Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Disease Laboratory and the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory today announced they have confirmed that a free-ranging white-tailed deer in Genesee County has died from epizootic hemorrhagic disease. EHD is a viral disease, sometimes fatal, found in wild ruminants such as white-tailed deer, mule deer and elk. Read more
PERRY, MO – Ed Brown Products, Inc. is excited to introduce the new CCO LW to the expanding line of the World’s Finest Custom 1911s. Known by most firearms enthusiasts as the go-to source for the highest quality, traditional 1911s, this second generation-owned company is continuing in those footsteps, while adding new, innovative and sleek 1911’s to appeal to today’s discriminating custom pistol buyer.
Since the inception of the CCO concept, the most serious users have known that the lightweight CCO is the perfect combination for daily carry, and this new pistol will exceed those demands. Building severe use pistols for now five decades, the Browns understand what it takes to make a solid performer. With this CCO, like all aluminum framed pistols they build, the feed ramp is reinforced with a steel insert to avoid erosion common to aluminum frames that see continued exposure to hollow-points. This pistol is adorned with some of the now over 100 custom options that can be chosen when having a pistol custom built. Every feature was carefully thought out for a daily carry pistol. Starting with the compact (Officer’s) sized, lightweight aluminum frame, combined with a round butt housing and concealed carry beavertail for maximum concealability. Perfectly aligned carry cuts added to the slide for easier one hand holstering, a single side safety, and flush-cut slide stop for a no-snag profile for the right-handed shooter. The flush cut and reversed crown barrel protects the rifling. The Snakeskin treatment on the frontstrap, mainspring housing and slide provides all the grip you want without the harshness of checkering, allowing for pure comfort shooting with no abrasive grabbing of cover garments. Our fixed rear sight and red fiber optic to keep you fighting no matter the lighting conditions. Finally, the sleek, heavy slide chamfer finishes off the slide. Read more
HatsanUSA Riptor
“Hatsan fans have been asking for us to bring a realistic blowback CO2 BB pistol to the US market and with the Riptor, we feel like we’ve answered the call with an inexpensive and fun-to-shoot BB pistol. The fact that it is also quite accurate and extremely quiet will add to the appeal,” said Blaine Manifold, President of HatsanUSA.
The Riptor is powered by replaceable 12 gram CO2 air cylinders and fires .177 caliber BBs. Average velocities are 350 feet per second using steel BBs. The Riptor’s removable magazine holds 15 BBs, the CO2 cartridge and valve.
The Riptor’s integral QuietEnergy sound suppression system reduces downrange noise, making it a perfect choice for backyard plinking. An all-metal construction ensures durability of the pistol and a built-in Weaver accessory rail make it possible to attach lights, lasers and other accessories. The grip is covered in textured polymer to ensure a comfortable grip for almost any hand size.
The MSRP for the Riptor is $89.99. Read more
Last month fleas tested near the Red Lake area north of Williams tested positive for plague, a potentially fatal disease that could eradicate prairie dog colonies and other infected animals. Plague-infected fleas were also recently found at an AZGFD research plot at Garland Prairie near Flagstaff.
“Unfortunately, it has been a very busy year for plague,” said Holly Hicks, a small mammals biologist with AZGFD. “An infestation can prove detrimental for prairie dog populations because they are highly communal animals, and the disease spreads easily in a colony. That is why it is important for us to identify an infected colony and dust it with insecticide to reduce the risk of infection to other animals and people.” Read more
When all your hard work scouting and hunting finally pays off and you put a trophy deer on the ground, have you ever wondered how much that deer actually weighs?
With the New Ranew’s Outdoors Hanging Judge Gambrel with Scale, you can take the guesswork out of recording the weight of the deer you kill on your hunting property.
The Hanging Judge combines an all-inclusive gambrel and digital scale into one easy-to-use tool. It allows you to hang, weigh, dress and quarter game without the hassle of first hanging the animal on scale, then switching to a gambrel or cleaning table to field dress the deer. It totally eliminates having to go back to the scale to get a dressed weight, then back to the gambrel or cleaning table to skin and quarter the deer. Read more
Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium Set for Friday Opening
Largest most immersive wildlife conservation attraction in the world a major new destination in the heart of America
Springfield, Mo. – Noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris will be joined by former Presidents and hundreds of North America’s conservation leaders to unveil the all-new Wonders of Wildlife National Museum Aquarium, located in the center of America’s heartland in Springfield, Missouri. Nearly ten years in the making and unprecedented in scale and scope, Wonders of Wildlife is larger than the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and an inspirational tribute to the adventurers, explorers, outdoorsmen and conservationists who helped discover, develop and preserve the nation we love.
With 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds, the 350,000-square-foot complex is a wonder in and of itself. It contains more than 1.5 miles of trails through authentic, immersive habitats and features 1.5 million gallons of freshwater and saltwater aquariums and immersive wildlife galleries. Signature galleries include a massive “open ocean” ring-shaped aquarium and the two-story Shipwreck Room where guests can touch stingrays on the ocean floor. Immersive wildlife galleries feature 4D dioramas that transport guests through sights, sounds, smells and climates to some of the wildest places on earth, including a trek across the African savannah, the Amazon rainforest, the Arctic and America’s National Parks and more in a multisensory celebration of conservation and craftsmanship.
The all-new museum and aquarium is located next to Bass Pro Shops National Headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, one of many signature nature-based attractions in Missouri’s Ozark Mountains, a region emerging as America’s Conservation Capital.
The visionary behind the project is noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, sometimes referred to as “the Walt Disney of the Outdoors” for his knack for creating amazing experiences that connect people with nature. Morris, who grew up fishing with his family on Missouri’s White River before founding Bass Pro Shops in 1971 with eight square feet of space in the back of his father’s liquor store, created the not-for-profit Wonders of Wildlife as a gift to the nation intended to inspire people of all ages to engage with the natural world.
“Wonders of Wildlife is an inspirational journey around the world that celebrates the role of hunters and anglers as America’s true conservation heroes,” said Johnny Morris. “We proudly invite families and sportsmen to come share the wonder with an unforgettable experience meant to inspire generations of future conservationists.”
Celebrating those who hunt, fish and act as stewards of the land and water
Morris convened 40 leading conservation organizations to help tell the American outdoor story from the Native Americans to Lewis and Clark and beyond. The story extends to modern-day wildlife management with a celebration of people who hunt, fish and act as stewards of the land. For the past 80 years, hunters in America have funded America’s modern conservation system largely through self-imposed federal excise taxes on outdoor equipment, and by purchasing hunting and fishing permits.
Beyond its sheer scale and quality, what’s most impressive about the museum and aquarium is its powerful message to inspire everyone to connect with the outdoors. As the world advances and more people live and work in major metropolitan areas, it is more important than ever to preserve and promote outdoor experiences. In a stress-filled world of traffic jams, endless emails, calls and constant pressure, the best medicine is a peaceful, rejuvenating experience in nature. The museum and aquarium pay homage to the sportsmen and women of yesterday, today and tomorrow with the knowledge that the surest way to preserve our rich outdoor heritage is to expose more people to its awe-inspiring beauty.
A world class aquarium adventure
At the heart of the Wonders of Wildlife experience is a world-class aquarium adventure, home to massive aquatic habitats teeming with life. There has never been an aquarium as immersive, interactive or engaging as this. Guests of all ages can immerse themselves inside a river full of piranhas, discover what it’s like to touch a stingray, traverse an underwater tunnel surrounded by giant river monsters and come face-to-face with sharks, jellyfish, snakes, iguanas, eagles, owls and more.
The experience begins with the breathtaking Great Oceans Hall, bringing the excitement of the ocean to the middle of America. Visitors will step inside a 300,000-gallon circular “open ocean” habitat, teeming with life, including zebra sharks, leopard rays and goliath grouper; look in awe at a mesmerizing living bait ball; and discover the Great Barrier Reef, a towering saltwater aquarium showcasing colorful reef fish, including Maori wrasse, potato cod and more. Additional noted exhibits include Shipwreck Reef, which plunges guests to the depths of the ocean floor where they can touch stingrays and explore a sunken shipwreck now home to colorful reef.
The aquarium also honors legendary anglers with boats from Earnest Hemingway, Zane Grey, personal fishing artifacts and mementos from U.S. Presidents, and some of fishing’s most accomplished sportsmen and women at The International Game Fish Association’s (IGFA) Fishing Hall of Fame and the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
More fun surprises await around every corner as visitors traverse cypress swamps, tropical rainforests, Ozarks waterways, craggy caves and more. The aquarium’s unique design ensures visitors are constantly surprised and amazed by where they might end up next, and the creatures that await to be discovered around the bend.
Immersive wildlife galleries transport visitors around the world
Visitors can pack their bags for adventure as state-of-the-art 4D dioramas completely surround them within the sights, sounds and smells of the planet’s most extreme wildlife habitats. Each environment features meticulous attention to detail including massive hand-painted murals, native foliage and special effects that deliver the chill of the Arctic, the cold winds of the Alps, the dry sun of the African Savannah and more.
Signature exhibits within the wildlife galleries include The Great African Hall, immersing guests in the African savannah with animals including elephants, giraffes, rhinos, crocodiles, zebra and more and Sheep Mountain, with more than 40 record-setting sheep from around the world.
Visitors will relive conservation’s history with The Boone and Crockett Club’s National Collection of Heads and Horns. Founded by our nation’s leading conservation hero Theodore Roosevelt, the Club’s legendary exhibit gives visitors the chance to step back in time and see more than 40 historically significant North American game animals that helped spark America’s conservation movement when it debuted at New York’s
Bronx Zoo in 1908. Guests will encounter World Record bears, bison, caribou, elk and other big game species while learning about these iconic animals and how science, sportsmen and regulated hunting saved them from exploitation and near extinction. One remarkable display is the famous Chadwick Ram from British Columbia taken in 1936 featuring 51-inch horns and considered to be the finest North American big game specimen ever collected. The influential collection relocated to Wonders of Wildlife from the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming.
The majesty of the outdoors captured by the world’s finest artists and craftsmen
Wonders of Wildlife is instantly recognizable for the signature imagination, creativity, quality craftsmanship, authenticity and attention to detail that goes into all the projects dreamed up by Johnny Morris, but on a much larger scale. As the largest immersive attraction of its kind in the world, the project’s massive size called for an expansive team who spent more than nine years creating the elaborate details that make the experience so rewarding for visitors.
More than 2,000 painters, sculptors, woodworkers, iron workers, taxidermists, illustrators, designers, scientists, biologists, engineers and others contributed to the facility, which is home to some of the most sophisticated life support systems in the country as well as some of the largest and most elaborate nature-based artwork ever created.
Every wall within the 350,000-square-foot attraction features hand-painted murals painstakingly created by a team of painters who embody the talent and quality of true Ozarks craftsmanship. Painters spent more than a year painting the Great African Hall alone, resulting in a photorealistic re-creation of the great African savannah.
After the mural work was completed, imagery specialists consulted with experts to stage 3D landscape elements, including rockwork, native foliage and water effects to match the season and habitat being depicted. Each experience is grounded in the elements of the natural world, ensuring every detail is as lifelike as possible.
Grand opening features historic salute to conservation leaders
In honor of its grand opening on September 22, 2017, Wonders of Wildlife is hosting a historic event welcoming the most significant gathering of prominent North American conservation leaders and influencers ever assembled in our nation’s history. The very special tribute dinner honoring America’s conservation leaders will feature guests including President George W. Bush, President Jimmy Carter, U.S. Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke and Missouri Governor Eric Greitens amongst other dignitaries. The evening concludes with a special “Concert for Conservation” for invited guests featuring music from Kevin Costner, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, John Anderson and many other popular performers. All artists are avid outdoorsmen who are donating their time to help honor the conservation leaders in attendance. More than 400 conservation leaders are anticipated to be in Springfield for the landmark occasion along with significant donors and guests.
Share the Wonder
Wonders of Wildlife is now open daily except Christmas. For additional information including admission, hours of operation and directions visit www.wondersofwildlife.org.
Largest most immersive wildlife conservation attraction in the world a major new destination in the heart of America
Springfield, Mo. – Noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris will be joined by former Presidents and hundreds of North America’s conservation leaders to unveil the all-new Wonders of Wildlife National Museum Aquarium, located in the center of America’s heartland in Springfield, Missouri. Nearly ten years in the making and unprecedented in scale and scope, Wonders of Wildlife is larger than the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and an inspirational tribute to the adventurers, explorers, outdoorsmen and conservationists who helped discover, develop and preserve the nation we love.
With 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds, the 350,000-square-foot complex is a wonder in and of itself. It contains more than 1.5 miles of trails through authentic, immersive habitats and features 1.5 million gallons of freshwater and saltwater aquariums and immersive wildlife galleries. Signature galleries include a massive “open ocean” ring-shaped aquarium and the two-story Shipwreck Room where guests can touch stingrays on the ocean floor. Immersive wildlife galleries feature 4D dioramas that transport guests through sights, sounds, smells and climates to some of the wildest places on earth, including a trek across the African savannah, the Amazon rainforest, the Arctic and America’s National Parks and more in a multisensory celebration of conservation and craftsmanship.
The all-new museum and aquarium is located next to Bass Pro Shops National Headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, one of many signature nature-based attractions in Missouri’s Ozark Mountains, a region emerging as America’s Conservation Capital.
The visionary behind the project is noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, sometimes referred to as “the Walt Disney of the Outdoors” for his knack for creating amazing experiences that connect people with nature. Morris, who grew up fishing with his family on Missouri’s White River before founding Bass Pro Shops in 1971 with eight square feet of space in the back of his father’s liquor store, created the not-for-profit Wonders of Wildlife as a gift to the nation intended to inspire people of all ages to engage with the natural world.
“Wonders of Wildlife is an inspirational journey around the world that celebrates the role of hunters and anglers as America’s true conservation heroes,” said Johnny Morris. “We proudly invite families and sportsmen to come share the wonder with an unforgettable experience meant to inspire generations of future conservationists.”
Celebrating those who hunt, fish and act as stewards of the land and water
Morris convened 40 leading conservation organizations to help tell the American outdoor story from the Native Americans to Lewis and Clark and beyond. The story extends to modern-day wildlife management with a celebration of people who hunt, fish and act as stewards of the land. For the past 80 years, hunters in America have funded America’s modern conservation system largely through self-imposed federal excise taxes on outdoor equipment, and by purchasing hunting and fishing permits.
Beyond its sheer scale and quality, what’s most impressive about the museum and aquarium is its powerful message to inspire everyone to connect with the outdoors. As the world advances and more people live and work in major metropolitan areas, it is more important than ever to preserve and promote outdoor experiences. In a stress-filled world of traffic jams, endless emails, calls and constant pressure, the best medicine is a peaceful, rejuvenating experience in nature. The museum and aquarium pay homage to the sportsmen and women of yesterday, today and tomorrow with the knowledge that the surest way to preserve our rich outdoor heritage is to expose more people to its awe-inspiring beauty.
A world class aquarium adventure
At the heart of the Wonders of Wildlife experience is a world-class aquarium adventure, home to massive aquatic habitats teeming with life. There has never been an aquarium as immersive, interactive or engaging as this. Guests of all ages can immerse themselves inside a river full of piranhas, discover what it’s like to touch a stingray, traverse an underwater tunnel surrounded by giant river monsters and come face-to-face with sharks, jellyfish, snakes, iguanas, eagles, owls and more.
The experience begins with the breathtaking Great Oceans Hall, bringing the excitement of the ocean to the middle of America. Visitors will step inside a 300,000-gallon circular “open ocean” habitat, teeming with life, including zebra sharks, leopard rays and goliath grouper; look in awe at a mesmerizing living bait ball; and discover the Great Barrier Reef, a towering saltwater aquarium showcasing colorful reef fish, including Maori wrasse, potato cod and more. Additional noted exhibits include Shipwreck Reef, which plunges guests to the depths of the ocean floor where they can touch stingrays and explore a sunken shipwreck now home to colorful reef.
The aquarium also honors legendary anglers with boats from Earnest Hemingway, Zane Grey, personal fishing artifacts and mementos from U.S. Presidents, and some of fishing’s most accomplished sportsmen and women at The International Game Fish Association’s (IGFA) Fishing Hall of Fame and the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
More fun surprises await around every corner as visitors traverse cypress swamps, tropical rainforests, Ozarks waterways, craggy caves and more. The aquarium’s unique design ensures visitors are constantly surprised and amazed by where they might end up next, and the creatures that await to be discovered around the bend.
Immersive wildlife galleries transport visitors around the world
Visitors can pack their bags for adventure as state-of-the-art 4D dioramas completely surround them within the sights, sounds and smells of the planet’s most extreme wildlife habitats. Each environment features meticulous attention to detail including massive hand-painted murals, native foliage and special effects that deliver the chill of the Arctic, the cold winds of the Alps, the dry sun of the African Savannah and more.
Signature exhibits within the wildlife galleries include The Great African Hall, immersing guests in the African savannah with animals including elephants, giraffes, rhinos, crocodiles, zebra and more and Sheep Mountain, with more than 40 record-setting sheep from around the world.
Visitors will relive conservation’s history with The Boone and Crockett Club’s National Collection of Heads and Horns. Founded by our nation’s leading conservation hero Theodore Roosevelt, the Club’s legendary exhibit gives visitors the chance to step back in time and see more than 40 historically significant North American game animals that helped spark America’s conservation movement when it debuted at New York’s
Bronx Zoo in 1908. Guests will encounter World Record bears, bison, caribou, elk and other big game species while learning about these iconic animals and how science, sportsmen and regulated hunting saved them from exploitation and near extinction. One remarkable display is the famous Chadwick Ram from British Columbia taken in 1936 featuring 51-inch horns and considered to be the finest North American big game specimen ever collected. The influential collection relocated to Wonders of Wildlife from the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming.
The majesty of the outdoors captured by the world’s finest artists and craftsmen
Wonders of Wildlife is instantly recognizable for the signature imagination, creativity, quality craftsmanship, authenticity and attention to detail that goes into all the projects dreamed up by Johnny Morris, but on a much larger scale. As the largest immersive attraction of its kind in the world, the project’s massive size called for an expansive team who spent more than nine years creating the elaborate details that make the experience so rewarding for visitors.
More than 2,000 painters, sculptors, woodworkers, iron workers, taxidermists, illustrators, designers, scientists, biologists, engineers and others contributed to the facility, which is home to some of the most sophisticated life support systems in the country as well as some of the largest and most elaborate nature-based artwork ever created.
Every wall within the 350,000-square-foot attraction features hand-painted murals painstakingly created by a team of painters who embody the talent and quality of true Ozarks craftsmanship. Painters spent more than a year painting the Great African Hall alone, resulting in a photorealistic re-creation of the great African savannah.
After the mural work was completed, imagery specialists consulted with experts to stage 3D landscape elements, including rockwork, native foliage and water effects to match the season and habitat being depicted. Each experience is grounded in the elements of the natural world, ensuring every detail is as lifelike as possible.
Grand opening features historic salute to conservation leaders
In honor of its grand opening on September 22, 2017, Wonders of Wildlife is hosting a historic event welcoming the most significant gathering of prominent North American conservation leaders and influencers ever assembled in our nation’s history. The very special tribute dinner honoring America’s conservation leaders will feature guests including President George W. Bush, President Jimmy Carter, U.S. Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke and Missouri Governor Eric Greitens amongst other dignitaries. The evening concludes with a special “Concert for Conservation” for invited guests featuring music from Kevin Costner, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, John Anderson and many other popular performers. All artists are avid outdoorsmen who are donating their time to help honor the conservation leaders in attendance. More than 400 conservation leaders are anticipated to be in Springfield for the landmark occasion along with significant donors and guests.
Share the Wonder
Wonders of Wildlife is now open daily except Christmas. For additional information including admission, hours of operation and directions visit www.wondersofwildlife.org.
The regulations are part of multiple Fisheries Orders the Michigan Department of Natural Resources uses to protect the state’s aquatic resources. The Fisheries Orders include 201, 224 and 251.
Fisheries Order 201 sets fishing regulations on waters within the Big Island Lake Complex in Schoolcraft County. The approved change moves the northern pike minimum size limit from 42 to 24 inches and increases the daily possession limit from one to two fish, removes reference to the muskellunge harvest tag and changes the muskellunge possession season to the first Saturday in June through Nov. 30. This Fisheries Order takes effect April 1, 2018.
Fisheries Order 224 established regulations for Michigan’s reptiles and amphibians. The approved changes are administrative modifications that result in no regulation changes for anglers. This Fisheries Order takes immediate effect.
Fisheries Order 251 is a new order developed to regulate the use of ice fishing shanties in Michigan. The order mirrors ice shanty regulations already listed in statute. This Fisheries Order takes immediate effect.
CAMBRIDGE, MARYLAND – Bill Hicks & Co., Ltd. has partnered with LWRCI™ to offer firearms dealers the industry’s first Direct Impingement rifle with a Flat Dark Red Cerakote® finish. The Bill Hicks & Co., Ltd. Exclusive IC DI FDR model is the newest member of the IC DI family whose design was born out of the US Military M4 PIP program that called for longer barrel life, full ambidexterity, better reliability and user configurable floating rail system that was awarded American Rifleman’s 2017 Golden Bullseye Rifle of the Year. cid:D0076EFE-E812-4679-9A3A-229885DCA205@billhicksco.local
“Bill Hicks & Co., Ltd. is always pushing the envelope to offer our dealers unique, innovative products that will truly stand out at retail, says Jeff Waddle, Bill Hicks Purchasing Agent. “The Bill Hicks & Co., Ltd./LWRCI-DI FDR excels on all counts, offering our customers an accurate advanced DI rifle at a price that will surprise you and a finish that will certainly stand out.
Built from the ground up the IC DI FDR model, is a completely new Direct Impingement rifle in Bill Hicks exclusive Flat Dark Red Cerakote® finish, featuring many of the same performance attributes found in LWRCI’s popular Gas Piston – Luxury AR line up. The commitment to craftsmanship and design excellence is clearly evident in the IC DI Flat Dark Red delivering high performance accuracy and quality the discerning shooter demands with innovation customers have come to expect from LWRCI. Custom rifle features including: Monoforge™ upper, modular one-piece free float rail, LWRCI cold hammer-forged Spiral fluted barrel, fully ambidextrous lower controls: Mag Release, Bolt Catch/Release and Selector switch, angled ergonomic Fore Grip, Mil-Spec 6-position buffer tube and LWRCI proprietary advanced DI Bolt Carrier group with keyless gas key. Read more
To celebrate this exciting milestone with customers and dealers, Trijicon is hosting a 24 Days of ACOG Sweepstakes at MillionthACOG.com. Here’s how it will work:
· For 24 straight days (starting October 1), visitors to MillionthACOG.com can enter once each day for a chance to win a prize package.
· On the last day (October 24 – 25), 24 Days of ACOG turns to 24 Hours of ACOG, when visitors get a chance to win the grand prize by entering every hour for 24 hours.
· All daily winners will be announced during 24 Hours of ACOG, with the grand prize winner announced on October 26.
Trijicon is proud to count among its ACOG users the United States Marine Corps, United States Army, United States Special Operations Forces, United States Government, state and local Law Enforcement and many of America’s allies. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of civilian enthusiasts who trust the ACOG for their dedicated riflescope.
To learn more about the 24 Days of ACOG Sweepstakes, visit MillionthACOG.com. And to learn the history of the legendary ACOG, go to MillionthACOG.com/ACOG HISTORY. Read more
To complete this task, it took more than 380 stocking trips to nearly 760 stocking sites, more than 103,000 miles traveled over the course of 3,052 hours using 19 specialized stocking trucks.
“We had excellent spring and summer stocking seasons that will bring significant benefits and fishing opportunities to Michigan anglers,” said Ed Eisch, DNR fish production manager. “With the hard work and dedication of our staff, fish were reared and delivered to stocking sites in excellent condition. The numbers produced and stocked were right on target for most areas.” Read more