Perry Packs Heat - Blasts Coyote

Ok - so it's not exactly cycling, but it's close . . .

Texas Gov. Perry fatally shoots coyote

AUSTIN -- Pistol-packing Texas Gov. Rick Perry has a message for wily coyotes out there: Don't mess with my dog.

Perry (R) told the Associated Press on Tuesday that he needed just one shot from the laser-sighted pistol he sometimes carries while jogging to take down a coyote that menaced his puppy during a February run near Austin.

Perry said he carries his .380 Ruger -- loaded with hollow-point bullets -- when jogging on trails because he is afraid of snakes. But when a coyote came out of the brush toward his daughter's Labrador retriever, Perry charged.

He said he was jogging without his security detail shortly after sunrise when the coyote focused on the dog.

Perry said the laser pointer on his gun helped make a quick, clean kill. "It was not in a lot of pain," he said. "It pretty much went down at that particular juncture."

And there you have it folks.

"You have to admit there's a literal connection, Dude."
- Walter Sobchak, The Big Lebowski

Though a laser sight is not always required gear, I guess it does give a distinct advantage for discreet wildlife defense on jogging trails, especially when a lab is bounding around near the target.

I am sure this article started out as a "oh, my gosh, can you believe it?!?" sort of thing for the more genteel readers, but I can guarantee down in the Republic this could be used for a campaign commercial.

"Rick Perry likes Rugers? I like Rugers - he gets my vote!" =)