Braving the Cold: A Test of Wills and Skills

By Glen Wunderlich

Record low temperatures have a way of reminding us why we prepare.  No longer do we old timers have reason to exclaim our superior toughness for fighting off the effects of some forgotten winter of yesteryear; anyone reading this has now been there.  Cold is still cold.

When the founder of the Boys Scouts of America, Robert Baden-Powell, was asked about its motto, “Be prepared,” the question was “for what?”  The answer was “anything.”

Obviously, that covers a lot of territory but the bitterness of this season’s seemingly perpetual clippers has either demonstrated one’s readiness or lack thereof.   Those “could-haves” and “should-haves” become as obvious as winter itself.  For the late-season deer hunter, being prepared has its rewards, however.

Having equipment that performs in extreme conditions can mean the difference between filling the freezer and explaining away an unfilled tag.  Using too much or the wrong type of oil on a gun’s action can cause failure in the cold, for example.

Muzzleloaders being brought in from the cold into warmer confines can spell misfires, unless powder charges and primers are refreshed.  Heck, why are you saving these components anyway?  They don’t store well from season to season anyway.

Stand hunting has become popular ever since the rules were changed to permit elevated blinds.  And, this is when they’ll pay off.  I mean who’s going to plunk their tailbone onto a bucket without some type of shelter?  Even a portable shelter can get the job done, as long as it isn’t neglected and subsequently collapses under the weight of snow. 

Hunters that prepared by planting food plots will now experience the fruit of their labor.  Turnips or beets are readily available for deer now requiring more fuel than ever before in their relatively short lives.  They will come now with daylight to spare – many from afar.  They too must prepare for an endurance test heretofore unknown to them. 

Preventing a deer from freezing after field dressing is also a necessity under most circumstances.  It must be cooled but not frozen before processing, and that’ll take some forethought, as well; to do otherwise is to contribute to these oft spoken words:  “I don’t like venison!”

And, so the time has come for the Boy Scout/hunter to earn his hunting merit badge.  Very few will bear the brunt of Mother Nature’s extreme cruelness in these final two days of Michigan’s late antlerless firearms deer season but those prepared have another chance – a chance to test wills and skills.

Hunting

HSUS VP Dines With Potential Animal Rights Terrorist

The Humane Society of the United States is not the cute, fuzzy group it sounds like based on its name and its ads. It is a group run by animal-liberation radicals from PETA and other groups who simply market themselves as moderates in order to raise cash—money that they use to fund their campaigns. HSUS leaders have defended the Animal Liberation Front (an FBI-designated terrorist group) and praised PETA, among other things.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that last week HSUS vice president Josh Balk had dinner with Wayne Hsiung, leader of the extremist group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE). The phrase “direct action,” according to the FBI, is “criminal activity designed to cause economic loss or to destroy property or operations.”

DxE has openly admitted to breaking into farms and stealing animals. The FBI is reportedly investigating following a DxE theft of piglets at a Utah farm. Under the federal Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, passed in 2006, it is a crime  if someone “intentionally damages or causes the loss of any real or personal property (including animals or records) used by an animal enterprise … for the purpose of damaging or interfering with” its operations.

By its own admission, DxE appears to fit the legal bill of animal-rights terrorism. (DxE, of course, spins law-breaking as “open rescues” that are morally acceptable vigilante actions against “the system.”)

DxE is also known for its publicity stunt such as harassing restaurant guests eating a meal or haranguing people at the supermarket. DxE goes after animal protein suppliers that are considered by some to more humane, such as Whole Foods suppliers, because the group is against all meat, cheese, and eggs no matter how the animals are raised. DxE has the proposed goal of banning meat in Berkeley, CA, by 2025—and eventually everywhere. Essentially, they have the same agenda as PETA, except with more aggression and less killing of pets.

Why is an HSUS executive hanging out with this guy? Use Occam’s Razor. HSUS and Direct Action Everywhere have similar goals to stop Americans from enjoying meat, even if the means are different. HSUS needs to raise $100 million a year, so it’s not likely going to steal animals from farms and risk a federal investigation. But it seems to be another example of how HSUS leadership is quite cozy with the more radical members of the animal rights movement.

Animal Rights

Ruger Introduces Precision Rimfire Rifle

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is proud to introduce the Ruger Precision™ Rimfire rifle. Bringing the big-gun experience to the rimfire world, the Ruger Precision Rimfire is a scaled down version of the Ruger Precision Rifle® and maintains the same ergonomics, trigger and manual of arms as the larger centerfire rifle. The Ruger Precision Rimfire is the ideal long-range shooting trainer and go-to rifle for your next rimfire match.

Ruger Precision Rimfire

The Ruger Precision Rimfire features a molded, one-piece chassis and adjustable buttstock assembly manufactured from glass-filled nylon for strength, stiffness and stability, offering a solid foundation for accuracy each and every shot. The innovative Quick-Fit adjustable Precision Rimfire stock allows the rifle’s length of pull and comb height to be quickly and easily adjusted for proper fit over a wide range of shooter sizes, outerwear and shooting positions. Indicating marks molded into the chassis help you quickly return to a previous position.

To make the .22 LR chambering feel more like 6.5 Creedmoor, Ruger engineers designed the Big-Gun adjustable bolt throw technology. By simply removing a spring clip, shooters can change from a rimfire 1-1/2″ bolt throw to a short-action centerfire 3″ bolt throw, reducing the chance of short-stroking the bolt in competition. Identical to the Ruger Precision Rifle, the oversized bolt handle makes for positive bolt manipulation.

The rifle’s 18″ target barrel is cold hammer-forged from 4140 alloy steel to create ultra-precise rifling for excellent accuracy. The 1/2″-28 thread pattern allows for easy pairing with the Silent-SR® suppressor or other muzzle devices. The 15″ hard black anodized aluminum, free-float handguard features Magpul® M-LOK® slots on all four sides for improved scope clearance and easy mounting of M-LOK-compatible rails and accessories.

The popular Ruger Marksman Adjustable™ trigger has a pull weight range of 2.25 to 5.0 pounds; the adjusting wrench is conveniently stored in a buttstock compartment on the rifle. Ruger’s own AR-pattern pistol grip and safety selector allow for maximum control and access to the 45 degree, reversible safety selector. The Precision Rimfire ships with one, 15-round BX-15® magazine or two, 10-round BX-1 magazines. For increased long-range elevation capabilities, the rifle is topped with a 30 MOA Picatinny scope base.

Firearms

SCI, NRA Score Victory In Elephant Import Lawsuit

Chalk-up a win for Safari Club International and National Rifle Association of America in the continuing saga of the elephant trophy import question.  The appellate court ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) should have conducted notice and comment rulemaking before abandoning almost two decades of a formal position that the import of legally hunted trophies enhanced the survival of the African elephants in Zimbabwe.

The road to complete victory continues, but SCI and the NRA have forced the government to do real fact-finding and not react to emotion from the antihunters.  Although the ban on imports remains in effect until the government finishes its rule-making, SCI, the NRA and other hunting organizations now have a chance to get the real story of hunting-based sustainable use conservation on the table.

SCI and NRA received excellent news Dec. 22 from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.  The court ruled in favor on a key claim in SCI’s and NRA’s 2014 elephant importation litigation.  In that case, SCI and NRA sued the previous administration for imposing on April 4, 2014 an abrupt ban on elephant importation from Zimbabwe.

In its 33-page opinion, the D.C. Circuit reversed an earlier unfavorable ruling issued by the lower court.  The appellate court ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) should have conducted notice and comment rulemaking before abandoning almost two decades of a formal position that the import of legally hunted trophies enhanced the survival of the African elephants in Zimbabwe.

The FWS had adopted negative enhancement findings for elephants harvested in 2014 and 2015.  SCI and NRA sued, at least in part, because the FWS’s negative findings prevented U.S. hunters from importing Zimbabwe elephants harvested in those years.

Although the court determined that the previous administration had acted illegally, it will take some time before we know the effect the ruling will have on the ability of individuals to import elephants from Zimbabwe.

It is also uncertain how the FWS will respond to the court’s ruling and how long the entire process could take if and when the FWS engages in further rulemaking on the importation of elephants harvested in Zimbabwe in 2014 and 2015.  It is possible that the government will decide not to do anything, but that opens the door for hunting organizations to file petitions to try to force the government to propose a rule to lift the ban.  Questions also remain about how this ruling will affect the decision-making process for the importation of other species for which the FWS has made or will make enhancement findings.

While some things about the practical impact of the ruling remain in question – there is no question that the D.C. Circuit’s ruling is a victory for SCI, NRA and all those who recognize that hunting plays an essential role in conserving Africa’s wildlife.  The court’s opinion requires the FWS to include the public, including the hunting public, in the process of decision-making that affects the importation of legally-hunted wildlife.

Hunters and organizations like SCI and NRA will be able to provide information about the role that hunting plays in species management and conservation.  The FWS will not be able to impose uninformed, abrupt importation bans, like it did in 2014. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

A Doe for a Friend and Neighbor

By Glen Wunderlich

It’s uncanny how television hunters are able to take big game animals on the last hour of the last day of a given season.  The suspenseful shows add to the drama of a hunter, who’s spent a small fortune, yet has come up empty as the sun finishes its appearance for the day.  Then, out of nowhere comes a waltzing wall-hanger and the next scene is nothing but high fives and hero poses. 

Sure it’s real – just like the camera operator that somehow always seems to get to the downed animal first and records the “surprised” hunter locating the prize.  But, when there are no TV cameras, and a hunter finds success on the first day of a 90-day season, priorities change for the meat hunter in search of more.  So, it has been for this seasoned deer hunter. 

With a good buck in the freezer, it was time to repay a generous, non-hunting neighbor, who loves venison but does not hunt.  But, with a full three months remaining, faith provided patience.

What was left of the early archery season came and went with my only buck tag filled.  Regular firearms deer season had arrived without the usual anticipation, but that changed when I learned that my great grandson would accompany me on opening weekend.

Within the dark confines of a portable blind, we watched intently, as a buck fawn entered the brassica field a scant 30 yards from us.  Soon thereafter, another button buck emerged and headed toward the other one with its head down and spoiling for a showdown of wills.  I whispered to my greenhorn sidekick that there was going to be a tussle, and sure enough, a short match of toughness ensued and finished just as fast.

Then, five more antlerless deer came into view and promptly began feeding some 60 yards in front of us.  As we watched the interaction of the group, my inexperienced partner made a quick move that was picked off by one of the adults.  I whispered, “Don’t move”, as we became the focus of a stare-down.  The wise leader of the group became nervous and edged farther away from us – all the while tuned in to the mysterious movement within.  The teachable moment concluded with the group following the leader directly away from us with their lives intact.

Muzzleloading season seemed more like going through the motions of hunting, as I couldn’t help but anticipate the late firearms antlerless season for one burning reason:  field testing a new Ruger American rifle in .450 Bushmaster caliber.

On the second day of the late season, a group of five whitetail deer busted out from the timber, as one lone matriarch led the way.  There was nothing left to do but to find out if my paper-punching practice would pay off in venison dividends.  With a steady hold at 125 yards and a single squeeze of the trigger, that that $12 antlerless deer tag became a good deal – especially for my neighbor, who would get the heavy 3 ½ year-old doe.

Hunting

Spring Bear Hunt Over Bait

The animal-rights movement loves to tell the media and non-hunting public that the use of bait for spring bear hunting is unethical and unfair, resulting in a slam-dunk slaughter of animals. Nothing can be further from the truth.

Enjoy this episode of ScoutLook’s The Hunger series for a spring bear hunt over bait as Brian Lynn, Sportsmen’s Alliance vice president of marketing and communications, explains how the Alliance protects hunting, fishing and trapping during an especially challenging hunt in Idaho.

Hunting

Elusive Iowa elk put down Saturday by wildlife officials

An elk of unknown origin in eastern Iowa was shot Saturday afternoon to protect the Iowa deer herd and domestic livestock from the potential impacts of chronic wasting disease and other diseases.

The bull elk had been spotted in various locations in Dubuque and Jackson counties since it first appeared on a trail camera by Cascade in October.

Sightings of elk that had escaped from a captive herd are fairly common in Iowa and when an elk is spotted, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) works with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) to determine status of elk and the best available options. If the elk can be returned to the proper owners, then they are. If not, they then pose a risk to spreading CWD and/or other diseases and are dispatched. Captive producers from the area did not report they were missing any animals. Read more

Wildlife

Viridian Announces Giveaway with Remington

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. –– Viridian Weapon Technologies has launched a nationwide giveaway with support from Remington Arms Company, U.S. manufacturer of firearms and ammunition for the hunting, shooting sports, military and law enforcement markets. At the end of the giveaway, one lucky winner will receive a Remington RP9 handgun and Viridian X5L laser/light.

The Viridian X5L delivers a brilliant green laser that is visible day or night, indoors and out.  With a lean aluminum-body profile that fits pistols securely, this powerful laser and light combo features a 178-lumen taclight with beam intensity and explosive strobe. The X5L also provides a number of custom modes for convenient pre-programming and includes a TacLoc® holster with INSTANT-ON® activation.

Read more

Firearms, Optics

DSC Joins Bear-Ban Dismay: “Where Is the Science?”

DSC Joins Bear-Ban Dismay: “Where Is the Science?”

DALLAS– This week, despite a wealth of scientific evidence to the contrary, British Columbia moved to ban all grizzly hunting in the province, effective immediately. The reason for the ban appears to be the government’s “consultation” with “many British Columbians” who have declared the hunt “is not in line with their values,” according to a BC government news release.

The Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia (GOABC) has issued a statement decrying this decision. “It is truly disappointing that we throw history and science out the window for some urban votes,” said Michael Schneider, president of the GOABC. “We expect our government to make informed decisions based on the best facts and science. Emotional decisions are not good for anyone.” (www.goabc.org)

DSC has joined GOABC in several research projects in the region, specifically pertaining to grizzly bears. From this research that is still underway, there have been no indications that a blanket ban is warranted.

A previous ban, announced in August, took effect in November for a specific region. But this latest announcement limits all grizzly hunting to just sustenance hunting by First Nations, for food, social, ceremonial purposes, pursuant to treaties and Aboriginal rights. Read more

Hunting
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