Category: Guns & Ammos

Unlike the typical red fox, Gray fox prefer to live in the thicker areas made up of woods and heavy brush.

With hooked claws, a gray fox has the ability to climb trees and will often hunt for food and seek shelter in a tree. They will also climb a tree to escape danger. They make their dens in rocky crevices, caves, trees, hollow logs and brush piles. A Gray will often widen the burrow of a smaller animal and use it to raise their young. Dens are only used during the mating season and when raising pups.

They also have a reputation for aggressively responding to a distress call. Without much sign of fear or caution, a gray fox will often rush in within those first few minutes of calling. Popular distress calls include cottontail rabbit distress sounds, mouse and vole squeaks and gray fox pup distress.

Small grassy fields surrounded by woods are some of the best places to hunt. You’ll want to sit a distance of 30 to 40 yards out from the tree line. Like all predator hunting and calling you’ll want to blend your silhouette into the surroundings by sitting against a tree, hillside or tucked into some tall brush.Although movement is usually what a fox will detect first, it’s a good idea to wear camouflage from head to toe paying more attention to your head and hands.

Gray fox have a very capable sense of smell and will turn and bolt at the slightest hint of human scent. Like hunting all predators, you will need to consider wind direction into your set up.

Producing a distress sound at a high volume usually results in a fast response from the fox. It doesn’t seem to matter if you blow the distress call in a sequence or continuously. Both techniques seem to work on a gray fox. If nothing responds in the first 10 minutes it usually means that no grays are present and it’s time to move to a new location.

Gray fox are not large animals and smaller caliber guns starting with a 22 mag or a 12 gage shotgun using #4 shells are popular choices. A turkey load using #4 shot will work. A 22 mag is a good choice out to about 100 yards. A shotgun is a very good choice out to approximately 30 yards.

Just like hunting coyotes, bobcats and all other predators, hunting the gray fox will challenge your hunting and calling skills while providing some adrenaline filled fast paced predator calling action.

Part 1: Tempest Perimeter

Throughout this mission, you will often need to adapt the loadout of a DMR and needle rifle. This is due to the fact that there is not enough DMR ammo to use your DMR to kill all enemies. However, if you use the needle rifle for killing Elites, Grunts, and Skirmishers while saving the DMR for only killing Jackals and far away targets, you will have enough ammo. There are a few key things to remember when using the needle rifle. First of all, it does not inflict enough damage to cause Jackals to drop their shields and requires two shots to remove a Grunt ultras helmet. Second, if you fire three needles into an unshielded target, it will create a supercombine explosion, killing that target. This way, you can kill Jackals with three hand shots and Grunt ultras with three body shots (instead of three headshots). Third, needle rifles are not as accurate as DMRs and only have a 2x zoom, so should not be used for killing far away targets.

You start this mission with a 45 ammo DMR, a 15 ammo grenade launcher, and sprint. You and Kat have just jumped out of a damaged warthog and need to push up the hill ahead of you. This is a relatively difficult fight because you have very little cover and there are two fuel rod shade turrets at the top of the hill.

Almost immediately, two banshees destroy the crashed warthog, making the carcass too small to use as cover. Immediately move behind any of the rocks and trees to your right to take cover from the enemy fire. Higher up the hill, there are two fuel rod shade turrets, four Grunts, five Jackals, and an Elite ultra with a concussion rifle. From your cover, begin DMR sniping the Grunts and Jackals, but pay close attention to the fuel rod shade turrets. The rocks you are using as cover will block most fuel rods that the shade fires at you, yet some may be able to hit you, so watch them at all times to stay safe.

After you kill the majority of the lighter infantry, push farther up the hill while staying on the right side of the road. Continue to use rocks and trees as cover from the shade turrets and Elite ultra. Kill any more Grunts and Jackals you find and swap your grenade launcher for the first plasma pistol you see. Overcharge this plasma pistol from cover, then use it to remove the Elite’s shields and kill it with a DMR headshot. As you move up the hill, you will come close enough to the shade turrets to kill the Grunts inside. Do this as soon as possible because it will allow you to move much more freely and safely. If you are having trouble shooting the Grunts in the shade turrets, you can also stun the turrets with your plasma pistols, forcing the Grunts exit. After killing any remaining enemies, a pelican will deploy a rocket hog near your position.

I do not suggest using this rocket hog to fight because the covenant will easily kill you and you will have no control of where the UNSC AI shoots. However, due to an error in Kat’s AI, she is unable to find her way to the next section and will stand at the drop zone of the pelican for the entire mission if you do not help her. To guide her, enter the rocket hog and drive next to her. She will then enter the passenger seat. This will allow you to transport Kat to the next section, where she then will be able to move on her own.

Drive down the path and you will come to a broken ramp. At the bottom of this ramp, you will see a large dip in the ground. Here, park the rocket hog and slowly move up the incline of the dip. Be careful, because at the top of this hill you will be attacked by three Skirmishers, usually all with needle rifles. Slowly creep up the incline with your DMR ready so that you can kill the Skirmishers as soon as you see them. After killing them with DMR headshots, notice the position of their needle rifles because you will need these later.

Follow the dirt path to the right until you come to a round rock on a steep incline. You will use this rock as cover. Ahead of you, there are many enemies in different areas, and they should be taken out in a certain order. On the ledge with the AA gun, there are seven normal Grunts, two Grunt ultras, three Jackals, and an Elite general with a concussion rifle. Below this ledge, there is an Elite driven ghost, an Elite driven revenant, three Grunt majors, and a Grunt ultra. These Grunts will join the other infantry around the AA gun soon after seeing you. Next to a sniper tower behind the AA gun, there are two Grunts and two Jackals. However, these will only attack you if you get close.

With your DMR, focus on picking off as many of the infantry as possible from your cover. It is most important to kill the Jackals first because they will create the most difficulty in the future. Once you run out of DMR ammo, swap your empty DMR for the needle rifles of the Skirmisher majors you killed before. While the revenant will stay far away from your position, the ghost will come and attack you around this time. When the ghost begins to approach your cover, start charging your plasma pistol while staying in cover. Once it comes within plasma pistol range, step out of your cover and immediately stun it our plasma pistol, then sprint up and jack it. Be sure to then kill the Elite driver either by ramming him or shooting him with the ghost’s plasma turrets.

Return to your cover and park your ghost next to it. Be prepared for a second ghost to come in from the canyon pass behind you soon after you kill this first ghost. Once again, stay in cover until the ghost gets close, then stun and jack it. The revenant, on the other hand, should be avoided and not jacked. Now that you have cleared out the larger threats on the lower level, it is time to attack the AA battery. In one of the jacked ghosts, drive all the way around the higher ledge, boosting past the both revenant and sniper tower. Park the ghost by the last rock where the lower ledge reaches the higher ledge. Use this rock as cover and pick off all of the Grunts with your needle rifle. To kill any remaining Jackals, shoot them in the head when they are moving or facing away from you. If they get close, remove their shields with an overcharged plasma shot. Once you kill all of the lighter infantry, it is relatively easy to kill the Elite general with an overcharged plasma pistol and needle rifle headshot from the cover of the rock.

Now you can blow up the anti-aircraft battery, allowing the UNSC frigate to enter orbit. Inside of the structure, you will find an energy shield protecting the inner core. Melee the shield twice, throw a sticky grenade at the core, and then sprint out of the AA battery before it blows up.

Behind the AA gun is a downed falcon with an assault rifle, a health kit, a 30 ammo DMR, and a frag grenade. Restock your health if necessary and swap your plasma pistol for the DMR. Even though the revenant and the sniper tower infantry remain, it is not required that you engage them. If you do decide to eliminate them as well, kill the Grunts with your needle rifle and Jackals with your DMR from on top of the ledge. To jack the revenant, temporarily swap your needle rifle for a plasma pistol. Stun the revenant, but keep in mind that it can still shoot when stunned with EMP. Run behind the revenant so that it cannot shoot you, then enter the passenger’s seat. From here, melee the Elite until he dies. Then swap your plasma pistol for your needle rifle, renter your ghost, and drive back to the area that you came from. Drive through the opening in the canyon wall where the other ghost came from before.

You will enter a large open area in which a phantom deployed a wraith and three Skirmisher majors with needle rifles. Park your ghost next to the large rock in the middle of the area. Using this as cover, remove the gunner from the wraith with your needle rifle. Once the wraith comes close to you, run out of your cover and plant a grenade. Keep in mind that because the wraith is not stunned, it may shoot you when you run at it. Kill the Skirmishers with needle rifle headshots and restock your needle rifle ammo from their guns. Near the covenant antenna, you will find a health kit, an empty ghost, and a covenant crate with plasma pistols. Restock on health if necessary. Get back in your ghost and travel across the bridge the pelican placed for you.

Continue down the path with your ghost. After jumping over a cliff, you will land in front of two Skirmisher majors with plasma pistols and a Skirmisher commando with a needle rifle. Because Skirmishers are so agile, ramming them is very hard. Instead, exit your ghost behind one of the rocks, kill them with needle rifle headshots, then grab the commandos needle rifle ammo. Renter your ghost and continue down the path. Ahead, you will find a health kit and a truck, but stay in your ghost because it is easier to maneuver and boosts. Continuing down the path, you will come to a mining facility, concluding this rally point.

Part 2: Hand over Fist

Your next objective is to secure a mining facility up ahead. This mining facility is on the other side of a canyon, and there is a bridge at the end of the road crossing over to it. On your side of the bridge, there is a 45 ammo DMR, an assault rifle, a frag grenade, two health kits, and four marines. On the other side of the bridge, there is a shade turret, four Grunts, and three Jackals. Drive your ghost towards the bridge but get out at the small hill with a red bush on top. From the bottom of the hill, your body is completely covered to the enemies on the bridge, providing you with great cover. Kill as many infantry as possible with your needle rifle, but use the DMR to kill the Grunt in the shade turret and the Jackals. To do this, run up the hill and fire upon the enemies until you see them returning fire. Then return behind the hill for safety.

After killing all of the enemies, restock on health and DMR ammo at your side of the bridge. Cross the bridge and turn left into the facility, where you will arrive at a set of stairs. At the top of these stairs, there are two health kits, a plasma grenade, a hologram, and two plasma rifle crates. As you turn the corner, be prepared with your needle rifle to kill two Skirmisher majors with needle rifles. Kill them with headshots and restock on their ammo. Continue up to the next flight of stairs, and the will see a large water tower which the platform bends around. When you come to this tower, switch to your DMR, because on the other side of the tower, there is a Grunt heavy and four Jackals. Kill the Jackals with hand shots and headshots from your DMR, exercising patience and accuracy to conserve ammo.

Up the next flight of stairs, you will find three Grunt majors and one Grunt ultra. Kill them all with your needle rifle. You will find a needle rifle crate and an armor lock ability to your right. Swap your needle rifle for one of the Grunt’s plasma pistols because you will be fighting Elites up ahead.

As you climb the last flight of stairs, you will reach the roof level. Be careful, because there are two Jackals and two Elite majors around the corner. One of these Elite majors is operating a plasma turret. Using the corner as cover, kill the Jackals and first Elite major with your DMR and plasma pistol. To kill the Elite with the plasma turret, sprint around the corner to the covered area on the left where you will be protected by a large column. From here, shoot the gas tank to the right of the Elite with a few plasma pistol rounds until it catches fire. This will cause it to detonate a few seconds later, destroying the plasma turret. This will allow you to easily kill the Elite with an overcharged plasma pistol and DMR headshot. Now you can return to the area you came from, trade your plasma pistol for your needle rifle, and restock its ammo from the covenant crate.

Retrace your steps forward and turn left at the destroyed plasma turret. You will see an assault rifle crate, a frag grenade, and a health kit in front of you, so restock on health if necessary. Ahead of you, there is another platform on which there are four Grunt spec ops, two Jackals, an Elite major, and an Elite Zealot with a concussion rifle. First, kill the Jackals with your DMR from the platform that you are on. It is important that you move quickly or else the Zealot will escape, so do not kill the Grunt spec ops yet. Jump down to ground level and start climbing the stairs up to the enemy platform. As you approach the stairs, the Grunt spec ops will begin descending towards you. Swap to your needle rifle and kill them quickly with headshots. After killing all four Grunt spec ops, trade your needle rifle for one of their plasma pistol and begin charging it as you climb the last flight of stairs. After charging for a few seconds, climb the last few steps, stun the Zealot, and kill him with a headshot. Do the same for the Elite major.

Move back down the stairs and swap your plasma pistol for a needle rifle. If necessary, restock health in the small room that contains a health kit, sprint, a frag grenade, and an assault rifle crate. Once you are ready to continue, walk to the edge of the large hole in the roof, where you will see three Grunt spec ops below you. Kill them all with needle rifle headshots, before jumping through the hole. On the level below, there are three more Grunt majors, so kill them all with your needle rifle once you jump through the hole. Through the next door, you will find two health kits, a plasma launcher, a plasma pistol and needler crate, and a plasma grenade. I would suggest keeping your current loadout of a DMR and needle rifle, though do restock on health if necessary. As soon as you walk out the final door, you will see two Grunt heavies attempting to escape in ghosts. Be ready to kill them quickly with your needle rifle before they can enter these ghosts. If you successfully kill them both, you will now have the option of entering three ghosts and a revenant. Although the revenant has higher firepower and more damage resistance, I would suggest taking one of the ghosts due to their mobility, speed, and superior boost.

A little ways down the dirt road, you will find three Grunts and an Elite major. Get out of the ghost and kill the Grunts with your needle rifle, then renter the ghost and either ram the Elite or kill it with the ghost’s plasma turrets. The dirt path will eventually lead to a broken down bridge. You will have to drive off the end, but the drop is small enough that it will not hurt you if you are in the ghost. In addition, on a section of the bridge still standing, there is a destroyed warthog, a DMR, and a data pad. However, it is very difficult to get to this section, and you should have plenty of DMR ammo at this point, so do not worry about trying to get to this bridge section.

Your current objective is to destroy another AA battery, located on a raised area ahead of you. Like before, the best strategy is to clear out the enemies on the lower level first. After jumping down the broken ledge, you will see a rock wall between you and the AA gun. Turn right and hug the rock wall after you exit your ghost while swapping to your DMR. Stay against the rock wall and slowly circle around it, constantly watching the area ahead of you. Around the wall, there are two normal Grunts, a Grunt ultra, five Jackals, and a wraith. Use the curvature of the wall as cover and begin picking off the infantry with your DMR. You will need to use your DMR instead of your needle rifle because these enemies are very far away. Once you kill all of the infantry, pick off the Grunt heavy operating the wraith’s plasma turret and sprint behind the large boulders in front of you for cover. Swap your needle rifle for one of the Grunts or Jackals plasma pistols. Overcharge a plasma pistol shot, move from behind cover, and run towards the wraith in a zigzag pattern so it cannot hit you. Once you achieve a plasma pistol lock-on, stun the wraith and jump on top of it. However, instead of planting a grenade in the wraith, enter the plasma turret. This will prompt the Elite major operating the wraith to exit it. Once he exits the wraith, exit the turret and kill him with an overcharged plasma pistol and DMR headshot. Leave this wraith here for now, but you will need it later.

Move up to the rock with the two covenant crates next to it. Here, you will find a drop shield, two needle rifles, and a plasma launcher. If you are hurt, swap your sprint for the drop shield. Place a drop shield to heal, and then swap back for sprint. The rock on this hill provides good cover for clearing out the next area. Ahead of you, there are two Grunts, four Jackals, three Skirmishers, an Elite major, and a wraith. Pick off as many of the light infantry as possible using DMR. If you run out of DMR ammo, swap it for a needle rifle from the crate next to you. While snipping, constantly watch the wraith. At this time, Kat usually draws most of its fire, but it will sometimes shoot at you. If you see a plasma ball heading your way, run to the left and use the curvature of the wall as cover. Once you kill all of the light infantry and the wraith gunner, sprint up to the double rocks ahead and use them as cover. Kill either the wraith or the Elite first, whichever is closer. Plant a grenade in this wraith; do not try to jack it.

Now, the only enemies that remain are inside of the AA gun, consisting of four buggers and two Hunters. Instead of killing this AA gun by overloading the core, return to your wraith and destroy the AA gun with two to three plasma balls. Destroying the AA guns will trigger two aircraft to land. Next to you, a Pelican will drop eight marines, six with assault rifles, one with a DMR, and one with a grenade launcher. Against the far wall near the edge of the cliff, a phantom will drop four Grunts. In addition, the two Hunters will now come down from the AA gun to join the fight. Stay in your wraith and bombard the Hunters with plasma balls. Although it will require many shots to kill the Hunters, you can shoot them from far away so are completely safe from their fuel rods. Even if they do hit you, the wraith’s thick armor will absorb the majority of the blow. After killing the Hunters, help the marines finish off the Grunts. The buggers are currently sleeping in the AA gun, so I do not suggest waking them.

After you clear out the Hunters and Grunts, Jorge will land with a grenade turret falcon. Enter either of the side mounted grenade turrets to finish this rally point. Kat will stay behind with the marines.

Part 3: the Spire

This falcon will take you and Jorge to the covenant spire. Unlike standard falcons, this falcon has rapid-fire grenade turrets on either side, one of which you are operating. These grenades detonate on contact and inflict much damage so are useful for killing both groups of infantry and vehicles. As the pilot flies you to the spire, you can clear out covenant forces along the way. Most of the enemies do not pose any threat to your falcon, and the only enemies that damage you are the shade turrets, so they must be killed first. However, I suggest killing as many enemies as possible to increase your score and “help the war effort” so to speak.

The pilot then tries to fly you past the spire’s shields, but he did not know that they produce an EMP force, causing aircraft to stall. This causes you to crash inside of the shield barrier of the spire, killing the pilot and the marine onboard. However, due to armor lock, you and Jorge survive with only minor damage. The crash causes you to lose your guns, so you instead have to pick up guns from the crash site, shown in the cut scene. You therefore start with a 29 ammo DMR and a 568 ammo assault rifle regardless of you previous loadout.

Next to the falcon there are two jetpacks, two health kits, and a frag grenade. Use one of these health kits to repair the damage you took form the fall. In the area ahead of you, there are nine Grunts, three Jackals, three Skirmisher minors with needle rifles, and two Skirmisher commandos with focus rifles. Begin by using either the downed falcon or the rocks to your left as cover and pick off as many Skirmishers as possible. They pose the largest threats because they have the most accurate guns. Next, attempt to pick off as many the Grunts and Jackals from this position. You are unlike to see them all because some of them will be concealed by the many rocks in ahead of you.

Once you cannot see any more enemies, move up to the tall, spike-shaped rock forward and to the right of the falcon. Using this as cover, kill any more enemies remaining on the dirt road ahead of you and then move up this dirt road. Swap your assault rifle for the first plasma pistol you come to. As you continue up this road, it will turn to the left. Be careful here, because once you step past the last rocks on the left, you will be in sight of an Elite major operating a plasma turret farther down the road. Carefully move around the rocks next to the copper water heaters to avoid the plasma turret fire. Once you get to the last rocks between you and the Elite, you will have a clear shot at a plasma battery next to the Elite. Shoot the battery multiple times with your DMR, causing it to explode and destroy the turret. Now, you can safely kill the Elite with the normal strategy. When you come to the dead Elite, watch your back because there could be enemies that you did not kill before lurking in the rocks behind you.

After you are sure that there are no enemies waiting to ambush you from behind, move forward towards the spire. The road will come to a T crossing, with covenant objects in the middle of the road. Here you will find a focus rifle, a needle rifle crate, and a jetpack. Swap your DMR for a needle rifle and your sprint for a jetpack. Also, make sure that you have a nearly fresh plasma pistol, so swap for one from an enemy that you killed before if necessary.

If you stay in this area, a banshee will soon come to you. Jacking this banshee will both provide you with easy transportation to the top of the spire and an achievement. Once the banshee starts flying towards you, begin charging you plasma pistol and jetpack towards it. Stun the banshee once you achieve a lock-on and are sure that the banshee will crash on the road on which you are jet packing over. Immediately begin recharging your plasma pistol as you jetpack to the crash site and stun it again once the EMP wears off so that it cannot escape. Once you reach the banshee, walk to the back and press x to jack it, kicking out the Elite pilot.

Fly the banshee to the top of the spire and land on the plasma platform. Inside of the top room of the spire, there are three Grunt ultras, two Grunt heavies with fuel rods, and an Elite ultra with an energy sword. Use one of the doorways into upper room of the spire as cover to kill the Grunts. Step into the doorway to take a few shots at the Grunts and then step outside again when your shields become low or the Grunt heavy fires a fuel rod at you. At first, the Elite ultra will be operating the spire controls, but a few second after he sees you, he will draw his energy sword and attack. As soon as you see him leave the controls, step outside and charge your plasma pistol. Watch your motion tracker so you are ready for him when he walks within your line of fire. When you remove its shields, the Elite will momentarily stop moving, providing you time to kill it with a needle rifle headshot. If you miss, jetpack onto the higher level of the spire and it will be unable to attack you. From this higher elevation, you can easily finish off the Elite ultra. Then continue to eliminate the remaining Grunts defending the controls.

Once all of the enemies are dead, you can disable the shields generated by the spire at the main controls by pressing x. This will both allow Carter to pick you and Jorge up in a falcon, and will allow the UNSC frigate Grafton to destroy the Spire. However, after destroying the Spire, a covenant cruiser destroys Grafton, concluding the mission Tip of the Spear.

The Legend of Bass Reeves: Being the True and Fictional Account of the Most Valiant Marshall in the West

(Gary Paulsen, Wendy Lamb Books)

Ten year-old Bass Reeves and his mother were slaves on Mister’s ranch. Bass managed the ranch almost by himself. There is another slave on the ranch named Flowers, who couldn’t talk because “…he was whipped and beaten, and it made the thinking part of his brain shut down.” The three worked under the watchful eye of mean-spirited Mister.

When Mister drank he got even meaner. He taught Bass to play cards so he could have some company. After Bass got good at cards Mister put up the money for Bass to play, starting with nickels until they got to fifty cents. One night when Bass had won all his money, Mister bet Bass his, and his mother’s freedom. Bass was nearly 17 and longing to be a free man.

Then he caught Mister cheating. Mister threw down his cards and hit Bass in the head. Bass hit him back. Enraged, Mister pulled his gun on Bass. Knowing that he was about to die, Bass hit him with a whiskey jug. Mister went down. Bass believed he had killed Mister. When she heard the shot, his mother came running. In no time, Bass was running for his life, never to see his mother again. He escaped to Indian Territory and began his life as a free man.

Bass survived on deer and buffalo that he hunted. He learned to read the sounds and movements all around him. Once he had to kill two men in self-defense. Another time he saved a little Creek (Indian)girl from being killed by three wolves. He lived with the Creek nation for 22 years.

The historic legend of Bass Reeves really began when he was fifty-one. The US government needed someone familiar with the Indian Territory to be a marshall and they recruited Bass Reeves. From 1862 until 1907 Bass Reeves was a US Marshall bringing in fugitives. In 1907, the town of Muskogee asked eighty-one year old Bass Reeves to be the town constable. His story is exciting and worthy of investigation.

Duck hunting is the practice of hunting ducks for food and sport. commercial hunting is mostly prohibited, and duck hunting is primarily an outdoor sporting activity.

Many types of ducks and geese share the same habitats and are hunted using the same methods. It is not uncommon to take several different species of waterfowl in the same outing.

Wild ducks have been hunted for food, down, and feathers worldwide since prehistoric times. Ducks, geese, and swans appear in European cave paintings from the last Ice Age, and murals in Ancient Egyptian tombs show men in hunting blinds capturing swimming ducks in a trap.

By the turn of the century, commercial hunting and loss of habitat lead to a decline in duck and goose populations in North America. The Lacey Act of 1900, which outlawed transport of poached game across state lines, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which prohibited the possession of migratory birds without permission (such as a hunting license), marked the dawn of the modern conservation movement.

In 1934 the US government passed the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act, better known as the Federal Duck Stamp Act. This program required hunters to purchase a special stamp, in addition to a regular hunting license. Revenues from the program provided the majority of funding for duck conservation for many decades and funded the purchase of 4.5 million acres of National Wildlife Refuge land for waterfowl habitat since the program’s inception.

Duck hunting season is generally in the winter and fall. At this time of the year, the birds have finished raising their young and are migrating to warmer areas. There are three elements used by almost all duck hunters: a shotgun, a hunting blind, and decoys. The decoys are used to lure the birds within range, and the blind conceals the hunter. Once the birds are within range, the hunters stand up in the blind and shoot the birds before they are frightened off.

The most commonly used guns are 12 gauge shotguns. In many areas, buckshot and larger shot is illegal to use for taking migratory birds. Ten, 16, and 20 gauge shotguns are also used. Taking birds with a rifle is illegal due to the inherent danger of shooting long-range bullets into the air.

Duck hunting with lead shot, along with the use of lead sinkers in angling, has been identified as a major cause of lead poisoning in waterfowl, which often feed off the bottom of lakes and wetlands where lead shot collects. In the United States all shot used for ducks must not contain any lead. Steel is the cheapest alternative to lead but steel has a much less effective range than lead because of its lower density. 30 to 40 yards is considered the maximum effective range for duck hunting.

Although steel is the most used shot, many hunters do not like its shooting properties. Steel is less dense than lead, therefore, its effective range is decreased due to a faster decrease in velocity. Many companies have improved steel shot by increasing muzzle-velocity and making more consistent ‘shot’ or pellets. Within recent years, several companies have created ‘heavier than lead’ non-toxic shot out of Tungsten, Bismuth or other elements with a density similar or greater to lead. These shells have more consistent patterns and greater range than steel shot.

Originally, a duck call was a very simple woodwind instrument. It had a barrel, a sounding board and a reed. Hunters would grunt into the call while saying “hut”, “quit” or “ut”. With the improvement of calls and calling techniques the best callers are able to use no voice. The most prevalent and hunted duck in the United States, the mallard, makes the well known “quack” sound many associate with ducks. Other species make many different sounds, ranging from high-pitched whistles to very low, grunt-like quacks. There are calls for almost all species of ducks. Pintails, teal, wood ducks, diving ducks and other ducks including the calls of both the male, or drake and the female, or hen.

In many species, the call of the drake is different from that of the hen. Mallard drakes make a lower pitch, longer quack than the hen mallard. This call is often used while feeding and when a mallard drake is landing. The quack of a mallard drake requires voice and is replicated by humming into a special whistle-like call. This whistle is often called a 6-in-1 whistle, due to the fact that it can replicate six different duck species sounds.

In teal, the drakes make a call of short bursts of a high pitch whistle. The “teet! (pause) teet! (pause) teet!-teet!” or any other order of repetition. This call can be made by blowing short bursts of air into the “6-in-1” whistle.

The majority of duck sounds people have heard and are familiar with comes from females, or hen, mallards. Hen mallards are very vocal and this is probably why the number one call for duck hunting in North America is a hen mallard call.

There are numerous types of structures that qualify as duck blinds. Blinds can be temporary or permanent. They are very effective at concealing hunters and making their movements un-noticed. For hunting over water, the types of blinds are almost unlimited. Many of these permanent blinds look like a small shack with an opening that faces the water and a portion of the sky.

Often creating a temporary, natural blind as a method of concealment is a hunter’s best bet. This is done by using native grasses or vegetation and natural material and simply hiding in a tree, clump of grass or a shrub. More sophisticated natural blinds may have large logs or branches leaned together or tied together using rope. Temporary blinds are common in protected and public areas where a permanent blind is not allowed. Temporary blinds can be very simple and usually require a three dimensional enclosure to conceal hunters from circling flocks.

With the growing popularity of boats in duck hunting, many have chosen to use boat blinds. Boat blinds are used to conceal a hunter when hunting out of a boat.

Duck season takes place in the fall and winter where the weather can be harsh. Waterproof clothing is critical to duck hunting. Most duck hunters hunt over water, and they stand in water or in a boat. In order to stand in the water and stay dry the hunter must wear waders. Waders are waterproof pants that have attached boots and are completely waterproof. Typical waders are chest high, but waist high and knee high waders are sometimes used in shallow water. Duck hunting can be a very cold sport and the hunter must be well insulated from the cold. Ducks also have great vision which requires the hunters clothing to be well camouflaged.

Duck hunters often use a dog to retrieve downed birds. Most often hunters use retrievers, and sometimes spaniels. The use of a dog provides a number of advantages. As duck hunting often takes place in cold wet locations, the use of a dog frees the hunter from having to wade into cold water to retrieve the bird. This can be dangerous for the hunter, but is managed by a trained dog easily. It also allows for the recovery of wounded birds that might otherwise escape.

Duck hunting is highly regulated. Hunters are required to obtain a hunting license and face limits on the number of birds that can be taken in a day (bag limits) and the total number of birds a hunter can possess (possession limits).

In the United States, hunters must also purchase a federal duck stamp and often a state stamp. It is illegal to shoot ducks from a motor vehicle, a moving boat, or to shoot sitting or swimming ducks. Many practices that were once common in commercial duck hunting before the turn of the century are now prohibited. In most areas, shotguns that can hold more than two or three shells must be modified to reduce their magazine size. Legal hunting is done “in-season” only. It is also considered good sportsmanship to make every attempt to retrieve dead or injured waterfowl the hunter has shot.

Many states require hunters, including duck hunters, to complete hunter safety courses before they can obtain a license.

Below I have described in detail all of the UNSC, covenant, and Promethean weapons, including when and how to use these weapons. For the covenant and Promethean weapons, I have also provided the best strategies to overcome enemies with these weapons. The x/y after each gun name refers to the ammo per magazine/maximum extra ammo. Notice that the strategies are intended for use against AI in Spartan Ops and Campaign. These strategies do not necessarily apply when playing against human players in War Games.

“Headshot weapons” are a group of weapons with unique properties. A single headshot to an unshielded enemy from a headshot weapon deals infinite damage, allowing you to easily kill any rank of enemy on any difficultly. Headshot weapons are the most accurate weapons in Halo 4 and they all have scopes. This allows you to pick off enemies from a distance, which is usually the safest tactic on higher difficulties. You can also use headshot weapons up close, including against shielded enemies. Remove the enemies shields (preferably with an overcharged plasma pistol), and you then can finish them with a single headshot from a headshot weapon.

Assault rifle – 32/128: The assault rifle is the most accurate fully automatic weapon in Halo 4. Not only is it accurate, it also has very low recoil, so you can fire an entire magazine at once and still retain accuracy. When you do not have stronger weapons (such as the incinerator cannon or SAW), you can use the assault rifle to kill Promethean knights. Whenever possible, use either grenades or an auto sentry in combination with your assault rifle to more easily kill knights.

Battle rifle – 36/108: The battle rifle is an accurate headshot weapon with a 2x scope. It fires a 3-shot-burst each time you pull the trigger. These 3 bullets travel in a tight spread, increasing the area that you hit and allowing you to get a headshot even if your aim is a bit off. Because it fires 3 shots, the battle rifle is one of the highest damaging headshot weapons, so it is one of the best weapons for fighting Promethean watchers. Because watchers do not have heads, you must kill them with repeated body shots, so the higher damage of the battle rifle allows you to kill them in fewer shots. The downside to the battle rifle is that it consumes ammo very quickly.

DMR – 14/42: The DMR is an incredibly accurate semi-automatic headshot weapon with a 3x scope. It has practically no recoil and is just as accurate as any of the sniper rifles. Therefore, the DMR is great for picking off enemies from a distance. Using the DMR, you can easily kill light infantry from so far away that they cannot return fire. There DMR is also very effective up close if you do not use the scope.

Magnum – 8/32: The magnum is a secondary headshot weapon with a 2x scope. While it fires only one shot per trigger pull, the magnum has an incredibly high fire rate. However, I suggest that you instead fire slowly and carefully to conserve ammo and more easily get headshots. The magnum is not as accurate as the other headshot weapons, so you will need to get closer to your target when using it.

Railgun – 1/5: The railgun is a charge up weapon similar to the UNSC Spartan laser. It deals less damage than the Spartan laser, but it takes less than half the time to charge up. The railgun does not produce a targeting laser (unlike the Spartan laser), so enemy AI do not know when you are charging up a shot. Though railgun rounds do not travel instantly, they travel very quickly and home slightly on infantry, so it is easy to use the railgun at close or medium range. A single shot from a railgun can remove the shields of any knight, allowing you to finish them with a headshot. This combination allows you to quickly kill knights from a distance and up close, so it is one of my favorite methods.

Rocket launcher – 2/8: The rocket launcher, as implied by its name, fires powerful, explosive rockets. These rockets travel relatively quickly and accurately, so you can successfully use the rocket launcher from a fair distance. It deals enough damage to kill a knight or an elite in a single shot, though you rarely have access to the it during the campaign. In general, you should fire the rocket launcher at the feet of your enemies so that they cannot side step it. The rocket launcher has a 2x scope and it can lock onto enemy aircraft.

SAW – 72/216: The SAW is a powerful light machinegun great for killing Promethean knights. It deals the highest damage per second of all of the fully automatic weapons due to its incredible fire rate. It also has a huge magazine, which more than compensates for the high fire rate. The saw is great for killing knights; you can easily kill any rank with less than a single magazine of SAW ammunition. The downside of the SAW is that is fairly inaccurate, so you need to get up close when using it.

Shotgun – 6/18: The shotgun deal a large amount of damage at point blank range, but it loses damage the farther away you get. If you are more than 2 meters away from your target, the shotgun deals no damage at all. I do not suggest that you use the shotgun during the campaign because it requires you to charge enemies. On higher difficulties, charging puts you at great risk. Furthermore, at point blank range, the shotgun still does not deal enough damage to kill either an elite or a knight in a single shot. Therefore, it is much safer and more efficient to use other weapons.

Sniper rifle – 4/12: The sniper rifle is the most accurate UNSC weapon, and it allows you to pick off enemies from very far away with its variable 5 – 10x scope. Even on legendary, the sniper rifle is useful against elites because it can kill them in only 2 headshots. (Elite generals require 4 headshots to kill, so you should use other methods to kill them). Because of its pinpoint accuracy, you can kill elites from so far away that they cannot return fire. The sniper rifle is especially useful for sniping enemies out of turrets because they cannot move to avoid your shots. Whenever possible, I suggest that you snipe elites operating a wraith’s plasma turret so that you can more easily destroy or hijack the wraith.

Spartan laser – plasma/25% per shot: The Spartan laser is one of the highest damaging weapons in the game, but it is also one of the hardest weapons to use. In order to fire the Spartan laser, you must first charge it up by holding down the trigger. After you charge it up for roughly 2 seconds, it fires a powerful, accurate laser. You can use the Spartan laser from a distance because it has a 2x scope and the laser travels infinitely. However, as you charge up the Spartan laser, it creates a smaller targeting laser visible to all enemies. Therefore, infantry can easily avoid the laser, so it is only useful for destroying vehicles. During the campaign, you only have access to the Spartan laser when you also have access to powerful vehicles (such as a Scorpion or Mantis), so I suggest that you use the vehicles instead.

Sticky detonator – 1/5: The sticky detonator is an evolved version of the grenade launcher from Halo Reach. As implied by the name, the sticky detonator fires grenades that stick to any surface. Once you fire a grenade, press the trigger again to detonate it. The explosion deals a large amount of damage and has a high blast radius (roughly equivalent to 2 frag grenades,) though it has no EMP capabilities like the grenade launcher from Halo Reach. You will have access to the sticky launcher during much of the 7th mission, and I suggest that you use it to combat the hunters you encounter. Step out of cover to fire at the hunters face or back, then return to cover to detonate the grenade. It will take 4 – 5 direct hits to kill a hunter. I do not suggest that you use the sticky detonator when combating any other infantry because a headshot weapon and a plasma pistol provide a much more reliable loadout for fighting covenant. You will never have access to a sticky detonator when fighting Prometheans.

Beam rifle – plasma/10% per shot: The beam rifle is the covenant sniper rifle, and it is by far the most accurate covenant weapon. It deals as much damage as the UNSC sniper rifle, so you can kill most elites with 2 headshots. Just like the sniper rifle, it has a variable 5 – 10x scope, so it allows you to snipe enemies from very far away. I suggest that you use the beam rifle for sniping enemies out of turrets. The beam rifle has much less recoil than the sniper rifle, so it is a lot easier to snap shot enemies (this is when you fire without looking down the scope.)

Jackal snipers are the only infantry that use beam rifles. They can kill you with two body shots or one headshot, though they rarely get headshots. As soon as a sniper hits you once, immediately take cover before he can finish you with a second shot. To kill a jackal sniper wielding a beam rifle, stand in cover so that you are barely exposed but can see his head. Kill him with a headshot with your headshot weapon.

Carbine – 18/72: The carbine is a fast firing, accurate headshot weapon commonly found in covenant areas. The carbine is the fastest firing semi-automatic weapon in the game, though I suggest you fire slowly and carefully to conserve ammo and more easily get headshots. It also has the most spare ammo and ammo per magazine of all of the headshot weapons. For these reasons, the carbine is my favorite headshot weapon for fighting covenant. However, the carbine deals very little damage per shot, so it is terrible against Promethean watchers (though it is great against crawlers.)

Jackal snipers and elites both wield carbines. These enemies usually cannot get a headshot, so they pose little threat. Kill carbine wielding jackal snipers with a headshot. They may shoot you a few times before you can kill them, but your shields can easily absorb this fire. Kill carbine wielding elites up close with a plasma pistol and headshot combination. These elites pose less threat then elites with storm rifles because the carbine deals less damage per second than the storm rifle.

Concussion rifle – 6/18: The concussion rifle is a rapid fire grenade launcher that fires concussion rounds. These rounds detonate on impact, and they deal much less damage and splash damage than the sticky detonator or any type of rocket launcher. When the concussion rounds explode, they knock their target back considerably, so you can stop a charging enemy by bombarding them with concussion rounds. On legendary, the concussion rifle does not deal enough damage to be an effective weapon against any type of enemy.

In the hands of the enemies, the concussion rifle poses a large threat. Only high ranking elites wield the concussion rifle, and they can kill you with 3 – 4 shots. Since concussion rifle rounds travel slowly, it is best to engage these enemies with from a distance. As soon as you come within plasma pistol range of the elite, remove his shields with an overcharged plasma pistol blast and kill him with a headshot before he can approach you. Avoid concussion rifle fire by moving perpendicular to your enemy and jumping often.

Energy sword – plasma/10% per swing: The energy sword is a melee weapon that greatly increases the damage of your melee attack. Not only does it deal enough damage to kill most infantry in 1 or 2 slashes, the energy sword also allows you to lunge at your enemies from over a meter away. I do not suggest that you use the energy sword because it requires you to get very close to your enemies. This leaves you very exposed and can often lead to your death on higher difficulties. Furthermore, it requires 2 slashes to kill most elites, leaving you vulnerable for even longer.

When combating enemies with energy swords, it is vital that you do not allow them to reach you. Elite spec ops most commonly use energy swords, though you may see elite generals, zealots, or even majors using energy swords as well. These elites are always very aggressive and they will charge you nearly as soon as they see you. When you see a charging elite with an energy sword, it is your top priority to kill him before he reaches you. Begin by backing up while you overcharge your plasma pistol. As soon as you overcharge it, immediately fire the EMP blast to remove the elite’s shields. This will usually cause him to stumble or shake his fist, buying you more time. Immediately finish him with a headshot before he reaches you.

Fuel rod gun – 5/15: The fuel rod gun is the covenant rocket launcher. It deals much less damage and less splash damage than the UNSC or Promethean rocket launchers, but it makes up for this with a dramatically higher fire rate and magazine size. The fuel rods travel much slower than the UNSC rockets or incinerator cannon rockets, so they are much easier to dodge or jump over. Whenever you can, use the fuel rod gun against knights or hunters. Be sure that you get close to your target and/or fire at its feet so that it cannot dodge your fire. Because the fuel rod gun is weaker than the other rocket launchers, it will take 3 – 6 shots to kill knights or hunters on legendary. I do not suggest that you use fuel rod guns to fight elites because the plasma pistol and headshot combination is faster, safer, and more reliable.

When fighting enemies with fuel rod guns, it is vital that you fight them from a distance so that you have the most time to dodge their fire. When fighting grunt heavies, simply pick them off from a distance with a single headshot. Fighting elites wielding fuel rod guns is much more difficult. Wait in cover with your plasma pistol ready a little ways away from the elite. When he is just at the edge of your plasma pistol’s range, charge up a shot from cover, then step out of cover to fire your EMP blast. The blast will remove the elite’s shields and cause him to flinch, providing you with a split second to kill him with a headshot before he begins to attack. If the elite returns fire, either take cover or jump around while moving perpendicular to him to avoid his shots.

Gravity hammer – plasma/5% per swing: The gravity hammer is a melee weapon similar to the energy sword. Instead of slicing enemies, the gravity hammer creates an explosion with every swing. This explosion has a very small blast radius, so you need to be at nearly point blank range to deal any damage. The gravity hammer deals just as much damage as the energy sword, but it does not allow you to lunge, making it an inferior weapon. I do not suggest using the gravity hammer because it forces you to charge the enemies, which is very dangerous.

Because there are no brutes in Halo 4, you will never encounter enemies wielding a gravity hammer. You only ever see the gravity hammer in the Promethean armory in the last mission.

Needler – 22/44: The needler is a fast firing machine pistol commonly used by light infantry. The needles it fires deal very little damage on their own, but if a target is hit with around 10 needles, they detonate in a super-combine explosion. This explosion deals enough damage to kill most infantry, and two explosions will kill any infantry except hunters. Although needles travel slowly, they home on infantry targets, so the needler is a very easy weapon to use at close range. If you have access to a needler when fighting promethean knights, I highly suggest that you use it. If you hit a knight with just under a magazine of ammo, it will cause two super-combine explosions, killing the knight. This is much faster and easier than using other assault weapons like the suppressor or assault rifle. I do not suggest that you use the needler to kill covenant infantry because it is much faster, easier, and safer to kill them with headshots.

When fighting enemies with needlers, it is vital that you avoid their fire because a single super-combine explosion will kill you. If more than a few needles start hitting you, immediately take cover and wait for them to dissolve, even if your shields are high. You will mostly see needlers in the hands of grunts and jackals, so it is easy to kill them from a distance with a headshot weapon. Try to engage them from as far away as possible so that you will have more time to get into cover after you see them fire. If you are far enough away, they will be unable to hit you at all.

Plasma pistol – plasma/2% per shot: The plasma pistol is a specialized pistol use used by many covenant light infantry. While it deals practically no health damage, the plasma pistol deals high damage against shields. If you hold down the trigger, you can charge up an EMP blast capable of stunning vehicles and instantly removing an enemy’s shields. If your reticule is red when your fire the blast, it will home onto the target. The plasma pistol is great for fighting elites or knights because you can remove their shields with a single EMP blast. This allows you to then finish them with a single headshot from a headshot weapon. If you hit a vehicle with an overcharged blast, it temporarily stuns the vehicle, removing its ability to shoot or move for roughly 3 seconds. This allows you to hijack the vehicle safely. Because of its many abilities, I suggest that you use the plasma pistol as your secondary weapon whenever fighting covenant forces.

While enemies with plasma pistols will rarely kill you, they can easily remove your shields, leaving you vulnerable to other enemies. If you see an enemy overcharging their plasma pistol, kill them quickly before they fire at you. Only grunts and jackals wield plasma pistols, so you can stay out of their range and pick them off from a distance with a headshot weapon. If you are in a vehicle, immediately kill any enemies overcharging a plasma pistol before they can stun you.

Storm Rifle – plasma/0.5% per shot: The Storm rifle is the only covenant assault rifle. It is very similar to the plasma rifle and the plasma repeater from Halo Reach. The storm rifle is a very accurate assault rifle but it has very high recoil. If you hold down the trigger, it becomes very inaccurate after the 3rd or 4th shot. Fire in short, controlled bursts to overcome the recoil. I do not suggest that you use the storm rifle when fighting the covenant, and when fighting Promethean knights, I suggest you use the suppressor instead because it is more available and deals higher damage per second.

The storm rifle is the most common weapon used among the elites, especially the lower ranking ones. When the elites use the storm rifle, it has a lot less recoil than when you use it, so they can hit you from much farther away. Engage elites one at a time from cover, using a combination of an overcharged plasma pistol to remove their shields and a headshot to kill them.

Binary rifle – 2/6: The binary rifle is the most powerful sniper rifle in Halo 4. It is just as accurate and has the same 5 – 10x scope as the UNSC sniper rifle, but it deals much more damage. Prometheans can kill you with a single body shot from the binary rifle, and you can kill any rank of knight with only two binary rifle headshots. Therefore, the binary rifle is a great weapon for killing knights because it allows you to quickly kill them from a safe distance. Try to snipe knights from as far away as possible so that they cannot return fire while you snipe them. Be sure to pause between each shot to take time to re-aim; the binary rifle has very high recoil. If you are unable to get two headshots, two body shots will remove a knight’s shields, allowing you to kill him with a headshot from a headshot weapon.

You must be very careful when engaging enemies with binary rifles. Both crawler snipers and knights wield binary rifles. When either of these enemies are about to fire, a red halo appears over their head, providing you with a warning. As soon as you see this, immediately take cover and wait for the enemy to shoot. When fighting crawler snipers, simply kill them with a headshot when they are not about to shoot (when they do not have a red halo over their head). Fighting knight snipers is much harder. If you have a binary rifle, kill them from a distance with two headshots right after they fire, before they have time to fire another shot. However, if you have any other weapon, you will need to fight them up close. Move between pieces of cover to approach the knight until you come within a few meters of the knight. Engage the knight with an assault weapon while staying at nearly point blank range. If you stay close and jump around a lot, the knight will be unable to hit you.

Boltshot- 10/30: The boltshot is the Promethean pistol. Depending on how long you hold the trigger, you can use the boltshot as a headshot weapon or a shotgun. If you pull the trigger quickly, it fires a single headshot bolt. While you can fire these bolts at a fast rate, they travel slowly and are very inaccurate, so the boltshot is a very poor headshot weapon. In every situation throughout the campaign, you will have access to at least one other headshot weapon, so use the other option instead. If you hold down the trigger, you can charge up the boltshot so that it fires a shotgun blast. This blast deals less damage than the shotgun or scattershot, so it is absolutely useless on legendary.

All watchers and many crawlers use the boltshot, though they neither use the shotgun mode nor get headshots. The boltshot deals very little damage, so these enemies pose little threat alone. However, when you encounter an entire pack of crawlers, their combined fire can kill you quickly. Therefore, engage packs of crawlers with headshots from a distance or from cover to avoid being overwhelmed. If necessary, you can drive them back by launching your auto sentry (if you have one).

Incinerator cannon – 1/5: The Incinerator cannon is the most powerful rocket launcher in the game. It deals immense damage and splash damage on impact, enough to kill any infantry or vehicle (except a wraith) on legendary with a direct hit. On impact, the incinerator cannon launches several smaller explosives that detonate less than a second later. These further increase the damage and blast radius of the explosion. Whenever available, I highly suggest that you use the incinerator cannon as you secondary weapon. You can use it to quickly kill knights, elites, or hunters. Make sure that you shoot at your enemies feet so that they cannot dodge your shot. The incinerator cannon only has one rocket per magazine, so if you miss, you must reload before you can fire again.

Only Promethean commanders wield the incinerator cannon. It is imperative that you engage these enemies from a distance because they can easily kill you with a single rocket, even if they hit over a meter away. If you stay far away, you will have more time to dodge their shots and they will be more likely to miss. Unless you have a binary rifle, bombard the commander with a multitude of body shots with your headshot weapon. After roughly a magazine or more of ammo, their shields will break, allowing you to finish them with a headshot (or more body shots). It is vital that you keep shooting the knight so that their shields do not regenerate. If you have a binary rifle, simply kill them with 2 headshots.

Light rifle – 36/108: The light rifle is the primary Promethean headshot weapon. It fires a 3-shot-burst when not zoomed in, which increases spread and makes it easier to get headshots. When you zoom in with the 2x scope, the light rifle fires single shots (that still consume 3 ammo,) increasing the accuracy so that it is roughly as accurate as the carbine. A single shot in this mode deals more damage than all 3 shots when not zoomed in, so you should always zoom in when fighting watchers in order to kill them faster. When you are fighting Prometheans, you will often need to use the light rifle as your headshot weapon because it is usually the only one readily available.

Many Promethean knights wield the light rifle, though they only use the 3-shot-burst mode. The light rifle deals little damage per second, so it is easy to kill these knights if you get up close and use a suppressor. The suppressor is much less accurate than the light rifle, so you should get as close as possible to negate the knight’s advantage. If you have access to stronger weapons, use these to kill the knights even faster. Once again, you should get as close as possible (unless you are using the binary rifle.)

Scattershot – 5/15: The scattershot is the Promethean version of the UNSC shotgun. It fires faster and has a longer range than the shotgun, though it deals less damage and has a smaller magazine. To use the scattershot effectively, you need to fight the enemies at point blank range, and this leaves you very exposed. On higher difficulties, this exposure will greatly increase your chances of dying. Therefore, I suggest that you instead use the suppressor when combating knights; it is more available, has a longer range, and deals a higher damage per second.

Promethean battle wagons are the only enemies that wield scattershots. In their hands, a single shot from a scattershot can kill you on legendary from up to 2 meters away. Furthermore, battle wagons will use their teleportation and lunging abilities to come within range, giving you little time to react. You should always engage battlewagons from a distance; if you stay more than 10 meters away from them, they pose no threat at all. If you do not have any power weapons, I suggest you use a suppressor or a light rifle to kill them. If you use a light rifle, shoot them many times in the body to remove their shields, then once in the head to finish them.

Suppressor – 48/288: The suppressor is the only Promethean assault weapon. It is very inaccurate and it has high recoil, but up close, it deals very high damage. You can find the suppressor in many Promethean crates and from dead alpha crawlers. When you do not have access to powerful weapons like the binary rifle or incinerator cannon, the suppressor is a reliable weapon for combatting Promethean knights because it deals high damage per second. I highly suggest that you launch an auto sentry in addition to your suppressor fire in order to kill your target faster and draw their fire. Get as close as possible to deal the most damage.

Alpha crawlers and some knights wield suppressors. Kill alpha crawlers with headshots from as far away as possible to take advantage of their low accuracy. If they get close to you, retreat to cover or launch an auto sentry to drive them back. Fight suppressor wielding knights with any of the following weapons if they are available; any type of rocket launcher, a binary rifle, a railgun, a SAW, a needler, or a plasma pistol. If none of these are available, fight them with a suppressor using the tactics described above.

“Playing Soldier” is a raw and masterfully written memoir by F. Scott Service. The book is dedicated to the personal experience of war. The author starts with the motivation that may lead someone to participate, takes us through a fragment of war, and ending his tale with the aftermath.

Our journey along Scott starts at the very beginning with his childhood. He was raised in a loving home, but not a perfect home. An only child, he finds refuge from daily life in fiction and play. One day he finds the old field jacket of his father which sparks a new narrative for him, playing soldier. Dressed up in his father’s jacket and armed with a BB gun, he shares the battlefield with the neighborhood kids. School fails to hold Scott’s attention; he would rather continue to explore the many worlds of fiction. He was dreaming of becoming a literary world-builder himself but was repeatedly pulled toward more practical career alternatives.

The next stage of his life slowly ushers in and Scott marries his college sweetheart, Rita with whom he raises Spazzy, their beloved cat. Hand in hand they were slowly building their future together. But the sparkly surface blinds Scott from a dark truth that lurks in the corner of his consciousness as there is no substance to this projection of life together. The I became lost in us, or just in her. So, when offered the chance to join the National Guard, Scott, with his wife’s blessing, decides to follow his inner child’s call to adventure. The military still has an almost magical hold on him; it is shrouded in romanticism and thrill. What is more, the recruiter also flaunts the perspective of good pay and better employment opportunities.

But what starts as playing soldier during his training soon spirals into an unrecognizable ouster reality on the edge of existence, as Scott is dropped off in the Iraq war. This is not the military service from his childhood games, nor the image that was blooming in his imagination ever since. It is something beyond scope and reason. War morphs into a black sun that slowly burns away his sense of reality and self. And as Rita decides to file for divorce, Scott’s life from before becomes just another collateral of war.

Disillusioned by war, Scott tries to break his ties with the military and rebuild a new life. But the shadow cast by combat seems unwilling to let him go. The expected social reintegration is severely impeded by an ugly divorce, an existential crisis, and PTSD. The temptation of the final escape triggers a light in Scott and a new journey begins.

“Playing Soldier” is a deeply reflexive take on one’s own life and life in general. F. Scott Service skillfully draws in the readers through a series of intimate confessions and gets them hooked on a sweet melancholic note that rings throughout the pages of the book. The effortless and elevated literary language in the book can hook anyone, regardless of his or her interest in the topic of war. After all, this is a memoir dedicated to the human condition at its rawest, walking the line between life and death.

“STARS…” once you hear that scary evil low voice, you know he’s coming to get you for sure. He is always constantly following you through the whole course of the game making your life as miserable as possible.

He is a tough enemy to beat, he runs faster than you, a lot stronger and has a rocket launcher to top it all off. You can knock him out after a couple of handgun magazines, roughly about 40 bullets. Though you may riddle him with bullets, he gets back up after the first knock out and tries a last resort to kill you using his 1-hit kill desolating move. He will bleed purple blood indicating that he is truly dealt with.

Luckily if you defeat him after he gets up, he drops an item but this can only happen in hard mode. The items he drops are gun parts and first aid boxes containing 3 first aid sprays. The first encounter with him in hard mode, for most of us who played it, is the hardest one. Why you ask? At that point of the game you only have a knife, a handgun and a shotgun. The ammunition is limited so when you decide to take him out of commission, make sure you’ve got enough bullets to deal with him.

Fortunately the game has a lot of guns to offer and each one has it’s own advantages. The strongest that you can acquire during the early and middle part of the game is the Magnum that holds 6 powerful bullets and the Grenade Launcher being loaded with freeze rounds. Most people use the Grenade Launcher freeze round combo because it does a lot of damage to him while partially slowing his movement.

At some parts of the game, he has a rocket launcher that he carries around and after using all the rockets that was inside the launcher, the launcher explodes causing damage to Nemesis himself. Jill Valentine, the main character, doesn’t just rely on guns, she has the ability to dodge attacks by pressing the right button during an attack on her and she has the ability to create bullets from the 2 gunpowder type the game has.

If you thought that Nemesis was tough already, he then mutates at a certain point in the game where he can use his tentacles as a whip to lash and latch onto you to throw you around. Due to his mutation, he gains more health becomes a lot tougher than usual taking more hits than the previous one did. His name truly suits him for he is the Nemesis of Resident Evil 3. Whether he is a pain in the neck to deal with, he makes the game worthwhile and challenging that you want to play the game over and over again.

The 1890’s was an exciting period for rifle development as smokeless powder was being perfected and it was being taken advantage by the civilian market. The very first few years since being introduced in 1886 by France, the military was the primary benefactor of the new propellant. It produced higher velocities which enabled the users to make smaller rounds with more range. That would enable a soldier to carry more ammo. As a note the 303 Savage is frequently confused with the larger 303 British. I have seen it on several occasions. While the Savage round will fit the larger 303 British gun it isn’t a good idea to shoot it that way.

One of the earlier rounds was the 303 Savage which was considered for the military but not adopted by them as they chose the 30-40 Krag. Anyway the Savage Arms Company saw that Winchester was making and selling 30-30 rifles like hotcakes. They knew a good thing when they saw it so they came out with the model 99 lever action rifles and one of the more popular chamberings was the 303. The model 99 rifle is a very well made and strong rifle that was somewhat ahead of it’s time. It has some advantages over the model 94 Winchester including the ability to use spitzer bullets. Competition, then, as now was stiff among the various gun makers and the Savage offering was definitely as good as anything out there. There have been several million 99’s made, in many calibers, so they must have done something right. The 303 Savage is a great deer and black bear round for hunting in the woods. It has been used for several generations as a moderate range hunting rifle.

The round resembles the 30-30 but is shorter and a bit larger in diameter. In power it is a virtual twin to the more successful Winchester offering though it was popular for awhile. It was produced from 1895 through the start of WWII. After the war ended Savage no longer chambered rifles for it and no other maker ever made a rifle in the 303 chambering. Another cartridge that suffered the same fate was the 30 Remington, another good hunting round, but that’s another story.

The model 99 is still available in many calibers, some quite modern, and if you look around a bit the 303 can still be found. If you have one then you will either have to hand-load your ammo or have someone do it as factory ammo is no longer made. Occasionally you might find a factory box of ammo but don’t count on it. The major problem with ammo is the cases. Norma sometimes has them but most of the time they have to be formed from another cases. The only two that make sense is the 30-40 Krag or the 303 British. Once cases are obtained then ammo can be made without a problem. You can use 30-30 bullets and loading data with good results. If you want to hunt with this relic it is good for deer hunting at moderate ranges.

A Primal Wisdom is a prophetic, engaging and thought-provoking look into the worlds of politics, religion, and interpersonal relationships that is a very timely read in regards to current events.

In his book, V. Frank Asaro defines his theory of “co-opetition,” a natural unification of cooperation and competition. Too much of one and not enough of the other, says Asaro, causes imbalance. Using the example of an out-rigger canoe (pictured on the cover of his book) he says, “piled into the main hull are competitive, free-enterprise elements, but fixed out on the end of the spars is the pontoon itself, housing ethics, business law and regulation.” Working together, they balance each other out and keep the canoe afloat.

This “sweet spot” isn’t an exact balance between the two, but the fulcrum point exists in a different place for each case. Some strife (competition) is a good thing, says Asaro. Likewise, we all need some regulation or we’d live in chaos. A stable government, he says, “can be provided by finding the point of synthesis between the power of the masses and that of an influential elite of society.”

Asaro first developed this theory of co-opetition back in the 1970s and has been writing about it since. Now, in his groundbreaking book, he tackles hard issues such as illegal immigration, government over-spending, gun control, education and social security.

I found this book interesting and it gave me a better understanding on some political issues and why America is struggling right now. I especially liked his argument on gun control (he tells us where the sweet spot is and why) and names advocates of freedom who were pro-gun, including the Dalai Lama, Indira Gandhi and George Orwell. I also found the section on social engineering fascinating, and how the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae loan debacle began the downward spiral towards the recession of 2008.

If you give the people too much, says Asaro, they will forget how to take care of themselves and rely more and more on government. He gives an example of the near extinction of a breed of wild monkeys in Costa Rica. Tourists and park naturalists had been feeding them, so mother monkeys had forgotten how to teach their young to forage for themselves in the forest. The youngsters, without continued outside support, began starving to death.

Asaro’s book gives solutions for finding this “sweet spot” between competition and cooperation in the above-mentioned areas and more. His vast knowledge of social issues and obvious intellect make for a great read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it has given me fodder for discussion, and some solid arguments to back up some of my beliefs as a conservative, and to see the side of people more liberal in their thinking. Even if you aren’t interested in social issues, it makes for a deeper understanding of how human intuitiveness works, given the chance, in naturally regulating the sometimes overreaching arms of other tribes, countries, or governments.

Asaro, an inventor, lawyer, philosopher, musician, composer and more, uses his insights and a lifetime of learning to give us a book that will be the cause of great debate by its readers for years to come. It’s so rich you’ll want to keep it as a reference, and in it you’ll find yourself reading solutions to questions you never thought to ask.

The Resume Black Hole

I think everybody has experienced the dreaded resume black hole at some point or another. This is when you send out dozens of applications and hear absolutely nothing back. It’s like your resume went to the same vortex that mismatched socks and one hit wonder bands go. This is extremely frustrating, so how can you prevent this from happening?

Large Job Boards Don’t Work Well

The reason large job boards don’t work very well is because you and a thousand other people are all applying for the same job. A large number of those people aren’t even qualified for the job, they just apply anyway using the shotgun approach.

Because we are dealing with such large numbers, the odds of the hiring manager finding your resume in a stack that size is quite small, especially if your resume isn’t top notch.

However, if you search for openings on smaller, local or niche job boards, your resume may only be competing with as few as 50 to 100 applicants. So you could be 10 TIMES more likely to get an interview simply because you are decreasing the applicant pool.

Get on LinkedIn and Get Going

80% of jobs are filled by networking. Let me say that again. Out of all open positions, even the ones you see on large job boards, 80% are filled through networking. What does that mean? It means you need to start meeting people, talking to people you know about the company they work for. Then go to the company websites who employ your friends and look for open positions. Don’t call your friend and beg for a referral. Simply call and conversationally mention that you saw a position at the company he/she works for and ask their opinion on working there. Showing interest and asking questions gets an open dialog going because most people don’t mind at all to talk about their job. Only after some friendly banter should you propose a referral. Just be mindful that they are going to have to put their reputation on the line to do this for you, so be gracious if they hesitate because they may reconsider.

You’re probably asking “so all the jobs posted on big job boards are just a waste of time?”. Not exactly, this is how it often works: You see a job posting on some large job board, you say “hey my friend Dave works for that company”. You apply to the job, but you also call your friend Dave and he’ll give the hiring manager a heads up to look for your resume, and viola! That’s how 80% of jobs are filled by networking. The function of the job board is first and foremost to Advertise the Job. The rest is up to you!

If job hunting is a battle, then your resume is your sword. Don’t go into battle with an old, dull, and rusted resume. Consider having your Resume professionally written to help you stand out from the crowd.