Big smallmouth await Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series field at Lake St. Clair

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. — Summer is in full swing in southern Michigan, which means the smallmouth are starting to feed up just in time for the 2025 Yokohama Tire Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair according to Michigan native Aaron Jagdfeld.

“We had a late spring, so everything has been a little behind. But the last week or two, these bass are swinging into summer patterns and a lot more fish are getting grouped up,” said the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN angler. “They are getting fatter, and it should set up really well for the tournament.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if someone put together a total somewhere in the high 90s and close to the 100-pound mark.”

Tournament days are scheduled for Aug. 7-10 with tournament headquarters located at Brandenburg Park in New Baltimore, Mich. The 101-boat field will launch at 7 a.m. ET each day and return for weigh-in beginning at 3 p.m. The field will be cut to the Top 50 anglers after the Day 2 weigh-in, and the Top 10 anglers after the third competition day will compete on Championship Sunday.

The winner earns the $100,000 first-place prize and a coveted blue trophy. Read more

Fishing

SAF Seeks Supreme Court Review in Young Adult Handgun Purchase Ban Challenge

The Second Amendment Foundation and its partners have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for review in Brown v. ATF, SAF’s challenge to the federal ban that prevents adults aged 18 to 20 from purchasing handguns from licensed dealers.

SAF’s Petition for Certiorari highlights the circuit split that has emerged on the issue, with the Fifth Circuit striking down the law earlier this year in SAF’s Reese v. ATF case, while the Fourth Circuit upheld it in Brown. Joining SAF in the case are the West Virginia Citizens Defense League and a private citizen, Alec La Neve.

“The issue of 18-20-year-olds purchasing handguns is split between two circuit courts across the nation,” said SAF Executive Director and attorney of record in the case Adam Kraut. “Additionally, the circuit courts are split as to the ability of this age group being able to acquire and carry firearms more broadly. There is no doubt that adults under 21 are part of “the People” and therefore should be afforded the same rights as other adults, and in particular, be able to fully exercise their Second Amendment rights by purchasing a handgun – the ‘quintessential self-defense weapon.’ We are optimistic the High Court will agree to hear the case and end the confusion that permeates the rights of this group of adults once and for all.” Read more

Gun Control

Introducing the Elite Victra

Elite Archery is raising the bar for competitive archers with the launch of the Victra—a meticulously engineered target bow that blends cutting-edge innovation, refined shooter feedback, and next-level tunability into one Elite-level platform. Designed from the ground up to meet the demands of today’s top performers, the Victra delivers total confidence when it counts most.

At the core of the Victra is the newly engineered SPX2 Cam System, a next-generation design that enhances stability, load balance, and control throughout the shot cycle. Built with input from Elite’s professional staff shooters, the SP2X delivers a more refined feel at full draw—promoting a steadier hold and increased accuracy downrange.

Complementing the SP2X is the all-new Elite Micro Splitter Timing System, which empowers archers to fine-tune cam timing without a press. With just a turn of a screw, shooters can make micro adjustments on the fly—perfect for real-time tuning and maintaining performance in competition settings. It’s a streamlined approach that removes the guesswork from cam synchronization and keeps archers dialed in. Read more

Archery

Moultrie Announces Solar-Powered Trail Cameras

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – July 31, 2025 – Moultrie, the leading innovator of feeders, trail cameras and game management tools, announces its EDGE Solar trail camera. Moultrie’s new EDGE Solar is a camera that works as hard as you hunt, with a solar panel three times larger than the nearest competitor. The larger solar panel enables faster recharging, more photos and more videos without worrying about the battery drain.

In addition to its size, the integrated solar panel has turn and tilt capabilities. This allows you to dodge solar flares, delivering clear images. Competitors force you to “point” the camera and solar panel directly at the sun, without the turn and tilt capability.

Moultrie also includes a rechargeable battery in the new EDGE Solar, making AA batteries a thing of the past. Read more

Hunting

NBEF Releases Updated Educational Materials

Adds Crucial Saddle Hunting Information

The National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF) offers many informative products to increase success and safety for bowhunters. NBEF determined it was imperative to add hunting saddle safety information as more hunters explore hunting using these devices. The hunting saddle safety information can be found in the ‘Hunting from Elevated Stands’ section of NBEF’s Today’s Bowhunter instructional manual and Today’s 3-in-1 Responsibility Guide. The manual and guide are used during in-person and online bowhunter ed and hunter ed classes. Read more

Archery

New Muddy Mitigator 2.0 Cellular Trail Camera Delivers Photos and Videos On Demand

Muddy® Outdoors, a brand known for its versatile assortment of trail cameras, blinds, climbing systems, boots, apparel and more, announces the launch of the Mitigator 2.0 Cellular Trail Camera—a budget-friendly solution for game and property monitoring, now enhanced with powerful On Demand functionality via the Command Pro app*.

Building on the strong foundation of the original Mitigator, this next-generation camera offers hunters, landowners, and outdoor enthusiasts an affordable yet feature-rich way to stay connected to their property in real time. With the new On Demand feature, users can instantly command cameras to capture photos or videos directly from their smartphone, delivering instant insights into activity at their favorite locations. Read more

Hunting

Leupold Launches VX-5HD Gen 2 Riflescope Line

Leupold & Stevens, Inc., provider of the world’s most rugged, lightweight, and clear sport optics, is pleased to announce the launch of its new VX-5HD Gen 2 family of riflescopes, available now.

It only takes one—one that does it all. When you’re far from camp and seconds from your shot, you need a scope that’ll never let you down. The VX-5HD Gen 2 features Leupold’s Professional-Grade Optical System and delivers the absolute precision serious hunters demand. With a SpeedSet elevation dial for quick, tool-free zeroing, competition-grade adjustments, a redesigned maintube for increased elevation travel, an integrated throw lever, and ultra-rugged construction, the VX-5HD Gen 2 is the ideal hunting optic.

“The VX-5HD line has been the greatest value in riflescopes since the moment we introduced it. It outperforms everything in its class,” said Tim Lesser, Vice President of Product Development and Marketing for Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “But our team never quits innovating. The new VX-5HD Gen 2 still has everything that made it one of our most popular scopes and is adding several new features and enhancements hunters will appreciate.”

The VX-5HD Gen 2 is built around Leupold’s Professional-Grade Optical System, which delivers class-leading light transmission, glare reduction, and resolution. Guard-Ion lens coatings shed dirt and water for edge-to-edge clarity. Its incredible optical performance and new competition-grade precision adjustments–which mirror the award-winning aspects which define Leupold’s Mark series of riflescopes–ensure VX-5HD Gen 2 delivers repeatable accuracy and precision.

With the next evolution, the VX-5HD Gen 2 adds Leupold’s innovative SpeedSet elevation dial, eliminating the need for tools when zeroing or changing custom dials. By lifting the lever on the SpeedSet dial, hunters will be able to reset the zero on their elevation dial without having to use tools. The new dial features Leupold’s push-button ZeroLock system, preventing accidental dial movement. Every VX-5HD Gen 2 scope is eligible for one free custom dial to match your exact load, muzzle velocity, and environmental conditions. Leupold’s CDS system compensates for bullet drop and helps hunters make ultra-quick elevation adjustments on the fly. Additional dials are available for a nominal fee. Read more

Optics

August Hummingbirds

A clean feeder filled with a fresh 1-to-4 sugar-to-water ratio is all it really takes to attract hummingbirds (Ruby-throated Hummingbird photo by Paul Konrad).
Pictured above is an oversized illustration of an ant moat, which you fill with water and install above the feeder hanger to keep crawling bugs from accessing the feeder.

As indicated by the number of hummingbird-related birding festivals across America, starting in late July and continuing into September, the post-nesting period of hummingbirds is an exciting time for birders at our feeding stations and flower gardens. And there may be as many as twice as many hummingbirds migrating south considering the addition of recent fledglings. Read more

Wildlife

Smith & Wesson Unveils New M&P Shield X Series

MARYVILLE, TN. – Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ Global Select: SWBI), a leader in firearm manufacturing and design, announces today the release of the M&P Shield X series.

This exciting new sub-compact platform is the next iteration of the Shield series and is built around versatility. The Shield X is an ideal concealed carry pistol, chambered in 9mm, with capacities of 13+1 and 15+1 for standard models, and 10+1 for a compliant variant. It boasts an improved ergonomic frame design, including a lengthened grip, undercut trigger guard, and extended beaver tail that provides a better fit and feel no matter your hand size. Upgraded features include aggressive front and rear serration coverage for easier manipulation, a 3.6-inch stainless-steel barrel, and an Ameriglo® Trooper LumiGreen front night sight and blacked-out serrated u-notch rear sight. An integrated front rail and squared-off trigger guard allows users to mount a variety of light and laser accessories and an RMSc/K optics ready footprint provides direct-mount red dot capabilities. When utilizing an optic on the Shield X, Smith & Wesson’s ClearSight™ Cut is designed to divert gasses away from the red dot glass, preserving an unobstructed view.

“When designing the Shield X, a key focus was enhancing ergonomics to deliver a superior fit and feel across all hand sizes. Drawing inspiration from the Bodyguard 2.0, we introduced several refinements to the frame including undercutting the trigger guard, adding a slight beaver tail, and slimming specific areas at the back of the frame. Read more

Firearms

XS R3D 2.0 Night Sights Now Available for Glock Pistols with A-CUT

 

Fort Worth, Texas – XS R3D 2.0 night sights with green or orange dual-illuminated front sight are now available for Glock pistols with A-CUT™. These Glocks allow direct mounting of the Aimpoint COA red dot optic, and the extremely low profile of this R3D 2.0 sight (in the lower fifth of the optic window) results in minimal visual obstruction, making it an effective backup sight if the optic fails.

DIY installation of these sights is easy with simple hand tools, and there are dimensional enhancements that deliver a better user experience for Glock owners.

“We designed this R3D 2.0 rear to be slightly longer than the factory sight to minimize the area between the iron sight and optic lens – a space which tends to collect dirt and debris,” said Jeff King, Marketing Manager, XS Sights. “We also made the sides of our rear sight flush with the Glock slide to reduce snag potential while providing a cleaner, more streamlined look.” Read more

Firearms, Optics
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