Black Forest, Schwartzwald, Germany

[Dom]

Well, the competition shooting year is starting, wishing all those who participate straight shooting and enjoy the camaraderie.

Deep in the Black Forest is a shooting range called Jaegerloch, which means literally Hunters Hole. The German Hunting Association rules apply, a standard shoot is Trap & Skeet with low gun, 100 meter rifle targets at Reh, Fox, Boar, and 50 meter running boar target. A well rounded shooter you must be, good scores are required in all areas to score well. Thought I'd share some photos with you all, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

On the way to the Shoot, Black Forest:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pfe631f38eed2ecf1d7666432536594dd/e99104b9.jpg

Shooting some Trap:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/paa81aaaa4441c8383ad4b651bb844a78/e99104ba.jpg

100 Meter rifle, boar freehand, fox prone unsupported, buck from a pole:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pfaa251ec32e441a3be8da4e5dcf71201/e99104bc.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p7c9dfd4e0ba61d49bd406ac176facf03/e99104bb.jpg

Also shot 50 meter running boar but don't have any photos of that.

After the shoot is the awards, medals and prizes, ceremony. I shot well, not exceptional, and took Silver in the Gold Class:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p6cd345560438d15d341628706b79ef03/e991047c.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p202501b634f50e102c0e0d7693f52ece/e9910476.jpg

The horn blowers were good, and opened and closed the ceremony. Thot you's might get a kick out of them.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pc26e432b4be40f96b79746542db2ece5/e9910469.jpg

Our Team score was also good for Silver:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pc2f4b934b213f8dcb5097e6c144bc9bd/e991045e.jpg

And the drive home ends another great day and fun shoot, which sharpens our shooting abilities on the hunt.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pfc7f51d618d806c0ae5253dab86656f9/e9910441.jpg

[Ol` Joe]

Looks to have been a great shoot. I envy ya.....

[TreeDoc]

Something tells me that when the shooting and seriousness is all over, the Oom-pa-pa band leader then proposes a toast "Now let's all get drunk and play Ping-Pong!" then the tuba-ma-ba starts playing! :D

Dom, can you get me some Black Forest Ham while your there? It's my favorite.

;)

[BILLY D.]

Dom

Would you please knock it off with the pictures already, I'm salivating and jealous. This is tearing at my heartstrings. It's allright though, I can handle it.

When I first got to Germany my impression after noting the cleanliness of the cities and the politeness of the people was "these are the same people responsible for two major wars"? It is almost unthinkable.

I still think quite often of my wife and I eating a lunch outside at a cafe in Trier. On Sundays we quite often went to the Cathedral there for Mass and the family would lunch there after church.

They, the Germans, would watch the kids giggling and the normal "Mom she touching me" and though the Germans were not familiar with english they understood the kids actions and you could tell they were thinking "the languages may be different, but kids are the same world over." It's when they grow up they are a pain in the backside.

I found that refreshing.

Bill

[jon lynn]

BILLY D.

Don't be jaelous, the one thing Dom almost never mentions, and I ALWAYS whine about, this is a very-very expensive endevor here. Just starting with US Forces, but living on the econimy and paying German bills with a weak dollar, I can't get my hunting insurance until the next pay period...............so please pitty my lame butt................I'm here missing the events 'til I get my stuff squared..........DANG now I'm jealous:(

But hunting here is unequaled anywhere, the tradition, and symbolism, my first Bavarian Hunting hat was covered with the traditional feathers, and bits and pieces. But sadly last year between fall and winter we had a very nasty wind and rain storm (shut down most of southern Germany) and the cabin where I keep my hunting stuff, got trashed, and the hat went with it:mad:

[Dom]

Ya TreeDoc that Ham is pretty good, usually I win a pack but this time didn't see any. And what is just as good or better is the smoked trout! My mouth is watering . . .

Actually, the hunting horns are simply a trumpet without valves, so no Ooommpha there!! Most can get 5 notes out of them, the good players six. I can't read a stitch of music so I've got about 20 tunes memorized by sound, the most popular one's we play. We musn't talk about the Pils after!!

Glad you can handle the pics Billy ;) -- I shan't put a pic of my bockdrilling up. It's actually a plane jane model, no engraving, but did cost the price of three good weapons!! Good thing I only had to put one scope on it. The other drilling I have is 16x16Ga over 8x57, old model I couldn't pass up for $700.

Ya Jon, the weak dollar doesn't do us any good, I feel for you w/a family & all. Hang in there, it would have been real tough back in my younger days also. But, time goes on and doesn't stop for anybody! Hey I'll be in your neck of the woods tomorrow, Freistadt Bayern, at a shoot in Amerdingen. Ouch, that hurts to know your hat floated away :eek: Waidmannsheil, Dom.

Speaking of hats, here's one I don't wear too often, but do have Boar Brush, Fox Teeth Wheel, a couple pins, and an assortment of waterfowl, upland game feathers stuck in it.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p36946db0ee75332d4140e6a1dcef7171/e98f65a7.jpg

[Jonesy]

My brother has a Doctorate in Theology and is flying over there this weekend to do research for a month. He is a Martin Luther expert. He always has a great time, half my family lives there. So he gets to see all the relatives. He's fluent in German, I know just enough to get myself into trouble.