Pike Fan

Wonderful story (Pike on the Edge) in the October issue. I agree, opportunistic feeders are becoming more and more common. My favorite method for duck blinds is building it without seats but walls too high to just sit on the floor.

Of course the seats are with me on the boat ride over! Thanks for giving ideas to keep the outdoors an honest hardworking and endearing sport!

Jared McCulloch

Wildlife Biologist

Lease Administrator

Huisache LLC

Chupacabra Talk

I usually find the humor in your magazine under the byline of Reavis Wortham, but the October issue had its best humor by Steve LaMascus (“Calling the Chupa Cabra”). I have to wonder, though, if the “depleted uranium” bullet was fully depleted.

I appreciate the armor piercing capability of the dp rounds, but the fission that resulted from the impact just might have been the result of insufficiently depleted uranium, combined with the radioactive hide of the beast. Again, it might have been the heat generated by the high speed of the bullet passing through the atmosphere. Better luck next time. Too bad there was nothing left to mount.

Peace and Good,

Jerry

Jerry, thanks for the compliments. It is high praise, indeed, to be mentioned in the same breath with Reavis. I do wonder, though, why you called my piece “humor?” Strange. Passing strange. God bless and crisp triggers.

—Steve LaMascus

Hemphill’s African View

I appreciated your article on the slaughter of African wildlife in Oct. 2015 but greatly fear that, despite the science and wisdom you so eloquently expressed, the slaughter will continue until there is nothing left simply because it enriches some Kenyan “Big Men” politicians. The Richard Leakey quote describes an industrial operation that could only exist with “official” sponsorship/protection.

When I lived in Mombasa in 1990-93, folks openly discussed the slaughter of elephants for ivory in the Kenyatta Presidency by his brother-in-law Arthur Muhoho, whose operation was said to have been facilitated by shooting from Kenya Army helicopters. Things did seem to have slowed under President Daniel arap Moi in the 80’s and 90’s, though my friends did tell me at the time that a shipment of ivory went every week from Mombasa to the ME, probably Yemen. It is all so sad because Kenya wildlife was once so spectacular.

Don Stader

Lakehills

Wildlife Expertise

Dear Mr. Moore, I appreciate all of the wildlife expertise you bring to this publication and to the outdoors community in general. Your writing is a breath of fresh air and you can tell that you actually care about our resources.

It is nice to read the words of someone who understands waterfowl migration and speckled trout spawning. Good stuff.

Jason Halton

Editor: Thank you very much. I truly love wildlife and find it important to understand the things we pursue in the field.