Rifle, shotgun, and muzzleloader deer seasons are fast approaching, but whatever firearm is used it is very important for the hunter to be confident with their abilities to hit a target accurately – every time. To help ensure that you and your firearm are shooting accurately, Whitetails Unlimited will ship ten 100-yard sight-in targets at no cost. The targets measure approximately 14 x 16 inches and have 1-inch grids with a 6-inch center highlight ring.

Whitetails Unlimited celebrates the American tradition of hunting deer, the most popular big-game animal in North America. WTU expects hunters to go afield on ethical, fair-chase hunts; part of that hunting ethic is to only take shots when the hunter is sure of the target, knows what is beyond the target, and is following all applicable hunting laws and regulations. For more information about hunting safely and legally, contact your state’s department of natural resources.

To receive your targets, contact the Whitetails Unlimited National Headquarters at 1-800-274-5471 or via email at nh@whitetailsunlimimted.com. Read more

GW: Some innovative recycling here! Great idea.

LITTLE ROCK — An innovative waterfowl hunter recruitment program from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is doing more than saving some plastic, it may be saving the future of the sport. The AGFC’s Decoy Adoption Program finds old waterfowl hunting equipment and places it with new owners to continue harvesting game and memories in the field.

Eric Maynard, assistant chief of education for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, runs the AGFC’s decoy adoption program. The program has been formally in place for three years, but was conducted behind the scenes for many years before that.

“Decoy-painting workshops have always been a hit, and decoy-painting itself has a sort of cult following, even among nonhunters,” Maynard said. “So it’s a great way to draw people into the nature centers to learn more about hunting and fishing and why it’s important to continue these traditions.”

The classes have become so popular that Maynard and other educators are always looking for new donations of old decoys to use.

“All duck hunters have those old decoys that sat in the field a little too long that they don’t want to repair or repaint,” Maynard said. “Instead of them being thrown out or tossed in an old decoy bag in the corner of the shop, they can spark the interest of a new waterfowl enthusiast. You just have to give us a call or drop them off.”

Anyone can donate decoys of any kind, and members of the AGFC’s Education Division use them to help youth and other budding outdoors enthusiasts learn more about waterfowl and waterfowl hunting.

“It doesn’t matter if the decoy has holes in it and paint flaking off,” Maynard said. “We’ll fix them up and prime them before the class, so students can start from scratch. The educators will bring paints and pocket guides like the Arkansas Waterfowl Pocket Guide that students can use to make their decoys lifelike. At the end of the class, the student is welcome to take the decoy home with them.”

Maynard said decoys that are still in good condition also may be used in one of the many mentored hunt opportunities the AGFC hosts.

“We also get contacted from time to time from younger hunters who want to get started but don’t have the resources to put into a spread of decoys,” Maynard said. “These aren’t going to be the best decoys, but we usually end up with a couple dozen that still have a few seasons of hunting left in them. If we can pass them on, maybe we’re passing on a little bit of that passion that brought us to the woods and water years ago.”

Anyone interested in donating their old decoys to the AGFC for educational purposes is encouraged to contact Maynard at eric.maynard@agfc.ar.gov, and he can make arrangements to have them picked up. Decoys also may be dropped off at any of the AGFC’s nine nature centers, but donors are asked to call ahead so the center can make room for the donation.

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

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

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.