The Final Word On Cheney’s Hunting Mishap

Alright, I know I promised a few days ago to talk about products I discovered at the SHOT Show from this past weekend…and I’ll eventually get to that riveting post.   I promise.   In the meantime, I feel a bit more inspired to discuss the Cheney hunting fiasco because it seems like an issue that is not quite finished in the news.   For me personally, I’ve gone from utter disgust when I first heard the news of the shooting…to later trying to analyze and explain what could possibly have gone wrong…and now finally to sitting back and listening to all the silly discourse that seems to be prevalent by pundits of every type.

In fact, I thought I had read it all until some astrologers finally got into the act.   That’s right, maybe if Dick and Harry had checked their astrological charts last Saturday they could have avoided all the embarrassing hoopla associated with the hunting incident.   Maybe this explains why Nancy Reagan used to always pay close attention to astrology when she was the First Lady with Ronnie in The White House.   Hmmm….

Consider this astrological explanation of the Cheney hunting accident as offered by The Llewellyn Journal:

“We already knew that the issues death and destruction have been recently prevalent in Cheney’s life. Astrologically we can identify this trend by looking at his 8th House solar arc / progressed Sun in Aries. Independent to the core, this Sun in the 8th speaks to the mental focus on issues of death.”

Okay, that’s as clear as mud.

“With the solar arc Moon exactly conjunct the Midheaven, Cheney no doubt faced an emotional situation when this accident occurred. With the solar arc Moon trining Neptune, he probably didn’t even realize what happened for several moments, and then had no sense of the urgency of the problem….”

Well, this explains the long delay in notifying the mainstream press.   Makes sense to me.

“…Cheney’s solar arc Moon is extremely close to conjuncting the Midheaven – this suggests that the Vice President allowed the emotional charge of flushing the bird to take over, and was not cautious about the positions of his hunting companions….”

See…the accident was destined to occur, I guess.

“Transiting Mars is also exactly conjunct the Midheaven. To quote Reinhold Ebertin, this placement indicates “failures caused through wrong arrangements or instructions, or through premature action, quarrels, or disputes.” No one suspects that a quarrel or dispute were involved in this incident. That leaves wrong arrangement or instructions. The hunters did not have their signals straight about how to maintain awareness of each others’ positions! Combined with the Moon, we find “a lack of deliberation or thought, strong emotional excitability….”

Don’t you just love predictions that are made after an event?

“…To top off the longer term aspects and the Mars to Midheaven transit, the transiting Moon was EXACTLY opposing Mr. Cheney’s Sun in the 6th House at the time of the shooting accident….”

Sometimes in life you just have everything working against you…even the stars.

“…I somehow doubt if Mr. Cheney will give adequate thought to an accident that could have been prevented. If he does, he may reconsider other decisions concerning weapons and their use. The American public is tired of war, and unlikely to accept another conflict any time soon. Perhaps Providence intervened with birdshot to prevent the loss of lives in continued conflicts around the world…if we are paying attention to the signs. If only….”

Aha, and what astrological assessment would be complete without a little political statement at the end to punctuate the underlying sentiments of the article?   Let me be so bold as to predict the author hates guns…hates hunting (killing)…and probably hates the current political culture in The White House.   Just call it a hunch!

© 2006 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

10 Questions For The Media

If you’re like me you haven’t been able to pick up the newspaper or watch TV these past few days without hearing or reading about someone with an opinion on the Cheney hunting accident.   I suppose such criticism and opinions are to be expected, but P-A-H-L-E-E-Z-E…will someone first give these reporters and news mongers a few critical lessons about our sport?   Their descriptions of the incident shows a hunting aptitude akin to me trying to describe the finer points of pairs figure skating at the Olympics.   Sure, I can tell the skaters lace on their skates…but aside from that I wouldn’t know the difference between a Toe Loop and a Lutz while being performed in front of my face.   More importantly, if I tried to hoodwink people into believing I knew what I was talking about…it would be blatantly obvious to any figure skating aficionado that I was pulling words directly from some orifice on my body.

Same holds true for the pundits and so-called experts trying to analyze the recent hunting mishap with Dick Cheney.   We can get caught up in the details of when news of the incident was first reported to the media…but to that I say what does it really matter?   How would notifying the media immediately of the occurrence have changed anything about the incident?   The nit-picking and dissecting the details of the day seem to overshadow the fact that one friend accidentally shot another friend while hunting.   Report the facts then let it go.

Here’s my big gripe about reading and hearing many of the accounts of this incident.   The folks discussing the incident often make themselves out to be some expert intimately familiar with the sport of hunting…when nothing could be further from the truth.

I’ve developed this little test to aid the media in determining if they have the skills necessary to report on anyone in a similar hunting situation.   I’ve even made it a simple test…true or false…so the wannabe experts can guess at the answers much like they do when writing their columns or shooting off their mouths.   A true sportsman will know the answer to the questions without the need for an answer key…but for those who are unsure, the answer for this test will be printed at the end.

Ten questions, here we go:

1.  Buckshot is the preferred load size when hunting quail or any upland game bird? (True or False)

2.  When quail flush into flight, the entire covey always flies in a predictable and coordinated pattern straight away from the shooter?  (True or False)

3.  A 28–gauge shotgun is bigger and more lethal than a 12–gauge shotgun?  (True or False)

4.  Hunting is one of the most dangerous sports a person can participate in because it involves the use of a gun.  (True or False)

5.  Everyone knows that alcohol is almost always the primary factor in most hunting-related accidents.  (True or False)

6.  When hunters wear blaze orange clothing this makes them easily seen no matter where the sun is positioned in the sky.  (True or False)

7.  Most hunters lack the proper training and knowledge necessary to safely carry and shoot a gun.  (True or False)

8.  From the precise moment a quail flushes from cover and until a shot must be made…the hunter has at least five seconds of critical judgment time before deciding to pull the trigger.  (True or False)

9.  Hunters routinely show-off and take chances when making shots at game because they feel macho enough to down a bird directly in front of their hunting partners.  (True or False)

10.  Most hunting experienced in America today is “canned” hunting on game refuges where the animals involved are placed there and given few chances to survive the hunter’s gun.  (True or False)

Okay, let’s correct your answers.   If you answered TRUE to any of the questions above…you need to go back to journalism school and polish up on checking your facts before shooting off your mouth or writing a biased story.   It might even be wise to brush up on your observation skills to report what you see and not what you want to believe is true.

Truth is, almost without exception, you can tell which reporters and writers have even the most basic experience with hunting…as well as those who don’t have a clue what the sport is truly all about.   Just like I wouldn’t place myself in a position to be embarrassed by commenting or writing about figure skating…I wish the vast majority of the media types who wrote or commented about Cheney’s misfortune had at least a foundational understanding of hunting.   Makes you wonder if every time these blow-hards comment on some other aspect of the news they really have taken the time to first learn about what they are purporting to be true.

© 2006 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Reflections On The 2006 SHOT Show

For those who are not familiar with the annual SHOT (Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade) Show it is the premier event for the hunting and shooting industry showcasing the entire universe of products soon to be available to the shooting sportsman.   It’s the main show each year where your local sporting goods dealer attends to find all the latest, greatest new gear that will be on the shelves later in the summer for next falls’ hunting season use.

SHOT06_1Since 1989 I have been fortunate to attend this industry-only event missing just two years when the location was simply not practical to attend.   It’s a fun show and offers lots of insight into the future world of hunting, but after walking nearly 13 miles of isles looking at hunting gear of every conceivable type…it sort of makes you wonder.   Is it possible that hunting has become too product oriented?   Is it possible that as we enter the 21st Century we rely more on hunting equipment for our success rather than pure predatory skills contained within the hunter?   I mean, let’s face it…when our fathers and grandfathers walked into the woods without their Mossy Oak or Realtree camo clothing lined with Gore-Tex…they were at a big disadvantage, right?

Maybe I’m getting a little too cynical in my old age…but it seems the older I get the more wary I become about the products that are supposed to make my hunt more comfortable, more successful…and even more safe.   The fact is, I find many of the products being offered up at the SHOT in recent years to be nothing more than gadgets most hunters could easily live without.   In fact, I do believe that some hunters look forward more to playing with their new hunting toys during an upcoming hunt than experiencing the joys of the hunt itself.   Believe me…this is true!!

The most recent SHOT Show held in Las Vegas offered few product surprises for me.   As with most attendees, I entered with a plan.   First stop would be the NEW PRODUCTS area where a sampling of the hunting wares from many of the vendors was nicely laid out for inspection.   In fact, during recent years this area has gotten so high-tech that show attendees are now given little OCR hand-held scanners which can be used to go around and look at the products.   See something you like…hold the scanner down and zap the bar code.   Move on to the next product…do the same.   At the end when you’ve inspected the entire offering of new products…a show attendee only has to turn in the scanner and a computer will down-load and printout a nice report detailing the specific product description and exactly how to find the booth number where this intriguing product can later be found (and ordered).

SHOT06_2

I always find the new product area interesting because it seems to showcase the cream of the crop.   I suspect, although this has never been confirmed, that a vendor must pay a fee to have their product featured in this area.   Why else would the nearly 1,800 exhibitors not place more products in this area?   Moreover, I also wonder what constitutes a “new product.”   I’ve seen one little LED light showcased now for the third consecutive year and I am perplexed to discover what feature is different about the light as compared to the previous year.

You see, the SHOT Show is all about marketing and the industry’s attempt to get you…the hunter…to purchase the product that keeps them in business.   If the local sporting goods dealer sees a product that they think will move off the shelf quickly…then its a sure bet and easy sale at the show.   Other products that might need some demonstration to market their utility value, could be a harder sell.   In many ways the SHOT Show is a forum for marketers with ideas to showcase their invention or new patented device.   Some might eventually stand the test of time…most others, I fear, will see limited hunter interest and will fade away from the market only to be replaced by some other aspiring new product in the years to come.

This year I walked the show knowing that with as many vendors as there was I could only spend on average 72 seconds of my time at any given booth or I would not see the entire show.   That’s right…so if I wandered into the Leupold booth, for instance, and spent 10 minutes looking over their new products…this was cutting into my time I could afford to spend at another booth.   As with any show this size…time management is the key to making the 4–day event pay off.

SHOT06_4As I walked the isles occasionally some vendors would read my name tag and engage me in conversation…but most simply sat on their hands waiting for me to first show some interest in their product before calling them into sales action.   As a career marketing professional, this lack of engagement with the potential customer never ceases to amaze me.   It’s almost as if the vendor thinks their product is so good and essential…that they are doing you a favor to spend their time talking about it.   I wonder how many hunting products simply die a slow death because they are in the hands of people who know little about how to effectively sell…this after the vendors have likely spent a minimum of $10,000 just to bring the product to the market at the show.

Granted, when you have a show booth and are competing against 1,800+ other exhibitors for attention it is no easy task.   The savvy marketers employ contests, provide giveaways, live product demonstrations, pretty girls who seem anxious to talk to the guys…or some other eye-grabbing tactic.

Each year I travel to the show with my good friend, Jeff, and most of the time we split up and attack the SHOT in our own way.   At the end of each day we compare notes as to what we saw…and it amazes me just how much we both miss even after walking by the same booths.   Did you see the new muzzleloading rifle scope that Nikon has?   Nope, but did you see the new 16–mile 2–way sportsman’s radio by Midland?   And so it goes.   So much to see…and so very little time to explore it all.SHOT06_3

The SHOT Show is truly a unique experience that I wish every sportsman could experience once in their lifetime.   The first time I see a new attendee walk into the convention hall and see the massive size…it just about makes your eyes bug out.   Imagine 15 football fields laid side by side…and that is roughly the amount of area that is taken up by hunting product displays.

Indeed, as far as I can tell the hunting industry as a whole appears to be quite healthy.   Our economy is slowly on the upswing, and that means that more hunters will likely have disposable income to spend on new gadgets and hunting equipment.   There’s no doubt about it…the SHOT Show is the hunter’s paradise and that is one of the big attractions for me year after year.

During the days to come I will highlight a few of the products I found at the recent show that appeared to me to have some unique value or special interest.   Keep in mind, however, that a product that captured my attention might not hold the same interest for another sportsman…but I guess that’s why there were 1,800+ booths all vying for our attention to display their wares.   Some products will make it…others won’t.   I’m going to showcase a few that seem reasonable to me that they might be included in your shopping list for next fall. 

© 2006 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.