Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
The Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that spring turkey hunting applications are on sale until Saturday, Feb 1. The application fee is $4. Applications and licenses may be purchased at any authorized license agent or online at www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings. Read more
More 1.5-year-old bucks (yearlings) are getting a pass from deer hunters than at any time in modern history, according to data gathered by QDMA for its 2014 Whitetail Report, now available free online.
In the 2012-13 season, the most recent season with complete deer harvest data available from all states, only 37 percent of antlered bucks killed by hunters in the United States were yearlings, down from over 62 percent in 1988, the year QDMA was founded. Antlered bucks do not include “button bucks,” so this means that nearly two-thirds of antlered bucks killed by hunters in 2012-13 were 2.5 years or older. Read more
Alpha-TAC’s ExtremeBeam has manufactured some of the best tactical flashlights available today. Now, the company has released the M4 Scirrako – a long-range workhorse of a flashlight worthy only of the ExtremeBeam name. Machined from solid bar stock aluminum, this powerful flashlight features a 230 lumen bulb that can easily outshine and outperform other flashlights with twice their lumen rating. Read more
MISSOULA, Mont.–A bull moose taken by a hunter in 2013 in Yukon Territory has been verified by the Boone and Crockett Club as a new World’s Record. With a final score of 263-5/8 Boone and Crockett points, the bull has the largest antlers ever recorded for the Alaska-Yukon moose subspecies. The previous record, taken in Alaska in 1994, scores 261-5/8. These are the only two specimens on record to score over 260. The third-largest bull scores 256-6/8. Read more
You’re a varmint hunter, and whether it’s to protect your land, or for sport, ProGrade® has created a special grade of ammunition just for you. ProGrade Varmint Grade is a series of cartridges hand-selected by its in-house ballistic specialists and is the best ammunition available to take down everything from coyotes, foxes and wolves to squirrels, rabbits and groundhogs. Read more
MISSOULA, Mont.–A bull moose taken by a hunter in 2013 in Yukon Territory has been verified by the Boone and Crockett Club as a new World’s Record. With a final score of 263-5/8 Boone and Crockett points, the bull has the largest antlers ever recorded for the Alaska-Yukon moose subspecies. The previous record, taken in Alaska in 1994, scores 261-5/8. These are the only two specimens on record to score over 260. The third-largest bull scores 256-6/8. Read more
Washington, DC – House and Senate agriculture leaders have announced a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on a five-year farm bill that will reduce the deficit, grow the economy and provide certainty to the 16 million Americans whose jobs depend on agriculture. The Agricultural Act of 2014 contains major reforms including eliminating the direct payment program, streamlining and consolidating numerous programs to improve their effectiveness and reduce duplication, and cutting down on program misuse. The bill also strengthens our nation’s commitment to support farmers and ranchers affected by natural disasters or significant economic losses, and renews a national commitment to protect land, water, and other natural resources. Read more
New Wisconsin rules eliminate all check stations and replace the old system with a mix of phone and online registration by 2015. DNR officials indicate the modernization could save the agency as much as $182,000 a year. Here is how the system is being sold.
Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management P.O. Box 11082 Lansing, MI 48901
LANSING–The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) released new statistics from last season’s public wolf hunt – Michigan’s first – which showed that the majority of wolves taken by hunters were likely from problem packs – and, no helicopters were used in the hunt!
17 of the 23 wolves taken by hunters were taken in pack territories in the Upper Peninsula with high incidents of wolf depredation on livestock or pets. Most were taken within five miles of a depredation incident, according to DNR biologist Adam Bump. DNR biologists know the approximate territories of wolf packs, which aggressively defend their territories from other wolves. Read more
By Glen Wunderlich
Funny thing about this extraordinary winter weather: it’s just not funny anymore! I realize, Mother (as in Nature), that I had asked for you to “bring it on.” Certainly, it’s all my fault, but enough already. I’ve learned my lesson. Next time I submit a request for a dose of bitterness, I’ll be sure to add an all-important caveat: and end point!
So, what’s a hunter to do? Simple. Prepare for better days. And, to me that means cranking out some custom, handloaded ammo.
If ever there has been rationale for the do-it-yourselfer to get in the game, it’s now. The ammo shortage may have eased up a bit, but a quick check with one of my favorite suppliers, www.MidwayUSA.com, shows little improvement in availability. And, those prices for loaded ammo have gone through the roof, if you can find what you want, that is.
For example, one box of factory .22 Hornet ammunition will set you back over a dollar per round. And, that’s for stuff I’ve never even tried. If it wouldn’t be able to perform to expectations, I’d be out over $50. There’s nothing special about the components in this caliber that make the ammo more expensive than others; it’s merely supply and demand. In fact, the tiny bit of powder and small bullets make this a textbook candidate to handload. Read more