I wish to commend hrmjustin for his good work in a contentious setting.

Time for this Group to return to Forum status?

A DU member has suggested that all things "guns" be returned to Forum status in hopes of enlarging discussion from the 2 present groups without visiting upon DU membership the kind of hostile dynamic when gun issues are pushed into GD.

This could reduce the possibility of people being banned if mods are "split" between Pros & Antis. Further, other gun topics could be included, including shop talk, the shooting sports, SD, and hunting. There will be the danger of the continuing mantra-chant of animosity and denigration, but a serious effort to curb that could be made.

Such a return to Forum status with a wider range of topics might educate the wider DU membership to the much-touted "Gun Culture," and help clean up GD. Personally, I have no objection to retaining the "activist" group. Whatcha think?

Locavores? Women in the field? Economic dislocation? Hunter numbers Rise.

Data compiled in 2011 indicated that the number of hunters in the U.S. continues to rise slowly, perhaps ending a 35-year-long decline. In an excellent piece, Patrick Durkin of the greenbaypressgazette.com speculates on whether this is a long-term trend, and on why this is happening now.

"If you’re hoping for simple answers, forget it. It’s likely a combination of several social and economic factors, such as more free time for some to hunt because of higher unemployment, and more opportunities to hunt for those with more expendable income. Perhaps the most interesting factor, however, is a noticeable increase in people who hunt “to obtain a natural or ‘green’ food, as well as to supplement food budgets.”

Silver linings can be thin, but Durkin references Michael Pollan’s 2006 book, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals” as a great molder of the "locavore" movement, then juxtaposes this with Stephen Kellert's Yale University study on the motivations of hunters, showing "meat" as the second biggest motivator of hunters, behind "sport and recreation." (Some years earlier, it ranked last in the Kellert's list of motivators.) And the profile of the hunter has changed. Other research indicated "today’s new hunters are slightly more often female, younger, suburban and in college or the military." (my emphasis)

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20130928/GPG0204/309280418/Patrick-Durkin-column-More-people-hunting-legitimate-way-obtain-meat
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This article confirms the changing face of hunters in the United States that has been going on for several years. Other studies and anecdotal evidence indicates that females come to the sport at older ages than males; the latter being inculcated at a very young age by (usually) the father; the former as a teen or young adult, through the tutelage of a male family member or SO. But to this has to be added the growing number of single head-of-households where the mother may be taking on the socialization duties.
The Hunger Games has a basis in reality after all.

Off to Uvalde Co., Tx tomorrow for a deer hunt!

Got a good buck early November in Coryell Co., and will try to add to it over the holiday. The area along the Nueces River is lousy with turkeys, so I'm taking an 870 and a box of #6s as well. Beautiful foothills of the SW Hill Country is a game corridor. The folks at Bouldin Creek Cafe (vegetarian restaurant!) in Austin have already placed their "orders" for any excess, horns & turkey feathers. My freezer is already loaded up, so late gifts are in the offing! Have a good Christmas, everyone.

The NFL's ban of a gun ad brings up a constructive proposal:

Run ads by gun safe/lock box companies.

Millions of folks can tune in and get a message that can "save lives" by encouraging safe firearm storage. Some DU gun controllers have advocated laws requiring safe storage. But why wait for the machinations of politics to run its course state-by-state? In effect, a national campaign can be started, appealing to a huge demographically viable audience with little delay and zero -0- cost to taxpayers.

What do you think?

A Major First in the Political History of the U.S.?

The top two major-party candidates for state-wide office of any state are women? It's happening now.

In Texas.

Can anyone think of another instance?

Looks like "guns" is no longer a GD discussion "exception,"

as per Skinner's ATA response on Monday. During the exception period, for the most part the stuff in GD amounted to local stories of shootings & misadventures posted as an excuse to condemn, smear and encourage male anatomy criticisms of gun-owners in general and DU members in particular. Though late in coming, this decision may improve the overall atmosphere of DU, and might lead to a more respectable dialog regarding the Second Amendment.

JUST NOW NPR: Texas State Senator Leticia Van de Putte (D) SA will announce

this Friday her intentions to run for office. In the same manner as Wendy Davis, Van de Putte will "announce when she will announce." It is widely expected she will seek the Democratic nomination for Lt. Governor, a powerful office in the state of Texas.

Sen. Van de Putte famously "adjusted" a Grover Norquist expression to say the GOP wanted to "shrink Texas government so it would fit inside a woman's vagina," referencing the ultra sound legislation passed in the state.

Edit to add source (not linked) KUT.org

Nadya Tolokno of punk-rock band Pussy Riot is missing.

BBC JUST NOW: Nadya is out if contact with her husband and friends. The state claims she is in "transit" to another prison, but her supporters worry due to her poor health after going on a hunger strikes.

General Gun deer season starts in Texas Saturday!

One of the "ranchita's" owners will get the pre-dawn start, I'll get the p.m. time up on the mesa. Looking for 71° high, sunny, NE wind. As I write this, the rain in Austin has been non-stop since midnight; nice light show. Rain tapers on Halloween. Between deer both stuffing their guts after the rain and looking to get laid, I should stumble onto something to fill the freezer!

Starry, starry night.