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Environmental groups help protect our water
Of course there were a handful of people who attended the Dutch Fork renewal and anniversary celebration, but the majority of the turnout in celebration of the Dutch Fork renewal and anniversary were there because they care about clean water and green places.
As I visit groups such as the Buffalo Creek Watershed Association, I think there is hope for the future of mankind. But then I travel south along Interstate 79 and see the obscenity of mountaintop mining and ask myself if I were a politician would I want this as my legacy?
I will believe Dutch Fork Lake is complete again when I see it. I must admit to being skeptic. If someone promises to pay me for a magazine article I don't even believe it when I receive the check. When I cash said check and hold the money then I believe.
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Energy is a problem? Drill at any cost to clean water or clean air. Knock the tops off the West Virginia mountains and dump residue in the streams at the bottom of the valleys. Wave the hard fought for clean air and water laws that are already on the books and make things easier and more profitable for industry. Some of this is seen every day as one passes construction along the roadways.
If you want to do your part, join one of the green organizations such as the Buffalo Creek Watershed Association, or on a larger scale the Western PA Conservancy.
I believe if one is to belong to but one organization it should be the Western PA Conservancy. Look at your local waterway and you will see that the battle for clean streams is never ending and tough.
n Now that the farmers have begun to cut the fields, groundhog season is in full swing. While this should be the safest of hunts, there are a few things that should always be taken into account.
Never groundhog hunt without a orange hat. Most varmint hunters sit in a field and view the hillsides. This places the person close to the ground and nothing looks quite like a groundhog more than a person's head.
Let that brown hairy thing (your head) move and it is a recipe for disaster. Despite the use of high-powered optics this can and does happen.
I am not an orange fanatic - it clashes with my complexion - but I wouldn't hunt without my orange cap. That is why it is always in my truck.
I once knew a fellow that was convinced that his .22-250 was an absolutely safe cartridge. It really didn't matter what direction he shot in for the bullet never ricocheted. The sad thing was that he even had the landowner convinced of this fallacy. While it would be safe to say a bullet from a rifle of this chambering seldom travels after hitting something it is not 100 percent ricochet proof.
It is the high velocity and the fragile bullets used in varmint rounds that reduce ricochets but even with my .220 swift I don't shoot toward a building or at hogs standing on the skyline.
My two favorite groundhog rifles are a .220 Swift and a 6mm Remington. While hunting big fields in southern or northern parts of Washington County I like the 6mm but when hunting closer to home prefer the Swift. This is because it is faster and therefore a bit safer around built up areas.
A fragile bullet moving 4,000 fps surely minimizes ricochets. Note I didn't say eliminates them. Even with the fast speeds of varmint rounds and the use of high-power optics, care must be taken when varmint hunting.
Don't forget that beginning July 1 a new license is required to hunt. And when going to the store to buy your license don't forget your photo ID and Social Security Number. The SSN is even needed for Junior Licenses. At least that is the way I understand it.
