State Senator R.C. Soles (D – NC) Long time Anti-Gun Advocate State Senator R.C. Soles, 74, shot one of two intruders at his home just outside Tabor City , N.C. about 5 p.m. Sunday, the prosecutor for the politician’s home county said.
The intruder, Kyle Blackburn, was taken to a South Carolina hospital, but the injuries were not reported to be life-threatening, according to Rex Gore, district attorney for Columbus, Bladen andBrunswick counties.

The State Bureau of Investigation and Columbus County Sheriff’s Department are investigating the shooting, Gore said. Soles, who was not arrested,declined to discuss the incident Sunday evening.

“I am not in a position to talk to you,” Soles said by telephone. “I’m right in the middle of an investigation.”

The Senator, who has made a career of being against gun ownership for the general public, didn’t hesitate to defend himself with his own gun when he believed he was in immediate danger and he was the victim.

In typical hypocritical liberal fashion, the “Do as i say and not as i do” Anti-Gun Activist Lawmaker picked up his gun and took action in what apparently was a self-defense shooting. Why hypocritical you may ask? It is because his long legislative record shows that the actions that he took to protect his family, his own response to a dangerous life threatening situation, are actions that he feels ordinary citizens should not have if they were faced with an identical situation.
It has prompted some to ask if the Senator believes his life and personal safety is more valuable than yours or mine.

But, this is to be expected from those who believe they can run our lives, raise our kids, and protect our families better than we can.

Interesting little story here.
Please send this to your friends, senators and congressmen! We do not need double standards in this country!

Posted by Paula Tyler on December 13, 2010 at 8:38pm in Tennessee SGP

MISSOULA, Mont.-New data reveal a massive one-year decline in elk populations at ground zero of wolf restoration-Yellowstone-and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is renewing its call for Congress to delist wolves legislatively.

Reports also indicate that moose in the Yellowstone region are nearly nonexistent, adding even more urgency to the RMEF call for Congressional action.

RMEF President and CEO David Allen says two bills in Congress, a House version (H.R. 509) and a new Senate version (S. 249), hold the best promise. RMEF is asking lawmakers to remove unnecessary federal protections on burgeoning wolf populations and grant science-based wolf management authority to the states.

“Both bills would end the ridiculous lawsuits that are preventing a fully recovered species from being managed by conservation professionals,” said Allen. “And both bills would end the profiteering and abuses of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by environmental and animal rights activists who need a wolf controversy in order to protect their revenue streams.”

Allen said RMEF is asking its members and other conservationists to call their elected representatives and urge support of the House and Senate bills.

“All one has to do is look at the continued games being played with ESA rules by folks like Defenders of Wildlife, because that will make our case for us as to why delisting by Congress is warranted,” he added.

New data show the northern Yellowstone elk herd has declined from some 18,000 animals in the mid-1990s to just 4,400 today-a 75 percent decrease. Biologists estimate the herd has plummeted 24 percent in just the past year alone.

Other big game herds in wolf-inhabited areas of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming also are declining rapidly.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:

Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.9 million acres-a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved atwww.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Saint Paul, Minn. – February 3, 2011 – Pheasants Forever has received a $1.27 million pledge from Larry and Brenda Potterfield, founders of MidwayUSA, to launch its FOREVER Shooting Sports Program. The funding will help Pheasants Forever achieve its goal of developing a sustainable, comprehensive shooting sports program with its chapters and partners.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s FOREVER Shooting Sports Program will utilize research-based recruitment and retention strategies to introduce up to 20,000 individuals annually to shooting sports through a variety of community based programs and events over the next five years. The program is off and running thanks to the first donation from the Potterfields for $250,000. Dick Leeper, Executive Director of the Midway USA Foundation, presented the check to Pheasants Forever at the organization’s National Pheasant Fest event this past weekend.

“This generous donation from the Potterfields is a direct reflection of the great work Pheasants Forever members, chapters, partners and staff are doing with our No Child Left Indoors® initiative,” said Howard Vincent, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s National President and CEO, “We view the FOREVER Shooting Sports Program as a gateway to the outdoors, and a gateway to the world of wildlife habitat conservation.”

“Brenda and I, along with the rest of the folks at MidwayUSA, strongly believe in Pheasants Forever’s habitat mission,” said Larry Potterfield, “We’ve always believed in giving back to conservation organizations. We’re proud to factor in the creation of the FOREVER Shooting Sports Program and look forward to years of great shots and even greater conservationists.”

Models for successful shooting sports programs already exist within Pheasants Forever’s ranks. For example, Pheasants Forever Young Guns is the shooting sports program for the Illinois Pioneer Pheasants Forever chapter. This youth led program offers 12 shooting events per year to novice shooters of all ages and gender, and has grown from 33 to 450 shooters in just 3 years. The fact that youth help plan and facilitate Young Guns shooting events has helped recruit additional youth members, and it also helps them develop the leadership skills they will need as future Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever volunteer conservationists. Through the FOREVER Shooting Sports Program, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever plan to develop up to 10 such “Young Guns” programs annually.

Pheasants Forever also plans to make ammunition and incentive grants available to all 700-plus Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters across the country as part of its FOREVER Shooting Sports Program.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters hold more than 500 youth events annually. For more information, contact Rich Wissink, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever National Youth Programs Specialist, at (715) 722-0286 / Email Rich.

Pheasants Forever is dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs.

GW: OK, It’s not your $50 red dot sight, but it will work in low light, whereas the cheap red dots never do. And, that’s when “prime time” happens.

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Leupold’s® long history of optics innovation for hunting continues with the new illuminated FireDot™ Reticle System, now available exclusively in VX-R™ riflescopes.

The system includes five different reticle choices: FireDot Duplex, Ballistic FireDot, FireDot Circle, FireDot 4 and the FireDot Pig Plex. A fiber optic light pipe with a meticulously cut and polished tip provides an illuminated dot, which can be easily seen in bright light, yet is not overpowering in low- light conditions. Once activated, the dot illuminates with bright, sharp definition, while the rest of the reticle remains non-illuminated. This combination leads the eye naturally to the center aiming point and makes target acquisition quick, precise and simple.

“The tried-and-true Duplex® reticle was invented by Leupold in the early 1960s; our FireDot Reticle System continues that tradition of innovation,” said Pat Mundy, communications manager for Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “An all-new fiber optic LED illumination method is employed for the FireDot, which offers reticle options for a wide range of hunting applications.”

Designed for fast target acquisition, each FireDot reticle features an extra-bright centerpoint dot. The FireDot Duplex has the versatility for a broad range of game. Ideal for extended-range shooting, the Ballistic FireDot is well suited for varmint, antelope and big game at longer distances.

The FireDot Circle is designed specifically for fast-moving targets, including dangerous game, pigs and even turkeys. With its bold post, the FireDot 4 helps draw the eye to the center of the reticle and keeps the upper field of view free of obstructions. The FireDot Pig Plex is calibrated to frame up a mature hog and provide just the right amount of lead on running boars.

VX-R riflescopes feature a single push button illumination system with Leupold’s own Motion Sensor Technology (MST™). A touch of the button illuminates the dot within the reticle. By repeatedly pressing the button, the user can select between eight different intensity settings including a high-low indicator, which flashes when either the maximum or minimum intensity is reached. After five minutes of inactivity, the illumination system automatically switches to stand-by mode, but reactivates at the same intensity setting whenever the rifle is moved. This helps extend battery life and, by reducing movement, allows the hunter to maintain greater stealth in the field.

VX-R models include 1.25-4x20mm, 2-7x33mm, 3-9x40mm, 3-9x50mm, 4-12x40mm and 4-12x50mm. Each is available with one or more of the FireDot reticle options. The illumination system is powered by a CR-2032 coin cell battery, readily available around the country Sporting Leupold’s familiar Golden Ring®, VX-R riflescopes are backed by the company’s Full Lifetime Guarantee. Riflescopes with illuminated reticles are legal for use in all states that allow centerfire rifles for big game hunting. For more information, visit a local dealer, go to www.leupold.com or call 1-800-LEUPOLD.

Leupold & Stevens, Inc., the preeminent American-owned and -operated optics company, employs more than 700 people in its state-of-the-art facility near Beaverton, Ore., where rugged, dependable, high-performance Golden Ring® optics, Mark 4® riflescopes and Redfield® Revolution™ riflescopes are designed, machined and assembled. Leupold is a fifth-generation, family owned company whose products are sold worldwide to hunters, competitive shooters, American military warfighters, law enforcement personnel and wildlife observers. The product line includes rifle, handgun and spotting scopes; binoculars; rangefinders; flashlights; trail cameras; mounting systems; and optical tools and accessories.

GW: As for me, I’ll be serving my specialty at the Perry VFW Super Bowl party: Venison cooked with my secret recipe on the club’s grill.

Last year, NBC denied an ad PETA created for the Super Bowl due to its graphic content. Not surprising, PETA’s back again this year with another questionable effort that continues the animal rights group’s history of diving deep into racy territory.

PETA’s ad from last year, called “Veggie Love” featured women in their lingerie acting suggestively with a number of vegetables. The sexual content was so racy that the ad was rejected by NBC which was airing the Super Bowl. Now, PETA has creatively decided to repackage that effort. Essentially a sequel, PETA decided to make an ad comprised of outtakes from last year’s banned effort including scantily clad women “auditioning” for a role.

There is no official word yet on whether FOX, the TV channel airing this Sunday’s big game, will air the ad, but it seems highly unlikely.

Sportsmen Need to Contact Their Representatives Today to Stop This Bill
2/3/11

A bill introduced in Connecticut would require all firearms in the state to be registered.

House Bill 5800, introduced by Representative Toni Walker (D- New Haven), would require newly purchased firearms from dealers or from private sales be registered with the Department of Public Safety within 10 days of purchase. All currently owned firearms would also need to be registered within 10 days of the bill going into effect.

Additionally, owners would be required to renew registrations on their firearms every five years and would have to report if a firearm was sold, lost, or stolen.

“Gun registration is the first step to taking away your right to own guns,” said Rob Sexton, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance vice president of government affairs. “Sportsmen and all guns owners must educate elected officials regarding the fundamental right to keep and bear arms. This bill needs to be stopped.”

Take Action! Connecticut sportsmen need to contact their state representatives today and urge them to oppose House Bill 5800. Tell them there is no justification to require guns to be registered with the state. To find your state representative’s contact information, please visit www.ussportsmen.org/LAC.

For more information, contact the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance at 614-888-4868 or email info@ussportsmen.org.

Removes Professionals From Managing Wildlife
2/3/11

An Arkansas senator has proposed to change the state’s constitution to allow hunting, fishing, and trapping license dollars to be used for any government expense. It also strips authority over hunting and fishing laws from wildlife professionals and hands it to politicians.

Arkansas Sportsmen need to call their state senators today and urge them to oppose this dangerous bill!

Currently, the Arkansas constitution requires that all monies received by the Game and Fish Commission, including hunting, trapping, and fishing license dollars, be only used to manage the state’s wildlife. Additionally, the constitution gives the Commission sole authority over hunting, trapping, and fishing laws and regulations.

Senate Joint Resolution 2, introduced by Senator Jeremy Hutchinson (R- Little Rock), would divert most monies received, including fees from sporting licenses, game violations, land sales, and other income, into the state’s general fund where it could be used to pave roads, maintain prisons, or for any other pet project the legislature chooses. The amendment would also take authority away from the Commission regarding hunting, trapping, and fishing rules and regulations and place it with the legislature.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is currently funded by three main sources:

•License fees
• Reimbursement of federal excise tax on firearms, ammunition, and fishing equipment
• A portion of the Arkansas sales tax.
This amendment would take away the license fee portion of the Commission’s funding and put the excise tax, which amounts to millions of additional dollars, in jeopardy.

“Wildlife conservation works in Arkansas and elsewhere because when sportsmen buy a hunting license, they believe the money will be used for fish and wildlife,” said Jeremy Rine, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance associate director of state services. “When this trust is broken, you sever this link and put wildlife conservation in danger. You also jeopardize a significant portion of Arkansas’ economy.”

Hunting, trapping, and fishing are big business in Arkansas worth $1.4 billion to the state’s economy. It generates $100 million in tax revenues and employs over 18,000 citizens.

Take Action! Arkansas sportsmen need to contact their state senator today and tell them to oppose Senate Joint Resolution 2. Tell them that diverting hunting, trapping, and fishing license dollars will harm the state’s wildlife and put in jeopardy millions of dollars in federal excise tax funds. Remind them also that wildlife management needs to be kept in the hands of professionals. To find your state senator’s contact information, please visit www.ussportsmen.org/LAC.

For more information, contact the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance at 614-888-4868 or email info@ussportsmen.org.

For one day of the year they are the country’s most celebrated animal. For the other 364 days most consider them a pest. They wreak havoc on an unprotected gardens and burrow underneath pastures creating tunnels that can collapse causing harm to cattle and horses. They are groundhogs.

Depending where you are in the country you might know them by a different name. In the East “woodchuck” is common. Some call them prairie dogs or gophers, but those are more western terms. The truth is gophers and groundhogs, while related, are different animals. Gophers only get up to 3 pounds while groundhogs can reach ten. Also, prairie dogs live in big colonies (thus those hunting videos where guys shoot hundreds of them a day) and groundhogs live in colonies of 4 -6 animals.

Some people also call them whistle pigs, but this is an older expression. It derives from a whistle-like sound the animals will emit when cornered. For the record, they are also known to swim and climb trees to escape danger.

Groundhog Day

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania likes to take credit for the inception of Groundhog Day, but its roots go back further. It was a German tradition long before the early settlers of the small American town made it popular. If anything, Punxsutawney deserves credit for the holiday’s modern adaptation.

Groundhog Day is based on the European tradition of Candlemas Day. It falls on the mid-point between the winter and spring equinoxes. German folklore states that if the sun comes out on Candlemas, the hedgehog (or badger) will see its shadow and six more weeks of winter will follow. When German settlers came to Pennsylvania they continued this tradition, using groundhogs instead of hedgehogs to predict the weather.

Hunting Groundhogs

While the fat groundhog pictured on television the morning of February 2 might look cute, it is important to remember these animals are a very serious nuisance to farmers. While hunting them in the East is not as popular as it once was, most farmers welcome those who want to pursue the little beasts on their property. If you go out though, don’t expect a day full of shooting, the little critters are more difficult to harvest than people give them credit for.

A few tips include:

* Flies around a hole indicates it is active.

* Morning and late afternoon are the best times to hunt them. A groundhog’s den is 15 – 25 degrees cooler than the surface, meaning they will settle in them during the heat of mid-day.

* If you jump one and it runs into its hole keep an eye on the cavern entrance. Chances are that within 15 minutes (usually sooner) it will poke its head out to see what startled it and if the danger is still close at hand.

* If you are stalking a groundhog and it turns to look at you freeze. Most of the time it is the movement that scares them and they will go back to eating in 10 – 15 seconds.

* Groundhogs live to eat. They are vegetarians, and if they have a choice, will often eat alfalfa over other types of grasses.

Why Hunt Groundhogs?

* As we stated, groundhogs are a nuisance animal. Farmers and horse owners know this, and if you have ever tried to grow a garden where one is present than you understand this fact.

* Groundhogs are also edible. While it may sound unappetizing, they are vegetarians and their meat is highly prized in some circles – not to mention it doesn’t get any more organic. Most chef’s advise that you should roast them like you would roast beef. The younger, small ones are preferred table fare.

* The small tail of a groundhog is prized among fly tiers. Its thickness and texture is somewhat unique, and is used in the production of a handful of different types of flies.

Winchester® Ammunition takes varmint hunting to a new level in 2011 by adding 17HMR to the Varmint Lead-Free ammunition hunting lineup.

This new lead-free load by Winchester Ammunition features a 15.5 grain bullet designed with a Polymer Tip for ultra-flat trajectories and delivers a blistering 2550 fps velocity. The Varmint LF uses a non-corrosive primer and clean burning powder to generate a sure-fire ignition every time.

“The NTX® Polymer Tip technology assures highly accurate, flat shooting bullets at all ranges,” said Brett Flaugher, vice president of sales and marketing for Winchester Ammunition. “ We work hard to offer the most innovative rimfire ammunition, and our offerings continue to expand for small game hunters and shooters.”

The new Varmint LF Bullet features:

Velocity: 2550
Grains: 15.5
Bullet Type: Lead Free NTX® polymer tip jacketed hollow point
Cartridge: 17HMR
Availability: 2011

According to New York city mayor Bloomberg, investigators bought guns in private transactions at an Arizona gun show, despite their having alluded to being unable to pass a background check.

Such sales between individuals are not subject to background checks – but private sellers cannot legally sell to individuals who might not be able to pass background checks otherwise. That makes the seller – and the purchaser – guilty of felonies. Accordingly, anyone party to those illegal purchases (as in the mayor who sent them undercover with the intent to make an illegal purchase) an accessory.

So, let’s start the real prosecution.