Happy Halloween Everyone!

Happy Halloween. Enter if you DARE!

Happy 21st Birthday Victoria

My granddaughter, Victoria Leigh, who's nickname is "Spook", is 21 years old today. Here she is with her son Ian and my great grandson. Wishing Victoria a very Happy Birthday. I love you very much, Gran Gran! :)

Why They Carry Guns In AK...

This guy lives just outside of Soldotna.

Have I got a story for you guys!

King salmon season is over, and since I had a day off before silvers start, I thought I would go for a walk! This occurred at 11:16 a.m. this morning (Sunday), just 2/10 of a mile from my house, ON OUR ROAD while walking my dogs (trying to get in shape for hunting season, ironically!) For the record, this is in a ‘residential area’ - not back in the woods, no bow hunting, no stealth occurring...

I heard a twig snap, and looked back...full on charge - a huge brownie, ears back, head low and motoring full speed! Came with zero warning; no Woof, no popping of the teeth, no standing up, nothing like what you think or see on TV! It charged from less than 20 yards and was on me in about one-second! Totally surreal - I just started shooting in the general direction, and praise God that my second shot (or was it my third?) rolled him at 5 feet and he skidded to a stop 10 feet BEYOND where I was shooting from. I actually sidestepped him and fell over backwards on the last shot, and his momentum carried him to a stop past where I fired my first shot!

It was a prehistoric old boar - no teeth, no fat-weighed between 900-1000 lbs. and he took five men to DRAG it onto a tilt-bed trailer! Big bear - its paw measured out at about a 9 1/2 footer!

Never-ever-thought "it" would happen to me! It's always some other smuck, right? Well, no bull - I am still high on adrenaline, with my gut in a knot. Feels like I did 10000 crunches without stopping! Almost puked for an hour after, had the burps and couldn't even stand up as the troopers conducted their investigation! Totally wiped me out – can't even put that feeling into words, by far the most emotion I have ever felt at once!

No doubt that God was with me, as I brought my Ruger .454 Casull, (and some "hot" 350 grain solids), just for the heck of it, and managed to Draw and snap shoot (pointed, never even aimed!) from the hip! A total luck shot!

All I can say is Praise God for my safety and for my choosing to leave the wife and kids at home on this walk! Got a charter tomorrow, so I’m gonna TRY to get some sleep now! Talk to ya soon. Greg

Thought you might enjoy this amazing story of Greg in AK and was sent to me by my friend Dennis in Port Gibson, MS. Thanks Dennis!

Couple of Interesting Pictures

Theresa also sent me this cam picture taken from the J. P. Coleman State Park here in MS where a panther/couger has been attacking deer at the park. She said that they have been close a couple of times to shooting it.

Theresa, "t" on MySpace, who lives in northeast Mississippi, sent me this picture of her oldest son, Franz, who went geese hunting in Canada recently. She said that he goes every year to enjoy the sport in the great outdoors. My Congrats to Franz!

Cemetery Angels

This past Sunday, October 25th, Bob and I went out to the Cedar Hill City Cemetery to visit my son, William David's grave, who would have been 45 years old. He past away the next day to be with Our Lord - he had Hyaline Membrane Disease of the lungs. I had also taken my camera with me and decided to capture the little angels in the cemetery. Above are only a few that I took to share with you. I love taking close up pictures of statues either in the cemetery or in our Vicksburg National Military Park. It gives a different perspective.

Happy "40" Birthday Debi!

Today is my daughter, Debra Ann's, fortieth birthday. Debra is a mother of three children, sons Stephen 20, Michael 'Ethan', 15 and daughter, Lucy 12 years old. She is a very good mother and proud of her accomplishments. This makes three of my daughters in their 40's now. My youngest, Suzi will be there in a couple of years. Wishing Debi a very Happy Birthday. I love you very much, Mom! :)

Dave's Big Buck On Cam

Look what Dave saw on his cam!!

Hi all,
I got home from elk hunting in Colorado to find one nice deer in my north woods...From his shoulders I'm thinking he is 3-1/2 years old, and by his neck I'd say the rut is underway...My stealth cam took this on the 15th...Even though he has not shown up since, at least on my cameras, I am going to be gunnin for him, or in this case, bowing for him as soon as I get over this blasted flu that I managed to catch...Dave

Dear Heavenly Father, Please

help me to be the man my dog

thinks I am...Amen

D. Robert (Dave) Quick

Member: Christian Outdoor Fellowship of America

Member: Pilots 4 Christ
MY WEBSITE:HANDLOADING FOR HUNTING

MY DISCUSSION FORUM:HFH DISCUSSION FORUMS

Don't tell GOD how big your storm is.

Tell the storm how Big your GOD is!

Picture Published

My picture I took of a statue of Col. Thomas N. Waul was published yesterday in The Vicksburg Post. It was taken at the Texas monument and has a picturesque view of the Iowa monument on the south loop of the Vicksburg National Military Park. The rules to be published are that the photos should be current and of interest to the public, either because of their subject matter or their oddity, or the photographic skill shown. It's really nice to toot your own horn now and then! Charming, Just Charming!

Dave ~ After the Hunt

Steve and Annie Chapman

Hello CCC family and other friends,

Obviously, my first note after getting back reflected my often warped sense of humor but didn't tell much about the 2009 COFA elk hunt...

Exactly one year ago when I came home from the 2008 camp, I felt led to write my friend Steve Chapman and ask if he would ever be interested in coming... I recall his reply, which came quickly...

Steve simply replied, "I have friends who wouldn't forgive me if I came alone."

This year, camped at just over nine thousand nine hundred feet in the Uncompahgre Wilderness area of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, the Holy Spirit suddenly filled the old, worn cook-tent we worshiped in. Steve, guitar in hand, began singing the song "I want to finish well"... To some the tune was familiar, but to others it was new...

Tears filled my eyes as I listened to the words, and as the music flooded my being, I felt such a strong presence, as did most everyone there... From that moment on, the camp took on that theme as man after man shared their darkest rooms, now washed white by the precious blood. And, early on, one man gave his life to Christ...

Steve continued to bless the membership with his wit and Heaven-sent music and as time went on, made many new friends... I came away with a renewed sense of the Holy Spirit and yet another time of great fellowship with other hunters of like mind.

We also had the honor and privilege of watching as a young father spent time alone in the high mountains with his 14 year old son, and shared with the group very heart felt and private moments that he shared with his beloved son... The sixteen year old brother hunted the entire week with another man and he too came away with life experiences which will guide his steps throughout his entire life I'm sure...

Steve so graciously gave out two different CD's as well as a copy of one of his books, in this case, "A Look at Life From a Deer Stand." One of the CD's contains "Finish Well" as well as one of my old favorites, "Turn Your Hearts Toward Home."

Only one bear and one elk were harvested this year in our camp, but obviously, there was a much higher purpose and a much more important harvest...

This 2009 camp may be my last as my body didn't handle the mountains well and my knee and leg simply would not tolerate walking after a few days, but my dear church family, I now have a revived knowledge that I will indeed finish well...!!!

Sincerely, your brother in Christ. Dave

A picture I took one evening as the sun set...

Dave's camp

Dave's Home From Elk Hunt

The view from where I hunted.

The drive down from the high country. We camped at 10,000 feet in the Uncompahgre on the west slope.

Hello all...

So you will know, Dave's body was flown into Indianapolis International Airport, landing about 10:00 p.m. Thursday evening.

It then drove itself home to wife and Winnie. His neurological components are back ordered and due to arrive in two to three business days from Colorado.

In the interim, here are a few teasers from the elk hunt. Many more to follow.

D. Robert (Dave) Quick

Member: Christian Outdoor Fellowship of America

Member: Pilots 4 Christ
MY WEBSITE:HANDLOADING FOR HUNTING

MY DISCUSSION FORUM:HFH DISCUSSION FORUMS

Don't tell GOD how big your storm is.

Tell the storm how Big your GOD is!

Rare Bear Quints

I received these two pictures today from Steve, a friend of mine who lives in Maine, of bear quints taken back in 2007-08. Wanted to share them with you. Rare photos for sure!

Black bears typically have two cubs; rarely, one or three. In 2007, in northern New Hampshire, a black bear Sow gave birth to five healthy young. There were two or three reports of sows with as many as 4 cubs, but five was, and is, very extraordinary. I learned of them shortly after they emerged from their den and set myself a goal of photographing all five cubs with their mom - no matter how much time and effort was involved. I knew the trail they followed on a fairly regular basis, usually shortly before dark. After spending nearly four hours a day, seven days a week, for more than six weeks, I had that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and photographed them. I used the equivalent of a very fast film speed on my digital camera. The print is properly focused and well exposed, with all six bears posing as if they were in a studio for a family portrait.

I stayed in touch with other people who saw the bears during the summer and into the fall hunting season. All six bears continued to thrive. As time for hibernation approached, I found still more folks who had seen them, and everything remained OK. I stayed away from the bears as I was concerned that they might become habituated to me, or to people in general, and treat them as `approachable friends. This could easily become dangerous for both man and animal.

After Halloween, I received no further reports and could only hope the bears survived until they hibernated.

This spring, just before the snow disappeared, all six bears came out of their den and wandered all over the same familiar territory they trekked in the spring of 2007.

I saw them before mid-April and dreamed nightly of taking another family portrait, a highly improbable second once-in-a-lifetime photograph.

On 25 April 2008, I achieved my dream.

Shut Down

Search lights shine on the Interstate 20 bridge over the Mississippi River early this morning after three barges broke loose and the interstate span was closed until it could be inspected.

Inspectors look at the underside the Interstate 20 bridge over the Mississippi River Thursday morning. (Paul Ingram - For The Vicksburg Post)

Brian Mizell, a salesman headed to Fort Worth, Texas, sits in his lawn chair waiting for the Interstate 20 bridge in Vicksburg, Miss., to reopen. (Meredith Spencer-The Vicksburg Post)

I was awaken this morning by my radio announcing that barges had hit a pier on the Old Hwy 80 bridge and traffic was shut down east and west. Below is the story of the accident from our paper, The Vicksburg Post.

Interstate 20 traffic, snarled all week by maintenance on the four-lane Mississippi River Bridge, was brought to a halt for 2-1/2 hours this morning after two barges broke loose from a southbound tow at 6:16 a.m.

Closure of the only river crossing between Natchez and Greenville was standard due to the river emergency, even though there was no indication the bridge had been hit. A Louisiana Department of Transportation engineer must come to the scene and certify the bridge safe to cross. That was completed and the bridge was reopened to one lane of westbound traffic and one lane of eastbound traffic — around the maintenance project site — at 8:57 a.m.

“Traffic was backed up on I-20 to about the (Vicksburg) city limits near the U.S. 61 North exit,” said Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace shortly after the bridge reopened. “It’s moving slow now because of the congestion, but it’s moving.”

Vicksburg and Louisiana police initiated the closure around 6:30, Pace said. For several days, contractors have been working on a mid-bridge project that has taken inside lanes out of use. The project, scheduled to continue through the weekend and be completed Monday, has caused backups to build through the day every day this week. With traffic halted early today, lines could be expected to be longer than normal well into tonight.

Ergon Marine and the Warren County Sheriff’s Department responded to the initial loose barge report. The two barges broke free from the MV Susanna Griffin, owned by Grifco Transportation of Houston, and struck Pier 4 of the U.S. 80 bridge, which is upstream of the I-20 bridge, said Herman Smith, superintendent of the older bridge owned by Warren County.

Cameras monitor the area. “I looked at the videotape, but it was so dark I couldn’t see if they hit the I-20 bridge or not,” he said.

Rail traffic is the only traffic allowed on the old bridge and was suspended this morning across the U.S. 80 bridge, Smith said. That’s also standard practice, and rail traffic was expected to resume by this afternoon.

“We’ve already taken a preliminary look at the (U.S. 80) bridge and everything seems to be OK,” he said, adding Kansas City Southern inspectors arrived on the scene around 9:30 this morning.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, said Lt. Teresa Hatfield, U.S. Coast Guard supervisor of Marine Safety Detachment in Vicksburg. No restrictions have been put in place on river traffic as a result.

“It appears to be weather-related, but we’re not certain at this point,” said Hatfield of the cause. A light fog was visible on the river about that time.

“We did not close any portion of the river,” Hatfield said. “The barges are about one mile downriver from the bridges and are pushed up out of the navigation channel.”

No injuries were reported, and none of the fuel oil they were reported to contain has leaked, said Hatfield.

“Both of the barges are taking on water and they are in the process of pumping them out and moving them, but there is no product leaking into the river at this time,” Hatfield said around 9:30 a.m.

The last time the U.S. 80 bridge was struck by a barge was during the spring flood of 2008. Four barges slammed into the bridge in four separate incidents over a 12-day period beginning March 26, 2008. No structural damage was reported as a result of any of the collisions, and the I-20 bridge was not struck in any of the incidents.

River tows are composed of push boats with individual barges lashed together by cables. When cables break, the barges become free-floating. Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com

When A Photo Is Not Like A Photo

My cousin in Missouri sent me these pictures yesterday and thought it was worth posting.

No Excuses!

This is a picture of Jessie, Faye's dog who is a 12 year old cocker spaniel. At this point Jessie is looking at her. I had to take a lot of pictures just to get these two. She was bouncing all over the place. She has allergies and had to be clipped. She takes good care of her master since her husband died about 4 years ago.

I like this picture of Jessie even though it's a little blurry. Looks like a painting to me.

I took this picture of a spider on Faye's front porch while sipping wine and enjoying the afternoon. No deer came out but going home saw a lot of deer grazing on the side of a hill and two on side of the road.

We went to my daughter's sister-in-law, Faye's camp house/home in Claiborne County about 30 minutes from the house. She has 10 acres of land with her home tucked up in the woods. She sees a lot of deer around her home, plus a bear when it was being built about 12 years ago, snakes, skunks, etc. There is a bear crossing sign coming to her home on Hwy 61 South.

I save the political campaign signs...they make great targets!

My daughter, Kathy, shooting my .270. She will be hunting with me this season and I will use Bob's .270. We also have a .44 mag that I want to use to harvest a deer. Bob has harvested a deer with it and I want to try and see if I can do it also.

Siting in my .270.

Jamie siting in his .22 rifle and later his 30.6.

Bob, my daughter, Kathy and Jamie, her son-in-law, took off Sunday afternoon and headed down to Faye's camp house/home in Claiborne County. This was our first trip to Faye's and we really had a great time siting in our guns and visiting. Last deer season, while at the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club in the MS Delta, I missed two deer and only had 5 bullets. I was so upset over that and very embarrassed. I hope this season that I will do better. I don't want to lose my touch...not at this late date! After returning home, we went and sited in my gun again and went back up the the Christmas Place but only saw a spike. I did get to shoot a nice picture of a bobcat though. So, now my rife is dead on and I have no excuses, right Rex?

Holly's First Deer!!!!

My dear friend, Holly, (NorCal Cazadora), harvested her first deer shown in the picture above this past weekend. Holly lives in Northern California and is a recovering newspaper reporter and editor who now teaches journalism at her alma mater, Sacramento State. She went on her first hunt at age 41 and immediately fell in love with the honesty, grace and humility of acquiring food the hard way. You have to read her exciting hunting story and congratulate her on her first deer. I'm so proud of her! My congrats again Holly! Charming, Just Charming!