Thursday, April 29, 2010

We've Come A Long Way, Baybee!

We've probably all heard now that Texas Governor Rick Perry, out jogging, shot a coyote that was threatening his daughter's Lab. Of course there are the usual outcrys about the cruelty to animals from the blue blog world. That would be normal in our whacked out society. However, what really caught my eye was this:

Perry told The Associated Press on Tuesday he needed just one shot from the laser-sighted pistol he sometimes carries while jogging to take down a coyote that menaced his puppy during a February run near Austin.

Perry said he will carry his .380 Ruger — loaded with hollow-point bullets — when jogging on trails because he is afraid of snakes. He'd also seen coyotes in the undeveloped area.

Now, I ask you - what is different about this story?

Generally, the average reporter can't tell a full auto from a semi-auto, nor an assault rifle from a semi auto lookalike, and generally if it goes bang and isn't a handgun, it's automatically a full auto AK47 no matter what the truth is.

But not here - we have most of the pertinent information us gunnies really want to know - it's a Ruger in .380 caliber. It's also laser sighted and loaded with hollow points. This, in and of itself, is a major breakthrough for the AP. Yeah, it happened in Texas, where this sort of thing doesn't attract a second glance, but it was still the frikkin' AP of all things.

Amazing.

Not that they don't need a little more work - what bullet weight were those lethal little pills? Was the laser sighting system made by Crimson Trace? Was the Ruger shooting the short nines a model LCP? How many shots? Any head shots? What kind of range were we talking about?

But, it beats having the gun ID'd as some Saturday Night Special strictly designed to kill nuns, widows and orphans - and puppies. Coyote puppies.

Count the blessings we have - but keep pushing!

3 comments:

Lisa Paul said...

Hmmmm. Now I've been advised not to go shooting at snakes as that's the surest way to get a ricochet bullet right back at ya.

And for the record, our Blue State Coyotes couldn't care less about domestic dogs. We've got loads up here in Sonoma and they just shoot a look of contempt over at the terriers when they are barking at them. Of course, they have plenty of free range venison available as well as all those tasty fancy chevre goats at their disposal.

Jeffro said...

Many a wayward pet has become a tasty treat for coyotes out here. My neighbors lost a Jack Russell terrier two years ago. They had two at their place next door to me, but now only one.

One of the "Great Family Dog Stories" from my youth involved a mutt we called George. He could run - and run fast - which saved his hide one day. Dad, on the tractor, saw George following him around the soft, worked field, and it stirred up a 'yote. Who started chasing George - who had the correct idea that running was the best survival strategy. The coyote was winning the race and had George pretty well caught when they got to a pasture fence line. Dad said they kicked up a big cloud of dust, and he feared the worst for ol' George. But, out of the cloud and on hard ground, came George ahead of the coyote. He blew it's doors off after that.

But, he'd certainly have been dinner for a few days had he been dilatory.

threecollie said...

They sure eat pets up here in central NY. Cats especially.