Posted 1:45 AM by Jason
Thirty Aught-Six

I will try to avoid being too vulgar here.

There was a story on the Channel 11 News tonight that rubbed me the wrong way.  These stories always do.  A deer broke through the ice on a local lake (or river, I forget, it doesn't matter), and a rescue crew went and pulled it out.  What's wrong with this picture?  For one, Wisconsin and Minnesota neither have a lack of deer; from what I recall offhand both have populations far larger than they had 100 years ago and possibly larger than they were pre-settlement.  The other problem is the misuse of and risk (which is more relevant when it isn't so springlike) to the human beings in the rescue services.  They put a lot of work into preventing what the Department of Natural Resources in each state actively encourages, and at which they are successful by the hundreds of thousands.  In many states, Wisconsin included, farmers with crop damage prevention permits can shoot deer practically any day of the year.  But one goes through the ice and you break out the jaws of life (misusage, I know, it sounds good though)?  I understand the desire to not let the animal suffer a slow, painful, watery death, I really do, which is why I've written the next paragraph.  

This year is the centennial of what is arguably the best (considering a wide variety of parameters) centerfire rifle cartridge ever created, the .30-06 Springfield.  It served the United States through both World Wars and Korea, and even now is one of the most popular sporting cartridges around.  

And for about 50 cents it could fix the aforementioned problem.  

Also, if you've been following the whole numerical anomaly of the day (for April 5), the anchor mentioned it (I am, btw, watching the rebroadcast at 1am) that it only happens once every 100 years.  Close, but as pointed out previously on The Corner, it's TWICE every 100 years.  

0 comments