By Glen Wunderlich

After the most grueling Michigan winter in memory, the time had come for a dual-purpose trip to visit family and to work in a bit of coyote hunting in Arizona.  With desert temperatures already in the 90s, it was a radical departure from mid-Michigan’s slowly evolving spring.  Snowshoes were replaced with uninsulated hiking boots, snake gaiters, a rifle over my shoulder, and a pistol at my side.

Arizona respects the right of all U.S. citizens to carry a concealed handgun with or without a permit, or to carry openly while in the state.  Certainly, the cultural change is dramatic, when compared Michigan, where open carry is permitted but problematic; although legal where I come from, the only people who carry openly (other than law enforcement) seem to always be testing authority.  In Arizona, it’s common for many.

Long-time resident, fellow predator hunter and my informal tour guide, Eric Ahlstrom of Apache Junction, packed his bags for Arizona after a close friend was executed by robbers in Chicago, while in the performance of his duties at a pizza joint.  It scarred Eric for life, and as a result, now openly carries a .45-caliber pistol wherever he ventures. 

Nobody gasps or calls 911, either.  At first, I thought it might be best for me to carry my Bond Arms derringer concealed, but I wasn’t about to over-dress to hide the fact.  It became as natural as sand and cactus in the desert to carry it in plain sight in a belt holster.

My sidearm was stoked with 3-inch, .410 shotgun shells of 7 ½ shot – a perfect combination for quick, close-range snake defense. 

 

While Eric fueled his Jeep at a convenience store/gas station, I took the opportunity to stock up on some sandwiches for the long day ahead and proceeded inside.

I watched intently, as the female clerk rang things up, all the while anticipating some type of negative reaction.  Nothing other than a thank you came forth, however.  Nobody else freaked out, either.  And, for the first time in my life, I began to understand how natural it could be to exercise my Second Amendment rights.  I was much more than a few thousand miles from Michigan; I was in the old “wild” West.

However, there was nothing at all wild about this culture – maybe snakes, lizards, and mountain lions – but, not the common, natural, day-to-day existence.

As Eric and I proceeded farther and farther into the desert, it became obvious that self-reliance was essential.  While northerners prepare for cold, Arizonians prepare for heat – and, yes, it is a dry heat, but hot is hot – especially when shade is as scarce as honest politicians.  With no cell phone service, we were on our own.

The old Jeep aptly navigated remote, rocky two-track trails, while we signed ledgers provided at each gate we opened and closed to confirm our presence and reason for being in the wilderness.

The long day ended without our firing a shot.  But, the adventure was more than a hunt; it was a step back in time and a refreshing change of pace where freedom reigns.

For most people, April 15 is the annual tax-filing deadline. For people like Robert Heyd – and other forest health professionals – April 15 also marks the beginning of the yearly window when oak wilt can be transmitted from diseased to healthy red oak trees.
According to Heyd, forest health management program manager for the Department of Natural Resources’ Forest Resources Division, oak wilt is a serious disease of oak trees. It mainly affects red oaks, including northern red oak, black oak and pin oak. Red oaks often die within a few weeks after becoming infected. White oaks are more resistant; therefore, the disease progresses more slowly. Read more

Overland  Park, Kan. — Bushnell  Outdoors, an industry-leader in outdoor product  innovation, has introduced two new lanterns in its new RUBICON line of lighting products. From a family camping trip to a  backcountry adventure, the two new RUBICON lanterns are designed to  efficiently illuminate camp with comfortable, practical lighting  options.

Purposefully  crafted to offer brighter and more reliable light, the RUBICON  lanterns are outfitted with high-quality Cree LEDs that provide  maximum brightness and longer, more efficient battery life. Each  lantern also features a regulated circuit, which translates into  consistent brightness and less dimming throughout the battery  lifecycle. Read more

Typical rhetoric for the sheeple:  More money we don’t have for an initiative not supported by the vast majority of the public.

More nonsense here…

Tennessee Flag Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has signed SB1771, Knife Rights’ bill repealing the state’s antiquated ban on switchblade (automatic) knives and possession of knives over four inches in length “with intent to go armed.” a vague law subject to abusive interpretation. As of July 1, 2014, there are no longer any per se illegal knives in Tennessee. Read more

 

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – Alpen Optics introduces its new top-of-the-line Alpen Apex XP riflescopes, which are fully loaded with “Xtreme Performance” features. All lenses are fully multi-coated for maximum light transmission and optical clarity, and all riflescope models feature fast-focus eyepieces and generous eye relief. Thanks to these top-quality features, Alpen Apex XP riflescopes provide the ultimate in shooting performance. Read more

PHOENIX – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) will release a pair of Mexican wolves today and another pair next week into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area of Arizona. Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

(If you drive a car ), I’ll tax the street,
(If you try to sit ), I’ll tax your seat,
(If you get too cold ), I’ll tax the heat,
(If you take a walk ), I’ll tax your feet.
Taxman…The Beatles

Sorry for the reminder, but you must admit, it’s poignant.  Oh, Mr. President, don’t you fret about your next vacation; I’ll be sending along what’s left – that change you demanded.  Promise.

But, I’d procrastinate to the last second, if it weren’t for a professional hired to persuade me.  He calculates and packages myriad forms; all I do is “Sign Here.”  Clean, pre-packaged, and I never had to see the inner-workings – much like a meat eater against hunting, I suppose.

Other than politicians, who’d ever be in favor of taxes?  Undoubtedly, there are those among us who’ve taken on the role of Paul robustly clamoring for more from Peter; I get that.  Believe me; I really get that – especially this time of year.

However, here’s the story behind a hidden tax, which has supported the abundant wildlife we value so much – and the “we” refers to all of us, whether bird watchers, berry pickers, mushroom pickers, tree huggers, outdoor lovers of all kinds – and yes, hunters.

The incredible population revitalization of many of the wild animals we may take for granted began in 1937, when President Roosevelt penned the Pittman-Robertson Act.  It imposed an excise tax set at 10% of the wholesale price for long guns and ammunition (soon thereafter 11%) and 10% of the wholesale price for handguns beginning in 1970 and 11percent on archery equipment as of 1972.  The excise tax applies basically to all commercial sales and imports, whether their purpose is for shooting, hunting or personal defense and is paid by manufacturers, producers and importers.

Within a short period of years, funds from excise taxes on guns began to mount – so much so, that a repeal bill was introduced.  Hunters shot it down and wildlife funding is stronger than ever today.

It’s built into the price of our gear, passed on to us sportsmen at the retail level, and then taxed again.  And, yet complaints are not heard.  And, those hunting license fees and federal duck stamps, we’re pitching in $millions more.  But, did you know that much of its use is mandated for hunter safety, land acquisition, shooting ranges and their management?

Just this past week, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will distribute nearly $1.1 billion in excise tax revenues paid by sportsmen and sportswomen to state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies to fund fish and wildlife conservation and recreation projects across the nation.   Ah, yes.  For once, the term “giving back” is accurate, because it implies something was first taken.

A nationwide scientific survey by Responsive Management shows that 79 percent of Americans over age 17 approve of hunting, up five percent in just two years to the highest level since 1995. America is listening.

As it stands, Michigan’s allocation is $35,244,512 – behind only Alaska, Texas and California, while on par with Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.  According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, sportsmen and women contribute $3.5 million per day to conservation, while only comprising a scant 7 percent of the population.

I, for one, am grateful for the phenomenal return of bald eagles, antelope, whitetail deer, wild turkeys, elk, and even our diminutive Kirtlkand’s warbler (which nests only in upper Michigan) to name few species.  The record contributions we sportsmen continue to provide are a shining star amid an otherwise deprived economy.

Sportsmen and women may be despised by the vocal lunatic fringe; yet, if anyone chooses to live on nuts, berries, and sprouts, we’re fine with that.

Now, please pass the venison, thank you.