More Than 4 Billion Birds Stream Overhead During Fall Migration

Scientists use radar to shed light on the massive numbers of migrating birds and how many may not return

Ithaca, NY— Using cloud computing and data from 143 weather radar stations across the continental United States, Cornell Lab of Ornithology researchers can now estimate how many birds migrate through the U.S. and the toll that winter and these nocturnal journeys take. Their findings are published in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

“We’ve discovered that each autumn, an average of 4 billion birds move south from Canada into the U.S. At the same time, another 4.7 billion birds leave the U.S. over the southern border, heading to the tropics,” notes lead author Adriaan Dokter, an Edward W. Rose postdoctoral fellow at the Cornell Lab. “In the spring, 3.5 billion birds cross back into the U.S. from points south, and 2.6 billion birds return to Canada across the northern U.S. border.” Read more

Wildlife

Otis Announces Ripcord BOGO

Lyons Falls, NY: Otis is excited to announce that it will again offer a buy one, get one free promotion on its Ripcord® line of products. This consumer promotion will run 9/17/18 through 10/01/2018.

Simply go to www.otistec.com/ripcord, select the Ripcords of choice and the discount will be applied at checkout. The promotion offers up to four free Ripcords; mix and match any available models (calibers and gauges) according to preference.
“The promotion has been well received these past couple years and we are offering it up again at a time when people are gearing up for hunting season. It’s a great time for consumers to stock up on their favorite caliber Ripcords or grab a couple new sizes with vast selection,” remarks Heather Pleskach, Otis Technology’s director of marketing. Read more

Firearms

SAF, Defense Distributed Add Defendants in Amended Lawsuit

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation and Defense Distributed have amended their lawsuit to include four more state and local officials, accusing them of “unconstitutional prior restraint” by attempting to prevent online sharing of 3-D firearms printing technology despite a Justice Department settlement of a lawsuit earlier this summer.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in Austin, now names New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Pennsylvania Gov. Thomas Wolf, Delaware Attorney General Matthew Denn, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, along with original defendants, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and L.A. City Attorney Michael Feuer. A settlement between Defense Distributed and the U.S. Justice Department ending a lengthy legal action that would have allowed the Texas-based firm to post its 3-D printing information online, as of Aug. 1.

But the defendants, according to the amended complaint, “are so eager to abridge the Second Amendment’s right to keep and bear Arms that they are willing abridge the First Amendment as a means of doing so.” Read more

Firearms, Gun Control

Detroit Police Department S.W.A.T. Adopts SIG SAUER M400 Rifles

Newington, NH – SIG SAUER, Inc. is pleased to announce the Detroit Police Department has adopted the SIG SAUER M400 Rifle for their SWAT officers. The Detroit Police Department is a municipal police force comprised of twelve precincts protecting the largest city in the state of Michigan and one of the largest cities in the U.S.

Tom Jankiewicz, Executive Vice President, Law Enforcement Sales, SIG SAUER, Inc. began, “the M400 rifle is designed to exceed military standards to be the most accurate and reliable rifle in its class, which makes it an optimal choice for specialized law enforcement units in extraordinary enforcement situations.”

The SIG SAUER M400 is an AR-platform rifle with a direct impingement gas operating system. The M400 features a full-length free-float M-LOK handguard, enhanced SIG trigger, 6-position telescoping stock, and a rotating lock bolt. Read more

Firearms

Tree Stand Safety Tips for Hunters

MONTPELIER, Vt. – Tree stands get hunters out of sight and smell of wary deer, but they can also get hunters into trouble. Here are some tips from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department to help stay safe and get the most out of your tree stand hunting experience:

  • Choose a live, straight tree.
  • Buy smart. Only use stands certified by the Treestand Manufacturers Association (TMA).
  • Inspect them each time you use them.
  • Know the rules. On state lands, it is illegal to place nails or other hardware into trees or to build permanent structures. On private lands, you must have landowner permission to erect a tree stand, cut or remove trees or other plants, or to cut limbs. All stands, including ground blinds, must be marked with the owner’s name and address.
  • Always wear a full-body safety harness, even for climbing. Most falls occur going up and down the tree and getting in and out of the stand.
  • Don’t go too high. The higher you go, the vital zone on a deer decreases, while the likelihood of a serious injury increases.
  • Never carry firearms or bows up and down trees. Always use a haul line to raise and lower all gear. Make sure your firearm is unloaded.
  • Familiarize yourself with your gear before you go. The morning of opening day is a poor time to put your safety belt on for the first time.
  • Be careful with long-term placement. Exposure can damage straps, ropes and attachment cords. Also, the stand’s stability can be compromised over time, as the tree grows.

Read more

Hunting

TacSol X-Ring Rifle in Mossy Oak

(Boise, ID) Tactical Solutions, the rimfire firearm, rimfire conversion, and rimfire accessory market leader in quality, dependability, and innovation is proud to announce that the newest version of their highly popular, X-Ring Takedown Rifle decorated in Mossy Oak Original Bottomland is now shipping. This version of the X-Ring was unveiled at the NRA Show this year, and since TacSol has been experiencing staggering demand for the product.

The new X-Ring Takedown® rifle featuring a Magpul® Backpacker stock in Mossy Oak® Bottomland® is everything that a takedown rifle should be; lightweight, compact, durable, accurate and threaded for the addition of a suppressor. Read more

Firearms

Interior’s Sue-and-Settle Order Exposes Secret Settlements with Activists

GW: I’ve been wondering where this action had been diverted as part of any ESA rewrite. Hopefully, this order begins to curb some of the frivolous suits that take money away from wildlife management.

WASHINGTON – Activists have grown rich by suing the government and reaping billions of taxpayers’ dollars – and all in secret. The U.S. Department of Interior, however, has issued an order to curb this abuse of basic, democratic processes and to open backroom deals to public scrutiny. The American Farm Bureau Federation applauds this overdue action.

Interior alone paid out more than $4.4 billion in monetary awards under terms of 460 settlement agreements and consent decrees between Jan. 1, 2012, and Jan. 19, 2017. In other words, Interior paid out an average of more than $800 million a year while keeping key aspects of litigation secret.

It’s easy to see why so many outside observers fear an unaccountable bureaucracy cutting deals with activists.

“The Department of Interior is shining light on a corner of government most people don’t even know exists,” AFBF General Counsel Ellen Steen said. “Basic transparency demands that citizens know what their government is doing. When activists sue, they can tie up the government with dozens of frivolous claims but still recover attorneys’ fees if a judge upholds even one, solitary claim. Read more

Wildlife

New Berger Match Grade Ammunition Shipping Now

Berger Bullets, part of newly formed Capstone Precision Group, announces the release of their new Berger Match-Grade Ammunition Line, now through authorized dealers. Match-Grade Ammunition includes Target, Hunting and Tactical applications loaded for 6.5mm Creedmoor, 260 Remington, 308 Winchester, 300 Win Magnum, 300 Norma Magnum and 338 Lapua Magnum. Contact Capstone Precision Group at 660-460-2800 or sales@capstonepg.com to become an authorized Berger dealer today. Read more

Ammunition

Century Arms TP9 Elite Combat

Delray Beach, Fla. –– Century Arms, the exclusive importer of Canik handguns and accessories, has announced availability of the highly anticipated, feature rich TP9 Elite Combat. In an industry first collaboration, the TP9 Elite Combat comes standard with multiple performance features designed by custom upgrade specialist Salient Arms International. The compact 9mm TP9 Elite Combat is the latest from Canik, the 2018 Ballistic’s Best magazine Editor’s Choice winner for Versatile/Value Pistol. Read more

Firearms
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