Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Fort Wayne, IN – Elevators® are the most trusted brand for maximum stability and reliability in elevated deer blinds. Made in the USA and engineered from premium 12-gauge steel with robotically welded joints, the Elevators® brackets are 30% stronger than the competition. Read more
Commemorate your hunt this spring with a 2022 wild turkey management cooperator patch. Patches are available from the?Michigan Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, in partnership with the Department of Natural Resources.??
Patches must be ordered online at MINWTF.org. Mail-in patch orders will no longer be accepted.
Patches are $6 for adults and patch collectors. Youth hunters 17 years old and younger can get a patch for free. Proceeds from patch sales are used to fund wild turkey-related projects and management in Michigan.
Presented by Leupold
There was a time when hunters would don a tie and tuck in their shirt to chase big game—and they would look darn good doing it. For that reason, we sifted through the archives to find some of the best-dressed hunters from the good old days. If you like this slideshow, more of these timeless photos can be found in our Vintage Hunting Album, which makes a great gift or book to keep up at the cabin.
Want to see the score charts too?
1 of 10 — Alaska 1903
April 20, 2022
Elk are a remarkable Michigan story. Today’s thriving herd dates back to 1918, from seven elk brought from the western United States to Wolverine, in Cheboygan County, to help restore a population decimated in the late 1800s by unregulated harvest and lack of quality habitat. Successfully managing that population to provide excellent viewing and hunting opportunities while sustaining long-term herd health takes a lot of planning and partnership.
As the Michigan Department of Natural Resources works to update the state’s elk management plan, last revised in 2012, input from the public – hunters, wildlife watchers and others with an interest in wildlife conservation – is a critical part of the process.
The DNR will host a public meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday April 27, at BJ’s Restaurant and Catering, 990 N. Center Ave., in Gaylord. DNR wildlife staff will give a brief presentation on the elk management planning process and then open a discussion on elk-related topics.
If you’re unable to attend the meeting, there are two options to share your feedback through April 30:
Questions about the meeting? Contact Chad Stewart at 517-282-4810.
Note to news editors: An accompanying photo (with caption) is available for download. Photo credit: Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
GW: No doubt that this load and choke combine for an awesome pattern; however, Michigan (and, maybe other states) does not permit anything smaller than #6 shot.
Whigham, GA – For the absolute tightest patterns, use Trulock® Federal Heavyweight TSS # 9 choke combined with the Federal® Heavyweight TSS 9 shotshell. The Trulock® Federal® Heavyweight TSS # 9 choke is made from high strength, heat treated 17/4 stainless steel with a black oxide finish. This choke has been optimized using hundreds of rounds of Federal Heavyweight TSS # 9 shell to give nominally 400 pellets in a 10 inch circle at 40 yards.
Trulock® Federal Heavyweight TSS #9 Choke and Federal Heavyweight TSS #9 Shotshell 10 inch pattern at 40 yards
Trulock® strongly recommends turkey hunters pattern their gun to make sure they know how the point of impact and the point of aim compare. These patterns are so tight you can miss the bird unless you KNOW where the gun impacts on the target. There are many things that can go wrong in a turkey hunt, but the combination of Trulock® chokes with these loads means that down range shot performance won’t be one of those problems.
Trulock® Choke Tubes goal is to make high-quality, close tolerance turkey choke tubes at reasonable prices. All Trulock® Chokes are backed with a 60-day satisfaction guarantee and a lifetime warranty. Check out TrulockChokes.Com for choke recommendations with lead or steel shot, for a variety of game. Contact us at TrulockChokes.Com, or if you want to talk to a real live person and get the absolute best in customer service, then reach out at 800-293-9402. At Trulock® Chokes, customer service is not just a name; it is something the company is dedicated to giving. Read more
BEAVERTON, Ore. — Leupold & Stevens, Inc., provider of the world’s most rugged, lightweight, and clear sport optics, is pleased to announce the return of the Project Hunt contest, which offers hunters across the United States the chance to have an upcoming hunt filmed and shared across Leupold’s digital media platforms.
It’s your tag, your hunt, and your story. Leupold’s Project Hunt, presented by GOHUNT, is offering contest entrants the chance to star in a Leupold digital series. You plan the hunt; you call the shots. Leupold will provide a videographer to capture the story. A short film or limited series about your hunt will be produced by Leupold and released digitally in 2023.
Hunts must take place before March 1, 2023, to be considered. In addition to the provided videographer, selected entrants will also receive a prize package of Leupold optics, and an annual GOHUNT Insider membership.
“Last year we launched our first-ever ‘Project Hunt’ contest and it was a huge success,” said Bruce Pettet, President and Chief Executive Office of Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “This year we’re back and looking for another incredible story to tell. No one is more relentless than the members of the Leupold Core, and we’re asking you to help us prove it. Whether you’re going on the hunt of a lifetime or hunting close to home with your family, it’s time to tell your story.”
In 2021, Leupold chose two winners for the Project Hunt contest. Jesse Shiner and Matt Hicks will each have their stories unfold in upcoming short films to be released in 2022.
“I’ve been putting in 23 years for a bighorn sheep tag in Arizona…Couldn’t believe when I got drawn for it,” Hicks said. “It was an amazing experience, just a real trip of a lifetime. Leupold sponsoring this, they really went above and beyond, what a great company. Provided me tons of gear, the scope I used, binoculars, spotting scope, tripod, everything they provided we used. Couldn’t thank those guys enough.”
The deadline to enter is June 18, 2022. Entries must be submitted at Leupold.com/ProjectHunt. A 2-minute video explaining why your submission should be selected is required to enter. Read more
NRA Appeals District Court’s Erroneous National Wildlife Refuge Decision
Fairfax, Va. – The National Rifle Association on April 15 joined with Safari Club International, Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to appeal an erroneous decision of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana denying the pro-hunting organizations’ efforts to intervene in and defend the expansion of hunting opportunities on federal lands.
In Center for Biological Diversity v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the plaintiff challenged a 2020 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulation, that expanded hunting and fishing opportunities on almost 100 National Wildlife Refuges around the country. The plaintiff wrongly asserts that this expanded hunting and fishing threatens Endangered Species Act-listed species and challenges the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on National Wildlife Refuges. The pro-hunting organizations seek to defend the 2020 regulation, which is consistent with the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act’s directive to prioritize hunting and fishing on refuges.
In the appeal, the hunting organizations will demonstrate that the district court erred in ruling that hunter advocacy organizations do not have a legal interest in maintaining a rule that expanded hunting access. NRA, along with the adjoining groups, are leading hunter advocacy organizations and submitted multiple declarations of members who want to take advantage of expanded hunting and fishing opportunities provided in the 2020 rule.
“The NRA has always fought to ensure America’s sportsmen and women have ample access to this country’s great outdoors, and the district court’s ruling deprives them of the opportunity to be heard in this case,” said Amy Hunter, NRA spokeswoman. “On behalf of our five million members, we urge the appellate court to reverse this ruling.” Read more
Contact Pete Muller at (803) 637-7698 or pmuller@nwtf.net
EDGEFIELD, S.C.— The National Wild Turkey Federation launched its new Waterways for Wildlife Initiative by awarding 14 high-priority conservation projects with funds totaling $2,807,947 with partner match.
“We are extremely proud to begin delivering on-the-ground conservation within the first year of the Waterways for Wildlife Initiative,” said Jared McJunkin, NWTF director of conservation operations for the central region. “The fast-building momentum of this initiative is a result of our strong conservation partnerships and the all-encompassing work our Waterways for Wildlife seeks to accomplish. It was really easy to bring a diverse group of partners to the table for the common good.”
NWTF’s Waterways for Wildlife Initiative was announced just last year in November and requested proposals for conservation projects that will enhance wildlife habitat along rivers and streams, while improving the critical water resources these areas provide, primarily in NWTF’s Great Open Spaces Region in the Big Six of Wildlife Conservation. Read more
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The Mini 3-D Durable Foam Bear Model is an excellent tool for hunter education classes and hunter certification courses.
Mini 3-D Bear Shot Placement Model Available from National Bowhunter Education Foundation
Improve accuracy and reduce game recovery time
RAPID CITY, SD (April 12, 2022) – The National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF) offers educational items to increase success and safety for bowhunters. Bear hunters can refer to this effective tool to improve shot accuracy for a quick harvest and game recovery.
The Mini 3-D Durable Foam Bear Model is an excellent tool for hunter education classes and hunter certification courses. Made exclusively for the NBEF by Rinehart Targets, the realistic model is molded from high quality, durable foam. The reverse side is cut away to show vital organs and major bones. Use the included stick pin to demonstrate shot placement. The model is 12.5” long and 8.25” high. Suggested retail is $7,5 but the re-introductory sale price is $65. Read more
MAPLand Act would fund land management agencies to standardize, compile, release digital map records to public
WASHINGTON – The Modernizing Access to Our Public Land Act, or MAPLand Act, which would modernize and digitize map records for the benefit of public lands hunters, advanced through the U.S. Senate late Wednesday under a procedural vote that allowed the unanimously supported bipartisan bill to move without objection.
Led by Sens. Jim Risch (R-ID) and Angus King (I-ME), the Senate vote follows the MAPLand Act’s near unanimous passage through the House of Representatives in March. Strong support by sportsmen’s and women’s groups, including Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, helped propel the bill to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
“Inadequate or faulty data can spell disaster for the public land hunter,” said BHA President and CEO Land Tawney, “and the importance of reliable, comprehensive information on access opportunities on our public lands cannot be overstated. Backcountry Hunters & Anglers thanks our Senate and House leaders who championed this foresighted, commonsense effort to address the problem of limited public access.”
The MAPLand Act would fund public land management agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation and Army Corps of Engineers, to standardize, compile and release digital map records to the public. The publicly available information would include the open or closed status of roads and trails on public lands, vehicle-use regulations and boundary details. Read more