HUNTING, TARGETS & TRASH

Every day -- weather permitting -- I have a 2.5 mile course I traverse to get a bit of daily exercise. Along with some weight lifting & 60-75 sit-ups in my schedule, I travel the 2.5 miles in times between 25 & 40 minutes, depending on how much I walk, run, jog, or -- usually -- do a combination of all three.

This daily activity is always done after it is light outside, since the roads I am on -- with no "shoulder" to them -- are dangerous enough with Arkansas drivers in the daylight & doing it in the dark would be asking for trouble. [I assume most all the beer cans on the side of the roads are "deposited" over-night.]

I always exercise before I eat anything for the day, so the post-exercise meal may be breakfast or lunch, depending on when I come home. There have been times when the first meal is supper, if I was delayed. I just can't exercise after I have eaten.

I have noticed recently when I am out on one of my jaunts, it is a lot quieter. Maybe it's because there are not as many guns being fired right now, which is unusual, since in Arkansas, there is always something to shoot at.

There are a bunch of hunting "season's" in Arkansas. In the Fall -- & the noisiest locally -- is Dove hunting time. There are a lot of rapid firing guns out there from the sounds I hear.

Another popular hunting time is "Duck Season". In fact, Stuggart, Arkansas -- not far from here -- claims the title of "Duck Hunting Capital of the World". From all the shots being fired locally -- despite it being a Winter time hunting season -- it's as popular -- & noisy -- as Dove season.

Now, just because hunting season is finished, that certainly doesn't mean the guns have to be put away for next year. No way !! Don't forget ... this is Arkansas.

Some of the best gun shooting can be seen on my daily exercise path. Examples of the people of Arkansas indulging in two of their favorite past times -- shooting guns & littering trash -- are always viewable.

While they can't take it home & eat it -- or, leave a carcass on the side of the road to rot -- a road sign is fair game for the people & hunters. Target practice is always available in Arkansas. Isn't that one of the reasons for road signs ??

This the reverse side of the sign. Not only has it been peppered with bird shot, but some good size bullets have gone through the sign. The fact there is a home about 150 yards behind this sign probably had no effect on, or concern to, the shooter.

In the same area as the "target range", the side of the road is littered with trash, making this a "two-fer" when it comes to Arkansas habits in "The Natural State".

In the photo above, it shows someone was "thoughtful" (?) enough to put their garbage in a black plastic bag before throwing it out. Maybe they viewed this as "re-cycling". Probably, they just stole the bag.

A little further up the road, some more bullets have found their mark. [And this is even closer to the home I mentioned.]

Another example of some BIG bullets doing major damage. But, in looking at it from the stand point of Arkansas hunters, they need to keep practicing for next hunting season. They don't want to miss their quarry due to poor aim & marksmanship skills eroding.

By the way, the above is a "photo two-fer", since besides the bullet damage to the sign, the photo also shows some more tossed litter in the background.

Always favorites in Arkansas: Hunting, Targets & Trash.