Category: Hunting

Ameristep’s Distorter™ Blind

Hunt Outside the Box

Ameristep’s Distorter™ Blind changes the very shape of concealment while maximizing interior utility

Plano, IL – Today’s ground blind has a five-hub design that makes it efficient to build, transport, set-up and hunt from. Such efficiencies have their consequences – mainly a boxy

profile that often causes alarm when viewed by the inherently suspicious eyes of deer, turkeys and other game animals.

Ameristep’s Distorter™ ground blind utilizes never-before-seen, kick-out technology to offer hunters a high performance hub blind with next-level benefits both inside and out. On the outside, it creates a unique silhouette that conceals better than typical square blinds by blending into the environment more effectively. Inside, Distorter™ opens up a whole new world of useful space for up to three hunters and their gear. Read more

Hunting

Michigan: results of 2019 elk and bear hunt drawings now available

If you applied for a bear or elk license during the May 1-June 1 application period, you can now view your results.

Check hunt drawing results online or call a DNR Customer Service Centeror 517-284-WILD to find out if you were successful. If you used a DNR Sportcard to apply, please call us at 517-284-WILD to get your results.

There were 7,080 bear licenses and 200 elk licenses available for the 2019 fall hunting seasons.

There are 195 leftover licenses remaining for the Bergland third-period bear hunt, available to Michigan residents only. Points will be reset to zero for those who buy a leftover bear license, except for comprehensive lifetime license holders. Leftover licenses will be sold as follows:

  • July 8, 10 a.m.: Comprehensive lifetime license holders who were not selected for a license can get a free leftover license.
  • July 15, 10 a.m.: Unsuccessful applicants can purchase a leftover license.
  • July 22, 10 a.m.: Any remaining licenses will be available to the general public.

To help understand the drawing process for each species, watch our videos:

Successful applicants can transfer or donate their drawing success to an unsuccessful youth applicant or any person with an advanced illness. Transfer forms and additional information are available at Michigan.gov/HuntTransfers. Unsuccessful youth applicants and those with an advanced illness can register for a donated (transferred) bear or elk hunt through the same webpage until July 10.

Additional drawing statistics can be found at Michigan.gov/Elk and Michigan.gov/Bear.

If you weren’t successful in the drawing, you can still apply for the Pure Michigan Hunt for chances at 2020 hunting licenses, including bear and elk – for $5 each chance. Learn more at Michigan.gov/PMH

Hunting

Michigan: Hunting Access Program helps landowners earn money, better manage wildlife on their property

Property owners in more than a dozen counties have the opportunity to enroll their land in the DNR’s Hunting Access Program – and play a key role in helping Michigan’s deer population.

The program is enrolling private property in priority counties for deer disease in portions of the southern and northern Lower Peninsula. Landowners should have at least 40 acres of land with some wildlife habitat (forest, brush, etc.) within a chronic wasting disease or bovine tuberculosis priority county listed below.

Enrollment is open through Sept. 1. Priority counties for HAP enrollment include Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Ionia, Iosco, Kent, Mecosta, Montcalm, Montmorency, Newaygo, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego and Presque Isle. Landowners in Alcona, Alpena, Ionia, Kent, Mecosta, Montcalm, Montmorency, Newaygo or Oscoda counties may be eligible for additional incentives. Read more

Hunting

Council to Advance to Hunting and the Shooting Sports Partners to Share R3 Message with Outdoor Media Professionals

Council to Advance to Hunting and the Shooting Sports Partners to Share R3 Message with Outdoor Media Professionals

Headlines on declining and shifting participation rates in hunting, target shooting, and outdoor recreation have been well-documented, and the announcements have not fallen on deaf ears. Now, the narrative has shifted as conservation and outdoor organizations have invested significant resources in recent years to address these declines by focusing on efforts to recruit, retain, and reactivate (R3) hunters and target shooters, thus ensuring a solid future for conservation in America. This is the message that the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports, in partnership with the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and the Association for Conservation Information (ACI), will share with outdoor media professionals at upcoming events. The goal of these events is to expand outdoor media professionals’ engagement in state, regional, and national R3 efforts.

“Outdoor media professionals play a key role in the national R3 movement. From providing ‘how-to’ content for new or soon-to-be hunters to encouraging current hunters to help mentor a new person – outdoor media professionals can help this national movement move forward,” said Kristen Black, Manager of Communications and Human Dimensions for the Council.

On June 19, the Council will update POMA members during the Visit Mississippi breakfast at the annual POMA conference in Wichita, Kansas. Council staff will share the latest trends in outdoor recreation participation and highlight opportunities to connect with the national network of R3 professionals. Kevin Orthman, Executive Director of POMA, shared that “POMA members are interested in what R3 is and are looking to connect with the mission. This unique opportunity is just the start of many more opportunities as we continue to work together to bridge the media and R3 professions and bring better content to hunters, target shooters, and other outdoor recreationists.” Read more

Firearms, Hunting

NWTF Supports FWS Proposal to Increase Public Access to Public Lands

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt announced a proposal for new or expanded access to 1.4 million acres across 74 national wildlife refuges and 15 national fish hatcheries managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a plan supported by the National Wild Turkey Federation.

“The NWTF is thrilled that the FWS continues to look at expanding hunting and fishing opportunities for the American public,” said Joel Pedersen, NWTF director of government affairs. “In addition to all the other opportunity provided, this proposal will specifically affect 18 refuges across 10 states, opening more than 139,000 acres to turkey hunting for the first time and expanding youth turkey hunting opportunity on an additional 62,000 acres. We thank Secretary Bernhardt and the Service for their continued commitment to provide access and opportunity to sportsmen and women.”

The proposal directly addresses one of the more common reasons given for the decline in hunting participation – hunters do not have places to enjoy their outdoor pursuits. This is something the NWTF also is addressing head on through its Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative goal to open new access to 500,000 acres for outdoor recreation. Read more

Fishing, Hunting

Secretary Bernhardt Promises Increasing Public Access to Hunting and Fishing on 1.4 Million Acres Nationwide.

Secretary Bernhardt Proposes Increasing Public Access to Hunting and Fishing on 1.4 Million Acres Nationwide

Proposal Includes New Opportunities at 74 National Wildlife Refuges and 15 National Fish Hatcheries

Oak Harbor, Ohio – Furthering the Trump Administration’s efforts to increase access to public lands, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt today announced from Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge a proposal for new or expanded hunting and fishing opportunities at 74 national wildlife refuges and 15 national fish hatcheries managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) across more than 1.4 million acres.

“President Trump is committed to expanding public access on public lands, and this proposal is executing on that directive by opening and increasing more access to hunting and fishing by the Fish and Wildlife Service at more stations and across more acres than ever before,” said Secretary Bernhardt. “Hunting and fishing are more than just traditional pastimes as they are also vital to the conservation of our lands and waters, our outdoor recreation economy, and our American way of life. These refuges and hatcheries provide incredible opportunities for sportsmen and women and their families across the country to pass on a fishing and hunting heritage to future generations and connect with wildlife.” Read more

Hunting

Botswana Seeks to Change “Conservation Conversation” on Lifted Hunting Suspensions

delete.jpg

Contact: Steve Comus:scomus@safariclub.org

It is critical that the Conservation Conversation always include people as much as it does wildlife. This was the overarching message from Botswana Minister of Environment Natural Resources and Conservation and Tourism Onkokame Kitso Mokalla during today’s press conference on lifting the five-year suspension on hunting in that country.

Since the moratorium on hunting in Botswana’s government and community areas, Mokalla says that populations of key species have expanded beyond traditional ranges and into areas where they have never been seen before. An escalation in human-wildlife conflicts is only one consequence of that expansion. A less quantifiable result is that communities that were previously conservation minded have become almost anti-wildlife. Read more

Hunting

Sellmark Outdoor Media Scholarship

(MANSFIELD, TEXAS) – Sellmark Corporation is proud to announce their inaugural Sellmark Outdoor Media Scholarship. Sellmark proudly supports the next generation of outdoor writers by awarding two individuals with a scholarship to attend the 2019 Professional Outdoor Media Association Business Conference (POMA) in Wichita, Kansas.

Sellmark congratulates the winners, Jacki Billings, shooting editor for Guns.com and Courtney Ogden, a photographer based out of Louisiana.

Jacki Billings is a devoted mother, journalist, photographer and gun aficionado. As a freelance writer, she has worked closely with Guns.com, NRA Shooting Sports USA and RECOIL magazine. Jacki focuses on concealed carry and women’s topics, using her influence to motivate women to protect themselves and live the concealed carry lifestyle.

Courtney Ogden is an outdoor enthusiast and photographer, and was introduced to hunting by her husband in 2009. She counts whitetail deer and turkey among her favorite pursuits and fishes throughout the year. Ogden started Sportswomen United in hopes of helping outdoorswomen to come together. Read more

Fishing, Hunting

Michigan: Osceola County Deer Farm/Ranch Owner Arraigned

Contact: Jason Haines, hainesj@michigan.gov

The owner of two privately owned cervid (POC) facilities – also known as deer farms – in Osceola County, Michigan, has been arraigned on several misdemeanor charges tied to facility maintenance and inspections, reporting and other areas.

Ryan Hopkins, 42, of Sears, Michigan, is the owner and operator of Hopkins Trophy Whitetails, also located in Sears. On Tuesday, in the Osceola County District Court, in Reed City, Hopkins pleaded not guilty to those violations.

Hopkins Trophy Whitetails, which operates both a breeding facility and a ranch in Sears, offers paying clients the opportunity to hunt whitetail deer.

The Michigan DNR Law Enforcement Division last month served Hopkins with 11 arrest warrants arising out of a DNR investigation:

  • Failure to maintain farm records (two counts).
  • Failure to maintain/provide fence inspections (two counts).
  • Failure to maintain facility standards – fencing (two counts).
  • Failure to submit annual inventories (two counts).
  • Operating an unregistered facility (two counts).
  • Failure to comply with with individual animal identification (one count).

“Conservation officers conduct inspections at privately owned cervid facilities and take legal action when a POC violates regulations set by the state,” said DNR Law Enforcement Chief Gary Hagler.

Hopkins’ history of violations includes failure to:

  • Maintain facility fencing standards and inspection records.
  • Submit annual inventory reports.
  • Maintain records of appropriate disposal of deer.
  • Meet animal tagging requirements.
  • Produce records at the request of law enforcement.
  • Properly register two facilities.
  • Properly report deer escapes.

“In this case, the owner failed to follow the state POC regulations, as he has in the past,” Hagler said. “It’s our responsibility to prevent this type of behavior, which poses risk to the animals within the deer farm and the animals outside of it.” Read more

Hunting

New Scent Killer Gold Dryer Sheets

Wildlife Research Center®, the leader in Scent and Scent Elimination, has now released a premium and unscented dryer sheet.

Scent Killer® Gold® Dryer Sheets are Premium and Unscented to help prevent static build-up from attracting lint and hair that may contain odors. It also softens hunting clothes to help keep them quiet.

It’s perfect to use when drying your hunting clothes after washing them with Scent Killer® Gold® Laundry Detergent.

MSRP on an 18 pack of Scent Killer® Gold® Dryer Sheets is $7.49 and will be available at finer Sporting Goods Stores this fall. Read more

Hunting
1 … 116 117 118 119 120 … 387