Contact:

Dale Hajek, Public Information Officer

623-236-7215, dhajek@azgfd.gov

Antlers, hides, head mounts and more will be in high demand

PHOENIX —The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) will auction a three-year inventory of wildlife assets at the upcoming 2022 Outdoor Expo at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility, just west of Interstate 17 on Carefree Highway.

Antlers, hides, skulls and wildlife mounts, as well as wildlife artwork and taxidermy — all seized during law enforcement investigations, obtained from animals killed in vehicle collisions, or acquired through donations — will be sold April 2-3. Items can be purchased individually, by the pound or through a silent auction (cash or credit card only). Read more

New Haven, Mo. – ALPS Mountaineering, manufacturer of performance-driven technical support gear for wilderness exploration, trekking, and family camping, has just introduced a one-and-done sleeping bag system that meets the needs of multi-climate campers. The new Aura System is an ingeniously designed sleeping bag that offers three different configurations to keep campers comfortable in everything from cold to warm-weather climates.

The Aura System is based on a 30°F mummy bag featuring two-layer offset construction to eliminate cold spots. Quilted between the polyester liner and nylon ripstop outer layer is TechLoft Micro insulation, which delivers the base 30°F rating. Insulated chest and zipper baffling further eliminates cold air intrusion for a comfortable night’s sleep.

When temperatures take a dive, the Aura System can be converted to a 15°F mummy bag by installing the quilt top with enclosed foot box. This adds an additional layer of heat-trapping insulation to the bag and foot box. Simply slip the quilt’s foot box over the base bag and secure the quilt to the bag via dual #8 zippers and hook-and-loop patches along the chest baffle.

An incidental feature of this system is the space created between the bag and quilt. If even more warmth is desired, the camper can insert clothing between the layers. It’s also the perfect solution for dressing on cold mornings because clothing stays warm while layered in the bag. Read more

RICE LAKE, WI – Henry Repeating Arms, the country’s leading lever action firearm manufacturer, is pleased to announce that its donation of 55 custom rifles raised a total of $40,660 for 4-year-old Milah Schevenius of Decatur, Indiana. The funds will provide financial assistance for the medical expenses incurred throughout Milah’s kidney cancer treatments, including several surgeries and 42 weeks of chemo and radiation. Milah was diagnosed with bilateral Wilms’ Tumor, a rare occurrence affecting only 6% of Wilms’ tumor patients.

The “Miss Milah’s Miracle” campaign is the latest fundraising effort of Henry’s Guns For Great Causes program, a charitable branch of the company that focuses on providing support for sick children, children’s hospitals, military veterans organizations, and other non-profit groups. Each rifle in the limited-edition series features a colorful, childlike design unique to Milah’s personality engraved and hand-painted on the walnut buttstocks. All of the rifles sold out within 3 hours of the initial release announcement. In addition, the online auctions for the first and last serial numbers in the limited series ended at $5,850 and $4,600, respectively. Read more

An Escanaba man successfully ditched his plane Thursday afternoon, after engine failure forced an emergency landing on the frozen surface of Indian Lake.

Mark Meyer, 62, had flown his single-engine plane from the Manistique Airport, and had logged about two hours of airtime when he lost power while practicing air maneuvers over the lake, which is located west of Manistique.

At 3:24 p.m., local dispatchers notified emergency responders that a plane circling Indian Lake was reportedly having engine troubles.

Meyer was unable to restart the engine and made his emergency landing on Indian Lake at 3:32 p.m. He was about eight miles from the airport. Read more

NEW HAVEN, Mo. – ALPS OutdoorZ, premiere manufacturer of extreme-duty hunting packs and outdoor gear, continues its mission of developing innovative products to help hunters achieve success in the field with the introduction of the all-new Ambush Sling Pack.

Run-and-gun turkey hunting demands a pack system that is light, adaptable to changing conditions, and delivers on the key features needed for a successful hunt. The new Ambush Sling Pack hits all these benchmarks. Read more

An award-winning broadcaster, who was the distinctive voice of Michigan Wolverines football for decades and also called games for top professional teams including the Detroit Lions has died at the age of 72.  Recently, he had retired from broadcasting.

WJR-AM, the Detroit-based “Voice of the Great Lakes”, where Beckmann spent most of his career, reported Sunday that he suffered from vascular dementia, a rare brain disease, and had also suffered strokes. It reported that he died Saturday at a hospice center in Clarkston, Michigan.

Beckmann started at WJR in the early 1970s and was, at the time, the newsroom’s youngest-ever reporter. Within several years, he became WJR’s sports director. At various times, Beckmann served as announcer for both for Detroit Tigers and Detroit Lions games. He also called Pistons and Red Wings games.

“I recall when he began as a talk-show host and wondered if he would succeed coming from a sports-centered background.  But, he sure surprised me!  He was always prepared when he went on air and never held back.  I’ve already missed him,” said Glen Wunderlich.

Frank is survived by his wife, Karen, two children and three grandchildren.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Holly Pennoni was honored Thursday with a Lifesaving Award at the Michigan Natural Resources Commission meeting in Lansing.

Pennoni is credited with delivering rescue breaths to an unconscious man, Ross Gillespie of Cadillac, who – as the result of an unexpected medical condition which caused his blood pressure to plummet – crashed his vehicle on the side of the road while driving southwest of Cadillac on May 18.

Pennoni, driving behind the vehicle, witnessed the incident, called 911 and assisted Gillespie until an ambulance arrived and transported him to the hospital.

“Detective Holly Pennoni was in the right place at the right time,” said Chief Gary Hagler, DNR Law Enforcement Division. “Mr. Gillespie, EMS personnel and the survivor’s attending physician all believe that Pennoni’s quick actions contributed to saving this man’s life. Any delay in response would have resulted in a fatality.”

A conservation officer since 2000, Pennoni was promoted to detective in 2015. Her position is funded through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to investigate environmental crimes that threaten Michigan’s natural resources. Read more