SAF: Media Bias Against Guns as Election Looms

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation today condemned what it considers blatant media bias against firearms, which invariably seems to show up in headlines and news reports just prior to an election.

“We’ve got an important midterm election next week,” noted SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb, “and gun control versus gun rights is an important shadow issue because Democrats have already made it clear that guns will be on the agenda if they take control of the Congress.”

He was not surprised that the Associated Press circulated an article headlined “Guns send over 8,000 US kids to ER each year, analysis says.” Gottlieb said it is “no coincidence” that such stories appear before an election.

“Guns haven’t sent anybody anywhere,” Gottlieb observed. “Careless people or criminals misusing guns are responsible, but guns get the blame. The problem is that many people never read past the headline, and this sort of thing contributes to the public’s impression that bias drives such sensational headlines. Read more

Gun Control

Amazing Encounter–Florida Biologists Look Back on Shark/Tarpon Encounter at Boca Grande

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Fishing for tarpon is always exciting, but on June 16, 2003, researchers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI)* witnessed a particularly amazing, and most likely , once-in-a-lifetime event.

For roughly eight weeks, FMRI biologists had been riding with charter boat captains in Boca Grande Pass. As part of a Catch-and-Release Mortality Study, the captains and their clients allowed the FMRI scientists to place a sonic tag on the first tarpon landed on their boats. Anglers from around the world know that Boca Grande Pass is a great place to land tarpon. During the peak of the tarpon season, as many as 100 boats at a time can crowd the pass. Sharks, major predators on tarpon, also know that Boca Grande Pass is a good place to hunt the fish.

The morning of June 16 was chaotic. Tarpon were biting everywhere. Anglers all over the pass were yelling, “Fish on,” as tarpon hit their lines. FMRI researchers were watching a 20 ft flats boat. At the center console, the captain expertly maneuvered the boat in the pass to allow his client in the fighting chair to land a tarpon. The angler hooked a tarpon, and the biologists watched as the silver king burst from the water into midair, clearing the water and the bow of the boat by as much as three feet! The angler, reeling furiously to land his prize, barely noticed that a 9 ft bull shark had followed the massive tarpon out of the water. The shark also flew through the air, clearing the boat by at least two feet.

In the ensuing seconds, the tarpon plunged into the water on the other side of the boat, but the shark came up short, landing on the boat instead of in the water! For one breathless moment, the shark lay curled in a half circle, its head resting on the platform near the angler’s chair and its tail against the captain’s console. Onlookers gasped as the shark flashed a toothy grin and bounced itself over the side of the boat and back into the water. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and nothing was broken. Everyone aboard the flats boat was understandably shaken, and all of the stunned onlookers took home an amazing fish tale. Read more

Fishing

A Variety of Auction ItemsAt the 2019 Sci Hunters’ Convention

From top of the line guns, to once-in-a-lifetime hunts, the finest artwork, stunning jewelry and more, SCI’s auctions at the 2019 SCI Hunters’ Convention offer a variety of items sure to delight any bidder. Everyone is a winner: the bidder is awarded a valuable product or experience and SCI gets crucial funds to help preserve our hunting heritage and enable conservation efforts to occur around the globe.

Below are items you will find at this year’s auction. For an extensive list of auction items and their descriptions, go to https://www.showsci.org/auction/.

Fausti ‘Classico’ Side-by-Side Shotgun

Fausti Stefano SRL has donated a Fausti ‘Classico’ Side-by-Side Shotgun in 20 gauge. The hammer gun has always fascinated and attracted the more traditional hunters and collectors of fine guns. Fausti remains today as one of the few manufacturers to produce these gorgeous guns for their passionate followers. The ultimate model is called ‘Classico.’ It features newly designed external hammers finished entirely by hand as well as the engraving, a mix of traditional and modern pattern harmoniously engraved in ‘bulino’ style and signed by the engraver, the Master Stefano Muffolini. The ‘Classico’ that Fausti has donated for the Safari Club International 2019 Auction is a 20 gauge version, featuring a 28-in. barrel length, improved cylinder/modified fixed chokes, selected wood with rubber pad, oil finished, hand-checkering, bone and charcoal exclusive finishing and leather case. Beauty and harmony, these are the proper words to describe a remarkable example of Italian craftmanship in this Fausti masterpiece. For more information, visit www.faustiarms.com. Valued at $16,000 Read more

Hunting

Goodbye Ol’ Pal

Yesterday I lost a good friend and hunting buddy from West Virginia. Steve McComas.  Although his fiddle, inherited from his father, has gone silent, his memory lives on.  I know he sleeps in perfect peace, ‘neath the West Virginia skies.  ‘Till we meet again, my friend.

General

Magnum Research 429 DE Pistol Cartridge

(Pillager, MN) – Magnum Research, Inc, maker of the world renowned Desert Eagle pistol and leader in innovative firearms design and manufacturing, is proud to announce the launch of the new 429 DE pistol cartridge.

Magnum Research has developed a new, fast, powerful .44 caliber pistol cartridge. The 429 DE (Desert Eagle) was designed to enhance the famous and powerful Desert Eagle platform. This cartridge has a 25% velocity increase and 45% energy increase over a 44 Mag (240 — 6″ barrel). It has a velocity of 1600 FPS with 240 grain bullets and 1750 FPS with 210 grain bullets.

The 429 DE features 30 degree shoulder headspaces and a neck long enough to properly hold and crimp a 240 grain bullet without set back under recoil. Based on the famous 50 AE cartridge, the 429 DE is made with Starline brass, and loaded by HSM in Montana with Sierra bullets.

“This new cartridge was engineered and designed specifically for the Desert Eagle Pistol, keeping in mind that the DEP is known world wide for its awesome firepower and performance. The 429 DE propels that history into the future,” says Jim Tertin, Design and R&D for Magnum Research. Read more

Firearms

Wrap A Strap – Avoid The Tangled Mess

Melissa TX- The Wrap-A-Strap is a multi-use tangle eliminator for utility tie down and ratchet straps. They reside in almost every garage and shop across America. Every American has the same issue however with ratchet straps… they end up in a tangled mess. Entrepreneur Josh Brown from Melissa, TX was no stranger to the tangled mess that ratchet straps always seem to find themselves in. Released November of 2018 is the ultimate solution. The Wrap A Strap. This simple yet effective tool is a quick solution to not only storing your ratchet strap but also securing the excess slack on loads that don’t require using the entire length of the strap. By taking a few seconds to spin your strap on the Wrap A Strap and make the final locking loop and just like that, your strap will remain tangle free for easy storage. This comes in extremely handy when you need it again. Even better, no more trying to tie off excess straps on your load, just Wrap A Strap it. Durable polymer construction will keep your Wrap A Strap around for years of use. One for home and one for your truck. Wrap A Strap is a must have.

General

Educators: Join in for Michigan Deer Camp 2018

Join us as we celebrate the beginning of firearm deer hunting season in Michigan.

On Nov. 14, second- through fourth-grade students across the state will join in a one-day adventure designed to teach them about the importance of white-tailed deer. This day, fondly called “Deer Camp,” is full of fun activities for all school subjects.

Once you register, you’ll receive a packet of activities that you can do throughout the day (or pick a few if you are limited on time). The activities cover a variety of subjects, including science, math, English, gym and art. You also will get a PowerPoint presentation as an optional aid to guide discussions.

Deer Camp is designed for second through fourth grades, but all educators are welcome to participate! Please be aware that you may need to modify lessons and activities if you are using the materials with younger or older students.

If you would like to participate, please register by Nov. 13.

Wildlife

Help FeederWatch Survey the Health & Behavior of Backyard Birds

Ithaca, NY—It’s amazing what we can learn when tens of thousands of eyes are focused on one thing. Those eyes don’t miss much. For more than 30 years, people who feed wild birds have been reporting their observations to Project FeederWatch at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. FeederWatch participants turn their hobby of feeding birds–a hobby more than 50-million strong in North America–into scientific discoveries. Their reports help scientists better understand what happens to birds facing challenges such as climate change, habitat loss, and disease.

The 2018-2019 season of FeederWatch kicks off on November 10.

The spread of House Finch eye disease is a clear example of the value of this citizen science project. First reports of the disease came from sharp-eyed FeederWatchers in 1994. The Cornell Lab has been tracking the disease ever since by collecting vital information about sick birds from FeederWatchers. From that data, Cornell Lab scientists know the disease is spreading beyond House Finches.

“We’re finding other finch species are being affected,” says FeederWatch leader Emma Greig. “This includes feeder favorites such as the American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, Lesser Goldfinch, and Evening Grosbeak. Not only that, the pathogen that causes House Finch eye disease is becoming stronger and more dangerous. These stronger strains are nearly twice as deadly to the birds.” Read more

Wildlife

Meopta TGA 75 Collapsible Spotting Scope Wins Award

TAMPA, FL – Meopta’s TGA 75 Collapsible Spotting Scope has been selected as winner of the Guns and Shooting Online 2018 Scope and Optics Award. Engineered for hunters who pack into remote areas, the classic draw-tube design of this rugged TGA 75 spotting scope allows the length to be shortened from 14.8 inches when fully extended to 9.8 inches when collapsed, making it easier to carry in challenging terrain.

After testing numerous optics throughout the year, the Guns and Shooting Online staff had this to say about the Meopta TGA 75:

The draw-tube slides smoothly in and out, but with sufficient friction that it is unlikely to be moved inadvertently. When the draw tube is fully extended in the viewing position, there is no play. To achieve this requires not only excellent design, but also precision manufacturing and exacting quality control. Read more

Optics

Study Finds Mountain Birds Are on an Escalator to Extinction

Ithaca, NY—Warmer temperatures are pushing mountain-dwelling birds ever higher as they try to stay in their comfort zone. That’s the conclusion of a group of scientists who retraced the steps of a 1985 expedition in the Peruvian Andes and documented how birds had shifted in the intervening 30 years. The new study also shows that species that were already living on the ridge-top now have smaller ranges and some have disappeared altogether compared with the 1985 survey. The study, by University of British Columbia and Cornell Lab of Ornithology scientists, appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences today.

“Mountaintop species are running out of mountain,” says Benjamin Freeman, lead author and postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia. “The next step is extinction. Of the 16 mountaintop species found in the last survey, 8 are missing from our new survey.”

mountain graphic

The researchers believe there is a high statistical probability that at least four species have been extirpated from the survey area, given the team’s extensive field searches and analyses of audio recordings. The missing birds are the Variable Antshrike, Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner, Hazel-fronted Pygmy-Tyrant, and Fulvous-breasted Flatbill. Though none of these species is considered threatened and they are fairly widespread, this research supports the idea that birds living at higher altitudes in the tropics are moving even higher as a reaction to climate change which can result in local extinctions. Read more

Wildlife
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