Perturbed Hen Turkey
This hen turkey was on a mission. Good thing it didn’t get a reaction from my “assistant”. By the way, the decoy sports two real turkey wing feathers – one on each side. Seems to work fine.
Category: Hunting
Bipartisan Vote Supports Sportsmen’s Call for Transparency in Environmental Litigation
GW: I’ll be pleasantly surprised if the “most open” federal administration via Harry Reid, allows a vote on this bill in the Senate.
MISSOULA, Mont.–The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan bill to publish details on lawsuits lost or settled by federal agencies that must pay the private legal fees of the other side.
The Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act, H.R. 2919 – which passed the House on May 6 by voice vote with support of both Democrats and Republicans – would create an online public database of court cases against the U.S. government. Agencies do not keep usable data on cases brought against them according to investigations by the Government Accounting Office. H.R. 2919 would provide a common base of information available to all citizens.
Long-Range Coyote Kill
It looks to me like a richochet. Am I seeing things, or what?
Bushnell G-Force DX Receives Outdoor Life Gear Test Great Buy Award
Overland Park, Kan. – Bushnell, an industry-leader in high performance sports optics for more than 65 years, was awarded the Great Buy Award for the G-Force DX laser rangefinder in the 2014 Outdoor LifeRangefinder Gear Test.
For the gear test, Outdoor Life evaluated six laser rangefinders and scored the performance of each device based on the following criteria: accuracy, clarity, edge clarity, speed, display, low light performance and ease of use. The G-Force DX received a four-star rating and was noted for its ranging speed and overall value for the price. Read more
Federal Premium Vital-Shok 10mm Auto Trophy Bonded
Federal Premium® Vital-Shok™ Trophy Bonded® 10mm Auto is a full-power load that restores the capabilities of the cartridge. With a muzzle velocity of 1,275 fps, the new 180-grain jacketed soft point (JSP) shoots flat and packs a powerful punch in semi-automatic pistols. With ballistics that fall between those of the 357 Magnum and 41 Magnum, the load gives hunters the power to take down deer, bears or hogs. Read more
Judge Postpones Oral Arguments in NSSF, SAAMI Suit to Stop California Microstamping Law
Oral arguments, originally scheduled to be heard today (Wednesday, May 7) in Fresno (CA) Superior Court, have been postponed until May 14 in the lawsuit brought by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) on behalf of their members against the State of California to prevent enforcement of the state’s microstamping statute.
Largest Hunter-Taken Grizzly Enters Boone and Crockett Records
MISSOULA, Mont.–The largest grizzly bear ever taken by a hunter has been entered into Boone and Crockett records. The big bruin, taken in 2013 near Fairbanks, Alaska, scores 27-6/16. It missed the World’s Record mark by 7/16 of an inch but landed a spot as the second-largest grizzly ever recorded. The reigning World’s Record is a skull found in Alaska in 1976. Read more
Safari Club International Files Motion For Preliminary Injunction Against Elephant Importation Bans
Washington, DC – Yesterday, April 30, 2014, Safari Club International’s (SCI) litigation team took the second step in its challenge to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) bans on the importation of sport-hunted elephants from Zimbabwe and Tanzania. SCI filed a motion for a preliminary injunction, asking the court to immediately lift the importation bans. SCI’s motion explained that emergency relief is necessary to prevent harm to those who have elephant hunts planned for 2014 and to the elephants whose conservation has been placed at risk by the FWS’s actions. Read more
Turkey population and hunting tradition thrive in Michigan
The significance of it may have gone unnoticed by many, but to hunters Monday, April 21, was a big day in Michigan – opening day of spring turkey-hunting season. 
Michigan annually ranks among the top 10 states in the union for wild turkey harvest – an almost astounding fact, as 100 years ago there wasn’t a wild turkey to be found in the state. Though experts believe the state was home to around 100,000 birds in pre-Columbian times, the population was wiped out by habitat destruction and unregulated hunting. Today, wild turkeys can be found in every county in the Lower Peninsula and in many places in the Upper Peninsula as well.
Early 20th-century attempts to restore wild turkeys in Michigan failed to bear fruit, but by mid-century, state wildlife officials had identified the Allegan State Game Area – 40,000 acres located within a 100,000-acre mixed hardwood and pine forest – as suitable habitat for the birds. The Department of Conservation purchased 50 birds from Pennsylvania, which was enjoying some success restoring wild turkeys. The birds were released at six sites in Allegan and others were released at additional sites, including areas of the northern Lower Peninsula. Thanks to those restoration efforts, by 1964 the wild turkey population in Michigan was estimated at 2,000. Read more
A Furry Crown: What is Antler Velvet?
By Austin Delano
Antlers…they have fascinated man since the beginning. Going back thousands of years one can see mans’ love for “animals with antlers” etched and painted on the walls of caves. Antlers were a trophy in a different way before they were used to decorate the walls of our hunting camps and game rooms. Before modern civilization, antlers were used to make tools, ceremonial wear, and weapons just to name a few of the uses. So how do these intriguing bones grow? What are they made out of? How do they go from this soft looking, furry velvet to a durable set of rock-hard fighting gear? Read more