On The Wild Side

Tom Stienstra, Chronicle Outdoors Writer
Sunday, January 22, 2012

Il Ling New, America’s No. 1 female firearms instructor and hunting guide, was the top vote-getter in this year’s balloting for the California’s Outdoors Hall of Fame.

New was inducted at a ceremony Saturday at the Sacramento International Sportsmen’s Exposition, which ends a four-day run this weekend at Cal Expo.

The Circle of Chiefs also inducted fishing tackle pioneer Sep Hendrickson, hiker Scott Williamson and fly fisher and scientist Jim Adams.

Others considered by voters this year include snowboard Olympian Shaun White, bicycling guru Austin McInerny, Marin outdoor historian and hiker Barry Spitz and renowned trekker Leo Le Bon.

Anybody can nominate a candidate for the Hall of Fame. The award is based on a vote of past winners and leaders in the outdoor industry, media and government, free of any faction. All candidates must fill two requirements:

• The nominees have inspired thousands of Californians to take part in the great outdoors and/or conservation.
• The nominees must have taken part in a paramount scope of adventures.

For information, go to http://caloutdoorshalloffame.org

Il Ling New
Born in San Francisco and a Yale graduate with an MBA, she turned her back on a lucrative marketing career to teach people self-protection, how to handle firearms, and hunting. She is America’s No. 1 female firearms instructor and No. 1 female freelance guide. She has hunted across the hemisphere and to Africa twice, including for Cape buffalo, and trains hunters from across the hemisphere prior to world-class expeditions. She has hunted ducks in California since age 10. As an instructor, she has had a profound influence on people across America, and has taught Marines and police as well as housewives and hunters of all backgrounds. Her skills are world-renowned; with a handgun small enough to fit in her palm, she can put three shots in a pie plate in 5 seconds, has competed nationally for skeet titles, and is versed as an expert in all rifles. She has a stunning ability to improve others’ skills and safety. Named on more than 75 percent of ballots.

Read the rest if the article at SF Gate.

“Any team member, needs to talk to other team members so that they have a plan formulated. I doesn’t have to be a very complex plan–it can be the ‘baby-steps’ of a plan. The important thing is that everybody has a plan, a common plan in mind, and the first steps of that plan in mind, so that they can execute together. And one thing a woman has to keep in mind also is that she does not need to, nor should she, rely completely upon–say–her husband, or her son, or the man of the team to give her direction. She needs to be able to think, and react, and act on whatever information she’s getting, just as much as he does.”

A great segment with Il Ling and Sheriff Jim Wilson from American Guardian TV.

So you want to buy a handgun? I have a hard time recommending just one, but since I get this question all the time, here are some of my favorites.

They may not be perfect for every woman, but they’re a good place to start. These four handgun categories all have a place in a good personal-defense plan, and the specific models can be found chambered for reliable self-defense rounds.

Full-Size Semi-Auto Pistol

Smith & Wesson M&P: I like the M&Ps in both full-sized and compact models. They’re simple, ergonomic and come with three different, easily changeable backstraps to customize fit to your hand.

In the full-sized versions, they’re excellent for training, but a tad big for concealment. They offer excellent ammunition capacity, and with the built-in rail for attaching a dedicated light, make great house or car guns.

These are extremely “soft” shooting pistols, and felt recoil across all three chamberings I’ve tried (9 mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP) is insignificant.

Read the rest of the article at Shooting Illustrated.

It’s unfortunate, but the fact is that the holster industry tends to give women short shrift when it comes to supplying gear appropriate for their concealment needs. In this Sheriff’s Tip from American Guardian Television Il Ling and Sheriff Jim Wilson discuss the special issues women face when choosing a concealed carry rig that works for them.

Self-defense is not solely the responsibility of men, nor should it be.

Most of us in the shooting community have embraced the idea that we are each responsible for our own personal safety. But if you’re a woman, there might be far more to this. Not only are we responsible for our own safety, but we might very well be the final line of defense for others in our lives.

The harsh reality is that even a sub-average criminal will try to remove his biggest obstacle first—and that will most likely be any man you’re with. That leaves you.

What about when you’re out with the girls, or the kids? Has anyone given much thought to what to do when a bad guy appears? Well, he has. That leaves you.

Right about now, you should be getting very serious about moving forward with that plan you’ve been hatching—the one in which you learn more about self-defense. Specifically, the one where you learn how to use (or get better with) that great equalizer—the firearm.

Read the rest of the article at Shooting Illustrated here.

In the blistering heat of a Mozambique swamp, a hunter stalks a wary herd of Cape buffalo–with a handgun.

The following was published originally in the May/June 2010 issue of Sports Afield.

I was snaking my way through the papyrus in my best belly-crawl when I suddenly remembered that cobras also favor the thick, reedy stalks for their hunting grounds. Fortunately, I was beyond caring.

Ruger's Super Redhawk in .454 Casull topped with a Burris 2-7 scope proved effective when the chips were down.

We were well into the twelfth hour of hunting on a blisteringly hot day northwest of the Marromeu Buffalo Reserve in central coastal Mozambique. It was a Cape buffalo hunt with a revolver, and I was fully outfitted with my trusty Ruger Super Redhawk in .454 Casull, loaded with 325-grain Barnes Busters.

It had taken four solid days to get where we were, and although this was not the longest time I’d spent hunting for buffalo, it was certainly the toughest. We were the last hunt of the season, so these animals were already wary and keen-eyed. It was the cusp of the rainy season, so vegetation was relatively low and dry, making us easier to see and hear. Last but not least, it was hot–between 100 and 115 degrees, with the raging humidity that accompanies the start of the rains. Zambeze Delta Safari PH Craigh Hamman and tracker Johny were used to it but the rest of our team-Ken Jorgensen, my hunting pal from Ruger and rifle backup, cameraman John MacGillivray, and me-all became dehydrated, or worse, during the first few days of the hunt.

The Forest
In Zambeze Delta Safari’s 1.5-million-acre concession known as Coutada 11, buffalo are hunted in either the thick suni forest (named for the small antelope that thrives there), or the vast floodplain. Because I wanted to get close (I figured 20 to 30 yards was my optimum range) we first tried the forest.

Full of hanging vines covered in thorns of all shapes and sizes, as well as deadfalls obstructing every step, the forest offered the best concealment. We managed to stalk to within 35 yards of a nice 40-inch bull and his little group, but he was young, so after a great stalk and a good look, we left him to grow up some. In our other attempts, though, the animals led us deep into denser and denser foliage, and, with the dead leaves carpeting the ground (a little like trying to stalk across a floor of Doritos), hunting became extremely difficult. These conditions allowed even the most oblivious of buffalo to keep us in check. Continue reading

This is the tenth in a series of instructional videos for Ruger Firearms. Check back for more episodes!

This is the ninth in a series of instructional videos for Ruger Firearms. Check back for more episodes!

This is the eighth in a series of instructional videos for Ruger Firearms. Check back for more episodes!

This is the seventh in a series of instructional videos for Ruger Firearms. Check back for more episodes!