Zero Rating by Brady Campaign Celebrated by Gun-Rights Contingent

Arizona this year earned a zero for its loose gun laws.

The state joined Utah and Alaska as having the worst gun-safety laws in the nation, according to the Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence.

The Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group has ranked states for four years. It released its latest ranking Wednesday.

Gun-rights activists called Arizona’s ranking proof that they are successfully protecting gun rights, and they vow to continue their efforts. Gun-violence-prevention groups said it’s proof that the state is continuing to move away from the values of most Arizonans.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/05/05/20110505arizona-gun-ranking-worst.html#ixzz1LWXhPcx4

Interior Announces Next Steps in Protection, Recovery, and Scientific Management of Wolves

Washington, DC – The Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced yesterday that it is proposing to delist biologically recovered gray wolf populations in the Western Great Lakes, and – in accordance with recently enacted legislation – reinstating the Service’s 2009 decision to delist biologically recovered gray wolf populations in the Northern Rocky Mountains.

“Like other iconic species such as the whooping crane, the brown pelican, and the bald eagle, the recovery of the gray wolf is another success story of the Endangered Species Act,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “The gray wolf’s biological recovery reflects years of work Read more

Glock Donates $115,000 to NRA

Smyrna, GA – GLOCK, Inc. donated a total of $115,000 to four separate organizations within the National Rifle Association (NRA) during the 2011 NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits held in Pittsburg, PA, Apr. 29 – May 1. GLOCK, Inc. Vice Presidents Chad Mathis and Josh Dorsey, alongside spokesman R. Lee Ermey presented a check to each group inside the GLOCK, Inc. exhibition booth (#2029) on Friday, April 29, 2011 at 10:00am.

“It’s important for us at GLOCK, Inc. to recognize the commitment of the millions of NRA members and thousands of certified NRA firearms instructors who are continually protecting our Second Amendment rights and freedoms,” stated GLOCK Vice President, Josh Dorsey.

The four organizations that received the donations at NRA include: Read more

Elk and Bear Applications on Sale Now Through June 1

The Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that applications for Michigan elk and bear hunting licenses are now available through June 1.  Hunters may apply online at www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings or at any retail license agent.
There will be 155 elk licenses available for the 2011 hunting season, of which 90 licenses will be distributed for the August/September hunt and 65 licenses for the December hunt. The October hunt period will Read more

Turkey Hunting Sideshow

Robbin on the Hunt

By Glen Wunderlich

My turkey hunting season began May 2nd in Shiawassee County, Michigan.  With so many projects and routine tasks on the agenda for the 2011 season, it’s diffucult to fit in the turkey hunting.  It seems as though thoughts of seasonal priorities get in the way of concentrating on the task at hand.  Fortunately, I’m sure I’d be able to focus if things had begun to get interesting, but so far after two days, I’ve sighted only one turkey – , and it was a hen.

Decoyed Deer

In the meantime, life goes on in the wild.  Something the average person doesn’t get a chance to appreciate.  And, if I were not a hunter, I’d be rushing off to cross another chore off the list.  But, alas!  I am a hunter – and one with a deep appeciation for Mother Nature’s bounty.  And, while the turkeys have yet to cooperate, the wildlife sideshow continues uninterrupted.

Turkey hunting:  I don’t find the time to go; I make it.

Quick Portrait of the American Goldfinch

By Glen Wunderlich

My Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Birds has this information of one of Michigan’s most colorful and striking perching birds. 

Smaller than a sparrow.  Breeding male bright yellow with a white rump, black forehead, white edges on black wings and tail.Habitat:  brushy thickets, weedy grassland, and nearby trees.

Love-Struck American Goldfinch

Nesting:  4 or 5 pale blue eggs in a well-made cup of grass, bark strips, and plant down placed in the upright fork of a small sapling or shrub.

Often called the “wild canary.”  Since their main food is seeds, nesting does not begin until midsummer when seeds are available.  Because they nest so late, only a single brood is raised each season.

Yesterday, I found this male offering his rendition of a happy, spring love song.

Earn-A-Buck Earns Failing Grade

By Glen Wunderlich

Controlling Michigan’s deer population has been a challenge for many years.  We’ve added seasons and have upped the number of does that can be taken by hunters.  Yet, we continue to be plagued by car/deer accidents, because current means of herd management have failed.

In 2009 the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) exclaimed the only way to obtain antlerless harvest goals is to implement the Earn-A-Buck program, as has been done in neighboring Wisconsin.  Its Earn-A-Buck program requires hunters to take an antlerless deer before taking a buck.  The concept may make sense on paper, but in Wisconsin, it very well may be repealed. Read more

Thompson/Center Arms Introduces Pro Hunter™ FX Muzzleloader

Rochester, N.H. – Thompson/Center Arms Company, Inc., a Smith & Wesson® company, announced that it has expanded one of its most popular lines of muzzleloaders with the introduction of a fixed-barrel version – the Pro Hunter™ FX.

Designed around the popular Pro Hunter platform, the new muzzleloader combines the advanced features of the Pro Hunter rifle with Thompson/Center’s solid reputation for durability and performance in the field. Separating it from the other muzzleloaders in the line, the Pro Hunter FX is standard with a fixed .50 caliber barrel that is not interchangeable with other barrel configurations. Instead, the muzzleloader sports a 26-inch fluted barrel with patented QLA® (Quick Load Accurizer) for enhanced accuracy.

Other notable features include Read more

1 166 167 168 169 170 228