Tin Can Tourists events add vintage flair to state parks centennial

When it comes to enjoying the great outdoors, there might be no better combo than state parks and camping. That’s one reason it doesn’t seem like a coincidence that this year both Michigan state parks and the Tin Can Tourists are marking their centennial anniversaries!

Leaders of the Tin Can Tourists say the organization is committed to the preservation and celebration of classic trailers and motor coaches. The original Tin Can Tourists organized in Tampa, Florida, in 1919 and would travel to Michigan to enjoy the beautiful summer weather. Today, the group welcomes all make and model vintage trailers and motor coaches and holds regional rallies throughout the U.S. and Canada. Anyone who wants to get a peek at these classic beauties can come to any of three upcoming vintage camping events:

Learn more about the Tin Can Tourists by emailing tincantourist@gmail.com. For more on the Michigan state parks centennial, visit Michigan.gov/StateParks100.

Wildlife

CCI VNT Rounds for Varmint Hunters, Target Shooters

LEWISTON, Idaho – – CCI Ammunition introduces new VNT loads in 17 Mach 2 and 22 WMR, offering precision performance for varmint hunters and target shooters. Shipments are being delivered to dealers.

In 2018, CCI extended the range and devastation of magnum rimfire with the VNT bullet design. Now, it’s offering VNT loads in 17 Mach 2 and 22 WMR. The new loads feature a Speer bullet with an extremely thin jacket and polymer tip that team up to offer flat trajectories, superb long-range accuracy and explosive terminal performance on impact.

Features & Benefits

    • New 17 Mach 2 and 22 WMR loads
    • Speer VNT bullet design
    • Very thin jacket combined with precision-built polymer tip
    • Devastating terminal effect on varmints
    • Flat shooting and highly accurate to maximize effective range
    • Consistent CCI priming
    • Nickel-plated cases

Read more

Ammunition

DU’s Rescue Our Wetlands Campaign A Huge Success

Historic campaign raised $2.34 billion and conserved more than 2.2 million acres

WAIKOLOA VILLAGE, Hawaii – June 1, 2019 – Ducks Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Ducks Unlimited de Mexico and Wetlands America Trust committed to making DU’s vision of abundant wetlands a reality through our ambitious Rescue Our Wetlands campaign.

The $2 billion continental campaign was launched seven years ago and will go down as one of the largest conservation campaigns in history. The money raised is already being put to work conserving, restoring and protecting critical wetland habitat across North America.

Ducks Unlimited President Rogers Hoyt announced during DU’s 82nd National Convention in Hawaii that the campaign, which concluded in December 2018, vastly exceeded the $2 billion goal, raising an astonishing $2.34 billion from more than 2 million donors and conserving 2,236,435 acres. Read more

Wildlife

Thermion Thermal Riflescopes Now Shipping

(MANSFIELD, TEXAS) – Pulsar brought true superiority to SHOT Show 2019, with the unveiling of the new Thermion Thermal Riflescope. Pulsar will begin distributing limited quantities of Thermions starting with XM models this month. Pulsar has set a new milestone with the Thermion with its traditional riflescope design.

The cutting-edge thermal optic provides hunters clarity when hunting, day or night. Create memories by enhancing your hog, predator and varmint hunts with the Thermion Thermal riflescope.

The Thermion will be available in five different models: XM30, XM38, XM50, XP38 and XP50. The XM models boast a 320×240 microbolometer resolution with 12?m pixel pitch and a full-color 1024×768 HD AMOLED display, delivering a crisp image with a detection range of up to 2,500 yards. The XP models are feature-rich with a 640×480 microbolometer resolution, 17?m pixel pitch, a 1024×768 HD AMOLED full-color display and detection range of 2,000 yards. Read more

Optics

PA Supreme Court Rules “Stop-and-Frisk” for Firearms Unconstitutional

HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania State Supreme Court issued a significant 53-page majority opinion in the criminal appeal of Commonwealth v. Hicks. Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) and Firearms Policy Foundation (FPF) filed an important coalition amicus brief cited by the Court supporting Hicks in December of 2017, alongside Firearms Owners Against Crime (FOAC) and seven Members of Pennsylvania’s General Assembly. The Court’s decision, concurring opinions, and the FPC/FPF amicus brief can be viewed at www.firearmspolicy.org/legal.

At issue was whether someone’s carrying of a firearm could be used as reasonable suspicion of criminal conduct, and thus justification for police to conduct a “stop-and-frisk” of the gun owner. The court ruled in Hicks that such searches and seizures, in the absence of other evidence are completely unlawful.

The coalition’s brief, which was relied on heavily in the majority opinion, argued that the Pennsylvania and federal constitutions prohibit searches and seizures based on a suspicion of criminal activity due to carrying a firearm. According to the brief, “As protected by the Second and Fourth Amendments to the United States Constitution and [] the Pennsylvania Constitution . . . the mere open or conceal carrying of a firearm cannot establish reasonable articulable suspicion of criminal conduct, in the absence of additional indicia of unlawful activity.” Read more

Gun Control

Sturgeon Don’t Need Whackos’ “Help”

By Glen Wunderlich

The anti-hunting, anti-fishing groups led by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) have sent a notice of their intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to respond to a 2018 petition seeking Endangered Species Act protection for the lake sturgeon.

According to CBD, many states and tribal organizations are working to restore lake sturgeon spawning populations. But, most populations have not recovered from overfishing, and dams still block access to former spawning and rearing habitats. Continued threats include new proposed dams and hydroelectric facilities, excessive water diversions, pollution, river dredging and channelization, invasive species and climate change.

The question is whether eliminating fishing for the majestic fish will achieve the stated goal of recovering the lake sturgeon to historic population levels, because that’s what “protection” means to these short-sighted groups. But, if we are to believe the stated reasons for the decline of the sturgeon populations, what exactly do these groups expect the federal government to do about them?

*Over-fishing – This year’s sturgeon season on Black Lake (Cheboygan County, Michigan) ended at 9:18 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 2 – after only 78 minutes of fishing.

The fishing season, which included spearing or hook-and-line fishing, was scheduled to run Feb. 2-6, or until the harvest quota had been reached. This year’s allocation of sturgeon for Black Lake anglers was seven fish, although Department of Natural Resources officials set a harvest quota of six fish.

There were 403 registered anglers on the ice Saturday, slightly down from 422 the year before. So, this is over-fishing?

*Dams need to go – Hydro-electric dams may prevent the fish from former spawning areas, but are we really going to eliminate them or do we really require such drastic action for the sake of the fish? The simple answer is no. We have installed other rearing facilities to compensate for the loss of habitat.

*Pollution – We can minimize air and water contaminants and have actually done so, but to return to the age of candle-lit lanterns and hand pumping water from the ground is asinine.

*River dredging and channelization – During heavy rain season, restricted river flow may result in flooding of local areas. This can result in major property damage, negative impact on tourism and local businesses, and can even be life-threatening. River dredging describes blockage removal with a dredge to maintain natural water flow. So, we have to cut this out, too?

*Invasive species – All we have to do is to stop all foreign ships from entering our waters and we will have cut off the supply of many of the troublesome creatures that come with them. This is about as likely to happen as the sun rising in the West.

*Climate change – This is always a red herring to add to the reasons for cold or hot weather that we humans could control.

These unrealistic goals of the fish lawyers are sound reasons to dismiss such changes in current management practices. In the past 20 years habitat projects have been increased substantially, while research has led to better regulations and sustainable use.

Even though we will never bring the sturgeon back to its numbers of yesteryear, we are on the path to sustainable use and harmony with the forgotten animal – the human one.

Animal Rights, Fishing

CCF Files IRS Complaints with IRS, FBI Against Three Animal Rights Groups

The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) has filed a complaint with the IRS and FBI against People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) and Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation alleging abuses of the tax code and/or criminal activity by the groups.

The complaint alleges a pattern of criminal activity and abuse of non-profit status, according to an article in Drovers, a livestock industry trade magazine. The allegations include:

  • Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation has been accused of leaving dogs to die horribly in Asia instead of rescuing them – the group’s supposed charitable mission. Its Executive Director also served time in California prison for felony kidnapping.
  • Direct Action Everywhere breaks into farms and terrorizes farmers. The group has also intimidated shoppers at Whole Foods, Chipotle, and other businesses. Its actions may well be in violation of the federal Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. The group’s activists are facing criminal charges in several states. DxE is funded by a tax-exempt charity called friends of DxE.
  • PETA has given tax-exempt donations to fund the efforts of Direct Action Everywhere. PETA has also given money to the Earth Liberation Front (considered a domestic terrorist group by the FBI) and to defend an arsonist who burned down a university laboratory. PETA activists have also been arrested on numerous occasions.

Tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations must serve charitable purposes. The complaint alleges these activities are contradictory to IRS rules.

Will Coggin, managing director of the Center for Consumer Freedom, commented, “Harassing people in restaurants, deceptive fundraising, and breaking the law are not charitable activities. It’s past time for authorities to crack down on this charade.”

Animal Rights

Springfield Armory XD-S Mod.2 in .40

GENESEO, ILL. – Springfield Armory’s most popular selling pistol, the XD-S Mod.2, is now chambered in .40 S&W, and holds 6+1 or 7+1 rounds in this premiere concealed carry firearm.

Following the release of the XD-S Mod.2 in .45 ACP and 9mm, Springfield is bringing the .40 S&W back by customer request, rounding out the line with an ideal cartridge for the highly-respected XD-S platform. Engineered with a slim profile that is optimized for concealed carry, the small frame and single stack design achieves the ideal combination of both size and reliability.

The XD-S Mod.2 in .40 S&W features popular characteristics known throughout the XD-S Mod.2 product lineup, such as a fiber optic front sight for fast target acquisition, and a tactical-rack rear sight. This style of rear sight provides the added benefit of being able to rack the slide against objects such as a belt or door frame if neccessary. Aggressive Posi-Wedge slide serrations encourage easy manipulation of the slide, while enhanced grip texturing allows for a secure and comfortable feel for controlled, repeated rounds on target. Read more

Firearms

NY Governor Como Signs Knife Rights’ Bill

Citing “Changing Change in Legal Landscape”  Repealing Gravity Knife Ban

After 9 years of effort, 8 years of costly Federal litigation, 3 bills passed overwhelmingly and the terrifying threat of losing big time at the U.S. Supreme Court (see below), New York Governor Cuomo signed A5944, repealing the state’s bans on Gravity Knives (while leaving the definition intact).

By repealing these bans and making gravity knives legal, New York City and District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr., can no longer abuse the definition of a gravity knife and continue to unconstitutionally arrest and prosecute persons by claiming that a common lockblade folding knife or utility knife is an illegal gravity knife. The repeal is effective immediately.

Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter said, “After nine years fighting, it is a relief to close the book on this extraordinary abuse of authority by a corrupt system that has terrorized over 70,000 honest, law-abiding people, disproportionately minorities, for simply carrying a common tool used daily in their lives. I am thrilled that we and our partners across the political spectrum in this fight have finally prevailed, but it is a sad commentary on the state of politics and justice in New York State, New York City and at the Second Circuit that it took this long and that tens of thousands of innocent folks had to suffer for the biases held by their elected leaders and the courts.” Read more

Cutlery

California: Wildlife Officers Investigating Suspected Mountain Lion Attack

Wildlife officers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are investigating a suspected mountain lion attack at the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve in San Diego County. On Monday, May 27, in the afternoon, wildlife officers responded to the park where a 4-year-old boy was treated by San Diego Fire-Rescue after sustaining a non-life threatening injury consistent with a mountain lion attack. The boy was part of a group of 11 people recreating in the park at the time. The details of how the suspected attack occurred are not yet available. Read more

Wildlife
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