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Hunting Trip
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Newsletter 2010 Season’s Greetings to all my friends. December, 2010 It’s been a few years since I have sent an end-of-the-year letter. To start with, I have moved from my home in California, to Nevada. I purchased my Nevada Home in 2006, and was using it a weekend get-away. Each time I would leave, and drive back to California, I questioned myself. Why am I going back? I like it in Nevada. Well, this June I made the move. New car and driver license, voter registration done, and I are a Nevadan. The move took most of the first part of the year, so when July came around I was ready for a vacation. It was off to Alaska, Kodiak Island to be more precise. I met up with Gary Salter, of Mangum Charters, for three days of fishing, and sightseeing with my friend Mike Kerwood, and his new wife Leoniza. Once again I was not disappointed with the fishing or the beauty of Kodiak Island. While the salmon fishing wasn’t great, the water was just to cold, and the bulk of the salmon had not arrived. I did manage to catch a nice king, two silvers, and a few pinkies. The highlight of the trip was a one-hundred pound plus halibut. I took seventy-eight pounds of filets from that one fish. I did manage to catch a few more in the seventy-five to eighty-five pound range. Between my friends, and family’s care packages, I ended up putting about sixty-five pound of fish filets in my freezer. Getting ready for my hunt in Mozambique. I started taking my .458 W-70 to the range. The .458 is not a caliber you go out and shoot twenty, or thirty, rounds in one session. After the fourth time at the range, my grouping fell apart. The recoil had forced the scope to come completely out of the rings. I took it to a local gunsmith, and he replaced the rings with Talley rings and mounts. After a few minor problems with the rifle, everything is ready, at least I hope so. I have around six weeks before I leave for Africa. I am getting antsy. Not much to do now, but practice, just let the time pass, practice, practice, practice. With two days to go before I leave on my latest African adventure, I am ready. Bags are packed for the most part; my gun is cleaned, and ready in its case. I have gone over everything, and I am ready. I have been back a few days from my trip Africa. Everything went smoothly. I spent two days at Lalibela in South Africa, doing game drives, eating and relaxing. I also went to Kenton on Sea for two additional days, did some fishing in the Indian Ocean, Lots of good food and prowling through the small art galleries. Before I knew it I was on my way to Mozambique. Once there I boarded a single engine, Cessna, 206, for the final two hour journey, to our hunting camp. For the next ten days I lived, and hunted, the way the early hunters like Corbett, Ruark, and Hunter, did. I managed to bag a great buffalo and magnificent sable along with four additional trophies, a suni, a red duiker, a chobi bushbuck, and a baboon. I should get my trophies in time for next Christmas. I am back at my home in Reno, and we are experiencing our first winter storm. I am working on the story of my Africa hunt, getting the photos printed, and working on the layout. The story should be on my website before the end of the year. It’s been a good year, with everything from my move to Nevada, to my trip to Africa. I joined the SAVE unit in Reno, they work with the Reno Police Department, as an extra set of eyes and ears in the community. A few evenings ago, I helped with ground security for V.P. Joe Biden. He was coming into our town to speak at the university. Once on post, I reported a car acting strangely to our Sergeant. The car was driving slowly, sometimes with its lights out. It ended up parking about 75 yards from my assigned spot. When the Sergeant. Drove up the car started moving. I pointed it out, and to him, and he stopped the car. After talking with the driver, the car drove away; the Sergeant came over to tell me, that they were members of the Reno SWAT, and the V.P.’s security team. Both of us agreed they were not to smart.
Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas and may the New Year bring you everything you desire. Ron
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© Copyright: Ronald Machado - 2002
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