The Kids Gone Hunting Foundation and Table Mountain Outfitters have teamed up to offer an antelope hunt to a child. Any child under the age of 18 at the time of the hunt can enter the drawing for the chance to win the antelope hunt by simply answering this question in 250 words or less, “What’s so great about antelope?” Entries must be received by midnight, Friday, March 4, 2011.

The antelope hunt is a 3-day gun hunt in Cheyenne, Wyoming with Table Mountain Outfitters. The winner may arrange to hunt during a 3 day period within the timeframe of October 20and November 5, 2011. It is a guided hunt. Hunters stay in the town of Cheyenne (lodging and meals are not included in this package). The winner is responsible for purchasing a license which costs $286. If a parent or another child wants to hunt along with the winner the cost for the additional hunt is $1995. Winning the hunt is contingent upon drawing an antelope license. The deadline to apply for an antelope license is March 15, and generally it is a 100% draw.

Send your essay answer to Kids Gone Hunting Foundation via Email at info@kidsgonehunting.com. Entries must be received byFriday, March 4, 2011 by midnight central standard time. Include your name, address, age and phone number in the entry. No purchase necessary to win. Entrants must have permission from a parent or guardian to submit an essay answer. The hunt may not be transferred or held over for next year. Kids Gone Hunting reserves the right to publish the winning essay answer. Winners/guardians must sign waivers issued by Kids Gone Hunting and Table Mountain Outfitters to participate in the hunt.

ABOUT KGH: Kids Gone Hunting Foundation, Inc. strives to instill conservation stewardship in the hearts of children by teaching them an appreciation for the virtues of hunting as a means to perpetuate wildlife and natural resources and create an understanding of the gifts provided by God’s great outdoors through kids reaching out to kids. Visitwww.kidsgonehunting.comfor more information.

For information about Table Mountain Outfitters visit http://www.tablemountainoutfitters.com or call Scott and Angie Denny at 307-632-6352 or Email: info@huntingwyoming.com.

ST. IGNACE — A man has been jailed for killing three wolves in Mackinac County, and state authorities are investigating two other wolf poaching cases in the eastern Upper Peninsula.

The Michigan DNRE says William Hayward,58, of Bay City, pleaded guilty last week in St. Ignace District Court to shooting three wolves, which are protected under federal law.

He also pleaded guilty to destroying tracking collars worn by the wolves.

He was sentenced to a year in jail, with 90 days to be served immediately and the rest could be suspended if he meets terms of a two-year probation period. He was ordered to pay $5,090 in fines and restitution.

Washington, DC- A coalition of the nation’s largest hunting and conservation groups has thanked members of Congress for taking several steps in the right direction for wolf conservation. The coalition recently reminded Congress that all wolves in the Rockies and Great Lakes area are recovered and should now be managed by state biologists. The coalition supports all four pending bills in the House and Senate to move recovered wolf populations to state management. The groups include Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the Boone and Crockett Club, National Rifle Association, and Safari Club International.

“The reintroduction of wolves has become a serious problem in several states across the country. Therefore, efforts to manage wolf populations through regulated hunting is long-overdue,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action. “Left unmanaged, wolf packs have been decimating the game animals on which hunters depend, as well as threatening livestock and local communities. The NRA supports all legislative measures that will preserve America’s hunting and conservation heritage and will continue to fight for a solution to this critical issue.”

“The wolf is recovered biologically but population management is hung up in legal questions that judges call ‘ambiguous'” said Bob Model, Chairman of Government Affairs for the Boone and Crockett Club and Vice-Chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. “Lawyers and judges disagree on the law. But no one disagrees with the numbers. The strength of the large and growing wolf population is obvious, and the numbers meet and far surpass the established threshold for recovery.”

Wolf populations in the Rocky Mountains and Great Lakes are at least 5 times larger than the federal recovery goals according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Representative Mike Simpson, and Senators Baucus and Tester have illustrated that there are many options available to move toward a solution, and we greatly appreciate that,” said Jeff Crane, President of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. “These members are building on the attention that Senator Hatch and Representative Rehberg called to this issue with their companion bills earlier this Congress. We thank all of these Members for their contribution to the debate, and we support all of their pending legislation on this issue.”

The groups noted that recent proposals do not include Wyoming directly. They said that in order to return all recovered wolf populations to state managers, comprehensive legislation must include at least Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, and Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin in the Great Lakes. A transfer to state management is also called for in areas of Utah, Oregon, and Washington in the Rocky Mountains. But the coalition also supports interim steps to move toward these goals, in recognition of political realities that may delay or forestall a comprehensive remedy at this point in time.

“Wolves are remarkable in many ways,” said Dr. Larry Rudolph, President of Safari Club International, “most notably, they are efficient predators. They must be managed by the same state experts that manage the elk and deer that wolves eat. State biologists need the authority to manage the entire ecosystem and all the species that interact in it. Wolves are also opportunists, feeding on prey they may encounter when not actively hunting in packs. By the same token, we must be opportunist in seizing every opportunity for progress on this issue.”

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Utilizing an exclusive camouflage application technology for superior durability, Leupold® now offers the popular Mossy Oak® Break-Up® and Mossy Oak Treestand® hunting patterns on VX®-I and UltimateSlam® 3-9x40mm scope models.

Leupold’s advanced anodization process bonds the camo pattern directly to the scope body, ensuring an extremely tough and long-lasting finish, without adding thickness to the maintube diameter. The VX-I and UltimateSlam scopes are the first to feature this process.

One of the most versatile camo patterns, Mossy Oak Break-Up is effective in various hunting environments, from flooded timber to deep woods. Mossy Oak Treestand is designed specifically for whitetail deer hunters who shoot from an elevated position, providing concealment among the bare limbs of a tree in late fall.

“With these field-proven camo patterns, our VX-I and UltimateSlam scopes are a great choice for deer hunters concerned with concealment, whether they use a rifle, muzzleloader or shotgun,” commented Pat Mundy, communications manager for Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “Our unique anodization process, combined with the ruggedness typical of all our scopes, will deliver years of reliable performance, season after season.”

The VX-I camo riflescopes have the time-tested Duplex® reticle, micro-friction dials marked in ¼-MOA increments for easy windage and elevation adjustments, and Leupold’s classic lockable eyepiece for a secure focus. UltimateSlam scopes are designed to enhance accuracy with muzzleloaders and shotguns. Each UltimateSlam pairs Leupold’s exclusive Sabot Ballistics Reticle (SA.B.R.®) with an innovative power selector ring that allows hunters to synchronize their gun with their preferred load.

In addition, VX-I and UltimateSlam scopes feature Leupold’s Standard Multicoat lens system for a bright, clear image. Like all Golden Ring® scopes, they are waterproof and fog proof, and tested under extreme conditions to ensure ruggedness and durability.

VX-I and UltimateSlam scopes are backed by Leupold’s Full Lifetime Guarantee. For more information, visit a local dealer, go to www.leupold.com or call 1-800-LEUPOLD.

A coalition of the nation’s largest hunting and conservation groups has thanked Members of Congress for taking several steps in the right direction for wolf conservation. The coalition reminded Congress that all wolves in the Rockies and Great Lakes area are recovered and should now be managed by state biologists. The coalition supports all four pending bills in the House and Senate to move recovered wolf populations to state management. The groups include Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the Boone and Crockett Club, National Rifle Association, and Safari Club International.

“The reintroduction of wolves has become a serious problem in several states across the country. Therefore, efforts to manage wolf populations through regulated hunting is long-overdue,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action. “Left unmanaged, wolf packs have been decimating the game animals on which hunters depend, as well as threatening livestock and local communities. The NRA supports all legislative measures that will preserve America’s hunting and conservation heritage and will continue to fight for a solution to this critical issue.”

“The wolf is recovered biologically but population management is hung up in legal questions that judges call ‘ambiguous'” said Bob Model, Chairman of Government Affairs for the Boone and Crockett Club. “Lawyers and judges disagree on the law. But no one disagrees with the numbers. The strength of the large and growing wolf population is obvious, and the numbers meet and far surpass the established threshold for recovery.”

Wolf populations in the Rocky Mountains and Great Lakes are at least 5 times larger than the federal recovery goals according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Representative Mike Simpson, and Senators Baucus and Tester have illustrated that there are many options available to move toward a solution, and we greatly appreciate that,” said Jeff Crane, President of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. “These members are building on the attention that Senator Hatch and Representative Rehberg called to this issue with their companion bills earlier this Congress. We thank all of these Members for their contribution to the debate, and we support all of their pending legislation on this issue.”

The groups noted that recent proposals do not include Wyoming directly. They said that in order to return all recovered wolf populations to state managers, comprehensive legislation must include at least Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, and Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin in the Great Lakes. A transfer to state management is also called for in areas of Utah, Oregon, and Washington in the Rocky Mountains. But the coalition also supports interim steps to move toward these goals, in recognition of political realities that may delay or forestall a comprehensive remedy at this point in time.

“Wolves are remarkable in many ways,” said Dr. Larry Rudolph, President of Safari Club International, “most notably, they are efficient predators. They must be managed by the same state experts that manage the elk and deer that wolves eat. State biologists need the authority to manage the entire ecosystem and all the species that interact in it. Wolves are also opportunists, feeding on prey they may encounter when not actively hunting in packs. By the same token, we must be opportunist in seizing every opportunity for progress on this issue.”

NEWTOWN, Conn.-The National Shooting Sports Foundation, trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry, calls the 3.6 percent rise in paid hunting license holders for 2009 one of the most encouraging signs for hunting in recent years.

“This is great news for our industry and everyone associated with hunting,” said Steve Sanetti, president and CEO of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. “Many efforts are at work to build hunting participation, and they are paying off. More people are enjoying the outdoors and sharing the tradition of hunting with family and friends. Also, more hunting license sales translate into more funds for wildlife conservation.”

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last week reported a total of 14,974,534 paid license holders for 2009, the largest figure since 2002 – an increase of 526,494 over 2008. The 3.6 percent rise in paid license holders represents the largest year-over-year increase since 1974. (A “paid license holder” is one individual regardless of the number of licenses purchased.)

NSSF cites several reasons for the increase, ranging from programs launched by many state wildlife agencies over the last decade to increase hunting participation to a difficult economy that motivated hunters to fill their freezers with game rather than store-bought meat. Also, hunters who were among the unemployed or had their work hours reduced used some of their free time to go hunting.

Coordinated efforts of state wildlife agencies, conservation organizations and the firearms industry appear to have halted a decades-long decline in hunting license sales, which since 2005 have held at the 14.5-million level until the jump in 2009. NSSF has played a key role promoting hunting participation with its programs and websites. Through its Hunting Heritage Partnership program, NSSF has provided state agencies with $3.8 million to fund initiatives designed to encourage hunting among all age groups. Also, through Families Afield, a partnership effort of NSSF, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and National Wild Turkey Federation started in 2004, thirty states have made it easier for youth to begin hunting at a younger age with licensed adults. NSSF websites such as www.WingshootingUSA.org make it easy for hunters to locate gamebird preserves, where youth can easily get started in hunting and where inactive adult hunters can revive their interest.

Another positive sign for hunting is that contrary to claims of a wholesale decline in hunting participation, paid license holders have increased in 24 states in the five-year period from 2005 to 2009.

“Due to continued urbanization and changes in our culture, hunting will face significant challenges for the foreseeable future, but at the same time hunting remains an extremely important activity in the lives of millions of Americans, as the latest hunting licenses sales figures confirm,” said Sanetti.

NSSF points out that the actual number of hunters who go afield in any given year is greater than the total of paid hunting license holders in that year. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service figures do not account for certain state exemptions for purchasing a hunting license. Many states allow landowners and active military to hunt without purchasing a license; also, lifetime license holders and youth hunters who do not fall within the required license purchasing age are not included in the figures.

According to an NSSF-funded study carried out by Southwick Associates, the pool of hunters in America is much larger than previously thought. The study, released last fall, estimated that 21.8 million people purchased a hunting license at least once in the last five years.

Hunters are the backbone of conservation funding in America, contributing more than $1 billion each year through the purchase of licenses, tags, permits and stamps and through excise taxes paid on firearms and ammunition. For example, proceeds from the sale of Federal Duck Stamps, a required purchase for migratory waterfowl hunting, have purchased more than 5 million acres of habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System.

NSSF, using its new 12-state hunting license sales index, anticipated the national increase in paid hunting license holders by reporting a 3.5 percent increase in license sales last spring. “It’s gratifying to see how accurate our state index was, which gives us confidence in future index-based hunting license sales figures,” said Jim Curcuruto, NSSF’s director of industry research and analysis.

NSSF will announce its state index hunting license sales report for 2010 this spring.

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

NSSF celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2011.

By: Glen Wunderlich
Outdoor Columnist
Member Professional Outdoor Media Association

A recent survey of rifle owners by HunterSurvey.com concluded that scopes are essential gear. The survey revealed that over 92 percent of rifle owners own at least one scoped rifle and most of them own multiple scoped rifles. The survey also indicated that scopes are also a prominent purchase for many shotgun and handgun owners, as well. While both types of firearms are generally used with open sights, 28.7 percent of shotgunners and 24.5 percent of handgunners say they own at least one scoped model. Count me in.

Open sights may be acceptable for youth, because they are simple and are usually part of a firearm, so there’s no added cost. However, they still have limitations: 1) no magnification, 2) no added light-gathering ability, and 3) limited target acquisition.

The lack of magnification without scopes can be counteracted by using good binoculars, and as a matter of fact, doing so is the safest way to identify and size up game. Viewing through a scope can be dangerous, because looking at objects through a scope also means pointing the barrel in the same direction, which violates rule #1 of gun safety: Don’t point your firearm at anything you don’t intend to shoot. People do it all the time, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Having a shoulder harness for binoculars keeps them at the ready, and at the same time, out of the way. I never go hunting without them.

Additional light gathering is not important if a hunter does his hunting in good light. Examples include varmint hunting for woodchucks or small game hunting. Deer hunters on the other hand, often do their best work in low light and the better the glass, the longer the hunter can remain afield increasing his chances at success. Good glass pays dividends of “prime time” over the life of the hunter. Good scopes have better warranties – many good ones for life – and are transferable to any subsequent owners with absolutely no paperwork. Compare that feature to any other consumer purchase and you will understand the difference between total customer satisfaction and mere weasel words and fine print.

Target acquisition means being able to define the target. Without the advantages of a scope, defining a clear target is only as good as the shooter’s eyesight. But, when longer shots are required, a problematic condition exists with iron sights. Many people make the mistake of sighting in by covering the target with the front sight. Question: If you can’t see the target, how can you hit it? Let’s say, however, that you’ve properly adjusted the iron sights so that your target sits on top of the front sight at 100 yards, which is a fair poke with a non-scoped firearm. Good. That’s how it should be set up for a 100-yard shot.

But, if your target is 150 yards or so, the front sight must be elevated with the bore to be on target which totally blocks a view of the target. Back to that not-being-able-to-see-the-target thing.

All of the above issues point to the problematic nature of iron sights. Sure, many African dangerous-game hunters use iron sights because much of the action is close up and sometimes death-defying. Quick shots don’t allow for adjustments associated with scoped firearms, but there are some phenomenal, high-tech options available that may surprise you. Next week I’ll review some of these and more.

2/17/11

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) just got rapped on the knuckles by a U.S. Senator that is upset the agency caved in to PETA demands.

The letter was prompted after the TSA decided to cancel plans for recruiting new workers during the 2011 Iditarod dog race in Alaska due to criticism from PETA. Thousands of Iditarod fans flock to Alaska for the race. The animal rights group, as usual, claimed that the agency was supporting a “cruel” event.

However, the TSA decision did not sit well with Alaska Senator Mark Begich (D). Sen. Begich immediately fired off a letter to TSA Administrator John Pistole where he expressed shock and disappointment.

He wrote, “It is outrageous the TSA would act on one complaint from a group with virtually no understanding of the ‘Last Great Race on Earth.’” He concluded by commenting that, “your decision may have PETA ‘howling with delight,’ but Alaskans know you have headed down the wrong trail.”

The letter was also copied to the Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano.

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual race that covers over 1,100 miles of Alaska territory. Typically, sled dog teams of twelve to sixteen dogs cover the trail over the course of between anywhere from a bit over a week to two weeks. Every year the race starts on the first Saturday each March.

The first full Iditarod was run in 1973.

2/17/11

A bill in New York would require all gun owners to register their firearms and pay yearly gun ownership fees.

Senate Bill 2994, introduced by Senator Eric Adams (D- Brooklyn), requires gun owners to register each firearm currently owned with their local county clerk’s office or local precinct station. The bill also requires that any firearms acquired in the future also be registered with the state, including such information as to where and how the gun was acquired.

Take Action! New York sportsmen should contact their state senator and urge them to oppose Senate Bill 2994. To find your state senator’s contact information, please visit www.ussportsmen.org/LAC.

Under the measure, gun owners would be required to provide the serial number of each firearm owned, in addition to their name, address, phone number, and the location where the firearm will be located when not in use.

The bill also calls for a fee of $15 for each initial gun registration. In addition, gun owners would face a $10 per year renewal fee for each gun owned.

“Not only is this bill an attack on gun ownership rights, it’s a blatant tax on gun ownership,” said Jeremy Rine, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance associate director of state services. “It’s outrageous that the state would try to make citizens register their guns and then make money off of this process.”

To accommodate smaller framed shooters and hunters, Browning® has introduced a full line of firearms called the Micro Midas. Included in the new line is an X-Bolt™ rifle. The X-Bolt Micro Midas has all the innovative features of the X-Bolt line, just in a more compact and lighter weight package.

The new rifle has a steel receiver with a low-luster blued finish. The 20-inch barrel has the same blued finish. The stock is a checkered walnut with a satin finish. Like other X-Bolt models, the Micro Midas has a 60â—¦ bolt lift, adjustable Feather Trigger™, detachable rotary magazine, top tang safety and bolt unlock button. Each rifle also has sling swivel studs installed and an Inflex Technology recoil pad.

The X-Bolt Micro Midas has a length of pull of 12 ½ inches. The overall length is 38 1/8 inches and it weighs just 6 lbs. 1 oz. For 2011 the rifle is available in four popular calibers, 22.250 Rem., 243 Win., 7mm-08 Rem., and 308 Win.

Suggested retail of all models is $799.99.

Contact: Scott Grange – scottg@browning.com
Paul Thompson – pault@browning.com
801-876-2711
ext. 3306 or 3229