Monday tip led conservation officers to waterfowl poachers in Oakland County

A mid-morning tip Oct. 31 led Michigan conservation officers to two men in possession of poached waterfowl and a Sandhill Crane in Oakland County’s Addison Township.

Oakland County Central Dispatch received a tip from a caller reporting unknown individuals shooting at Sandhill Cranes – a federally protected bird – near a private pond. At 9:50 a.m., a responding deputy from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department notified the Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division and requested assistance.

Conservation Officers Bradley Silorey of Macomb County and Jacob Griffin of Oakland County immediately responded, arriving at the scene shortly before 10:45 a.m. and within minutes of each other.

“After arriving, the officers found two men who had been waterfowl hunting near a private pond,” said District 9 Acting Lt. Dan Bigger. “The men had 13 ducks already in their possession. Two more ducks were located while walking to the area where the subjects had been hunting.” Read more

Poachers

Rio Ammunition Announces Give Ducks the Blues Sweepstakes


Marshall, Texas – Rio Ammunition, a global leader in the development, manufacturing, and distribution of shotgun ammunition for the hunting and sport shooting markets, is excited to announce the launch of their Give Ducks the Blues Sweepstakes to celebrate the opening of waterfowl seasons across the country.Beginning October 27 and running through January 31, 2017, Rio Ammo is giving waterfowl enthusiasts the opportunity to win five (5) cases of Royal BlueSteel shotshells. Designed specifically for the avid waterfowler, Rio’s Royal BlueSteel combines high velocity and hard-hitting power with an affordable price. Read more
Ammunition

MEC Shooting Sports Launches Metallic Reloading Business


MEC Shooting Sports is pleased to introduce its latest new product offering, the all new MEC MarksmanTM to the metallic reloading enthusiast. As an industry-leading manufacturer of shotshell reloading equipment and clay target machines, MEC brings its knowledge and expertise to the metallic reloading marketplace. The MEC MarksmanTM single stage metallic reloader and accessory products are made in the USA in Mayville, WI.The MEC MarksmanTM is made from ductile cast iron for superior quality and durability. Our patent-pending self-centering shell holder provides metallic reloading users greater accuracy and consistency to every load compared to competing models. The MEC MarksmanTM is compatible with all 7/8-14 thread dies to change calibers quickly. Reload .22 Hornet to .416 Rigby all with one convenient machine. Read more
Ammunition

CCRKBA: Chicago’s Continued Bloodbath Proof of Gun Control Failure

BELLEVUE, WA – Following what the Chicago Tribune is calling the deadliest weekend so far this year, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms says the continued slaughter is proof that the city’s strict gun control laws are an abject failure.

At least 17 people died over the weekend, bringing the year’s death toll to at least 638 people. So far, more than 3,660 people have been shot in the Windy City, and two full months still remain.

“This continuing savagery in a city that stubbornly resists every attempt to reform its restrictive gun laws, which only discourage and disarm law-abiding citizens, is a testament to the failure of gun control,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. Read more

Gun Control

JEBS Chokes Introduces High Voltage Upland Series


Hazlehurst, GA – JEBS Chokes, a leader in high quality, proprietary choke tubes, today the release of its product, High Voltage Upland Series, the latest in its portfolio of award-winning, championship choke tubes that have the capability to significantly increase shot on target.”With the advent of this new choke tube, we are bringing yet another high-quality product to the hunting community. JEBS family of chokes enables shooters to be more successful in the field and on the range,” said Bobby Sears, Owner of JEBS Choke Tubes. ” We are continuously working with a variety of industry experts and hunters alike to produce the highest quality tubes for every type of shooting experience. The Upland Series is the latest, and we’re excited to get it into the hands of avid upland hunters nationwide.”

Like with all JEBS Chokes, the Upland Series is specifically designed for upland birds and has proprietary restrictions (.690 & .695) that are perfect for pheasant, quail, dove, grouse and the multitude of other upland species. Available in 20 and 12 gauge(s). Read more

Firearms

Berger Bullets Launches Three New Classic Hunter Offerings


Berger Bullets is proud to announce the expansion of their sought-after Classic Hunter Series rifle bullets. The Berger Classic Hunter is designed for the discriminating shooter and outdoorsman who insists that their loaded rounds function flawlessly through any rifle magazine. Berger Classic Hunters are tailored specifically for factory rifle applications where SAAMI length loaded rounds are a must, and they are offered in select weights that provide exceptional downrange performance in today’s factory rifles. No custom barrels, special twist rates or reloading tricks are needed to achieve cutting-edge results. Read more
Ammunition

If You Imported/Exported Wildlife Into/Out of the United States, Take Action Now

On November 1, 2016 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing that information related to records for the import and export of all wildlife specimens to and from the United States may be disclosed to Humane Society International (HSI), based on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests made by HSI. The Notice informs submitters of such information of their ability to object to disclosure. The information potentially includes the identity of any U.S. and foreign importers and exporters of hunting trophies for the years 2002 through 2010, 2013 and 2014, and the declared value of the trophy. In response to four FOIA requests made in 2014 and 2015, FWS previously released some information but refused to disclose other information. FWS relied on three exemptions to the agency’s duty to disclose information in response to FOIA requests.

Earlier this year, HSI sued to obtain the withheld information. SCI intervened in the lawsuit to help defend the FWS’s decision to withhold the information. Subsequently, the FWS informed the court that it is obligated to notify the submitters of the requested information of the fact that their information is the subject of a FOIA request and that the FWS may decide to release the information.

The notice informs those who are the subject of HSI’s request that the FWS will presume that anyone who does not object within the time-period allotted for responses has no objection to the disclosure of his or her information. Submitters will have 21 days from the date of the publication of the notice in the Federal Register (i.e., today) to send their written responses to the FWS’s Office of Law Enforcement Freedom of Information office. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Joint project in Ontonagon County, MI grows trees for the future

A cooperative seed collection effort in Ontonagon County will produce trees to be grown at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in the western Upper Peninsula –Michigan’s largest state park.

Recently, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Ontonagon Area School agriculture class and White Pine Electric volunteers gathered on a beautiful fall afternoon to collect maple tree seeds and oak acorns at the Porcupine Mountains.Volunteers work to prepare collected maple seeds and oak acorns for planting.
The seeds and acorns will be used to grow seedlings to be planted in the Porcupine Mountains. Read more

Wildlife

Centerfire at Night on NRC Agenda

Late last week, the DNR released the agenda for the upcoming November 10 Natural Resources Commission meeting in East Lansing, and a significant Michigan United Conservation Clubs policy priority was included in the agenda, albeit with restrictions. On the agenda is a draft order which would allow the use of centerfire firearms for nighttime coyote, raccoon, opossum and fox hunting. MUCC members passed a policy resolution sponsored by the Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association calling for a lifting of the restriction on centerfire firearms for nighttime predator hunting at our Annual Convention this summer.

However, the proposed DNR order contains two significant restrictions that were not recommended in our policy resolution: a restriction to calibers .229 and under; and a requirement that the firearm must be equipped with Generation II optics, such as electronic night-vision scopes. The background memo included with the order, however, shows that surrounding states including Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin all allow centerfire firearms for nighttime predator hunting without these restrictions. The inclusion of this order on the agenda, though, is a significant step forward in a movement that began with the grassroots efforts of a group called Michigan Predator Hunters for Centerfire at Night and engaging the larger conservation community through the MTPCA and MUCC. If you would like to attend the meeting, the agenda is linked below and, as usual, we will be live-streaming the meeting through a link we will share on MUCC’s Facebook page.

Hunting
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