person that has the ability and probably the talent but people walk right by and don't even encourage participation. With teenagers I also find they do not want to be put in situations where others can mock or make them feel like they should have been born with a working talent or prodigy. Life does not always work that way. Some kids are pushed by adults to have adult mentalities when its not how quick they get it but how accurate on a repetitive scale over a period of time. I talked to her about hunting and clay shooting. I told her she should at least try because until she did no one, not even she would know her ability. I said, "What if you are one of these people that could be reknown or great but here you are stuck in the woods pulling a clay for someone else when you are just as capable at holding a gun, pulling the trigger, and busting that orange bird as it flies overhead." She got a bright look in her face. Kids at times do not feel like they have permission but in life when you are trying to break ground for yourself, you learn to stop asking for permission all the time when you don't have to. You just decide for yourself to give it the old college try for fame or fail. I told Freckle Face I wasn't going to make a trip there that day but here I was standing in the woods talking to her. I told her before I left that all she had to do was try.
I walked on.
I found this nice older lady holding a frou-frou dog in her lap on a golf cart. She was from Pennsylvania. Her husband was over at the stand with his gun preparing to take a shot. I chatted her up which is my habit. I would make a great politician. I was politicing for the shooting sport no doubt, especially to the females. I asked her was she shooting. Pennsylvania told me no. I asked, "Why not?" Pennsylvania's answer, "I am left eye dominant." I retorted merrily, "So what?" After talking to her it was apparent to me that someone had convinced this lady that she could not shoot a gun with the 'problem' of being left eye dominant. She also said she was scared of the boom sound and recoil. I explained briefly how that could be alleviated. I told her about something that I had read from a book written by this shooter that was like Freckle Face. Unassuming and hidden from the shooting world and how his innovations helped a girl he took out of experimentation that he found to be left eye dominant. This shooter took his female charge and taught her how to overcome this problem and consistently and accurately bust a clay much to his awe in record time. Initially he just wanted a good looking girl to hold a gun for a photo-op for his shooting book. This is when he got the hare-brained idea and it worked out for her and reaffirmed that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover or its torn frayed pages. Pennsylvania's husband came over and wanted to know what we were talking about. By the look in his eye he must have thought I was a Jehovah witness passing out paraphernalia. His wife says, "She was just encouraging me to shoot." He eyeballed me suspiciously then pulled out his other gun, "What? My left eye dominant wife?" then walked off. I could only chuckle inside while thinking; I bet that husband of hers is cussing me for putting crazy ideas into her head. Before I departed I told her to write her concerns down, do some research on current solutions to her shooting fears and woes. Just try it, I told her, you'll be surprised how much your fear is only fear and nothing more.
I just thought to myself how often people do nothing based on being told that is as far as you go. There are people out there with no legs and arms making people born with everything look like total wastrels of life.
I also thought how often are people presented with opportunity, bare and naked before them, yet they do nothing? It stymied me.
I drifted through a sea of shooters and stands before I wondered back up the trail to the main lodge. I walked off to watch and photograph some of the people near the entrance.
In the whole four hours that I stayed there I only saw one woman shoot and a second riding in a cart I assumed would shoot. It made me think of how there seemed to be a lack of women at this particular event that were actually shooting but hidden amoug those that worked there was potential shooters if only someone would encourage them or tell them to give themselves permission to be all they could be. Overall, turning over stones is not such a waste because eventually you'll find a golden nugget.
You just have to keep looking and hoping they will listen.

Written by W Harley Bloodworth

~Courtesy of the AOFH~


For further reading:

http://2013usopenclays.com/

http://www.backwoodsquailclub.com/

The Human Sexual Response of Hunting

Model #47

Remember this: We have to take into consideration of the effect of the view; when we look out  through our eyes or back at ourselves. The view changes multiple times on any given day. Be careful of your subconscious for it is being shaped and manipulated every time you receive a transmission.What you see may not be what you are getting.

I truly wanted to show the male persuasion out there some love so what better way to support my fellow male hunter than to touch on the subject of….you got it…… sex. I thought what could I possibly be thinking to delve into the mind of men who hunt? I am sure hunters think the same thing of women who hunt. The catalyst for this little jaunt in the woodland brain of the hunter is the advertisement or transmission of erotic female images on continuous feeds. I suddenly visualized the Twilight Zone when the host tells you he controls the Vertical and the Horizontal. 

Of course, you are being conditioned but given the images I don’t see where men in general fight it, or see it as harmful or desensitizing. These advertisements are slowly worming their way into the hunter’s brain making the hunter sedated without much physical distress. Or does it?  Could this be ruining the hunter’s quality of life in large doses? Is it stealing the hunter’s potential happiness?  As a hunting humanitarian, my wish is for people to have a better quality of life through positive experiences, consciousness, and awareness.

Let us make an inspection of the male hunter by going down the wild hare rabbit hole.

William H Masters and Virginia E Johnson performed a series of studies where the four stages of physiological responses during sexual stimulation were found to be:

1.       Excitement aka arousal

2.       Plateau

3.       Orgasm

4.       Resolution

How could these four responses parallel the activities of a male hunter that goes out into the world to hunt? 

In the excitement phase you have the hunter deciding when, where, and building the anticipation of the hunting act. Most planned hunts or even weekend warriors wait several days or months with meticulous planning to go abroad to hunt wild game. There is probably more planning in this than a date or a wedding on the male hunter’s part. 

 The plateau phase overcomes the hunter when he settles into the stand or stalks over miles to find the prey where time is a waning factor. 

The next phase is the orgasmic phase. This phase is apparent when the hunter finally spots the stalked prey and lays the wild game over. 

The final episode is the resolution phase where the hunter breaks past the initial adrenaline and sets to the work of field dressing the wild game for its meat.

 The excitement phase deals with the area of the brain that causes physical and mental stimulation by viewing erotic images which ignites the male libido.  As men, hunters are riddled with different kinds of stress like fish slime but it’s the tension that is continuous when they log on to the internet. Before their eyes are people against hunting and photo-perfect pictures of eroticism. These visual erotic images cause a reaction in the body with brain chemicals to prepare a man’s body for intercourse after the initial arousal. The hunter sees with his eyes the erotically positioned woman then the image bounces off his eyeball walls and boing! He is dating himself, making a booty call, or hitting up the online chat roulette; some people love a surprise.

After looking at hours of these visual aids, the male hunter might be experiencing his own form of what people like to call self-inflicted dick tease.  This feeling is akin to shooting oneself in the foot. For most manly hunters the constant barrage of erotica is being posted by other men. In effect your libido may be controlled by another man? Somehow I feel like Carl Jung by saying, “How does that make you feel?”

Male hunters can experience a roller coaster of partial erections through the loss and gain of arousal.  This kind of sexual tension surely must be confusing to the male body and when there is no fulfillment must be a disappointment and betrayal of empty promises. Imagine if this is a man that does not have a special friend.

When you consider some lonely male hunter looking for sex, love, or just attention, erotic images could play a part in his own elation and deflation, emotionally and physically. I am not a man and just thinking about it is disheartening. It is enough to put you in a bad mood. Helen Singer Kaplan asserted that sexual responses in men were categorized as desire, excitement, and then orgasm. If the male hunter sees the pin up that breeds desire then excitement; some sort of fulfillment will ensue unless he is willing to be frustrated or place these tensions on another person. With these erotic female images there is no physical contact or interaction. It’s just a two-dimensional image that can’t love you back.

Another sexual explorer named Rosemary Basson thought closeness or even attachment to another partner increased the effectiveness of sexual stimulation. The head reel only works for so long after that the mental theater is closed for the night. Somehow the feeling male hunters are short changing themselves prevails. By depriving the male hunter of the desire for sex there is no interaction between the sensitive sexual response and environmental stimuli. The balloon goes flat and the hopes are dashed.

In moderate amounts that coincide with actual female sexual interaction, erotica can be very rewarding if not beneficial. If you consider the Ying-Yang of the person overdoing happy time this activity can knock the body out of balance with infections, low immunity, and irritability.

The potential problems to consider with flooding the male brain with female erotica is sexual dysfunction and compromising the male sexual being who should be a beast but turns into a sad, pitiful ,shadow of a man.

Over use of imagery to achieve erection and hunter happy time can lead to a negative self-image by isolating oneself from female attention or physical interaction. This is accompanied by feelings of inadequacy because of the failure to live up to the manly expectation of society. Sensationalizing female erotic images that skew reality through sex slave mentalities does not support normal relationships, especially if this is all the comparison you have for man-woman interactions. I exclude functioning relationships where sex slave activities are a natural part of the sexual relationship. This distortion of reality can lead the male hunter into treating real life women in less than noble ways. Damaging potential relationships through bad behaviors or mistreatment will limit your pool of sexual partners unless you have a day job and extra pay check to burn.  This permissive behavior can also rob the male hunter of strong fulfilling relationships that will stand the test of time. Considering this, I am sure that is not what your mommy taught you?

Enter boredom.

After a while the male hunter may not be as interested in the right woman when she comes along because he has been mentally disappointed by the fantasy girl that never existed in the first place. If he does attain the fantasy girl the relationship is somewhat empty because he didn’t see past the sexual relationship. If this sexual relationship is not diverse the question of it lasting once actual conversation and real life work begins could spell its death.

Depending on the male hunter, there could be an undermining of the respect the man has for the woman. The real woman’s personality could be cut away from her actual body and she’s nothing more than a product just like the women in the photo. The male hunter might become dissatisfied with his real life partner because consistent addiction and use of erotica in high doses can cause the male hunter to distance himself from his lover. The lover being intuitive will know something is wrong then confrontation ensues.

The growing trend on some Hunting pages is the development of sexism through high volume viewing of female erotica by male hunters. The material urges are gratified but the male hunters lack the ability to relate to a real breathing person, treats the real woman as a subordinate, or only uses her for gross entertainment before discarding.  At this point the male hunter is dehumanizing himself and the real life woman that could be his potential partner. This behavior makes him sexually undesirable to breed with or share a future.

If the male hunter is not isolated for long periods of time with a wake of bad relationships he might turn out okay. On the other hand after the male hunter has dehumanized himself he views women in terms of the disappointment by the fantasy girl once she rejects his advances. Real life women become gold diggers, mindless playmates, nymphos, humiliation addicts, and have dissatisfying bodies and low standards of physical beauty. Over a period of time the erotic energy of the male is drained, wasted, and punctures any possibly relationship with emptiness.

There is hope……I came across this passage and thought it applied.

“In the human body there are many centers, and each center changes the quality of the energy. Have you not seen every day that electricity can be changed into so many forms? Somewhere it becomes light, somewhere it runs the fan, somewhere it runs the motor. Just different mechanisms are needed for it and it can be used in millions of forms. In the human personality there exist many centers. The sex center is the lowest. When energy moves into that center, it becomes a generative force; you can give birth to a child. It is the lowest use of the sexual energy. If it starts moving a little higher, then different qualities start coming to it. When it comes to the heart center, it becomes love. And love gives you a totally different world.

A man whose energy is moving at the sex center can never know many things. If a woman passes by, he will only see the physical form. If your energy is moving at the heart center, when a woman passes by you will be able to see her subtle body-which is far superior, which is far more beautiful. If a woman passes by your side and your energy is moving at the heart center, you will be able to feel her heart, not only her body. And sometimes it happens that a beautiful heart can exist in a very homely body. And the contrary is also true; a very ugly heart can exist in a very beautiful body.

If you can only see the physical body you will be in trouble sooner or later-because a man does not live with a woman’s body; a man lives with the woman’s heart. Life is of the heart.” (Osho 254-55)

Written by W Harley Bloodworth

~Courtesy of the AOFH~

Literature Cited:

Osho. The Buddha Said....New York, NY: Sterling Publishing, 2009. Print, pg. 254-55.