Alpen Optics Closes Doors After 22 Years of Business

GW:  After having met Vickie on numerous occasions at outdoor media events, I can say categorically that the industry is losing one upbeat representative and strong supporter.  She has been a loyal corporate sponsor of the Professional Outdoor Media Association, and no doubt, we’ll miss her generous contributions to the organization.  I’ll remember her kindly as I peer through my Alpen spotting scope in the years to come.  Wishing you nothing but the best in the future, Vickie.

“It’s time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I’d much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure.” — Earnie Harwell

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA – Alpen Outdoor Corporation (Alpen Optics) will be ceasing all operations and closing its doors effective Feb. 28, 2018.

Many factors, including family health issues, a difficult business climate, competitive dynamics and factory production challenges have led owners Tim and Vickie Gardner to this tough decision.

“I want to express my love and gratitude to all the awesome friends I’ve made over the last 22 years,” Vickie Gardner, VP of STUFF and Marketing for Alpen Optics, said. “Just thinking of everyone gives me a big warm feeling, puts a gigantic smile on my face and leaves me with a bittersweet heart. I want to thank each and every one of you for your loyal support and love over the years. I guess Winnie the Pooh said it best, ‘How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.'”

Established in 1996, Alpen Optics has provided best quality optics, including binoculars, spotting scopes, rifle scopes and accessories at affordable prices to hunters, birders, wildlife watchers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Over the years, Alpen Optics has been presented a number of awards celebrating the optics top-of-the-line quality, durability, impressive design and affordability. Thanks to these qualities, Alpen has developed a loyal customers base that is truly valued and appreciated and will be deeply missed by both Tim and Vickie.

“It is now time to start a new chapter in our lives, and we sincerely thank you for your past support and friendship,” Vickie said. “Happy trails to you until we meet again. Love and blessings from Tim and Vickie.”

About Alpen Optics
Alpen Optics has won seven Outdoor Life Great Buy Awards (more than any other optics company), one Outdoor Life Editor’s Choice Award and one Field & StreamBest of the Best Award.

Optics

Michigan’s hand netting season opens Thursday, dip netting March 20

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers about netting seasons as we get closer to spring. The hand netting season opens Thursday, March 1, and closes May 31, while the dip netting season opens Tuesday, March 20, and also closes May 31.

The following species can be taken during both seasons: bowfin, carp, goldfish, gizzard shad, longnose gar, smelt and suckers. Waters open to hand netting include all Great Lakes, Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River, the Detroit River and the St. Marys River including all tributaries to those waters from the mouth to a half-mile upstream. Waters open to dip netting include all Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula streams, except Designated Trout Streams.

All other waters are closed to these activities; visit michigan.gov/dnrdigests for full details.

The use of seines, hand nets and dip nets for minnows is allowed all year on all waters (except Designated Trout Streams and those waters closed to minnow harvest) while cast nets can be used for alewives, minnows, smelt and gizzard shad all year on the Great Lakes, Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River, the Detroit River and the St. Marys River.

For those interested in dipping for smelt later this spring, visit the DNR’s smelt dipping and fishing opportunities page online.

Fishing

Airgun Video Channels Feeling Anti-Gun Pressure

YouTube, Facebook are canceling, closing and suspending accounts that include shooting-related content. Airgun Wire editor Tom McHale says he’s getting “a continuous stream of reports on sites that are summarily shut down or have received ‘strikes’ that will ultimately lead to a permanent shutdown.” He’s following the story- closely- and will have a full report and suggestions for actions shooting enthusiasts can take in today’s edition of the Airgun Wire. If you’re not a subscriber, you can sign up for a subscription at http://www.airgunwire.com.
Gun Control

Dicks, Field & Stream Stop AR Sales, Call for “Common-sense Legislation”

Dick’s Sporting Goods (NYSE:DKS) along with its Field & Stream Stores have stopped selling AR-style rifles. The immediate cessation was announced yesterday by Dick’s CEO Edward W. Stack who also announced the stores would also no longer sell “high-capacity magazines or firearms to anyone under 21 years old. Stack also called for “common sense gun reform” along with regulations that would ban “assault style weapons,” raise the minimum age for firearms purchases to 21, and require universal background checks that included “relevant health information and previous interactions with the law.”
NSSF Responds to Dick’s Decision

We respect the right of all companies to make the decisions they believe are appropriate for their business. Nonetheless, we are disappointed by the decision of Dick’s Sporting Goods to stop selling modern sporting rifles at its 35 Field & Stream stores, to cease sales of certain magazines and to raise the purchase age to 21 for all firearms at all its stores. We note that the Dick’s Sporting Goods announcement acknowledges the vast majority of gun owners are responsible and law-abiding. Indeed, they are and should not be penalized for the actions of criminals.

Members of our industry believe that unauthorized individuals should never have access to any firearm, of any kind, at any time. On behalf of our industry, NSSF supports effective solutions to achieve that goal, which is shared by all Americans. NSSF strongly supports and calls upon Congress to immediately pass the Fix NICS bill – named after our program of the same name – to increase the reporting of all disqualifying criminal and applicable mental health records to the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) database to increase the effectiveness of the system on which our nation’s retailers depend. We will continue our work on that vitally important initiative, as well our other programs that work every day to help enhance public safety, including Project ChildSafe, the Don’t Lie for the Other Guy anti-straw purchasing program and Operation Secure Store programs that we conduct in cooperation with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Gun Control

FixNICS: U.S. Senate to Address Firearms Background Checks

Action Alert! Contact your senator today and ask them to vote “YES” on Senate Bill 2135 that will make the National Instant Criminal Background Check System more complete. You can contact your two U.S. senators by calling (202) 224-3121 and following the prompts or can email them using the Sportsmen’s Alliance Legislative Action Center.

The firearm industry and hunting organizations have united to support legislation to address deficiencies in the background-check system for the purchase of firearms. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) was established 20 years ago to prevent those prohibited by law from obtaining a firearm. Unfortunately, the NICS system depends on states and the federal government to provide updates to the database, which has not always been done effectively.

To address this issue, the National Shooting Sports Foundation launched its Fix NICS initiative in 2013 to encourage and assist states to submit all appropriate disqualifying criminal and adjudicated mental health records. While the effort to Fix NICS has yielded a 200-percent increase in records submissions, the work is not done yet as many states still do not submit all appropriate records that would disqualify individuals from legally purchasing firearms.

Senate Bill 2135 provides incentives for states to submit up-to-date information to NICS and punishes agencies that fail to do so, while also holding the federal government accountable for including and processing those records in the background check system.

The “Fix NICS” act could be voted on in the U.S. Senate as early as this week.

All sportsmen want to make sure firearms are not sold to criminals and those with serious mental health problems. Please call your two U.S. Senators at (202) 224-3121 and ask them to support S.2135 Read more

Firearms

Minnesota State Rep. Linda Slocum Introduces Extreme Gun Ban Bill

The bill includes:

  • A 2-day waiting period on all firearm transactions
  • The total ban on all private sales and transfers, including for inheritance, family, curio and relics, and antique firearms
  • Complete registration of all firearms
  • Bans all “assault weapons”, bump stocks, and large-capacity magazines
  • Makes suppressors illegal again – possession is a felony
  • Requires all ammunition to be purchased in-person from a dealer – all ammunition sales will be tracked and registered
  • Prohibits persons delinquent in paying child support from possessing firearms

Current owners of “assault weapons” may keep them if they are registered and stored in line with newly defined local regulations – and inspected annually by the police. Read more

Gun Control

Mc3 Tactical Legend Stock Series

Phoenix, AZ – Mc3 Stocks, the newest generation of high-performance rifle stocks designed, engineered and manufactured by McMillan to be Exponentially Better™, introduces the Tactical Legend Stock.   Formulated from a proprietary polymer, this molded stock replicates the proven McMillan A-5 design for the Remington 700 rifle line.

The Mc3 Tactical Legend upgrades the original Remington 700 with a completely solid stock, constructed from a state-of-the-art proprietary polymer blend called Zenolite, resulting in a stronger, stiffer product that serious rifle shooters will appreciate. The Mc3 Tactical Legend’s manufacturing process consists of a unique method that is based on the best-selling McMillan A-5 stock design, an accomplishment only achieved by McMillan engineers.  It also offers superior protection against wear and abrasion for years of abuse and has less shrinkage than other factory or aftermarket stocks. Read more

Firearms

Creedmoor Sports Wants Your Ideas

Creedmoor® is always looking to expand their namesake line of precision rifle equipment and gear and are looking to their customers for ideas.

Anniston, Ala.   – Creedmoor® Sports, the leader in precision rifle equipment and gear, is looking to their customer base for the next great Creedmoor Sports product. Creedmoor products are designed and produced several ways; first, by evolving an older product to meet today’s shooters needs; second, as a company by and for shooters, many ideas are born internally; and third, many of Creedmoor’s greatest ideas come from shooters who are out using products every day and know how to make it better. Creedmoor Sports wants to hear from you. Read more

General

Arizona man found guilty of deer poaching in Iowa

Nicholas Slater of Glendale, Ariz. was found guilty following a trial on Feb. 12, 2018 for charges related to poaching a whitetail deer. The poaching incident occurred at Lake Manawa State Park in Council Bluffs on Nov. 19, 2016.

Slater was found guilty on seven charges, including hunting on a game refuge, not having a valid nonresident hunting license and habitat fee, not having a valid deer tag (either antlerless or antlered/anysex), and illegal taking, transporting and possession of deer.

The total fines for Slater are $7,061.95, which includes court-imposed civil damages for the reimbursement of the deer. In addition, Slater will have his hunting privileges suspended for three years in Iowa and the Interstate Wildlife Violator’s Compact as a result of the conviction.

The Iowa DNR was assisted by the Arizona Game and Fish Department with the investigation.

Poachers
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