Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Ornamental pear trees, most commonly known as Bradford pears, have been a popular landscaping tree in Indiana for decades.
So popular that they are crowding out native Indiana trees.
For that reason, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources encourages homeowners and landscapers to avoid planting such trees and to replace them when possible. Read more
MEMPHIS, TN—Soon, school will be out, and it’s not too early to think about protecting our youth from summer safety accidents, especially for youth who engage in range shooting, summer shooting competitions, and other outdoor activities.
Radians®, a leading manufacturer of safety gear for shooters, hunters, and outdoor enthusiasts, offers several PPE items designed especially for youth, all of which are 15% smaller than their adult safety gear to provide a better fit.
According to Wes Miller, Sporting Goods Sales Manager for Radians, “Young shooters and hunters need to learn early in life that protecting their ears and eyes during a hunt or at the shooting range is paramount to saving their hearing and vision over the long haul. Having safety products that fit youth properly are key to their wearing the gear.” Read more
THE ALL-NEW CARBONLITE GHOST 420 IS BARNETT’S FASTEST CROSSBOW EVER
TARPON SPRINGS, FL (May 22, 2017) – Today’s crossbows are a far cry from the very first modern crossbow Mr. Bernard Barnett crafted in his garage in the U.K. in 1962. And they’re simply worlds away from those used by hunters and soldiers in medieval times. The modern hunting crossbow is smaller, lighter, smoother, faster and easier to use than ever before. It’s no wonder hoards of traditional bow hunters and firearms hunters are flocking to the crossbow to unlock new hunting opportunities and experiences.
Experienced hunters understand the value of premium-quality top-performing firearms and compound bows. They’ve tried the rest and have invested in the best. For this caliber of hunter looking to purchase his or her first crossbow – or the existing crossbow hunter seeking the ultimate in speed, quality and performance – the all-new Barnett Ghost 420 was created to exceed their expectations.
One of three premium crossbows in Barnett’s elite Carbonlite Series, the standout Ghost 420 is Barnett’s fastest crossbow ever. Featuring a full carbon step-through riser and a machined aluminum flight track to minimize weight while stalking or patiently waiting for the shot on stand, the Ghost 420 boasts a 185-pound draw weight capable of sending an arrow flying at a blistering 420 feet per second.
But lightness, balance and speed are just the beginning. Read more
Superior, Wis. (May 22, 2017) — Nockturnal continues to take all the guesswork out of adding the benefit of lighted nocks to your quiver with the introduction of its new FIT universal lighted nock that is designed to fit X, GT, S and H diameter arrows. The Nockturnal FIT includes Nock Collar adapter sleeves in three different sizes, simplifying equipment selection and making color choice—either Red, Green or a patent-pending Red/Green Strobe—the only real shopping decision.
The Nockturnal FIT features ultra-strong, impact resistant, clear-polycarbonate nock construction encapsulating the super-bright red, green or red/green strobing LEDs that are activated by a patented string-activated, piston-driven contact switch. Like all Nockturnal nocks, the FIT is guaranteed to activate immediately when the string is released, and it can be switched off quickly and easily with the Nockturnal Nock Tool, a small screwdriver or most broadhead tips via an opening in the side of the nock. Read more
Turnbull Restoration Co. is proud to announce a Marlin 1895 featuring Turnbull’s finishes as the newest offering in its Turnbull Finished line of production firearms. The “Turnbull Finished” line is a series of historically significant and classic firearms that are finished using Turnbull’s unique case color and other finishes to produce a classic gun worthy of being an instant family heirloom.
“The Marlin 1895 is a classic lever action rifle that is part of American history,” said CEO and Founder Doug Turnbull. “It was the logical next gun in our Turnbull Finished line. There are still original production 1895s in use.”
The Turnbull Finished Marlin 1895 rifles will be available in .45-70 Gov’t with a 4 round tubular magazine. The action is the same as the original – lever action with a solid top receiver, side ejection and an integral hammer block safety. The 22 inch barrel features Ballard type deep cut 6 groove rifling at a perfect 1:20″ rate of twist. The gun itself is 40-1/2 inches in overall length and weighs in at a comfortable 7 pounds.
The receiver, lever and hammer are finished in Turnbull’s unique color case hardening using the traditional methods. All blued parts retain the Marlin original factory bluing. The wood stocks and forend are refinished by hand to match Marlin’s original red shading and offer factory cut deep checkering. The rifles carry an MSRP of $1,300 and are available through Turnbull Restoration. Read more
Attention Retailers:
Brady Campaign May Approach You
It has been brought to our attention that individuals working directly for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence may be seeking to visit FFLs to engage with owners or employees in order to better understand the “Gun Culture.” NSSF strongly advises that if you or your employees are approached in person, by phone, over email or via social media that you decline to participate in any fact-finding visit or discussion.
The Brady Campaign on its website states: “Brady is leading the fight to change the gun industry and force it to reform by holding gun companies accountable to victims in the courts, and staging protests to challenge ‘bad apple’ gun dealers at their doorsteps.”
Make no mistake, no matter how friendly the approach, the Brady Campaign does not have your best interests in mind. To the contrary, the campaign has a long history of misstating facts, misleading the public, lobbying policy makers to enact punishing legislation and filing baseless lawsuits against members of our industry. You will not be able to affect the Brady Campaign’s course of action or reach any real mutual agreement. Anything you say could be used against your business and the industry as a whole. Read more
By Glen Wunderlich
Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has its hands full with wildlife issues, and accordingly, what follows is a brief outline of some of pro-active measures being proposed for adoption by the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) for the 2017-2019 deer regulation cycle.
CWD: With the onset of chronic wasting disease (CWD) and its recent discovery in yet more areas, the DNR proposes amending the protocols and control measures in the Wildlife Conservation Order by adding Portland and Danby townships in Ionia County and Roxand Township in Eaton County to Deer Management Unit (DMU) 333. This area encompasses that of the latest CWD discoveries and would create a new core CWD area, DMU 359, which includes Mecosta, Austin, Morton, Hinton, Aetna, and Deerfield townships in Mecosta County, and Cato, Winfield, and Reynolds townships in Montcalm County.
Deer checks would be required in DMU 359, as well as all protocol already in place elsewhere in the state.
Disease Control Permits also would be provided to landowners within DMU 359.
A disease management hunt may be authorized, lasting no longer than nine days between January 2 and March 31, if additional harvest is deemed necessary to meet disease management objectives. This measure can be implemented in the event hunters do not kill enough deer during normal hunting seasons.
Antler Point Restrictions: In 2013, the NRC approved a measure from the Northwest Michigan Branch of the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) for Antler Point Restrictions (APR) in the Northwest Lower Peninsula requiring that hunters harvest an antlered deer only if they have at least one antler with three or more antler points. A second antlered deer would need to have at least four points on one antler, which is consistent with current regulations elsewhere in the state.
This bold move had to receive a minimum of a 50-percent response level from the area’s hunters. In addition, although the DNR conducted the survey, the expense of the undertaking had to be paid by the QDMA, and when the results were tabulated, an overwhelming minimum of 67 percent of respondents had to be in favor of the proposal.
The measure passed and those I’ve encountered in this area couldn’t be happier with the results. Antler growth, as well as body size and health are appreciably stronger in just a few short years. However, because the regulation has a sunset provision, another survey must maintain the regulation’s acceptance. This re-survey is still being processed for the current APR, but preliminary responses show a 70-percent response rate and an overwhelming 76-percent of hunters in support. Subsequently, the DNR proposes the NRC continue the APR without sunset beginning with the 2017 deer hunting season.
Antlerless Permits: Finally, because of relatively mild winters the past two years, deer numbers are higher in certain areas of the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula. As a result, 5 of the 22 Deer Management Units in the U.P. are proposed to be open for antlerless hunting, as well as the entire northern Lower Peninsula on both public and private lands. Of course, all of the southern Lower Peninsula is to remain open to liberal antlerless hunting, as well.
The perfect scope for hunting and target shooting at close- to long-range for all ages, Barrage Riflescopes feature an effective mil-dot reticle and protective capped turrets. Light transmission in low-light hours is superb thanks to fully multi-coated optics and an illuminated reticle. Barrage scopes boast a robust construction and an advanced single-piece mount design, cutting down on moving parts, improving overall reliability and ensuring problem-free performance with a recoil rating up to .308. Read more
As this year’s open-water fishing season gets under way, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers that Fisheries Division personnel are at lakes, rivers and Great Lakes ports collecting fishing data from anglers.
DNR creel clerks will be stationed at boat launches and piers around the state asking anglers questions as they return from fishing trips. Information will be requested on trip length, target species and number and type of fish caught. In some cases, creel clerks may ask to measure or weigh fish and to take scale or other body parts for aging. These data are key information in the DNR’s management of the state’s fisheries resource.
“The DNR appreciates anglers’ cooperation with these interviews, and it will only take a couple of minutes to answer the questions,” said DNR fisheries biologist Tracy Kolb. “This program helps us gather information that is critical in managing the state’s fisheries and is used in every aspect of our management efforts.” Read more
