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ISRA Thursday Bulletin - November 7, 2019
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Executive Directors Message
The arrival of November, cooler weather and the deer rut are coming together at the right time to make a really good deer season. The Illinois deer harvest is up considerably from 2018, at least so far. The deer archery season is 10,167; last year, the harvest was 7349. The youth deer shotgun season is equally good with the harvest at 3775, while last year was 1659. I’m not sure what
this bodes for the regular season but I am guessing it will be a good one. Now is the time to recheck all your hunting gear to make sure you have everything you need.
There are pockets of standing corn and soybeans in various parts of the state. The corn has long completed its life cycle so it has a beautiful creamy golden color that really shows up in the afternoons. It is rare to see this phenomenon because it only happens when the harvest is late. I’m sure the farmers would be a lot happier if their crops were safely in their bins or at the elevator. The crops will disappear rapidly in the coming weeks if the weather holds. This means deer will have diminishing cover. With the disappearing crops, a full moon on November 12th and the rut, you have a recipe for deer running around everywhere. Be careful out there. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram editorialized again the growing Second Amendment County Sanctuary Movement. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is whining that some public officials are helping the Second Amendment County Sanctuary Movement. Too bad. We have all had enough of law-abiding citizens being victimized by thugs who are probably being released before the arresting officer gets the paperwork done. We are tired of the holier than thou politicians piling burdensome uncalled for regulations on gun owners with the simple, but unspoken, goal of trying to smother their Second Amendment freedoms. If your county, township or municipality has not passed a Gun Sanctuary or Second Amendment Ordinance yet, keep pressing it. After all, if a major big city liberal newspaper doesn’t like it, it must be the right thing to do. In less than one year, November 3, 2020, it will be Election Day for many federal and state officials. The President, Vice President, all the Congressmen, all the State Representatives and about one third of the Federal and State Senators will be up for re-election. Gun owners have everything on the line nationally, particularly in the State of Illinois. Every gun owner needs to be thinking about the next election cycle. I know it seems like the last election is still going on and now we already have to endure the brutal cannibalistic presidential debates as well as all the local elections. Nevertheless, we have to prepare for the battle of our lives. Don’t be faint hearted. In other outdoor news, the Pinckneyville High School Bass Team has won the National High School Bass Fishing Championships. Congratulations to Pinckneyville and all those involved. November 10th, the United States Marines will celebrate their 244th birthday. Congratulations to all the Marines. The Marines are nicknamed the Devil Dogs because of their action at the Battle of Belleau Wood in WWI. The Germans said the Marines fought like the Hounds of Hell or Teufelshunde. The U.S. Marines charged in the German Offensive in June 1918 while the French were retreating. The Marines turned the tide of battle with their ferocious fighting. The Germans genuinely admired the fighting skills and spirit of the U.S. Marines. November 11th is Veterans Day. When I meet individuals who have served in the United States military, I always try to thank them for their service. I think it is important to express gratitude to those who willingly step up to serve the cause of freedom by serving in our military. It is even more remarkable when I see young people are currently enlisted in the military because we have been at war with terrorists across the globe for nearly 20 years. People joining the military today have a high probability of being sent to a combat zone. So, it is very important to show these outstanding men and women that we appreciate their willingness to serve. What we should do and what we actually do are often two completely different things. Lucky for us, we have a day set aside every year to formally say, “Thank You” to our veterans. In a sense, Veterans Day is as much about those who have not served as it is about those who have served. Abraham Lincoln said, “Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause.” Veterans Day is about honoring our veterans, but it is also a challenge to us to serve the same cause that our veterans have served. It is a call to us to do what we can as civilians to protect our freedoms. We heed that call by fighting every day for our Constitutional rights and we will continue to honor our nation’s heroes by fighting for the cause of freedom and we hope you will heed that call as well. For those members who have not yet purchased their ticket and commemorative coin for our 116th Anniversary Raffle, your order must be postmarked by November 26th. Thanks for being a member. If you are not a member, JOIN NOW. Upcoming Events: ISRA Calendar For more information, visit www.isra.org Tuesday, November 12, 2019 Tuesday Afternoon High Power League Saturday, November 16, 2019 Range Safety Officer Class Tuesday, November 19, 2019 Tuesday Afternoon High Power League ISRA Air Rifle League Wednesday, November 20, 2019 ISRA International Air Pistol League Sunday, November 24, 2019 Glock League Gun & Trade Shows Bloomington Gun & Knife Show Bloomington, IL – Interstate Center Dates: November 9-10, 2019 Hours: Saturday: 9:00-5:00 Sunday: 9:00-3:00 Admission: $6.00 Kane County Sportsman’s Show St Charles, IL – Kane County Fairgrounds Date: November 10, 2019 Hours: Sunday: 7:30-1:30 Admission: $7.00 Quad Cities Gun Show Rock Island, IL – QCCA Expo Center Dates: November 16-17, 2019 Hours: Saturday: 9:00-5:00 Sunday: 9:00-3:00 Admission: $5.00 McHenry County Gun Show Woodstock, IL – McHenry County Fairgrounds Date: November 17, 2019 Hours: Sunday: 8:00-1:00 Admission: $5.00 Crown Point Gun Show Crown Point, IN – Lake County Fairgrounds Dates: November 23-24, 2019 Hours: Saturday: 9:00-5:00 Sunday: 9:00-3:00 Admission: $5.00 Kankakee Gun Show Kankakee, IL – Kankakee County Fairgrounds Dates: November 23-24, 2019 Hours: Saturday: 8:00-4:00 Sunday: 8:00-2:00 Admission: $6.00 Sauk Trail Gun Show Princeton, IL – Bureau County Fairgrounds Dates: November 23-24, 2019 Hours: Saturday: 8:30-4:30 Sunday: 8:30-3:00 Admission: $2.00 Lake County Gun & Sportsman Show Antioch, IL – Antioch VFW Date: November 24, 2019 Hours: Sunday: 8:00-2:00 Admission: $7.00 Check out ISRA's website at www.isra.org! 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