Well, I was really psyched by the offer from the folks at North Carolina Barbecue Company to send me the 2 types of NC Barbecue to try.Having BBQ flown across the country was a first for me, and I wasn’t disappointed.

The food was flown in a sturdy styrofoam cooler packed with dry ice. Meat was packaged “boil in a bag” style, as were the cornbread hushpuppies. Cole slaw was in typical coleslaw containers, sauce was bottled. Fixins were included for both regional styles of BBQ – Piedmont and Eastern. There was Piedmont meat, coleslaw and sauce; and the was Eastern meat, coleslaw and sauce. Everything was color-coded so you couldn’t mix them up. The box was packed with an informative pamphlet and thorough reheating instructions.

As mentioned, reheating was easy. Hushpuppies in the oven, meat was “boil in a bag”.

I really can’t thank the folks at The North Carolina Barbecue Company enough. This was probably the most fun and interesting review I have done to date, and the whole family weighed in on the debate! I prepared the sandwiches as described, meat, sauce and slaw on a bun. We each had a sandwich and some hushpuppies. My wife and daughter had a blast evaluating the two types – both were delicious. Sauce (referred to as dip) is very thin compared to conventional sauces, clear and vinegary. Piedmont styles had a bit more kick in sauce, meat and coleslaw. My wife and daughter gave the slight edge to the Eastern style; for me, it was practically a coin toss. I loved them both. The meat was savory, the sauce was tingly and adding slaw to the sandwich is a visionary touch.

This package we got was deceiving in regards to portions. We each got a sandwich Saturday night. We each got a sandwich Sunday night and I had enough leftover to take some to work on Monday. My co-workers loved the food as well.

We got the Small “Battle Box”, which features all the fixins for both styles. It retails for around $65. I need to say, this would make an awesome gift – either as a corporate gift, or for a family member that loves BBQ. They ship food all over the country. I highly recommend the food from The North Carolina Barbecue Company. Try it – you absolutely will not be disappointed!

In the run-up to my planned hunts this fall my friend Greg McBride and I have been getting up every Sunday morning and heading out early. We’re usually set up and ready to go by 5:30 AM.

In spite of the plentiful range time, the process has not been without its challenges. A lot of the bits and pieces of information will undoubtedly contribute on way or another, to the final story. One more week to shoot, and then it will be off to do the real thing.

Hoping to do a bear hunt with friend Ken in November, and then fill my Coues tag in December. January will bring some bowhunting for javelina and mulies.

Well, a lot of us feared this was coming, once the death of Macho B came to light. That event, along with other trail cam photos of jags, and reports from houndsmen in southern AZ all but assured that groups like the Center for Biological Diversity (link not provided, by design…) would capitalize on the situation to pressure the Feds and further their agenda.

Lo and behold, the Federal Government is now considering the protection of Jaguar habitat in southern Arizona. Yep. About 1300 square miles’ worth. Per the article at the link,

“The U.S. proposed Friday to designate about 1,309 square miles across Southern Arizona and a sliver of New Mexico as prime habitat that is essential for conservation of the endangered jaguar.

In its proposal, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that if the critical habitat designation is approved, the agency will need to evaluate the 4,400-acre mine project to determine if it will be likely to destroy or significantly damage the jaguar habitat.”

I’m very curious if the Feds (and CBD) have a plan to clean up and stifle the generation of border trash. This isn’t my political statement about illegal immigration. Rather, an observation that, frequently, the same folks crying about owls and jaguars are the ones “pooh-pooing” the problem of illegal immigration.

Convince me that tons of trash in our southern lands don’t affect jaguars, or any other critters for that matter. Really. Convince me.

Hypocrites…

Finally, a video for your perusal..

Political stance aside, the video is a great reference to see some of the damage. Yes, UDA traffic has decreased as the economy has faltered, but the problem is still occurring.

I’ve done a lot of reviews over on my smoking site, The Dry-Rubbed Rat, but none have been as exciting as the upcoming review on products from the North Carolina Barbecue Company. Thanks to Ryan Pitz, one of the company co-founders, I had a styrofoam cooler waiting for me when I got home yesterday. Barbecue goodness in the eastern NC style, and the Piedmont style, packed in dry ice and flown to my door. This is a first for me, and NC barbecue is a first. I can’t wait!

Here is a preview of my Saturday night supper:

More about NC Barbecue, from their website:

The North Carolina Barbecue Company was founded to deliver to doorsteps across the country the unique culinary culture of our great state. Our goal is to provide a true representation of the two distinct styles of North Carolina barbecue; the Piedmont (western style) and the Eastern style. There is a civil disagreement among barbecue purists in our state that has been percolating for well over a century, with no sign of resolve.

Our aim is to not pick a side in this epicurean battle, but merely present the argument. Not only have we produced an authentic Eastern and Piedmont BBQ, sauce, and slaw combination, we have found the best way to deliver it anywhere in the USA. Now when you need a real barbecue fix, it is only a click or a call away. No matter where you are.

Their prices are very reasonable, you may want to consider buying one of “Battle Boxes” as a unique, yummy gift that gets delivered anywhere in the country. Visit their Online Store

Some very helpful information here! ~DesertRat

Using Conditioned Aversive Stimuli in Dog Training

Article by Ethan Pippitt D.T. Systems Pro Staff Member

Keep things simple and consistent, and your dog will learn to stop unwanted behaviors. Even good-natured dogs that are eager to please will naturally do many things you don’t want them to do. As a dog owner and trainer, you can help your dog know what is expected of them by teaching simple and consistent cues.

In all dog training, consistency is key. In order to develop a consistent dog, you simply must be consistent.

Consistent Cues
It’s important to choose one cue for a behavior and stick with it. (Many trainers call these ‘commands,’ but at Standing Stone Kennels we prefer the term cue.) For example, if you are teaching your dog recall, and you expect them to learn that “come,” “here,” “come here,” “get over here,” or just pointing to your side all mean the same thing, you are not being consistent. Most likely, this will confuse your dog. Teaching dogs recall while using a single cue will help them learn the behavior more quickly, avoid confusion and set them on the path to success.
It’s easy to see that choosing one cue for a behavior makes training less confusing for your dog. This is equally true for discouraging unwanted behaviors. Using a conditioned aversive stimulus, and staying consistent with it, is our preferred method of discouraging undesired behaviors.

Dog owners seem to struggle the most with consistency when it comes to discouraging undesired behaviors. What tends to happen is dogs hear many different cues while they are exhibiting the unwanted behavior.
When they jump up on people, they hear, “down.” When they get into the garbage they hear, “hey, what are you doing?” When they’re caught on the couch they’re scolded with, “get off the couch.” More often than not, the only way the dog knows it’s in trouble is by picking up on the tone or inflection in our voice.
What works so much better is to use one consistent cue whenever dogs are exhibiting unwanted behavior.

Using Conditioned Aversive Stimuli
The use of conditioned aversive stimuli starts with a neutral stimulus, which can be a verbal warning or gesture. The neutral stimulus cue we use to get the dog’s attention is “ah-ah.”
The verbal cue “ah-ah” can be used in any situation where your dog is exhibiting unwanted behavior. It is simple to remember, easy to use, brief, and allows you to be consistent.

In the beginning, we have to teach our dog that “ah-ah” is aversive. We do this by pairing the neutral stimulus (“ah-ah”) with negative reinforcement. To accomplish this, we use the vibrate feature on our e-collars. Our model of choice is the DT Systems H2O 1820 collar, which offers the vibrate-only feature.

The vibrate feature is an extremely mild form of negative reinforcement. DT Systems vibrate feature is very effective because it actually uses two of the dog’s senses; your dog will be able to feel the vibration and also hear the buzzing of the collar when the vibration is used. You start, of course, by putting the collar on your dog. Then, while the dog is exhibiting an unwanted behavior, you press the vibrate button on the transmitter while saying, “ah-ah.” Keep pressing the button, so the vibration continues to be heard and felt by the dog, until the dog complies by discontinuing the undesired behavior.

For example, you catch the dog sniffing the counters looking for food or “counter surfing”: press the vibrate button while saying “ah-ah” and keep the button pressed until the dog stops counter surfing. Then release the button, so the vibration turns off. Your dog is learning how to turn off the collar by doing what you want.
Conditioned aversive stimulus training works very similarly to the process of clicker training. Just as the clicker is used to mark desired behaviors, “ah-ah” is used to mark undesired behaviors. Through consistent repetition, eventually “ah-ah” alone will become a conditioned aversive stimulus that can be used to communicate to your dog that surfing for food on the counter is not okay.

You now have the ability to communicate to your dog in all training situations. If you are working on place training and your dog leaves the place, you can say, “ah-ah,” letting the dog know what it’s doing is wrong. Then, help the dog get back to the place without having to say the place cue again.
Another example: if you are heeling your dog and it starts to pull, use “ah-ah” and the dog will know what it’s doing is wrong. This can also be used in the field. For pointing dogs that have been taught to ‘whoa,’ you can use “ah-ah” if a dog starts to ‘creep’ after going on point.

Using conditioned aversive stimuli, like “ah-ah,” allows you to be consistent while training your dog. It eliminates confusion for your dog by giving him fewer cues to understand. Developing and maintaining consistent training habits will allow you to produce a more obedient and cooperative dog in less time.

For more information visit us at www.standingstonekennels.com
Photo taken by Kat Pippitt
Photo: CAS Photo.jpg

OK, thanks to Kaley from Vice Media for sending me the video about RoboDeer. A couple of short videos about a taxidermist that makes robotic deer and other animals for law enforcement agencies.

Video 2 here

Moon Shine Attitude Attire™ Partners With Camoclad

Moon Shine Attitude Attire™ licenses camouflage to Camoclad

BEAVERTOWN, PA. – Moon Shine, LP, a premium designer of Moon Shine Attitude Attire™, announces that they have licensed Camoclad to offer their complete line of wrap kits in Muddy Girl® Camouflage, Harvest Moon Camouflage®, Outshine Camouflage®, and the new Wildfire Camouflage™.

“We are excited to license our patterns to Camoclad®,” stated Moon Shine, LP President Travis Mattern. “The majority of outdoor enthusiast are wanting more attitude in their camo. Camoclad® is America’s premier camo graphic system that offers everything from vehicle to boat wrap kits, so we are looking forward to a great partnership with Camoclad’s ability to distribute our expressive camo patterns nationally.”

Joe Warner, president and founder of CamoClad Inc. had this to say “We we’re always looking for new and exciting companies to work with in this industry and Moon Shine fits that perfectly. Moon Shines designs are vividly different from your traditional camouflage companies in that their patterns provide a much edgier style and color palette, while still retaining many of the components of modern, digital age camo like sticks and branches, leaves and trees, etc. Moon Shine camouflage patterns look great on vinyl, and we’re happy to be able to partner with them to produce their brand on our industry leading materials and revolutionary new products.

Warner states, Camoclad® is manufactured using premium 3M cast vinyl materials engineered for automotive and marine applications to produce camouflage kits and products with an industry leading 7 year durability rating and 4 year warranty against fading. Unlike competing vinyl products, Camoclads cast vinyl construction provides better print quality and materials free of edge lifting, peeling, cracking and pulling away. Product comes standard with a matte finish, making it ideal for adding a custom camouflage look to your vehicle or any other hunting and extreme sports equipment and hard goods. Our premium products are highly conformable and contain air release technology providing a simple, clean, bubble free installation. Our camouflage materials are removable when desired and won’t leave behind an adhesive residue.

The company offers complete kits to cover all make and model Trucks, Jeeps, SUV’s and RV’s, and more. Camoclad® is 100% manufactured in the U.S.A.

About Moon Shine, LP:
Moon Shine, LP is a cutting edge designer of quality brand name apparel that conveys the attitude and traditional values of every generation. From the hunters and farmers who live off our lands to the soldiers and patriots who protect it, Moon Shine Attitude Attire™ honors the essence of the American Legacy. For more information visit www.shineattire.com, or call 1.800.4.MOON.SHINE

About Camoclad:
CamoClad® Inc. is America’s premiere camouflage graphics system featuring camouflage patterns from Moon Shine Attitude Attire, Battle Ready™, Kloak®, Matthew’s Lost Camo®, Morning Wood®, Mothwing®, Natural Gear®, and True Timber®. Camoclad, Inc. is a full service manufacturer offering camouflage solutions and services to the hunting industry as well as camouflage application products. For more information about Camoclad visit their website at http://www.camoclad.com/index.php or call at 1-800-585-8550.

As hunters we should constantly be acting as ambassadors for our sport. There are enough knuckleheads out there that we need to be constantly spreading the word about all that is good in hunting.

Most of us focus on the obvious – the law-abiding ethical pursuit of game animals in an attempt to connect with nature and each other, while putting some darned healthy tablefare on our plates. One factor that is often lost however, even on hunters, is the economic impact of hunting, in particular to our own state. Arizona has an entity trumpeting those facts, Hunting Works for Arizona.

Check out the following, from their site:

HUNTING IS PART OF ARIZONA’S CULTURE
148,000 people hunt in Arizona each year.
Each Arizona hunter spends an average of $1,380 per year on trip-related expenses and gear.

HUNTING SUPPORTS ARIZONA’S ECONOMY
Hunters support 4,263 jobs in Arizona, more than many of the state’s largest employers.
The $211.5 million in annual spending by Arizona hunters equals nearly one third the cash receipts from cattle production, the state’s top agricultural commodity.
Hunting generates $107.5 million in salaries and wages.

HUNTING IS A KEY SOURCE OF TAX REVENUE
Arizona hunters annually pay $15.3 million in state taxes – this could pay 443 teachers’ salaries.
Hunting provides $15.3 million in Arizona sales, fuel and income taxes.

ARIZONA HUNTING: THE BOTTOM LINE
Hunting has a $429.3 million ripple effect on the state economy.
Statistics from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.

Konus has a great line of products. Terrific warranty program too. Look for some product reviews in the future! ~DesertRat

Zero in with Konus and Make the Shot that Counts

July 26, 2012 – Miami, FL – Big game hunting is just around the corner and as hunters prepare their rifles for the season, there is one name in optics that is fast becoming the choice of professionals: Konus. With an engraved reticle that will never break or misalign plus finger adjustments, audible clicks, positive stops, and more, Konus is one of the easiest scopes on the market to zero in. Match that with incredible affordability and you’ve got a riflescope that is sure to beat any scope in its category.

“I am continuously blown away by Konus optics,” says O’Neill Williams, Outdoorsman and Television Host of O’Neill Outside. “When you look through their riflescopes, you see quality craftsmanship combined with some of the most practical features a scope can carry at very affordable prices. No hunter should purchase a new scope for this season without considering Konus first.”

Every Konus scope now carries the Lifeline Warranty, an expedited remote replacement program designed to allow hunters to get live customer support and request a replacement Konus scope to be sent to their hotel, cabin or lodge via overnight shipping should they experience a problem with their riflescope, even if its their fault.

“You get every bit of your money’s worth and more with Konus,” says Chad Schearer, Outdoor Writer and Television Host of Shoot Straight TV. “And on top of everything that comes with a Konus scope, you also get the Lifeline Warranty, in which Konus will provide a replacement or reimbursement to hunters if something happens to their scope, even in the most unexpected of circumstances.”

Konus Recommends:
For the Fall/Winter 2012 season, Konus recommends the following scopes to top your rifle:
7255: 3X-10X44mm – Just picked as the #1 hunting scope in its category by a top industry magazine.
7272: 3X-10X44mm with dual illuminated etched reticle. The perfect scope for hunting in any lighting conditions.
7275: 3X-9X40mm with ballistic reticle. The newest edition to this series with accurate aiming points from 50 yards to 550 yards.
7281: 6X-25X44mm. The award winning M-30 riflescope with dual illuminated mil-dot reticle and a host of other features. Used by the NTOA (National Tactical Officers Association)

About Konus
For more than 30 years, Konus has provided customers with the highest quality European-designed products for their sporting needs, with special attention given to avid hunters and tactical shooters. Konus products range from riflescopes to spotting scopes and from electronic dot sights to binoculars (and more), with all KonusPro products warranted under a Limited Lifetime Replacement Warranty. Konus’ world headquarters are based in Verona, Italy, while KONUS USA headquarters are based in Miami, Florida. For more information, please call 305-262-5668 or visit www.konuspro.com

Now these look warm. Awhile back I had made a post about handwarmers or something. Some guy took it upon himself to become an online heckler, clearly not knowing much about Arizona. It gets cold here! Maybe not so much in central Arizona, but other spots certainly. American-made is a big plus, too. These warmers look cozy! ~DesertRat

Snuggle up with Alpaca Warmth

Salem, OR – Give Old Man Winter a run for his money this year with Snuggly Toes, alpaca foot warmers. Brought to you exclusively by Springtime Farms, Snuggly Toes are made from 100% alpaca fiber – a natural, naturally warm, and hypoallergenic fiber.

A Little About Snuggly Toes:

Snuggly Toes are a U.S. product. The alpaca fiber comes from Springtime Farms’ 34 resident alpacas, including Ethan, Glacial Mist and Painted Face (yes, they all have names). The fiber is spun into yarn at another small alpaca farm here in America.

The yarn is knit by Springtime Farms owner, Meredith Kuhl. The finished “blanket” is then felted into a thick, warm fabric. Snuggly Toes are cut from this fabric, in the shape of a foot. They fit into the bottom of any shoe which has a little wiggle room. The fabric will eventually squish some, but even then, the warming power stays.

Snuggly Toes are terrific for hiking or walking, even if you’re just walking around the house (they’re great in Crocs). Plain and simple, they keep your feet warm.

The foot warmers are available at www.SnugglyToes.com. They cost $39.95, with free shipping. Special sizes are available by e-mailing Meredith@SnugglyToes.com.

A Little About Alpacas:

Alpacas are very easy on the land. They have a pad, not a hoof, and they’re relatively light, so they’re easy on their environment. They are also just the sweetest animals. They give off a relaxed, gentle energy that is calming on many levels. Perhaps best of all, alpacas are not slaughtered in the U.S. Alpaca fiber is sheared from the animals once a year, so, except for their pride, the alpacas are not hurt.

A Little About Springtime Farms:

Springtime Farms is an American farm doing things the old fashioned way with some new technology. Much of the work is done by hand, including digging post holes, stacking hay and putting in the garden.

Water conservation, tree planting, food growth and limited driving are all part of Kuhl’s eco-friendly philosophy. Kuhl relishes meals made close to home, whether it’s fresh eggs and spinach from the farm, or soup made from vegetables bought at the farmer’s market. The fresh goat milk is a highlight.

The green seed was planted in Kuhl’s brain when she was a child. Her Grandma Kay buried coffee grounds in her rose garden and collected rain water to water her plants. Wasting food was not an option at Grandma’s house. Kuhl was lectured every time she didn’t finish her orange juice. “There are starving children in China,” Grandma Kay would say.

Then, a stint at the University of Puget Sound brought the seed to the surface. Kuhl thinks it was all the Birkenstocks.

Later, Kuhl traveled the country is an RV. That’s when the seed grew long, strong roots. She tasted fresh apples, just caught salmon and pure maple syrup. She knew she wanted a rural lifestyle where experiences like these would be everyday occurrences.

When she met alpacas, a passion and a new life were born.

Seventeen years after meeting Joel Kuhl in college, the two reconnected and tied the knot. This bon a fide city kid is, slowly but surely, adjusting to farm life.

Kuhl now works harder than she ever did in the corporate world (at MSNBC), but wouldn’t change a thing.

Meredith Kuhl
Owner/Farmer/Alpaca Love
Snuggly Toes by Springtime Farms
503-584-1242