Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Goldfinch
Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe that some adult hunters frown upon special youth hunts. I’ve heard the bellyaching from some old codgers. Guess they’ve never been a part of it and want the rest of us to feel sorry for them. Take this, you ol’ geezers:
Hawke Sport Optics is expanding the Sport HD IR family with a scope specifically designed to improve downrange accuracy with your rimfire rifle. Delivering out-of-the-box 200-yard accuracy, the Hawke Sport HD IR Rimfire scope marries the most popular rifle in the world with innovative yet simple reticle design. When sighted in at 50 yards the Sport HD IR Rimfire provides 25-yard aim points from 50 to 200 yards, giving the user downrange accuracy never expected from a .22 rifle. As a bonus, there is no need to memorize aim points, as the yardages are etched directly onto the glass of the reticle. Read more
Michigan residents aren’t the only ones enjoying football this fall. It turns out that osprey in northern Michigan like football, too – football lights, that is.
Marion High School sits just outside of town, overlooking agricultural fields and Middle Branch River, which – with its many feeder streams – winds its way through the Osceola County countryside. A large mill pond near town holds a nice supply of fish.
“The osprey will drop fish right on the football field,” laughed Beth Robb, the Marion High School principal.
Marion High School had a historic problem with a pair of osprey nesting on its football stadium lights. Together, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Consumers Energy and Marion High School formed a plan to provide the osprey with a different location to call home. Read more
By Glen Wunderlich
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has earned the number three ranking on the United States Sportsmen’s Alliance’s (USSA) dirty dozen list and for good reason: PETA steadfastly encourages its members to break established hunter harassment laws and to interfere with hunts by protesting, blowing horns, and other unlawful acts. Recent headlines indicate the group is striving to become number one on the dirty dozen list by its overt action to purchase drones to stalk hunters afield.
According to USSA, the drones will be sold in PETA’s catalog for $324.99. Based on the drone description in the catalog, PETA members can receive instant to-your-phone video from the drones, which can be streamed live via the Air Angels page on PETA.org.
PETA says it aims to specifically seek out hunters “drinking while in the possession of a firearm, injuring animals and failing to pursue them so that they die slowly and painfully, and using spotlights, feed lures and other hunting tricks”.
While PETA claims to be spying on “hunters”, the actions it seeks to exploit – to further its agenda by changing man’s relationship with animals – is actually directed at anti-hunters. That’s right. Anti-hunter is the only term for those that intentionally skirt the law by cheating ethical hunters. The “by-any-means” practice reminds me of how our own government relied upon the same tactics. Read more
A young male peregrine falcon returned to the wild Monday along the banks of the Kennebec River, thanks to the efforts of the Maine Warden Service, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and Avian Haven. The bird, estimated at about a year old, immediately took flight and was soon out of sight. Read more
MISSOULA, Mont.–Funding to enhance elk habitat, reduce damage to private crops and sponsorship of various hunting heritage projects highlight the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s 2013 grants for the state of Michigan. The grants total $28,500 and directly affect Cheboygan, Delta, Dickinson, Monroe, Montmorency, Oakland and Otsego Counties. There are also several projects of statewide interest. Read more
GW: Just think of the taxpayer expense involved. And, more wolves are being introduced in Arizona.
PHOENIX — Personnel from the Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Project’s Interagency Field Team (IFT) yesterday captured and removed a male wolf, designated AM795, from the Paradise Pack in eastern Arizona to fulfill the non-lethal removal order that was issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) in September. Read more
A recent survey of American hunters by the Responsive Management organization asked the question “what’s the single most important reason you hunt?”. More than 35% of the responses indicated that they primarily hunted for the meat. While the responses might not seem unusual, only 22% responded that way in 2006. Trophy hunting came in dead last at 1%.
There’s a major misconception about the purpose of trophy hunting. B&C supports the taking of trophies as a matter of big game management and scientific record. B&C has long supported selective hunting for mature animals that have already genetically contributed to overall herd health. Selective hunting also supports conservation and game management efforts when a balanced age structure within a given big game population is an objective of State wildlife managers.
Our record books are a standing testament as to the success of the North American Model for Wildlife Conservation, which was the result of the Boone and Crockett Club’s early efforts to establish conservation on this continent.
In a scientific study it has been learned that opportunistic coyotes will kill moose. Live coyotes were captured and fitted with GPS collars making it easy to locate kills. The study indicates moose kills by coyotes relatively rare but the young and old alike are prime candidates to be coyote meals.
October 23, 2013
As reported in April by USSA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) announced that they have officially obtained drones to stalk hunters in the field.
“PETA Air Angel’s” as they are referring to them, were reported today by PETA to have been taken on a test flight in Massachusetts and “went off without a hitch.” Read more