Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) released its final tally on hunting incidents that occurred in 2013. There were a total of nine incidents reported, including one fatality. The total is lower than 2012, when 15 hunting incidents, including one fatality, were reported. Of the nine incidents reported in 2013, just one was reported in the Upper Peninsula, while the others were reported in Lower Michigan. Read more
Kingsport, TN: Internationally acclaimed exhibition archer Byron Ferguson has scheduled the dates for his third annual Bare Bow Archery School. The school is conducted in the spring and fall at Goodman Ranch in Henderson, Tennessee. Read more
The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) will award deserving students with scholarships to attend a Deer Steward course in 2014. Read more
(MANSFIELD, TEXAS) – Inspired by military designs, the Sightmark® LoPro Combo delivers optimal precision accuracy and versatility. This multi-functional laser and flashlight device can be mounted on a picatinny or weaver rail of an AR-15, either in front of a riflescope without interference with field-of-view, or on the side of the quad rail. Its 220 lumen LED flashlight can be used for clearing a room or quickly spotting targets in pitch black darkness, and the laser is offset for clearing front sight post. Read more
Because wild turkeys will come when they darn well please, RedHead has introduced a folding turkey seat to make the wait more comfortable. And to help turkey hunters get to that big longbeard, the RedHead® turkey lounger is lightweight and easy to tote. Read more
This from www.HumaneWatch.org…
The Humane Society of the United States held a fundraising benefit last Thursday at the fancy Club Colette in posh Palm Beach. We had been educating residents, via a mailing and a TV ad, that HSUS gives only 1% of its budget to pet shelters, that it gets a “C-minus” grade from the independent watchdog CharityWatch, and that it is in federal court facing a racketeering lawsuit.
We decided it would be best to show up in person to the event, too. Read more
By Glen Wunderlich
The Quality Deer Management Association’s 2014 Annual Deer Report has just been released and it gives us a thumbnail status of today’s white-tailed deer. The 2014 report compares kill statistics over years 2010 through 2012 from 36 states of the Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast.
Interesting trends continue to evolve and Michigan appears to have reversed course by actually shifting its focus from sheer numbers to stronger, healthier deer strategies. Given that, some of the numbers are not bad, either.
Michigan hunters shot the most bucks by a large margin in the Midwest region. The figure of 222,640 represents about 10,000 more bucks taken than either of the past two years. Not all states in the region were able to boast these results with South Dakota and Nebraska taking 25 and 29 percent fewer bucks respectively. Read more
L-R: Glen, Matt, Shawn
February 1st opening day of crow season found us in some rather deep snow. We used a FoxPro electronic caller with sounds such as crow in distress and fighting crows. Shotguns were all 12-gauge shooting shot size of number 7 1/2s, 8s and 9s.
Northern Canada’s Hudson Bay region has been noted as the area of the most threatened Polar bear population, but new evidence shows estimates as much as 67 percent higher than suggested. Details here…
An Alaska scientist, Charles Monnett, whose observations of drowned polar bears helped galvanize the global warming movement has been forced out of his position as part of a settlement with a federal agency. Turns out he made things up and left other fact out of his argument to support an animal-rights agenda. More here…
Hat tip to John Lott.
MISSOULA, Mont.–Congressman Steve Daines (R-MT) today introduced legislation–the “Making Public Lands Public Access Act”–that guarantees funding for improving hunter access to existing public lands. This legislation, H.R. 3962, is supported by the Boone and Crockett Club and other hunting organizations. The bill directs the U.S. Forest Service and BLM to acquire rights of way and other land interests from willing-seller landowners to open access to existing public lands where public access for hunting and fishing is closed or impractical. Read more