Category: Wildlife

Goldfinch

Michigan: NRA-PVF Candidate Ratings and Endorsements are Now Posted for the 2014 General Election

Tuesday, November 4 is Election Day in Michigan.  Your NRA Political Victory Fund has rated, and in some cases, endorsed, candidates in the upcoming federal and state election.  These candidate ratings can now be found at the NRA-PVF website.  Before casting your vote on November 4, please visit this site to learn who will best protect your Second Amendment rights and hunting heritage in Lansing.

Be sure to encourage your family, friends, fellow gun owners and sportsmen in Michigan to support and vote for candidates who support your Second Amendment rights on Tuesday, November 4.
Are you interested in doing more to ensure that NRA-PVF endorsed candidates are elected this election cycle?  Get involved on the grassroots level by becoming an NRA volunteer in your area!  The NRA needs dedicated, educated volunteers to assist with phone banks, literature drops, precinct walks, voter registration, Election Day activities and other volunteer campaign activities.  Go to www.NRAILAFrontlines.com TODAY and sign up to find out about all of the great volunteer opportunities and events in your area!

Ammunition, Firearms, Gun Control, Hunting, Self Defense, Wildlife

When a Hunter Becomes the Hunted

By Glen Wunderlich

Getting out during early small game season in September provides an opportunity to take some protein-packed table fare not found on grocery store shelves.  It’s a time to check deer stands and movements in preparation for Michigan’s archery opener October 1st, as well.  This week, however, I’ll share a startling scene from one of my recent excursions to the deciduous forest in search of more bushytails for the kettle.

The early morning dew’s moisture covered any noise from my hunting boots, as I entered the big woods in silence.  My plan was to hide and watch and was aided by a heavy fog permeating my surroundings; it’s always a welcome addition to an already spooky experience of strolling in the dark.  “That” feeling was coming over me again, as I experienced the wild world waking.  The realization that it’s good to be alive hit home.

At the edge of the woods, I heard something dropping through the leaves.  The sound repeated.  Since it was still too early for acorns to be dropping in any large measure, my hunch that a squirrel was involved had to be investigated.

I didn’t bother with my portable chair, because I needed to maneuver into position to locate the origin of the commotion.  A stately oak tree provided a welcome rest for my upper body, as I peered through the obstructed view toward the sky.

Patience would be the key, as the sporadic sound continued, and I became one with the tree.  My orange cap was in motion – the only giveaway that this apex predator was lurking.  I was alone in the moment, or so I thought; little did I know, I would become the hunted. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

USFWS Announces $900,000 in Wolf Livestock Demonstration Project Grants

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced $900,000 in grants under the Wolf Livestock Demonstration Project Grant Program. Grants will be distributed to the states of Arizona, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The grants assist livestock producers in undertaking proactive, non-lethal activities to reduce the risk of livestock loss from predation by wolves, and compensate producers for livestock losses caused by wolves. The program provides funding to states and tribes, with federal cost-share not to exceed 50 percent. Read more

Wildlife

Michigan’s Ospreys

Ospreys, large fish-eating raptors, are experts at spotting fish in water from high above. They fold their wings back, thrust their large talons forward and smash into the water, snatch a fish, then take flight again. Larger than most hawks, but smaller than eagles, they have made a comeback in southern Michigan over the past 20 years.

osprey

Ospreys were initially listed as a threatened species in Michigan, but were removed from the list in 2009. One important reason osprey were delisted is because of the 10-year-long Osprey Reintroduction Project that took place from 1990 to 2000. This project involved moving 50 chicks from the northern parts of the state to areas in southern Michigan, and there are now more than 30 known nests in southern Lower Peninsula plus dozens of nests in the northern Lower and Upper peninsulas. The species is known to be very faithful to historical nesting grounds, which made the osprey’s return to the southern Lower Peninsula progress slow. Read more

Wildlife

Bank of America Drops HSUS Card?

DiscovertheScamOn Monday we launched BoycottHSUS.com to ask Discover to reconsider its financial support of the deceptive Humane Society of the United States. It’s worth noting that a previous financial institution that supported HSUS apparently no longer does: Bank of America.

As recently as 2012, Bank of America had an affinity VISA card with HSUS. Today? No longer, as far as we can tell. BofA’s debit card page has VISA cards for sports teams and animal nonprofits such as Defenders of Wildlife and the National Wildlife Federation—but not HSUS. It appears BofA ended its relationship with HSUS last year—which is probably why HSUS is now working with Discover. There are a number of good reasons for any company not to work with HSUS—here are 15,750,000 reasons, for starters. If you haven’t already, sign the petition at BoycottHSUS.com and make your voice heard to Discover executives. We’ve received one reply so far from Discover, and we’ll keep you posted on any future ones.
Animal Rights, Hunting, Wildlife

EHD and Bluetongue Virus Having Minimal Impact on Deer in 2014

The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) is pleased to report that hemorrhagic disease (HD), including EHD and bluetongue virus, seems to have taken a summer vacation in 2014, and the danger of a serious outbreak this year has now passed. Transmitted by biting gnats, the disease usually hits deer hardest in late summer and early fall, especially in unusually hot, dry years.

“A small number of reports are trickling in from scattered states, but we’re not seeing any nationwide trends or large outbreaks this year,” said Dr. David Stallknecht with the Southeast Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) at the University of Georgia. “This year is definitely below average so far.” Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

EHD and Bluetongue Virus Expected to have Minimal Impact in 2014

The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) is pleased to report that hemorrhagic disease (HD), including EHD and bluetongue virus, seems to have taken a summer vacation in 2014, and the danger of a serious outbreak this year has now passed. Transmitted by biting gnats, the disease usually hits deer hardest in late summer and early fall, especially in unusually hot, dry years.

“A small number of reports are trickling in from scattered states, but we’re not seeing any nationwide trends or large outbreaks this year,” said Dr. David Stallknecht with the Southeast Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) at the University of Georgia. “This year is definitely below average so far.” Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Boycott Discover for its Support of HSUS

DiscovertheScam

GW:  This from www.humanewatch.org

We’ve launched a new site: BoycottHSUS.com. And we have our first campaign. The credit card company Discover recently started a new affinity card to benefit the deceptively named Humane Society of the United States. For every $100 someone with one of these cards spends, Discover will donate between 1 and 20 cents to HSUS. That may not seem like much, but Discover expects it will add up to slightly over $1 million. In fact, according to the contract, Discover paid HSUS $150,000 up front in advance royalty payments. And HSUS gets $100 from Discover for every person that signs up for the program from an HSUS communication and spends $100 within the first three months.

But where will that money go? Discover may not like the answer, and the company’s decision-makers should know the following:

Please visit BoycottHSUS.com and pledge to boycott Discover until it cancels its support for one of America’s most deceptive charities. And please share on Discover’s Facebook page to reach out to its 1.5 million followers. Until Discover affirms that it will either end (or not renew) its partnership with HSUS, it’s time to find another credit card company.

Animal Rights, Hunting, Wildlife
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