Beef Jerky News

Gwen Connolly is looking forward to the day when her biggest worry as a parent on rainy days is that her children have an umbrella and boots.

The Antioch woman says teachers and staff at Antioch Charter Academy II have to constantly monitor the creek behind the school when it rains in case it overflows.

“The school has to be evacuated almost every year. It’s very chaotic and stressful on everyone,” she said.

Those soggy times in northwest Antioch may soon be over.

The East Contra Costa city recently was awarded a grant of nearly $3 million by the state — enough to allow it to finish closing a gap in the water channel that causes seasonal flooding around the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds area.

The other half of the nearly $6 million project is being funded by local drainage and assessment funds.

The state grant comes from a Department of Water Resources fund for flood prevention.

The project will improve water flow from West Antioch Creek to New York Slough by moving the water through additional concrete box culverts before it backs up, said Phil Harrington, the city’s capital improvements director.

The county’s flood control district made improvements to the stormwater system in 1993, but a gap was left near the area of 10th and O streets because of a lack of funding.

The extra culverts will help keep nearby little League Baseball fields open, building floors dry and quickly move standing water to the Delta before it can collect pollutants.

Among those who will be most relieved are tenants at Marina Creek Apartments.

When ominous dark clouds appear, apartment manager Judy Soppet said some of the residents of the 52-unit complex on O Street instinctively fill sandbags because the area is prone to flooding.

Early preparation has kept the complex relatively dry the past few years, she said.

“A lot of them ask why (the flooding) has not been taken care of,” Soppet said. “Hopefully, the city will do its job as quickly as possible, and the outcome will be positive.”

Though it has not received the state money yet, Antioch has started environmental study and design work, which should take about six to eight months to complete, Harrington said. he hopes the project will go out to bid early next year and construction will start by April 2013.

Paradise Skate owner Jeff Warrenburg is thrilled that the city received the grant.

Warrenburg has wanted to install a new maple floor in the skating rink since purchasing the property four years ago, but fears of floods kept that plan on hold.

“Water and wood don’t mix,” he said.

Instead, Warrenburg put in a skate court surface at the rink. A wood floor, which would attract skaters from long distances, would double business, he said.

“I was about to replace the skate court, but now I might hold off,” Warrenburg said.

Paradise Skate has been surrounded by about 18 inches of water during some heavy storms in recent years.

Measures were taken to keep the water out of the building, including sealing doors and sucking up excess water with vacuums.

Getting rid of the flooding, he said, “is going to make all the difference in the world.”

“To not have that stress will be tremendous. It’s been a long time coming. Our kids will be able to go to school like every other kid in Antioch,” she said.

Contact Paul Burgarino at 925-779-7164. Follow him at Twitter.com/paulburgarino.

<a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19749900tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19749900Mon, 16 Jan 2012 03:37:32 GMT”>Antioch receives $3 million grant to fix flooding

The first sentence in Kathleen Parker’s column today (Jan. 22, “The perils of projection”) tells us more about her than the subject, Newt Gingrich.

She expounds irately about Gingrich’s retort to a question in last Thursday’s debate from John King. she describes Gingrich’s response to that question as an attack on King. really? What selective distortion! What the speaker did, of course, was to respond and defend himself against a vicious ultra-liberal inside-the-Beltway propagandist, pretending to be a reporter.

That response (as we all saw) prompted an extraordinary reaction from the audience – a graphic example of the feeling of millions of people in the country, yearning to see someone finally deal with the leftist press effectively. It’s about time. Millions of us still wonder why Mr. King’s so-called reporting techniques were not in play with other recent presidents and presidential candidates by the media elitists.

For example, some questions that were never asked – and some still could and should be asked:

JFK: “Mr. President, the press corps is aware that Marilyn Monroe has often been seen sneaking into the White House late at night during times that Mrs. Kennedy has been out of town. would you care to comment about this?”

Sen. Barack Obama: “Senator, it’s a well-documented fact, even in your own writings, that you are not just an admirer, but actually a disciple of Saul Alinsky, an extreme left-wing radical statist. Comments?”

President Barack Obama: “Mr. President, if you are re-elected to a second term will you continue to bow down to royalty from the Middle East when you meet with them, and prostrate yourself in from of other world leaders?

“Also, what is the big secret about your education records and writings? You’ve kept them hidden from the public. Why? What are you hiding from the American people? What happened to transparency?”

Michelle Obama: “Mrs. Obama, many of our readers are interested in hearing your comments about the infamous `patient dumping’ that occurred when you and Valerie Jarrett were in business together in Chicago. Comments?”

Ad infinitum.

Moya and Jack Vander Woude

Redlands

<a href="http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/letters/ci_19808212tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/letters/ci_19808212Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:00:29 GMT”>Questions that are never asked

A “pent-up demand” to hunt wolves is driving plans for a fall hunt for the animal, several officials who support the plan said Thursday.

As of today, gray wolves are no longer federally endangered – or federally protected – in western great Lakes states, and Minnesota is wasting no time moving ahead with a hunting season.

“There’s been a pent-up enthusiasm, a pent-up demand to hunt wolves,” Ed Boggess, director of fish and wildlife for the Department of Natural Resources, told a panel of state lawmakers Thursday.

The phrase was echoed by lawmakers representing both the northwoods, where wolf populations are the highest in the state, and those hailing from rural northwestern agricultural areas, where farmers have previously had to call in the government to deal with instances of a wolf killing livestock.

The same words also were used by hunters and trappers who testified before lawmakers in the House and Senate.

“If we get a permit, we’ll get a wolf,” said a confident Wayne Thom, referring to himself and fellow veteran trapper Russ Sikkila. the two men can recall trapping wolves for government bounty before 1974, when wolves were added to the Endangered Species Act list and hunting and trapping were banned. “And yes, I’ll be applying for a permit,” Thom said.

The DNR has proposed issuing 6,000 permits via a lottery, with no more than 400 wolves being killed. the total statewide population is estimated to be around 3,000.

In the House committee on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy and Finance, no lawmaker spoke out against the plan. State Rep. David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake, supports a move pushed by deer hunters to allow the season to start while the popular deer firearms season is under way. the DNR proposes to start the wolf season after the firearms season is closed.

Howard Goldman, Minnesota Senior State Director of the Humane Society of the United States, said his organization is still examining the plan and considering whether to sue to have federal protections reinstated.

<a href="http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_19830576tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_19830576Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:27:13 GMT”>At the Capitol: ‘Pent-up demand’ cited for wolf hunt plan

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army plans to slash the number of combat brigades from 45 to as low as 32 in a broad restructuring of its fighting force aimed at cutting costs and reducing the service by about 80,000 soldiers, according to U.S. officials familiar with the plans.

How those plans could affect Fort Carson, though, isn’t immediately clear.

Officials said the sweeping changes will likely increase the size of each combat brigade — generally by adding another battalion — in an effort to ensure that those remaining brigades have the fighting capabilities they need when they go to war. A brigade is usually about 3,500 soldiers, but can be as large as 5,000 for the heavily armored units. A battalion is usually between 600-800 soldiers.

The move would likely cut the number of brigades to a pre-war level, when brigades had more troops, tanks and artillery.

Fort Carson is home to about 25,000 soldiers, with another 2,700 soldiers on the way as part of a helicopter aviation brigade slated to arrive in 2013.

Many of the current soldiers at Fort Carson are with the 4th Infantry Division, which houses four combat brigades. Prior to 2006, that infantry division had three brigades that were larger.

Gauging the plan’s effect on Fort Carson will be difficult before Thursday, when the Army announces its budget for fiscal year 2013, said Brian Binn, president of the military affairs division of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce.

Still, he said soldier levels at Fort Carson might not take a hit after the Army’s restructuring, should helicopter brigade arrive as planned.

“I think everything we’ve heard to date indicates the combat aviation brigade… is still on track and on very solid ground because of the high priority for that type of unit in the Army and the need for it to support the 4th Infantry Division,” Binn said.

The brigade restructuring is intended to save money without eroding the military’s ability to protect the country and wage war when needed. Army officials contend that while there would be fewer brigades, building them bigger will give them more capabilities and depth, and will reduce stress on the units.

They said specialty units, such as Army special operations forces, would not be affected by the cuts.

Reducing the overall number of brigades will also eliminate the need for the headquarters units that command and oversee them.

Officials acknowledged that merging battalions together into larger brigades could shift some soldiers to different bases across the country, although that effort could be stymied by members of Congress who don’t like to see the staffing decline at bases that feed the local economy. Officials said the Army will try to limit such shifts.

The cuts come as the Pentagon puts the finishing touches on its 2013 fiscal year budget, which must reflect about $260 billion in savings in its five-year plan. Congress has ordered the Defense Department to come up with a total of $487 billion over the next 10 years, and could face cuts of double that amount if Congress can’t reach an agreement to avoid automatic across-the-board reductions mandated by lawmakers last year.

Officials spoke about the budget plans on condition of anonymity because they have not yet been made public.

Military leaders, from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on down, insist they will come up with the budgets cuts without hurting the force’s effectiveness. In fact, many of the top Army leaders who have been putting the budget together were around when massive budget cuts after the Vietnam war left Army units badly undermanned and ill-equipped — leading to what they call a hollow force.

According to officials, plans call for the active duty Army to shrink from a high of about 570,000 soldiers to roughly 490,000 over the next decade or so. Initial cuts have been ongoing, and there are currently about 558,000 active duty soldiers in the Army.

Additionally, there are nearly 205,000 in the Army Reserve and close to 360,000 in the Army National Guard, the Army said Wednesday.

The Army plans to shed soldiers carefully, including through planned departures, separations for medical or behavioral problems, and by scaling back the number of people promoted or allowed to enlist and re-enlist.

One priority would be to make sure that the Army retains its mid-level officers, who routinely take up to 10 years to get to the rank of major or higher. Army leaders struggled through periods of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, using bonuses and other incentives to retain the mid-level officers they needed to command smaller units on the battlefield.

But Army officials also acknowledge that they will be forced to deny the reenlistment of many qualified soldiers, while also continuing to bring in quality recruits.

Gen. Raymond Odierno, chief of staff of the Army, has warned that cutting brigades was one way to cut the budget. And he said that shrinking the force will mean that the Army will no longer be able to handle two simultaneous conflicts — long a requirement for the U.S. military.

But the new military strategy mapped out by President Barack Obama and his defense team envisions a shift away from the hard-fought ground wars of Iraq and Afghanistan that relied on tens of thousands of troops to battle stubborn terrorists and insurgent groups. The future military, instead, will focus more on Asian security risks such as China and North Korea, and build on partnerships in the Middle East to keep an eye on Iran.

One major reduction, already announced by Panetta, will cut the number of Army brigades stationed in Europe from four to two. Other units would rotate in and out of the region as needed.

Currently there are three brigades in Germany and one in Vicenza, Italy, and that would change so that there would be one in Germany and one in Vicenza.

<a href="http://www.gazette.com/articles/combat-132329-cut-news.htmltag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.gazette.com/articles/combat-132329-cut-news.htmlThu, 26 Jan 2012 09:59:24 GMT”>Army to cut combat brigades, but Carson could still grow

PHOENIX –  An Arizona senator gets in a fight with his girlfriend on a Phoenix freeway and avoids arrest. An Arkansas legislator leads officers on a high-speed chase through two counties and doesn’t get taken into custody. A Georgia lawmaker claims he couldn’t be prosecuted on a DUI charge.

In each case, a little-known privilege called legislative immunity that prevents the arrests of legislators while they are in session came into play.

The issue is getting a closer look in Arizona this year after a lawmaker introduced a resolution seeking to amend the state Constitution to delete wording barring the arrest of legislators during, and 15 days before, legislative sessions. like those in many other states, Arizona’s legislative immunity protects legislators from arrest except for “treason, felony or breach of the peace.”

Then-Sen. Scott Bundgaard became a part of the debate after he was involved in a domestic violence incident on a Phoenix freeway last year. He and his girlfriend at the time pulled off to the side of the road after an argument while returning home from a Dancing with the Stars-type competition. the ensuring fight left both with cuts and bruises.

Police showed up and put Bundgaard in handcuffs. Officers testified that he identified himself as a legislator, cited the constitutional provision and demanded that they remove handcuffs, even though Bundgaard denies invoking legislative immunity.

Bundgaard was allowed to go home that night without being arrested, but his girlfriend spent the night in jail. Bundgaard was later prosecuted and ended up pleading no-contest to a misdemeanor charge, and the Peoria Republican eventually was ousted as Senate majority leader and quit the Legislature.

The girlfriend was not prosecuted after she was deemed the victim in Bundgaard’s criminal case. Bundgaard would have been arrested on possible domestic violence charges and suspicion of DUI on the night of the incident if not for the immunity law, the sergeant and an officer testified.

State Sen. Steve Gallardo introduced the legislation to change the Constitution because he believes it’s an unfair and outdated protection afforded lawmakers.

“The question is should legislators have a get-out-of-jail free card. That’s exactly what it is. And I really think voters would come out and say no — they should not have this card,” said Gallardo, a Phoenix Democrat. “We should be living by the laws that we pass.”

The National Conference of State Legislatures says most states have similar legislative immunity provisions in their constitutions. Members of Congress technically have the protection as well, but it has been so narrowly interpreted by the courts that U.S. lawmakers gain no real benefit from it.

Experts say legislative immunity, along with related protections for legislative speech and debate, has its roots in the 16th and 17th centuries, when English monarchs frequently feuded with lawmakers.

“In essence this is a form of separation of powers, since it is the executive that has the power to arrest and prosecute,” said Toni McClory, author of a textbook on the Arizona Constitution.

It’s not known how many times legislative immunity is invoked, but the provision occasionally makes headlines.

Legislative immunity was in the news in Arizona two years ago when a newspaper reported that Gov. Jan Brewer was briefly detained — and handcuffed — by state police after a freeway accident in 1988 when she was a legislator.

Officers thought Brewer was under the influence of alcohol, but they decided that legislative immunity prohibited an arrest. Brewer denied being under the influence the night of the accident.

She didn’t invoke the privilege but an officer determined she was a senator by noticing an identification placard on the floor of her car, a police report said.

An Arkansas sheriff’s deputy last year mistakenly thought legislative immunity meant he couldn’t arrest a speeding legislator who led officers on a high-speed chase through two counties. the lawmaker was let go with a scolding but later charged and convicted of fleeing, careless driving and improper passing. He’s appealing.

There was talk in 2005 of amending the Georgia Constitution to repeal legislative immunity after a lawmaker tried unsuccessfully to use it in a DUI case, but the provision remains law in the Peach State.

The related protection for legislative speech figured in a 1997 court ruling that a Kansas legislator couldn’t be prosecuted on a blackmail charge stemming from a threat to another lawmaker. the conduct involved was “possibly criminal and clearly unethical,” but was protected as legislative speech, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled.

Given changes in society since Arizona and other states adopted their immunity provisions a century or two ago, it could be time to consider changes, said George Anagnost, an Arizona judge who writes on constitution topics.

But with the contentiousness in politics today, the immunity may not have outlived its usefulness, Anagnost said. “It makes sense to have these safeguards.”

Some Arizona legislators agree.

Sen. Ron Gould, a Bundgaard critic who chaired his ethics proceeding, said he can envision the possibility of a rogue law enforcement officer harassing a legislator to stop him from traveling to the Capitol to vote on legislation on a controversial topic such as public employee benefits.

Better to keep legislative immunity on the books but hold lawmakers accountable through ethics proceedings if they abuse it, the Lake Havasu City Republican said.

Gallardo’s resolution has been assigned to a Senate committee whose chairman is noncommittal about giving it a hearing.

“Any time you have a kneejerk reaction to one instance you run the risk of making a mistake, and I think that’s what is happening here. It’s a kneejerk reaction to the Bundgaard situation,” said Sen. Rick Murphy, R-Peoria.

Gallardo said he’s certain voters would approve his proposal if it reaches the November ballot. And chances for that are good with current scrutiny of legislative ethics because of Bundgaard’s case and disclosures of Fiesta Bowl freebie trips and game tickets given legislators, he said.

“When you start looking overall at the role of the legislator(s) and what they’re allowed and they’re not allowed, all of that is going to be looked at this year, and I think immunity should be at the top of the list,” he said.

AP reporters Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Ark., John Hanna in Topeka, Kan., and Kristen Wyatt in Denver contributed.

<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/21/repeal-legislative-immunity-proposed-in-arizona/tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/21/repeal-legislative-immunity-proposed-in-arizona/Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:19:22 GMT”>Repeal of legislative immunity proposed in Arizona

I’ve come across plenty of good stuff today, all worthy of at least a mention here. hopefully these can get you through the rest of your working day.

Phil Hughes, then and now

Friend of RAB Jay Jaffe, in his new digs at Pinstriped Bible, takes a look at the difference between Phil Hughes‘s first 13 starts and his last eight. There are some pretty stark differences, especially in his strikeout and home run numbers. he also digs into some PitchFX data, a conversation that continued on Twitter later in the afternoon. Harry Pavlidis supplied some stats on his cutter. I’d click through the entire feed to see the other stuff he came up with.

The upshot: Hughes has allowed just one home run on his curveball all year.

The other side of the Gardner argument

Yesterday Ben wrote an article about Brett Gardner and what his slump means for the Yankees’ off-season. It’s always suspect when a player exceeds all expectations for a good portion of a season, so when Gardner slumped I understood the concern. At Pending Pinstripes, Greg Fertel takes a look at the argument from the other side, noting that as long as Brett turns around to average production from here on out he’ll serve as a quality outfielder next year, allowing the Yanks to spend potential Carl Crawford money elsewhere. say, on a pitcher like…

The market for Cliff Lee

At TYU, Stephen R., an excellent mid-season addition to the site, exhaustively examines Lee’s possible landing points. to him it comes down to three primary contenders: the Yanks, the Dodgers, and the Rangers. Given the state of baseball and how each team is currently constructed, I like the Yanks’ chances in this one. It’s tough not to.

Jack Curry on Mariano Rivera

Perhaps the best off-season addition for the Yankees didn’t come on the field, but instead on their broadcast crew. Jack Curry has been wonderful in his new role. he even, from time to time, dusts off the writing chops he employed at the new York Times. this time he’s written about Mo and his ability to shake the pressure and do what he does.

Does pitching really win championships?

We know the old adage, and we’ve seen it at work plenty of times. but at ESPN (insider only, unfortunately), FanGraphs’ Jack Moore examines the past five years of playoff data and tries to determine if it actually holds true. Better pitching does give a team an advantage, but it might not be as great as you think. There are plenty of other factors that go into building a championship team.

<a href="http://riveraveblues.com/2012/01/posada-to-announce-retirement-on-tuesday-62689/tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://riveraveblues.com/2012/01/posada-to-announce-retirement-on-tuesday-62689/Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:50:45 GMT”>Link Brigade: Hughes, Gardner, Cliff Lee, Mo, Pitching

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Last time we asked you: Do you believe There Is A Drug Problem Locally? 81% of people responding said Yes, they believe there is a problem, while 11% believe that there isn’t. 8% said they are unsure if there is or isn’t a problem in the area with drugs.

This week we turn our attention to Superbowl XLVI and the upcoming game between the new England Patriots and the new York Giants. Oskaloosa native, former Indian and Iowa Hawkeye, Tyler Sash will be making his first appearance in the big game for the Giants. our question for you is: will you be Rooting For the NY Giants & Tyler Sash at Superbowl XLVI?

Now, it’s your turn to decide. Vote in our online poll. the poll will be open until Sunday when we will close the poll and release the final voting results. if you have any questions, please e-mail us at info@oskynews.org or visit us on our Facebook Page. We would also like to remind you to vote in our Presidential preference poll on our Facebook Page.

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<a href="http://oskynews.org/?p=38573tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://oskynews.org/?p=38573Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:36:37 GMT”>Question Of The Week: Will You Be Rooting For The NY Giants & Tyler Sash At Superbowl XLVI?

In yet another tragic major mishap in Haryana, nine people including five children died in a car-truck collision, in Fatehabad district, on Monday.

All the occupants of the car, died on the spot. This is the fifth major road mishap in Haryana, this month.

According to the police, the car was overtaking another vehicle when it rammed head-on into the oncoming truck. The truck driver was detained by the police for questioning.

The mishap took place at about 730 am on national highway 10 (Fatehabad-Sirsa) road, when the Hyundai Verna car rammed into the oncoming truck. All the deceased were identified as members of one family, including two men, two women and five children – all travelling in the car.

The preliminary investigations conducted by the police revealed that the Verna’s driver was driving the vehicle at breakneck speed, which led to the mishap. The police and passersby took more than an hour to extricate the badly bruised bodies from the mangles of the car. Traffic got disrupted on the highway for over an hour, till the police cleared both the vehicles off the highway.

“there was no fog in the morning, so cause of accident due to fog is ruled out. The eye eyewitnesses mention that the driver of the car was driving it very rash and in an attempt to overtake anther vehicle rammed into the oncoming truck. All the occupants of the car are dead. We are yet investigating the matter. The first priority was the accident scene management, which shall now be followed by the factors which led to this mishap”, said Satender Kumar Gupta, Superintendent of Police, Fatehabad.

Reader’s Comments | Post a comment

<a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/another-tragic-mishap-in-haryana;-5-children-killed/902984/tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/another-tragic-mishap-in-haryana;-5-children-killed/902984/Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:05:23 GMT”>Another tragic mishap in Haryana; 5 children killed

It is a phrase that stops conversation in its tracks, puts all senses on alert and starts the adrenaline flowing.

The quail hunter who hears, “we got one on point,” is the equivalent of the Daytona 500 fan who hears, “Gentlemen, start your engines!”

It is that moment a trained dog, running freely, never slowing and always sniffing abruptly freezes, its tail straight out and, on a good point, a front foot in the air, his nose pointed at the prey.

If a good shot follows you might remember it but over time it is the working of the dogs and the fellowship of the hunt that remains.

That was my experience a week ago after I was invited on a quail hunt at Hard Labor Creek Plantation by Ted Everett, who owns the 2,600-acre hunting and fishing preserve south of Chipley. he hosts Bobwhite Quail hunts, fishing, other activities like an annual dirt-bike race.

Though an avid deer, turkey and duck hunter, I didn’t know much about quail, had never hunted them and wasn’t ecstatic about the invite. But Everett’s enthusiasm was contagious even if I didn’t understand what he was so worked up about when we first talked.

“We’ve got Dez Young, you know about Dez, right?” Everett said. “His dog Hank had his own show, the first dog to ever have his own show, ‘Hunting with Hank,’ you’ve heard of it, right?”

I hadn’t. I learned that Hank was a Llewellin Setter who did in fact have a hunting show with Dez Young that ran for six seasons, that Hank is in the National Bird Dog Museum Hall of Fame and that he died in 2004 but his Dash carried on the tradition.

And it was Dash, Everett told me, that we would be “hunting over.”

It still didn’t resonate as being the treat it would turn out to be. But every time I mentioned my upcoming trip with my older hunting buddies, I was educated.

“I’m going on a quail hunting trip with this guy who had a dog named Hank that had its own show and he’s bringing Hank’s son,” I told my friend Allen.

“what? I remember that show. Hank’s dead you idiot, what are you talking about?”

I explained about Dash. “You’re still an idiot, but a lucky one,” Allen said.

So a week ago Friday I showed up with a borrowed Remington 1187 semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun (Allen said showing up with my pump 870 would be an “embarrassment”), two boxes of shells and a knot in my stomach the size of a quail I was sure I’d shoot at and miss.

Everett greeted me first (actually he drove out and found me after I got lost) and he had Young riding with him.

Young hopped out of Ted’s truck, introduced himself and asked if he could ride with me back to the barn, the first sign of why he is so respected in his field. he began unknowingly teaching me why they call quail hunting a “gentleman’s sport.” he didn’t talk about himself, he talked about his dogs. he asked about me and my son. he told a joke. we didn’t talk about killing birds.

It was more of the same at the barn where we loaded up. on this day I was joining Bob Hasiuk, who traveled from Clemson, S.C. for a quail hunt.

“really?” I asked. “is it really worth that?”

“I’ve hunted with Dez before and I wasn’t passing up a chance to do it again,” he said.

Hasiuk and I chatted but didn’t get deep into financial matters. My impression was that he wasn’t some independently wealthy guy who can afford to travel the world chasing famous hunters. if I remember correctly, he’s semi-retired and moved to Clemson, S.C., to be near his daughter who is attending school there, apparently because the University of Georgia was full  (college joke). he works part-time at a golf course there, which allows him free golf. and if I understood correctly he’s been saving that part-time job money for this trip.

We set out riding on a small trailer that carried Dash and the other dogs we’d be working with that day and arrived in the quail hunting area. Controlled burns helped nurture the right vegetation for quail — high alfalfa-like plants, undergrowth and bushes interspersed between planted pines in some sections.

Jerry Strickland was our guide, mixing his knowledge of the sport with plenty of humor and good-natured ribbing.

Dash was released and followed Young’s commands, working the area in a grid-like fashion while we followed behind, talking about family, hunting, the weather, and the tips I would need to survive the day as a novice quail hunter.

They really only had two instructions for me: Don’t shoot any person or any dog. we walked in a loose line and it wasn’t long before Young called out the magic words: “He’s on point!”

It is a beautiful sight if you can appreciate the work that goes into a good bird dog. Dash was nearly frozen, the only movement being the quiver of excitement coursing through him as he fought the instinct to pounce and flush.

We moved in, side by side — I took the left and Hasiuk the right — and walked up to and then past Dash until we “flushed” the quail. as feared, it flew in my direction and I missed.

No one cared. as we moved along Young worked his way over to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

“Caz,” he said quietly, “I noticed you approached with your barrel low and you put the gun too high on your shoulder. You always want to walk in with the tip of the barrel right below eye level — it’s a natural flow from there to your shot — and put the butt of the gun lower on your shoulder. Your reaction time was great, try that.”

On the next flush I followed his instruction and walked toward Dash, the bird again busted low and to my left and I fired, knocking down my first Bobwhite Quail, a beautiful male that will join my wood duck, green-wing teal and bucks in our hunting room. (see video online at newsherald.com)

We walked and talked for hours and shot our share of quail and missed our share, too. we took as much pride in the shots we DIDN’T take — the ones where the bird was too low near the dogs, or flying toward someone — as the ones we did.

We took quail close, we knocked some down at a distance. Young took some turns, hitting just about everything he shot at.

But what he really reinforced for me is the bond between a good man and a good dog. My chocolate lab, Jordan, is a trained duck and dove dog but first he’s our family pet, and so it is with Young and Dash.

He carried water for Dash, taking breaks when needed, and spent time tending to his paws to make sure they weren’t getting roughed up in the thorny undergrowth.

I could see why Young is known for not just his ability to train a dog but his likeability, his attitude, his treatment of his dogs as partners and pets, not equipment. one of the most popular segments of his show was his satirical take on spoiled dogs.

“on each episode I’d have a part where I’d warn people to never, ever spoil their bird dog,” Young said. “It started as kind of ribbing dog trainers who think you have to keep your dog in a kennel and only get it out to train or hunt. we treat our dogs like family.”

Later in the morning as Dash tired, Strickland brought out three of his dogs, two short-haired and a Llewellin Setter, and I learned even more. when one dog went on “point” and froze, the other dogs running around would see that and would also freeze. I thought all three dogs had found quail, but Strickland explained the second and third dogs were “honoring the point” of the first dog, stopping so as not to flush the quail too soon.

“That’s what they’re trained to do,” Strickland said. “It’s something, isn’t it? the self-control?”

 Those kinds of conversations carried the day. Within a week of the hunt Young had contacted me twice to check in and Hasiuk had sent me a hand-written letter saying how much he enjoyed hunting with me and included a DVD with pictures and video he took of us during the hunt.

That speaks of a sport of gentleman as much as anything, and I’m an official convert.

<a href="http://www.newsherald.com/articles/quail-99850-hears-holy.htmltag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.newsherald.com/articles/quail-99850-hears-holy.htmlSun, 22 Jan 2012 04:46:47 GMT”>Hunt for the holy quail

(01-21) 12:02 PST LEBEC, Calif. (AP) –

Tejon Ranch, a huge spread of private land in the mountains north of Los Angeles, has announced it will suspend its pricey hunting operations after a state investigation found mountain lions were illegally killed there.

The historic 422-acre ranch said on its website that hunting operations, in which trophy hunters pay more than $10,000 to shoot elk, will be suspended starting Jan. 30, and no new membership applications will be accepted. the shutdown was likely to last a few months, the website said.

Tejon Ranch co. chief executive Robert Stine said the suspension came after ranch officials learned the outcome of an investigation conducted for much of last year by the California Department of Fish and Game.

“I was appalled and outraged when I learned the results of the investigation,” Stine said in a statement released Friday. “Tejon Ranch did not then, and certainly does not now, condone such activity, and we sincerely regret that such activity took place on our ranch. accordingly, we are taking every step necessary to ensure it won’t happen again.”

It is not clear how many mountain lions were killed, and government officials have not commented on the findings.

Fish and Game officials gave the results of their investigation to Kern County prosecutors, who have not said whether they plan to pursue charges.

The probe was brought on by a wrongful termination lawsuit filed in May by former ranch hunting guide Bron Sanders, who worked for the ranch for five years but said he was fired in December 2010 for complaining about the killings.

Tejon Ranch managers gave hunting guides perks for shooting mountain lions and even asked customers to shoot them, Sanders’ claim said. Guides who killed mountain lions were instructed to say that they feared for their lives, the lawsuit said.

Barry Zoeller, the ranch’s vice president of corporate communications and marketing, told the Bakersfield Californian at the time that the ranch had conducted an internal investigation and found that Sanders’ allegations were “ridiculous and untrue.”

California voters gave mountain lions protected status in 1991. killing them without a state-issued permit is a misdemeanor punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.

Lebec-based Tejon is a publicly traded agribusiness and real estate development company. Visitors pay top dollar to hunt elk, antelope, deer, wild turkeys, bears and other game on its 270,000-acre property.

<a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/01/21/state/n100206S83.DTL&tsp=1tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/01/21/state/n100206S83.DTL”>Ranch suspends hunting after mountain lion deaths