Sunday August 1, 2021, will be the beginning of squirrel season in Illinois. This will kick off the Fall hunting seasons. There are those who turn their nose up at eating squirrel but they have never had these little bushy-tails well prepared. They are delicious. Once when I was hunting with my wife’s uncle who was an avid squirrel hunter, I brought three bushy tails home. That night we were having friends over for dinner. I carefully prepared the squirrels, boned them, diced up the meat and put it on top of a pizza. While we were eating dinner, our friends commented on how good the pizza was. When I told them that I put squirrel meat on as a topping, they stopped eating the pizza. It’s the thought that counts.
For those hunters who have not gotten their FOID card renewed, you need not worry about being stopped by the Conservation Police, it does not matter. Make sure you have your Illinois Hunting License because that does matter.
When squirrel season comes along, I always think of my friend Otis McDonald. I first met Otis McDonald in the cafeteria of the Stratton Building at the Capitol in Springfield. It was during one of our early Lobby Days. Otis was worried because the City of Chicago would not let him register his squirrel rifle. It was required by the city but they wouldn’t do it. If he got caught, it would cost him his Second Amendment rights. It was one of those little games anti-gunners play. Well, we all know how that turned out. When we passed concealed carry, the Chicago gun registration scheme went right down the toilet.
Think about Otis McDonald and never let him slip from our memories. And just for fun, next time you see one of those little bushy tails bouncing through your yard or scurrying up a tree, remember how they helped defeat the mighty City of Chicago.
Hats off to South Jacksonville, Illinois, for celebrating the 4th of July by becoming a 2A Sanctuary village. Mayor Tyson Manke signed the order 01-2021 not only declaring South Jacksonville a 2A Sanctuary, but also forbidding the use of local tax money to confiscate firearms. Good going Mayor and South Jacksonville.
The Chicago Tribune reports that the number of FOID card applications in so-called safe suburbs are on the rise. All but the naivest realize there is no such thing as a safe suburb, city, village or town. Patricia and Mark McCloskey are prime examples. Now, in some places, if you call 911, they ask you to leave your number and they will call you back. There is an old saying, “the police will arrive in time to chalk the line”. Nothing against the police, it’s just a fact. Defunding police departments, lack of support of police by elected officials, no bail laws and soft on crime judges all add to the storm. I am actually surprised that some sort of neighborhood militia hasn’t been formed in some places.
The anti-gun side always put some sort of negative spin on gun ownership. They point out that there have been accidental shootings of children from firearms that were carelessly left around some places. They never point out that these occur in homes that are occupied by people who are not eligible to own a gun.
The National Rifle and Pistol Championships have started. The ISRA has teams as well as individual competitors at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, where the NRA Smallbore Matches are being held. The ISRA has its first senior Smallbore Team in quite a while. I went to Camp Atterbury to see the new Smallbore range and the new pistol ranges. I must say, they are beautiful and they are covered. Are they perfect? No, but they are close. Shooting pistol off a nice concrete pad should help scores. Some of us that shot many years at Camp Perry are a bit nostalgic but things change. It is the way of the world and always has been.
On the legal front, ISRA cases are still waiting but that is not true nationality. In the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (Richmond, Virginia), Judge Julius Richardson has ruled constitutional rights are vested at age 18. The case stems from 19-year-old Natalia Marshall’s attempt to purchase a handgun for self-defense. Marshall had been forced to get a protective order against her ex-boyfriend. She was denied the handgun, although she was otherwise qualified, because she was not 21. Illinois has a similar law. Moreover, in Illinois, those 18 to 20-year-old people cannot get the required FOID card on their own until they are 21.
There are many people between 18 and 21 who can’t get a FOID card because their parents are deceased, ineligible, live out of state or simply won’t sign for the FOID card. The same is true of Illinois Concealed Carry Licenses. This is a clear denial of their constitutional rights. This case will go before the Supreme Court of the United States. There are other cases in other states that are in a similar vein. Don’t be surprised to see a case here in Illinois soon.
Ammo Quest:
Reports have been coming in around the state concerning ammo availability and pricing at local stores. One of our members picked up several boxes of brass cased CCI 9mm for $16.99. The limit was six boxes. This was from one of the “farm stores” around the state. For 45 ACP it was $24.99. Much better than I was able to find online although online prices did creep lower at 37 cents a round for steel case 9MM ammo. Rifle ammunition like .223 steel case remained at 47 cents a round online.
Camp Perry, Ohio hosted the National Matches and the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) July 13 – August 1, 2021. SAFS’s are a long tradition at the National Matches starting in 1918. Originally, they were for service rifles but have been expanded to include pistol, smallbore rifles, rimfire sporter rifles as well as service rifles.
One of the great things about Camp Perry is the CMP store. They have refurbished military rifles for sale. Once when I was there, I found a WWI 1903 Springfield with a slot cut into the receiver for a Pedersen device. A Pedersen device turned the 1903 Springfield into a sub machine gun. This device converted the rifles from 30-06 caliber to a cartridge similar to the 30 Mauser pistol cartridges. The magazines held 40 rounds and protruded out the side of the receiver making it look a little like a Sten submachine gun. This would have been a devastating weapon in the trenches of WWI.
The war came to an end before they could be deployed. In 1931, these devices were declared surplus. Fewer than 100 survived. The last one that I heard of that was sold went for over $25,000. I was just glad to get one of the rifles. That is the kind of stuff you can find at the CMP store. There is also a Commercial Row at Camp Perry where high-end target shooting equipment can be found. Last year, target ammunition could be found there.
For those looking to advance their pistol training, Midwest Training Group (MTG) will be holding an Advanced Tactical Pistol Class at our Range on August 28 & 29. Contact andy1911@imaxmail.net.
ILLINIOIS as of 7/14/2021:
Active CCL-419,617 * Active FOID-2,421,780
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