The Ultimate Hunting Rig
Always be prepared! As the old Boy Scout adage/truism says, to my way of thinking, it is more important today than ever in history, given these rather interesting times we find ourselves in these days!
Raised in a hunting family in the glory days celebration of the ultimate good over evil of America’s victory in WWII, rugged individualism and sensible preparedness were standard operating procedures. That every boy had a pocket knife and knew which end of a hammer to grab, the glaring difference between then and now is not only stunning, but extremely embarrassing. Such spiraling ineptitude and self-inflicted dependency can be traced to pretty much every ill plaguing our ruptured culture in 2022.
Just look at the goofball who thinks he’s the president! Ugh!
As I improvise, adapt and overcome the stupidity and brainwashed mindlessness that infects so many areas of our society, I can proudly say that rugged individualism and self-sufficiency in my America is still alive and well, and the man in the arena continues to excel in the swirling dust of the American Dream challenge.
Sure, I still unleash killer R&B rock-n-roll electric guitar mayhem on my new animal breeding soundtrack CD Detroit Muscle, but in between bouts of exciting sonic bombast, the Great Spirit of the Wild continues to bring me much needed soul cleansing balance and unlimited, thrilling adventure in the great outdoors beyond description.
What fills my pockets and straps to my belt every day has me reasonably prepared for pretty much any challenge one may encounter and will more than likely face just by simply living an active lifestyle.
Like my daily carry 10mm handgun and spare magazines on my belt, these basic tools are for instant emergency use in order to control a dangerous situation so as to get to my long guns and increased firepower in my truck. And those long guns in my truck are merely the intermediate tools to get me safely home to yet more capable artillery for any potential escalation that may occur.
On my person are what I consider the minimal essentials for Boy Scout preparedness on a daily basis.
In one back pocket is the mandatory large clean handkerchief. In the other pocket is my sturdy wallet with some cash, credit cards, a few standard sized band-aids, basic insurance cards, my hunting license and emergency medical transport identifications with emergency phone numbers.
In my front pockets are a pair of collapsible reading glasses, an old multi-blade Victorinox pocketknife, chapstick, charged hearing aid case, hearing protector valves, a lighter, a Ted Nugent challenge coin or two, a slew of guitar picks, a large folding knife and a small fully charged flashlight.
On my belt is a Glock 10mm handgun with 4 spare magazines and a belt tool. There may also often be a 2nd compact 10mm pistol as well.
In my shirt pockets are my sheriff credentials, driver’s license, pistol permit, a sharpie, a ballpoint pen and my fully charged cellphone.
Yes, all that, every day, everywhere no matter what since 1967.
I n my daily driver, whether it be my firebreathing Dodge Hellcat or one of my Ford Broncos or pickup trucks, you will find the following;
A full 1st aid kit, fire extinguisher, shooting sunglasses, heavy duty towstraps, full toolkit, an assortment of zipties, hoseclamps and nuts and bolts, wire, road flares, spotlight, flashlight and spare batteries, heavy duty blanket, rope, work gloves, rain poncho, small umbrella, paper towels, toilet paper, shovel, axe, saw, Hi-Lift jack, spare tire, air compressor, tire repair kit, spare fuses, phone charging cable, oil, power-steering and brake fluid, backup fuel filters and fanbelts, an AR15, police vest, spare magazines, water, and a few protein bars.
After a lifetime of world travel and wilderness hunting adventures, I have learned to never be without such basic supplies for whatever the world may throw at me. Call me radical, (please) but my precious gift from God life is worth every possible effort to protect and safeguard.
My Broncos and pickup trucks are built with survival capabilities in mind. Heavy duty everything, increased ride height, larger tires and increased wheel travel, winches, dual batteries, auxiliary lighting, and a slew of spare parts just in case.
Whether dealing with Michigan blizzards or raging Texas floods, my trucks have been built and engineered to take on and overcome the worst possible conditions to get me home safely.
I cannot tell you how many times my better prepared trucks have rescued people who were caught with their guard down.
I learned long ago to never be caught with my guard down, and my vehicles and daily preparedness reflects a lifetime of lessons learned.
Anybody got a pen? I got a pen.
Anybody got a match? I got a lighter.
Anybody got a bandage? I got a bandage.
Anybody got a gun? (Wounded deer on the road) I got a gun.
Anybody got a flashlight? I got a flashlight.
And so, the list goes on. Be a Boy Scout, or at least the original Boy Scout, (no girls or eunuchs in the Boy Scouts!) and always be prepared. The life you save may be your own, or possibly someone else’s. Either way, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Have the will and be ready for anything.
As I always say; I’m cocked, locked, and ready to rock the Glock around the clock, doc! You should be too. It’s easy, it’s fun, and it’s the right thing to do. Real Boy Scouts forever.
Hello again, friends. I hope all is going well with you and yours this month and that this article finds you well. I cannot believe how great this month is going so far. I have been busy getting out chasing white bass and the occasional crappie. I have been trying to sell my home and buy another one this month and raising a baby and two other kiddos and planning on our home makeover for the next house. Talk about stress, but I secretly love it. My thoughts are all over the place, but my passion is still the same. Fishing is a job, a passion, a career choice, an art, a love, a chance, a dream I once had that continues to change, a different experience everyday. The office is never the same day in and day out and I love that. How to fish, when things change and what to do when it does? What is fishing to you? Fishing is one of those things that can be different and mean anything to someone else.
I have realized this month more than others while talking with clients on the boat that fishing is something truly different to everyone. I have had people on the boat that never have fished one time in their entire lives and people that have fished in tournaments on the professional circuits. I have had people that have only fished in private lakes and people that hold a spinning reel upside down and tell me that maybe I do it wrong because the push button is held this way. Regardless everyone has an opportunity to fish and learn something or stay with what they know. The thing about fishing that I find interesting is that it’s a sport, a hobby, a passion, a past time, a competition and more. At the end of the day all of the reasons you fish, regardless, you will have a smile, a story, an embarrassment of some kind, etc. Fishing is just that a simple thing that brings memories and/or passions to life and when talking about it, you always smile. I was up the other day at 3:45am and my four-year-old daughter got up as I was cooking my breakfast and getting ready to head to the lake and she said “Daddy, don’t forget to smile at everyone today.” She has one eye open squinting in the light after strolling out of the bathroom in the early morning. I respond, “why is that, sis?” She said, “when you smile at people they smile back. That is why I smile at everyone, Daddy.” She then says, “good night.” I am stuck there smiling while cooking some eggs and I sit down and smile again and my interactions at the gas station and at the boat ramp was filled with smiles and it was not because I wanted to but because I just smiled thinking my four-year-old said that this morning. How fun is that? I thought a lot about her simple words of knowledge, and I thought how many smiles have come off of a boat or a camping trip or a hike with someone? We are humans and are designed to do life in some form with others and that brings smiles along the way.
My goal is to make everyone smile while on the boat and I am passionate about such a simple thing as a smile. Fishing brings smiles from storytelling, to catching that 100th fish on our trip, to catching your first fish, to doing something silly and almost falling in or dropping a rod or hooking a friend, etc. While fishing, there in an endless opportunity of smiles to be had.
My reasons for fishing have changed over the years but my goal is to still make others smile. The goal of any business is to have a happy customer that is the root of real success. If you do not have a happy customer, you do not a business that will sustain. Some of you may know that I do not bass fish often and that I mainly chase crappie and white bass, but I was recently invited to Giant Goose Ranch to fish with a friend and it was just a fun outing and as a guide you need those fun outings to just sit back and relax and enjoy the sport of fishing and just smile. We got rained out in the morning and then decided after breakfast that we would run into town and go to the store in between rainstorms. I took this opportunity to buy something I have never used. A top water spider. My friend and I laughed in disbelief that I would not catch anything but regardless in buying this $10 frog, we already started laughing. That frog ended up stealing the show that day! I will always remember my first outing with my new friend at his place and that this top water spider not only caught bass, but it also had multiple turtle hits, gills were trying to eat it and we might have scared a few flies reeling it in, thinking that it looked real. My point being is that the one thing broke the ice, it made us relatable and gave us something to laugh about especially when it worked. The goal was to relax and smile and I don’t know who smiled more that day, but I had a great time and might have actually enjoyed bass fishing.
Smile, next time you fish. Think of a time you went fishing and created a memory, whether it be in a pond or on a trip in Canada, I bet you can think of a reason to smile from a simple memory whether it was a fish or lack of fish or something that simply happened that comes mind. Smile, because its contagious! As always, I’m at centralilcrappieguide.com or 309-642-8106.
