Blog 3542 – 07.16.2025

Marking Our Territory

It is pretty standard male predator behavior for us to mark our territory. This morning I put up a sign on the gate to my proposed camper site on my property in Bon Wier, Texas. That we humans are predators is undeniable for we are at the top of the food chain and only those animals who have not met us are not in fear of us enough to steer clear of us. Our bigger brains have allowed us to create weapons that make us able to walk in the wild woods without fear of rivals.

When I walk around the thirty-one acres of timber land that I currently own here and my son’s sixty acres adjacent to it, I am usually packing a thirty two semi automatic Beretta in my pocket and a forty five semi-automatic Ruger on my hip. For a while the thirty two in my pocket was all I carried with an extra eight round clip, but after one of my son’s game cameras captured a large wild bore I wanted a hand gun with a little more punch. I first bought a Smith and Wesson Feather Weight thirty eight revolver. It only holds five rounds so I also bought two speed loaders to wear on my belt with the thirty eight. I also got hollow point rounds for extra stopping power.

My good friend Deb in Wisconsin is mostly worried about alligators. I have only seen them miles away in a lake that the highway crosses on the way here. Still when wading through water on the property the thought of meeting up with Wally Gator has occurred to me. I saw a forty five revolver advertised called The Judge so I got one of those and a couple of speed loaders with hollow point rounds for it. Like the thirty eight it only hold five rounds.

Thinking myself more than adequately armed to consider myself Predator in Chief on my property, I saw a YouTube video about what it takes to stop a charging wild boar. The man in the video took seven rounds from his forty five semi automatic pistol to stop a big wild boar that was charging towards him it it’s tracks. That was when I decided to purchase the Ruger with an extra ten round clip and yes, hollow point rounds.

I have test fired all four of those hand guns on my property and also a twelve gauge pump shot gun that I inherited from my father. My intention is to stay safe in the wild woods. I did hunt some with my father when I was a boy, but the only things I ever shot were a rabbit and a quail, not exacted the great white hunter. These days though I maintain a hunting and fishing license, I prefer fishing. There is a sweet pond on the propert

Since I bought the property I consider myself a tree farmer and a wild life manager more than a sportsman or a hunter. I hope I never have to shoot one of the animals in my care. I do plan to shoot a few round today just to prove to myself that I could if I had too. And yes, I will be marking my territory to warn off any other predators who might want to challenge my claim.

But, mostly I will just be enjoying my weekly walk in the wild woods that we have named after Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh’s little piece of heaven on earth, The Hundred Acre Wood.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David James White

Kenny Loggins – Return to Pooh Corner (from Outside: From The Redwoods)