Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Feb. 2, 2023
Jacob Chandonnet, 38, of Rockwood, Michigan was killed when he lost control of the snowmobile he was operating, was ejected from the machine and struck a tree.
The crash occurred around noon along Snowmobile Trail LP 9, north of Atlanta, and marks the ninth snowmobiling fatality in Michigan this winter.
Chandonnet was riding with his stepfather, Richard Tank Read more
HILLSDALE, Mich. — Hillsdale College hosted a Law Enforcement Outreach Conference on Jan. 27 at the college’s Dow Hotel and Conference Center. Law enforcement officers from across the country received training to become certified in teaching the Hillsdale College Law Enforcement Constitution Course. The course, launched in June 2022, provides law enforcement officers with deeper knowledge and appreciation for the U.S. Constitution. Developed by Hillsdale College faculty and staff, it includes a four-hour block of instruction that can be included in police academy training schedules and in-service training days.
“Hillsdale College has a reputation for service and patriotism, as well as rigorous constitutional scholarship,” said Patrick Whalen, assistant to the president of Hillsdale College. “As a result, we had various law enforcement agencies asking for help instructing officers and deputies about the Constitution they take an oath to support and defend. This course is an outreach to those on the front lines of protecting our constitutionally guaranteed rights.” Read more
Chattanooga, Tenn. (February 2023) – Natchez Shooting & Outdoors, announces its True North Sweepstakes to celebrate its expanding offerings for customers’ outdoor adventures.
Enter for your chance to win a $1600 prize package stocked with Natchez branded gear, hunting, shooting and outdoor products. ENTER TODAY! https://woobox.com/xnbt6c
About Natchez Shooting & Outdoors:
At Natchez Shooting & Outdoors, we are passionate about getting our customers outdoors. For over forty years, our goal has been to empower the pursuit of your outdoor passions and safety by providing you with the best equipment for your outdoor adventures. Through our great assortment of hunting, shooting, fishing, hiking, camping, and outdoor sports supplies offered at competitive prices, you’ll find what you need to stay the course, explore new terrain, and ultimately love what you do.
Our easy, friendly shopping experience, backed by our team of knowledgeable shooting and outdoor enthusiasts, will help get you outside to explore your next horizon. Simply put, you’ll find our outdoor selection a breath of fresh air. https://www.NatchezSS.com
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service Tuesday announced it will offer $41 million through the 2023 Wood Innovations Grant and 2023 Community Wood Grant programs to spark innovation and create new markets for wood products and renewable wood energy.?
Made possible in part by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, these grants expand wood products use and strengthen emerging wood energy markets, supporting sustainable forest management – particularly in areas of high wildfire risk.
“With the support of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, USDA is carrying out the Biden-Harris Administration’s mission to support rural, forest-dependent communities while fighting climate change and protecting our natural resources,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
“These grant programs provide opportunities for communities and businesses to develop innovative uses and markets for wood, a renewable and economical resource,” said Forest Service Chief Randy Moore. “Previous Wood Innovations Grants are making a difference across the country, and we are pleased to continue supporting wood use ingenuity that helps our communities and forests.” Read more
Contact: Tom Seablom 906-250-0759 or Ron Yesney 906-228-6561
Process under way to cap-off water, curtail access
A roadside access point is shown where water has been drawn from an unregulated source.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has been ordered to shut down an unregulated water source at a roadside access point some locals have used for drinking water and other household needs for decades.
An order was issued to the DNR in December by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
“The DNR needs to cease and desist serving water to the public by use of the trailside flowing water outlet by Feb. 6, 2023, and to provide written notice within 30 days to any residential structures served by the non-potable water supply that water service will be discontinued on or before , 2023,” the order states. Read more
Next month, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will debut its free snowmobiling weekend, which will allow snowmobilers to operate their machines over a two-day period without the requirement of a snowmobile registration or trail permit.
The dates for the free snowmobiling weekend are Feb. 11-12. Read more
Tarpon Springs, FL – New for 2023, Barnett® introduces a full line of King Rat Slingshots sure to bring adventure to hunters of all ages. The King Rat series is rooted in David Barnett’s childhood and draw from over 60 years of hunting and adventure.
Barnett was founded in the early 1960’s by David Barnett’s Father in the industrial market town of Willenhall, West Midland, England. As a boy, David Barnett visited his father’s workplace, often after school, waiting to be taken home. For his seventh birthday in 1972, his father brought back from America a tubular band slingshot. The new contraption was so different from all the things he had seen from classmates and neighbors.
Mesmerized by the slingshot, he couldn’t wait to kill some vermin with the “Pocket Full of Power.” Armed with marbles, David Barnett set out amongst the overloaded trash bins in the backyards of the local buildings as he set his sights on the numerous Black rats that scavenged in the area.
“One day, I was in luck and hit one so square, it slid up against the wall and started screeching loudly, bouncing up and down until it finally froze still. As I walked over to it with the excitement of the kill, it started screeching loudly again, and to my horror, the ugliest and biggest Black rat I had ever imagined ran in and started tearing it apart, 10ft from me. Looking at me with a bald, fire-burnt red face, it hissed, unflinching and unafraid,” recalled David Barnett.
To this day, half a century later, he still remembers that day so vividly. It wasn’t long after that that the family business started to make slingshots. So, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Barnett and to try to put this “demon” to rest, David Barnett has decided to relive the excitement of a young boy’s adventures with slingshots with the new King Rat Slingshot designs. Read more
Following another successful off-road vehicle riding season and the first official shoreline horseback riding season this past November, the DNR is expanding outdoor recreation at Silver Lake State Park with fat-tire biking.
The fat-tire bike season will run Dec. 15-March 15 from 8 a.m. to dusk each day and take place at the Silver Lake ORV Area. Riders can enjoy 450 acres of open sand dunes, elevation changes of 80-100 feet, access to Lake Michigan and sunsets over the lake from the top of the dunes.
“With fat-tire bike riding growing in popularity each year, we realized this was an opportunity to usher in a new way to experience the dunes,” said Jody Johnston, Silver Lake State Park manager. “We held a couple of pilot rides to help determine if this was something that could be accommodated. We are confident this will be a popular activity and plan to offer fat-tire biking in future years.”
No reservations or preregistration are needed to enjoy the season; however, a Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry into the parking lot, located at 8890 West Shore Drive in Mears. A Recreation Passport self-pay station is available at the lot entrance. Read more
Chevrolet to lead the country’s longest veterans’ parade with wrapped vehicles transporting Gold and Blue Star Families, Veterans, and American patriots!
COLUMBIA FALLS, ME – Dec 6, 2022 – What has become known as the country’s longest veterans’ parade – Wreaths Across America’s annual “Escort to Arlington” – kicks off on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022. The official route, which can be viewed here, will travel down the East Coast stopping at schools, memorials, and other locations along the way to spread the year-long mission to REMEMBER the fallen, HONOR those that serve and their families, and TEACH the next generation the value of freedom.
Stops with public events will be held in Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington D.C., before arriving at Arlington National Cemetery on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 17 – National Wreaths Across America Day. Read more