Category: Hunting

X-Vision Optics Introduces New Thermal Reflex Sight- Wide View

Red Wing, MN. The Thermal Reflex Sight Wide View (TRW1) is your tactical advantage for any close encounter situation. This thermal device is perfect for home defense, tracking, scanning, and close-range shooting within 100 yards. With an extra wide field of view, the quick-target acquisition sight is the most compact, lightweight, and durable thermal device on the market. With a detection range up to 500-yards, this incredibly compact sight produces crystal clear images on its 1.63” AMOLED display. The TRW1 also features a quick-release Picatinny mount and IP67 weatherproof rating so it will hold up in any terrain and tough weather conditions.

With the vast field of view, the device allows for easy target detection and unparalleled target acquisition. The Thermal Reflex Sight Wide View has a 500-yard maximum detection range and a 225-yard recognition range. At a frame rate of 25 Hz, the device captures sharp thermal images and smoothly tracks rapidly moving targets. The objective lens is 6.8 mm and has a field of view of 250 ft @ 100 yds. This thermal reflex sight has a 1 to 4x magnification with a detector resolution of 240 x 210.

The thermal reflex sight provides both day and night use for hunting, scouting, and surveilling. This unit is capable of handling over 53 ft/lb. of recoil allowing compatibility with a large variety of firearms and crossbows. Additionally, the TRW1 is dust and water-resistant to an international protection rating of IP67. The thermal unit has a 1.63” display with infinite eye relief and a quick release picatinny mount. The device is compact and lightweight weighing only .55 lbs. It has a sleek profile sitting at just under 3 inches high. Read more

Hunting, Optics

New California Law Allows NWTF to Restore Services to Youth Members

(AB 160 allows the NWTF and other organizations to resume our mission delivery of preserving our hunting heritage and full membership services. Photo Credit: NWTF)

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — In response to an outpouring of concerns from hunting, shooting and conservation organizations and the state’s wildlife agency, California’s legislature passed a bill amending language in a recently signed law that broadly prohibited all advertising of firearms and firearms-related products to youth in the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the corrective bill into law last Thursday..

The Firearms: Advertising to Minors bill (AB 2571) — signed into law in June under an urgency clause, meaning there was no opportunity to negotiate or make amendments — directly impacted the National Wild Turkey Federation’s outreach to its JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship) members. The bill’s ambiguity meant the NWTF was not able to meet our obligation of sending JAKES Country magazine to youth members or include youth firearms in banquet auctions. Advertising outreach and recruitment events centered on hunting, hunter education and shooting activities were also prohibited.

“After the bill passed, a coalition of sporting organizations, with the help of Gaines and Associates government relations agency, immediately unified to negotiate with the governor’s office and legislators on language that corrected the unintended consequences from the overly broad language to our outreach, fundraising and mission delivery in California,” said Patt Dorsey, NWTF’s director of conservation operations in the West region. “It was clear that the state’s own outreach and education efforts, as well as those of conservation organizations, were not the intended targets of the ban.” Read more

Gun Control, Hunting

2022 pheasant release program updates and release locations

2022 pheasant release locations

This year, pheasants will be released during the Oct. 20-Nov. 14 regular pheasant season on nine state game areas throughout southern Michigan:

  • Cornish (Cass County).
  • Crow Island (Bay and Saginaw counties).
  • Erie (Monroe County).
  • Lapeer (Lapeer County).
  • Leidy Lake (St. Joseph County).
  • Pinconning Township (Bay County).
  • Pointe Mouillee (Monroe and Wayne counties).
  • Rose Lake (Clinton and Shiawassee counties).
  • St Johns Marsh (St. Clair County).

Important:

A base license and a public-land pheasant license are required to hunt these areas, and all regular hunting regulations apply.

The bag limit is two male pheasants daily, with four in possession. These restrictions apply at release locations.  Read more

Hunting

ALPS OutdoorZ Introduces a Floating Gun Case

NEW HAVEN, Mo. – ALPS OutdoorZ, premiere manufacturer of extreme-duty hunting packs and outdoor gear, ensures your favorite long gun will never take a dive with the Floating Gun Case. Ideal for float-trip hunters, duck hunters, or anyone who transports their firearms on or around water, the Floating Gun Case is built to the same quality standards as all ALPS OutdoorZ packs and accessories.

The case calls on high-density floatation foam to prevent firearms from submerging if dropped in deep water. Additional flotation comes from the roll-over Velcro-sealed opening, which helps prevent water from entering the case and creates a buoyant air pocket when closed.

The Floating Gun Case measures 59×9 inches and is sized to accept shotguns with extended chokes and barrels up to 28-inches long. A handy side pocket includes choke tube/shell holders as well as a zippered pocket to keep small items secure and organized. Additional features include a padded shoulder strap and carry handle and a D-ring clip at the barrel end for hanging the case when not in use. Available camo patterns include Realtree MAX-5 and Mossy Oak Shadow Grass Habitat. Read more

Firearms, Hunting

Montana Bighorn Tag Auctioned at the Sheep Show®

Bozeman, Montana- The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) will again raise money for wild sheep conservation in Montana by auctioning the 2023 state-wide bighorn sheep permit. The Sheep Show® Convention and Expo for all things mountain game hunting and wild sheep conservation will be held in Reno, NV, January 14-16, 2023.

“We’re honored,” explained Gray N. Thornton, President, and CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation. “This is what we do. Raise critical funding for wild sheep conservation that is not available from any other source. In this case, from passionate hunter-conservationists willing to step up for the opportunity to hunt a special animal and give back in a big way to that resource.”

2023 will be the 37th consecutive year WSF has put this tag up for auction at its annual convention. In its first year (1986), WSF raised $76,000. In 2022, the successful bid was $360,000. Over the past ten years, the Montana Tag has averaged $348,500. Read more

Hunting

Arkansas hunters take 157 alligators during 2022 season

By Randy Zellers
Arkansas Wildlife Weekly Newsletter

MONTICELLO — Arkansans looking for one of the state’s most exciting hunts wrapped up their efforts last weekend with the conclusion of the 2022 alligator hunting season. When first light began to break Monday morning, signaling the end of the two-weekend night-hunting-only season, 157 alligators had been tagged and reported to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Mark Barbee, assistant regional manager in the AGFC’s Monticello Regional Office who coordinates the hunt, said the hunting went very smoothly, and that all successful hunters have been issued CITES tags to complete the federal requirements of their harvest. Alligator hunting is overseen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the AGFC must follow survey and harvest protocols each year to maintain Arkansas’s alligator hunting season.

Alligator hunting is by permit only in Arkansas. The AGFC issued 43 public hunting permits, with hunting allowed only in designated areas of the Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois D’Arc WMA, Sulphur River WMA, Little River below Millwood Lake, Millwood Lake and the Lower Arkansas River Wetland Complex. All other public areas were closed to alligator hunting.

Read more

Hunting

Safe Tree Climbing

By Glen Wunderlich

Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)

Better safe than sorry.  We’ve all heard these words of wisdom, but unless we’ve had a good scare, or an accident, these words to the wise tend to fall on deaf ears.  And, falling on deaf ears may result in falling on the ground, if deer hunters fail to follow safety guidelines when hunting from trees.

One in three persons using treestands will experience a fall in their lifetime.  Still feel like gambling?

Recent designs in full body harnesses have made antiquated belts obsolete.  Certainly, with costs between $50 to $200, they’re not inexpensive but neither is a broken neck or back.

Any time you are above ground, you are in danger and need to protect yourself. Hunters need to use a Full Body Fall Arrest Harness System (FBFAHS) that meets stringent industry standards.

However, just wearing a harness is not enough. The second component in the safety system is a lifeline or safety line that attaches securely to the tree, and then connects to the hunter’s FBFAHS. This is an integral part of the safety system. It will support the hunter’s weight without breaking, and the inclusion of a Prusik knot allows a hunter to be connected during ascent and descent, as well as when sitting in the stand. The Prusik knot slides easily going up and down, but if there is a sudden fall, the knot tightens immediately, helping to prevent serious injury.

Help?  If you are stuck hanging onto a tree with no means to go up or down, you’ll need help.  That’s why a cell phone could save your life but it must be kept on your person.  No cell service?  It’s good to know that before you climb.  In that case, you’ll need someone on the other end of a two-way radio who can be contacted in the event of an emergency.  Hunting with a friend is another means to avoid catastrophe.

In your new safety vest/harness, you’ll want to tote a few essential tools, as well, including a sharp pocket knife and folding tree steps.  With a knife at hand, a climber can cut straps loose and tree steps can give you a place to stand during the recovery process.

Another option is one more device:  Primal Treestands’ Emergency Descender (wwwPrimaltreestands.com).

After just a few minutes of hanging in a treestand harness after a fall, the leg straps can interrupt blood flow to and from your legs, causing a deadly condition known as suspension trauma, which can cause pain, unconsciousness and even death within as little as 15 minutes.

The Emergency Descender lowers the hunter to the ground automatically and hands-free immediately after a fall. Even if a hunter is unconscious or injured, the Emergency Descender can provide an automatic and gradual descent to the ground.

It can be used with the hunter’s current full-body safety harness, as long as the harness meets ASTM standards for a fall-arrest system. The weight range for users is 120 to 300 pounds.

The Emergency Descender is small enough to fit into a coat or safety harness pocket, weighs less than 2 pounds and allows the hunter to be attached to a tree at 25 feet from the ground.

At a suggested retail price of only $50, the one-time-use Emergency Descender is an affordable, simple, life-saving system.

In addition, universal shooting rails are approximately $40 and can be added to a stand for insurance against falls, while doubling as rests to steady shots and I’ve installed one at each of my treestands.

It’s easy to learn how to use modern safety devices, and if you are at all confused, plenty of quality instructional videos are available online.  Be safe and live to hunt another day.

Hunting

Whitetails Unlimited Commits $30,000 To Tree Stand Safety

Whitetails Unlimited has committed $30,000 towards it’s Tree Stand Safety Initiative where a Hunter Safety Systems Ultralite Flex harness and Muddy Safe-Line will be awarded via a free drawing at each WTU event this year. In addition to the safe-line and harness giveaways, WTU field staff also takes 5-10 minutes during each event to inform attendees of the importance of tree stand safety. Hunting from elevated stands of all types creates an inherently dangerous situation because of something that pulls on us every day – gravity. While tripping over a root or rock and hitting the ground can cause injury, most of these injuries are relatively minor. However, a fall from a much greater height – like a tree stand – can result in a much more serious or life-changing injury, or even death.

The numbers are surprising: one out of three hunters who use an elevated stand will be injured. Those are not good odds. Any time you are above ground, you are in danger and need to protect yourself. Hunters need to use a Full Body Fall Arrest Harness System (FBFAHS) that meets stringent industry standards. Single-strap belts and chest harnesses have proven to be unsafe; and in fact, single strap belts can themselves cause serious injuries or death.

But just wearing a harness is not enough. The second component in the safety system is a lifeline or safety line that attaches securely to the tree, and then connects to the hunter’s FBFAHS. This is not just a hunk of random rope, but an integral part of the safety system. It will support the hunter’s weight without breaking, and the inclusion of a Prusik knot allows a hunter to be connected during ascent and descent, as well as when sitting in the stand. The Prusik knot slides easily going up and down, but if there is a sudden fall, the knot tightens immediately, helping to prevent serious injury. Read more

Hunting

Licenses still available for Michigan fall turkey hunting season

Going afield to hunt for small game or scout for deer season? Pick up a fall turkey license to have a shot at harvesting a wild bird for Thanksgiving.

Remaining fall turkey licenses are on sale now for everyone.

Purchase a license online or over the counter wherever DNR licenses are sold. Download the new Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app to buy licenses, look up regulations, get notifications from DNR, and much more.

Turkey hunting ?

Turkey season bag limits, regulations and hours at Michigan.gov/Turkey.
Hunting

NWTF Signs Expanded Forest Conservation Agreement With USDA/NRCS

(From left to right: Mark Hatfield, NWTF National Director of Conservation Services; Becky Humphries, NWTF co-CEO; Terry Cosby, NRCS Chief; Kurt Dyroff, NWTF co-CEO)

NWTF Inks Expanded Forest Conservation Agreement with USDA/NRCS

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — Building on 20 years of partnerships and collaborative conservation, the NWTF and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service are bolstering their joint agreement for the National Forestry Initiative (NFI). The new five-year agreement will provide $7 million in funding for conservation and additional forestry professionals to reach even more private landowners.

“Our work with forestland owners plays an important role in improving wildlife habitat and supporting climate-smart conservation practices,” said Terry Cosby, Chief of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. “In partnering with the National Wild Turkey Federation, NRCS looks forward to expanding our impacts and supporting even more forestland owners, especially in underserved communities.”

Over the last four years since the inception of the original agreement in 2018, the partnership has implemented conservation practices on more than 333,000 acres. Now, thanks to a new and enhanced agreement between the NRCS and the NWTF, the NFI is becoming an even more robust platform for promoting forest health and habitat conservation on private lands across the country.

Under the new fire-year agreement – which NWTF has dubbed NFI 2.0 – NRCS will contribute $5.3 million over the life of the agreement to implement volunteer conservation practices on private lands. This will enable the NWTF to bring much-needed forestry capacity and technical expertise across the country to work with private landowners, including landowners within historically underserved communities. Read more

Hunting
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