(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
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
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
It was May 11 several decades ago and I was in northern Michigan hunting turkeys with my pal, Fast Frank. We hadn’t had any good luck back in the day when that was the norm. The reason I recall the date so well is that when we woke up and exited the tent in the morning, we were greeted with a present from Mother Nature: a couple of inches of wet snow. That was enough to send us packing.
However, May 11, 2019 would be completely different. It started out like most other hunts with a routine that includes a checklist and arriving on stand before the sun rises. A heavy frost had descended onto the clover field and the temperature had dipped to 36 degrees (F). After getting settled into the portable blind, the heat from the Buddy heater was much appreciated.
The blind has been a productive location over the years, although the drawback of facing east can make the rising sun unbearable. But, usually it can be overcome by shifting the seat a bit; other times, there’s nowhere to hide. I was about to pay the price.
From the roost I could hear a distant gobble being repeated well before sunup. Once I figured the birds were on the ground, I let out a few hen yelps scratched out from a custom slate call from Rodney Hairell of Grand Prairie, Texas. It wasn’t long before a lone, curious gobbler was spotted heading in my direction. A good beard was evident through my Burris binocular, as the seemingly tricked bird kept strolling toward me.
He began gobbling, as he closed the distance to some 90 yards in the openness of the field. Not being sure if he had seen my decoy, I sent some softer calls that solicited quick responses. I’d seen this movie before and all that was left was for him to take a few more steps.
At 72 yards he bellowed clearly visible steam enhanced by the bright sun at his back – and, yes in my face. Over and over that love sick Tom puffed out clouds like he was smoking a cigar! Trouble was, he had hung up and wouldn’t take another step. Oh, he kept up the display with his wings to the ground and tail fanned out. And, those gobbles just kept on coming. But, he had seen the reflection of the sun from my glasses.
I still thought I had a chance, because he was still there. But, when a mission-bound, traveling hen entered the dance floor, my only thought was that my chances for drumsticks would follow the female where ever she was headed. It didn’t happen, however, and she cleared the area, while the bearded beast stood his ground.
Soon, however, he began to move parallel to my position. This is the part of the movie where he comes right in for his final move. Instead, he high-stepped it even farther away and kept the show going from a safe distance. Eventually, he wouldn’t play anymore and departed.
Sorry, I didn’t get any still photos, but even better is a short video of the excitement on YouTube.
MISSOULA, Mont. — The recently released short film titled “Rain Deer – A Sitka Blacktail Story” by Randy Newberg and Tyler Johnerson – in partnership with the Boone and Crockett Club, Leupold & Stevens, and SITKA Gear – is a must-see according to B&C.
“In today’s world where ‘social concerns’ appear to be trumping the scientific management of wildlife, it’s refreshing to see a film that demonstrates the intersection of science, conservation, and wild grown, humanely harvested food,” said Keith Balfourd, director of Marketing for Boone and Crockett. “People and communities rely on wild natural resources in many ways. Sportsmen and rural communities have been standing guard over the resources they value and depend upon longer than anyone. It’s time more people appreciated this fact.”
“Rain Deer” was filmed in southeast Alaska and documents the importance of Sitka black-tailed deer to the rural communities of the region. The story is guided by the local knowledge of one of the deer’s biggest advocates. James Baichtal is a geologist who takes a wildlife ecologist from Idaho, Dr. Sophie Gilbert, with him to a place where she has the opportunity to add to her knowledge as a researcher, through the eyes of a hunter.
The film expertly portrays what sustainable use guided by science means and looks like, including the cultural significance of these deer to the peoples of Alaska.
“No optics company does more for sportsmen’s rights and conservation across the United States than Leupold & Stevens,” said Bruce Pettet, president and CEO for Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “It’s incredibly important to our team members, our core consumers and the entire Leupold family. ‘Rain Deer’ is a story worth telling. We’re proud to have supported Randy’s work to bring this important conservation story to hunting and non-hunting audiences.”
Randy Newberg is a veteran television and film producer, and spokesperson for the hunter-conservationist community. He is most noted for his popular television series, Fresh Tracks and On Your Own Adventures, as well as his Hunt Talk podcasts. Tyler Johnerson is a videographer and producer who has spent his life capturing wildlife and hunting documentary footage. Both live in Bozeman, Montana.
Jonathan Hart, founder of SITKA Gear said, “‘Rain Deer’ celebrates the inspiring relationship between hunter and scientist, leveraging the deep knowledge that is embedded in the harvester and using it to bridge the gap that many times challenges scientists and academics in making sense of the realities of nature. The ability to connect these dots to maximize impact is an incredible example of ‘ecosystem thinking.’ The breathtaking landscape and remarkable story set the bar high.”
“Today, social concern over the use and management of wildlife by a handful of vocal absentee landlords is influencing a dangerous model of non-use and no active management for the future without offering any proven long-term alternatives,” Balfourd concluded. “It’s ironic because it was social concerns of sportsmen that launched the conservation movement in the first place that literally saved many species of wildlife from certain disaster. There will be a consequence to allowing the social concerns of a few to block what we know works for all wildlife and people.”
Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) has introduced legislation that would ban the hunting of grizzly bears anywhere in the country except for Alaska. Grijalva, who chairs the House Resources Committee, is a frequent author of anti-hunting bills and is consistently rated at 100% by the Humane Society of the United States. House Resolution 2532, has been referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife and is scheduled to have a hearing on Wednesday, May 13, at 2 p.m. in room 1324 of the LHOB.
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Take Action! American hunters must contact their member of Congress today and ask them to oppose HR 2532. For the contact information of your Congressmen, visit the Sportsmen’s Alliance Legislative Action Center.
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Congressman Grijalva’s legislation would create a Grizzly Bear Scientific Committee to determine bear management policy in coordination with the Secretary of Interior. The committee of 18 people would include six people from the different regions of grizzly bear populations, six from native tribes in those same regions, and six more representing the agencies of the Department of Interior.
The bill only allows the Secretary of Interior to issue a permit to take a grizzly bear in extremely limited circumstances. Those exceptions include: for scientific or zoological purposes or for tribal purposes involving religion. They also include in those limited circumstances when a bear poses a threat to public safety or agriculture. In those instances, however, the secretary may only issue a permit if non-lethal methods of control have failed, if every native tribe in grizzly bear habitat agrees the bear cannot be relocated to their territory and if the governor of the state requests the permit in writing. HR 2532 expressly forbids any regulated hunting for grizzly bears by sportsmen. Read more
MISSOULA, Mont. – The public exhibit of Boone and Crockett trophies for the Club’s 30th Big Game Awards opened for public viewing on May 4.
Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri, will host this public exhibit of recently taken, high-ranking B&C trophies from across North America from May 4 through August 4.
“After 70 years of holding these exhibitions, this is one of the largest one we ever had in terms of the number and quality of animals on display,” said Justin Spring, the Club’s director of Big Game Records. “It’s impressive. This is excellence in nature and what is possible when we commit ourselves to the conservation and stewardship of these species, which is why we continue to see such outstanding specimens and records broken year in and year out.” Read more
MISSOULA, Mont. — According to the Boone and Crockett Club, more states are being forced to take a closer look at how information gained from GPS technology is being used to hunt big game species. The issue is making its way onto the dockets for some state legislators and governors to decide.
The state of Montana has been discussing two proposed bills. One would make it illegal for an individual to take GPS location data on a particular animal they have intensively scouted, and sell this information to another hunter. The other bill would prohibit the use of radio collar GPS tracking information obtained by wildlife biologists for monitoring and scientific management purposes to be used as an aid to locate these research animals, or transfer the information to another person. Both bills address how this information should not be used for the purpose of hunting.
“In both cases, Fair Chase is being used as the justification for proposing and supporting the passage of these laws,” said Mark Streissguth, chair of the Club’s Conservation and Hunter Ethics Committee. “We anticipate other states will be faced with the same decisions and we feel a few points of clarification will be helpful, especially between what is ethical or unethical and what is a matter of Fair Chase.” Read more
