Apparently, if you can believe Wikipedia, Canada's total population just barely squeaked past California's sometime around 2023. Canada figures it has 40 million while the Golden State declined to 38.9 million. You guys counting the caribou up there or what?
Not to an ARMED Californian -- that's for sure. We outdo California in quite a few things - not all of them good. In fact, the ONE province that I live in, Ontario, owes more public debt than the much-more-populated State of California, by a wide margin. "As the table elsewhere on this page highlights, Ontario is decidedly worse than California on every measure of debt. For example, despite the fact that California's population and economy are almost three times that of Ontario, Ontario's total debt is 64.4 per cent larger than California." https://www.fraserinstitute.org/article/ontario-vs-california-indebtedness#:~ SHAME ON US. FOR ELECTING GOVERNMENTS THAT MADE THIS HAPPEN.
I'm quite sure that a FRENCH Canadian caribou could out shoot the average Californian, especially on skis.
Nope. Difficult for caribou to stand upright. That's the Biathlon you're talking about. Skiing and shooting. It's a Nordic sport originally and Canadians are pretty damn good at it. I looked through the Olympic Biathlon team and I don't see a single caribou on the roster. Do you? Educate yourself - Here: https://www.britannica.com/sports/biathlon Here: https://olympic.ca/sports/biathlon/ "Biathlon, winter sport combining cross-country skiing with rifle marksmanship. The sport is rooted in the skiing traditions of Scandinavia, where early inhabitants revered the Norse god Ull as both the ski god and the hunting god. Ull's goddess wife Skadi was also celebrated as a hunter-skier."
Not much. Caribou are reindeer in Europe and there are plenty in the North. Reindeer-herding is big among 24 different circumpolar native peoples, like the Nenets and Sami. I have a strong interest in these peoples and there are some beautiful books. Other candidates? A Musk ox, maybe... There are some in Canada but they disappeared from Europe and Asia in the 1800s. They're still in Arctic Canada and Alaska, where a herd of 34 animals was brought from Greenland to re-populate Alaska. There are over 2,000 in AK now. Fearsome-looking critters. I like 'em --- from a distance. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=muskox.main
And besides, Johann, I can tell you that in my 70 years as an American Westerner, I have NEVER seen a Californian caribou who could shoot worth a wooden nickel!
"70 years as an American Westerner." Wow. All the John-Wayne-and-six-guns west of the Pecos won't help you with caribou. Get some of those 'shrooms from down Mexicali way. You'll see whatever you want.
@nosborne48 I think I'd like Mexicali. I know I like the Blues. I heard this song (Señor Blues by Horace Silver) on JAZZ-FM recently. Mexicali and the Blues - deftly combined. Lyrics, sound file etc. here: https://www.google.com/search?q=senor+blues+lyrics&oq=senor+blues+lyr&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgAEAAYgAQyBwgAEAAYgAQyBggBEEUYOTIICAIQABgWGB4yDQgDEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgEEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyCggFEAAYgAQYogQyCggGEAAYgAQYogSoAgCwAgA&client=ubuntu-chr&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 Horace Silver (1928-2014) was an inimitable jazz pianist, composer and arranger. Justly famous. Always good listening.