Category: General

Dogs that Learned to Love the Water

By Glen Wunderlich

Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)

My pal, Joe, has a large German Shorthair dog which has learned to love the water.  Even though he had experienced a life-threatening experience not knowing how to swim properly, he has overcome his fears thanks to his owner, who coaxed him into his arms in deep water.  (Dogs that do the “dog paddle” have not learned to use their back legs and will tire before long.)  In any event, it’s a joy to watch the fearless canine, which will simply swim for the joy of it.

Watching Junior at a lake recently brought back memories of my black Labrador Retriever, Otis, about 50 years ago.  He suffered a similar experience and nearly drowned in the Au Sable River and carried with him the fear of deep water until one fine day frolicking around in a small creek chasing butterflies.  Then it happened.

He got caught in the current and was heading downstream and it was sink or swim!  Something within Otis instantly transformed his fear, as he engaged those hind legs and powered out of trouble.  He never looked back and became a strong swimmer.

Like many loyal dogs, he didn’t like being separated from his owner, who in this case was me.  What follows is a case in point.

The scene played out at a small lake in Oakland County, where my pal, Don and I planned to spend some time in my tiny inflatable boat fishing.  Otis was along for the trip but was to be left ashore, where I figured he’d be able to watch us.  I commanded Otis to stay, as Don and I took the “yacht” to deep water.

The farther away we paddled, the more Otis became concerned.  Back and forth along the shore he ran and barked.  “You stay there” I shouted across the water.  But, he wasn’t having any of it, as separation anxiety took over his brain.

Otis was motoring directly toward us now and there was no stopping him.  His plan was to join us in my two-man boat.  That little boat was barely big enough for two and we were headed for a sink-and-swim lesson of our own, as the dog did his best to climb aboard.

We poked at Otis with our paddles in a losing battle to keep him from his plan.  The frantic dog sunk his teeth into Don’s paddle and now owned it.  Foolishly, I tried to paddle away, but the dog’s will and pure muscle overpowered my single-paddle effort.  Like it or not, we were being escorted to shore, as Otis towed us against our will with a paddle full of teeth holes.

That was the end of our “fishing” excursion for the day – a true testament to the connection that can develop between man and his loyal companion.

General, Wildlife

Saginaw Bay Set To Host Bassmaster College Series

Michigan’s Saginaw Bay will host the 2022 Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops June 9-10.

BAY CITY, Mich. — Last year, the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops made its inaugural journey to Saginaw Bay, and anglers reported catching 50 to 60 bass in a day along with multiple 20-pound bags of both smallmouth and largemouth.

This year, young anglers will make the trip North again for the Bassmaster College Series at Saginaw Bay June 9-10. Former Elite Series pro Garrett Paquette, who currently competes in the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by Mossy Oak Fishing, believes the fishing could be even better.

“There’s a little part inside of me that is going to be selfishly disappointed when the world is exposed to how great the fishery is,” the Canton, Mich., native said. “If they have good weather for this tournament, it is going to open a lot of eyes around the country.”

Located on the southwestern side of Lake Huron, Saginaw Bay has flown under the radar as a premier smallmouth fishery — and the largemouth fishing has improved greatly over the past couple of years in both quality and quantity. Read more

General

Michigan DNR conservation officer presented with Patriot Award

Sgt. Mark Leadman, a conservation officer with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in Marquette, was presented with a Patriot Award Wednesday from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

The ESGR program is a function of the U.S. Department of Defense. The Patriot Award is presented to supervisors who go above and beyond the call of duty to work with employees who are veterans.

DNR conservation officer Jeremy Sergey, a reserve member of the U.S. Coast Guard, initiated an application to have Leadman honored with the award. Leadman was surprised with the award today at the DNR’s Marquette Customer Service Center.

“Being a member in the reserve is very hard on families with using days off to drill, time spent away from family, and dealing with the stress of deployments. These stressors can be compounded if a member has a supervisor, or an organization that doesn’t understand the sacrifices the reserve member makes to fulfill their duties of being in the reserves,” Sergey said. “Sgt. Leadman has gone above and beyond what is legally required of him when managing members like myself. The simple fact that he schedules my long weekends on drill weekends, so I don’t have to use no-pay military leave, or annual vacation is a huge stress relief for me. Read more

General

Savage Arms® and Davidson’s Exclusive 110 Magpul Hunter

WESTFIELD, Massachusetts – June 2, 2022 – Savage Arms has partnered with Davidson’s to offer an exclusive version of the popular 110 Magpul Hunter. Davidson’s has been a top distributor and partner with Savage for many years. The focus Davidson’s puts on its customer led to this exciting and make-sense hunting option.

This Exclusive 110 Hunter, available only from Davidson’s, is chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor and features a full 22” heavy threaded barrel for increased velocity and better downrange performance. Savage’s original 110 Magpul Hunter has an 18.5” barrel. The Davidson’s model has a threaded-barrel with threads that are a standard for caliber 5/8-24 thread pitch. This product is available and shipping now. An additional option in .308 Winchester will also be available for shipping soon. Specifics listed below. Read more

General

Protect Grassland Birds by Mowing Later

Bobolinks, Savannah sparrows and eastern meadowlarks enrich our summers with their songs, but some of these species are in decline due to the loss of appropriate grassland habitat.

Landowners can make a difference by altering the times of year they mow fields. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is encouraging landowners to help these beloved species by waiting a little longer to mow to give these birds a chance to complete their nesting season.

“People maintain fields and meadows in Vermont for a variety of reasons, from commercial hayfields and grazing pastures, to simple scenic beauty,” said Doug Morin, biologist for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. “Mowing is the most common way to maintain grasses, but if mowed early in the summer, grassland birds will lose their nests and chicks.”

Bobolinks build nests among the grasses and wildflowers of fields and meadows. When bobolinks are present, other grassland bird species such as Savannah sparrows and grasshopper sparrows, may also be nesting among the grasses. Deer fawns, wild turkey chicks, and other animals take refuge in the grass and are also at risk by mowing too early.

According to Morin, landowners who mow their fields for aesthetic reasons can maintain these fields and accommodate nesting birds simply by cutting later in the summer, preferably after August 1.

General

Unwanted pet? Don’t let it loose in the outdoors

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department reminds all pet owners to never release a pet into any of Wyoming’s ponds, rivers or natural places.

CHEYENNE – Some people believe that when they don’t want their pets any longer it is okay to release them into the wild. However, this is cruel to pets, dangerous to the ecosystem and illegal. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department reminds all pet owners to never release a pet into any of Wyoming’s ponds, rivers or natural places.

“Pets can become an invasive species problem when owners let them loose,” said Josh Leonard, Game and Fish aquatic invasive species coordinator. “From tropical fish to snakes to turtles — do not release your pets.” Read more

General

WSF: Collars for Nebraska Bighorns

Bozeman, Montana- The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) and its Chapters and Affiliates flash-raised $160,200 to purchase GPS tracking collars for a scheduled trap and transplant project to enhance bighorn sheep populations in western Nebraska. The appeal came during the final evening of a two-day Summit held in San Antonio, TX, hosted by WSF Affiliate, the Texas Bighorn Society.

“Conservation is a well-used term with a clear and specific meaning,” said Gray N. Thornton, President and CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation. “The business of conservation, on the other hand, has many moving parts to be successful. It’s not always clear day-to-day that what you’re doing is impactful, but occasionally you get to be part of something magical. Raising this sum of money that quickly and directing it right to wild sheep was magical.”

Nebraska was once home to abundant bighorn sheep populations. By all accounts, they were gone by the early 1900s. Repopulating the Cornhusker State began in 1981 by translocating surplus wild sheep from other states. Today there is an estimated population of 250-275 bighorn sheep. Read more

General

REDARC’s New Product: Pure Sine Wave Inverter

LONSDALE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA – REDARC, the leading Overland authority in power management adds to its off-grid power solutions with the launch of Pure Sine Wave Inverters to the North American Market.

No more sacrificing luxury. Take your home appliances wherever you go and discover power and convenience like you’ve never experienced before with REDARC’s Pure Sine Wave Inverters.

With REDARC’s line of Pure Sine Wave Inverters, you can use your electrical devices while off-grid or on the open road and get the same type of 110-volt power you get at home. A Pure Sine Wave Inverter produces a unique sine wave, ensuring a smoother, more efficient running of household appliances, including laptops, coffee machines, power tools, heaters, microwaves, children’s toys, kettles, CPAP machines, e-bikes, cameras and much more.

Not all inverters are created equal. Cheaper inverters try to imitate a sine wave by ‘chopping off’ the corners of a square wave, creating a modified square wave. Appliances running on a modified sine wave need more power and will produce more heat. Read more

General

Luth-AR Repair Kits for AR-15 Firearms

Luth-AR® announces new Repair Kits for AR15. Each kit contains a selection of essential pins, springs and other parts that commonly require replacement. Keep them in your range bag or on your workbench.

Available in four kits:

Visit www.Luth-AR.com for details of each kit.

MSRP Kits Starting at $8.99 – $29.99, Dealer, Quantity and OEM pricing is available upon request. Read more

General

NSSF Issues Statement on Buffalo Attack

“NSSF absolutely condemns the horrific attack on innocent victims in Buffalo, New York. These senseless murders were committed by a deranged individual who had expressed threatening behavior and comments. He was previously evaluated by authorities for concerns about his mental health but was subsequently released. NSSF is and will remain steadfastly committed to Real Solutions® to keep our communities safe, and we fully support greater resources to address mental health challenges.”

General
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