A new proposal for hunting with air rifles

The Alaska Board of Game recently passed a proposal allowing the use of “high-powered” air rifles when hunting caribou and Sitka Blacktailed deer. The regulation change takes effect in July. I believe the new regulation specifies at least a 35-caliber, PSP type rifle with a certain minimum specified foot-pounds of kinetic energy at the muzzle. Check with ADF&G or the Wildlife Troopers for particulars.

I have watched programs on satellite where these hunting tools were used on deer-sized game, and they were quite effective within their range limitations. These range limitations appear to fall between archery on one side and muzzleloaders on the other (with blackpowder ranges being one hundred yards maximum or so).

These air rifles are not cheap, running $1000 or more for a decent rifle.

The recent school shooting in Texas was a tragedy that could have been prevented or at least, significantly reduced in its destructive impact. I only know what I have read, but, reportedly, there were numerous failures on many folks’ parts in how the event unfolded.

First, a teacher let the shooter in through a side door with no apparent vetting of why the person wanted in the building. Second, the school security officer was nowhere around the area when the shooter began his rampage. And third, the police response was pitiful in both timing and actions taken.

And now, we have the inevitable call for more gun control coming out of Washington, D.C., thinking that restricting gun ownership will somehow stop these types of actions from occurring. If these gun control calls are truly to provide a safer environment for our kids, and I don’t believe that for a second, the politicians need to learn some common sense about human nature.

Let’s look around the world and see how other countries, where private gun ownership is generally allowed, deal with this issue. Israel is a country located, literally, in a war zone with terrorism a daily threat to the everyday lives of their citizens. Yet, they have only experienced six school shootings since 1974. How do they manage that?

From reports I have read, the Israeli government uses a lot of in depth behavioral and social profiling of people, based mostly on their social media postings including violent rhetoric and threats. When these sorts of investigations happen after a school shooting in this country, virtually all the “red flags” suggesting mental health issues or anti-government deviant behavior have been found. Wouldn’t it be better to find this information out before a major tragedy occurs?

Besides profiling, the Israeli government has “hardened” these potential school targets. For most schools, there is only one way in and one way out. Metal detectors are at every door. Armed security guards patrol the school property and law enforcement regularly visits the school facilities to make sure everything is as it should be.

Security fencing surrounds the school grounds, and a “spotter” is employed at some distance from the grounds to watch the “bigger” picture. Cameras are scattered around the grounds and barricades prevent any attempt to “crash” the buildings.

While I’m not a fan of “Big Brother” looking over my shoulder, the idea of “hardening” school grounds, as described above, is a viable and reasonable first step in protecting schools from these insane attacks.

President Biden is using this school shooting as a platform to call for more gun control and the banning of a pistol cartridge from public ownership. This clearly shows his ignorance and lack of understanding of what has occurred.

First, the Texas school shooter used a rifle, not a pistol, to commit his crime. And second, calling for the banning of the 9mm caliber pistol cartridge, commonly know as the 9mm Luger, because of its “terribly destructive ability” is simply a statement of ultimate ballistics ignorance on the President’s part.

I saw a picture on social media where someone had placed a single 9mm Luger cartridge on the nose of a brown bear’s mounted head. The size comparison was striking. Nobody in their right mind would intentionally select a 9mm handgun as their primary bear defense weapon. It’s better than nothing but probably not much better than a sharp stick!

Sure, a 9mm could kill a bear, eventually. Chances are excellent that the bear will have already killed you before it dies from its wounds. In Alaska, firearms are tools used for many different purposes. Tools don’t go around killing people. People kill people. When will the politicians finally grasp that concept?