Bear license drawing results posted; leftover licenses on sale in July

The Department of Natural Resources today announced that the results of the 2015 bear hunting license drawing have been posted at www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings. A total of 6,951 bear licenses were available during the bear application period (May 1-June 1).

A total of 112 leftover bear licenses are still available in the Bergland Management Unit (Sept. 25-Oct. 26) and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis as follows: Read more

Hunting

Results of elk-hunting license drawing posted on DNR website

The Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters to check their 2015 elk license drawing results, now available on the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings.

Two elk seasons will be held in 2015. The first season will run Aug. 25-28, Sept. 11-14 and Sept. 25-28. The second season will run Dec. 5-13. An additional season may be held Jan. 13-17, 2016, if the DNR determines the harvest insufficient to meet management goals. Read more

Hunting

DNR begins mapping widespread spruce budworm defoliation

Caterpillars stop feeding; tree owners urged to wait to assess damage

Michigan Department of Natural Resources forest health staff is in the process of mapping the extent of this year’s spruce budworm spruce budwormdamage to balsam fir and white spruce in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula.

The last widespread outbreak of the insects in Michigan ended during the 1980s. Experts think we may be seeing the beginning of a new epidemic that will persist over the next several years.

“The spruce budworm has finished feeding for the year in most areas,” said Bob Heyd, a DNR forest health specialist in Marquette. “There are a few larvae still chewing on needles, but most have turned into pupae.”

Over the past few years, countless trees have been damaged by the budworm, which is one of the most destructive native insects in the northern spruce and fir forests of the eastern United States and Canada. Read more

Wildlife

Vermont Reports Monarch Butterflies at Dangerously Low Levels

MONTPELIER, Vt. – Monarch butterflies are in decline nationwide, and may be approaching dangerously low levels.

Monarchs have declined nearly 80% in the 21 years researchers have been monitoring their wintering populations, from a high of up to one billion butterflies in the 1990s to roughly 56 million today, according to a recent report from the Xerces Society.

But according to Mark Ferguson, a biologist for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, Vermont may play an important role in the continued efforts at monarch conservation.

“Vermont’s meadows and old fields provide habitat for milkweed, which is a critical food source for monarchs,” said Ferguson. “In contrast, increasing levels of herbicide use in large-scale agriculture in the Midwest appear to have greatly reduced the abundance of milkweed in that part of the country, which historically produced half of the monarchs in eastern North America.”

Monarchs lay eggs on milkweed and feed on milkweed as caterpillars. Most eastern monarchs overwinter at a single site in the mountains of central Mexico. According to Ferguson, monarchs need to reproduce several times during their north-bound migration, and require milkweed at each of these sites. Read more

Wildlife

CVA ACCURA V2-LR in Realtree MAX-1

COLUMBUS, GA– The CVA ACCURA V2-LR, available in Realtree MAX-1, stands out among all break-action muzzleloaders on the market today.

Its premium, custom quality Bergara Barrel is recognized as the most accurate production muzzleloader barrel in the world, and is now available in Nitride treated 416 grade stainless-steel. The ACCURA V2-LR rifle also includes CVA’s patent-pending QRBP “Quick-Release Breech Plug” – the only such breech plug on the market that can be easily removed with your fingers and no tool. Plus, the ACCURA V2 stock and forestock are upgraded with a SoftTouch coating and rubber grip panels – making it comfortable and secure even in the foulest weather. Read more

Firearms

California Ammunition Ban Effective July 1

Nonlead Ammo PosterStarting July 1, 2015, nonlead ammunition will be required when hunting on all California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) lands and for all Nelson bighorn sheep hunts anywhere in the state.

CDFW reminds hunters who plan to hunt bighorn sheep or at any CDFW wildlife area or ecological reserve where hunting is allowed on or after July 1, 2015 to acquire nonlead ammunition well ahead of their hunt. Hunters are also encouraged to practice shooting nonlead ammunition to make sure firearms are sighted-in properly and shoot accurately with nonlead ammunition. Nonlead ammunition for some firearm calibers may be in short supply so hunters should plan accordingly. Read more

Ammunition, Hunting

GSM Shipping GXW Game Camera

Wireless Image Transmission to Mobile Devices

Grand Prairie, TX- Stealth Cam, introduced in the year 2000, quickly became the leader in scouting camera innovation. Continuing to advance technology to the next level, Stealth Cam introduces the next generation of feature-packed scouting camera for 2015 advanced scouting cams, the GXW. This 12.0 Megapixel- 3 resolutions; 12.0mp, 8.0mp, 4.0mp, integrates 45 ‘BLACK’ IR emitters with a 100-foot range making it great tool for land management, property security, or for hunters tracking potential trophies through their mobile devices. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Rollermag from ProMag

PROMAG® DOMINATES AR MARKET WITH THE NEW ROLLERMAG®

PHOENIX, ARIZONA — NOW SHIPPING! The new PROMAG® Rollermag™ RM30 magazine reinvents the wheel by adding them to their NEW friction-free, anti-tilt follower. This revolutionary Rollerfollower™creates a smooth, rolling, controlled feed for maximum friction reduction in the TECHNAPOLYMER™ magazine body. The guided, anti-tilt follower rolls smoothly without contact to the body, only the stop. Read more

Firearms

UTG Introduces Vanquish 700 Long Range Flashlight

Libre means freedom. UTG’s new EL700 High Lumen Flashlight with L.I.B.R.E. (Light with Integrated Brightness Regulated Emitter) Dimming Technology places the amount of visible light firmly in the user’s hand, giving you the freedom to adapt to your surroundings and granting you maximum situational control. State of the art circuit board design, advanced mounting solutions, and superior handling performance combine to make this the flagship of UTG’s new illumination line up. One click of the soft textured end cap button unleashes a powerful 700 lumens of white light capable of illuminating a target out to 400 yards effectively. When less light is needed, a Lumen Control Pad placed strategically on the center main body allows you to scale the brightness all the way from 700 lumens down to 20 lumens any time you need. In any environment you want to adapt to, simply press and hold the pad until the desired brightness is reached. Should a threat be encountered, a double- click on the Lumen Control Pad will ignite an aggressive rapid strobe mode that can temporarily blind or confuse an aggressor or serve as a distress beacon in emergency situations. Read more

Firearms, Optics

Pulsar Debuts Digital Night Vision Riflescope with Built-in Laser Rangefinder

(MANSFIELD, TEXAS) Pulsar is known for producing the world’s first digital night vision riflescope – the Digisight. Over the years the Digisight has become a best seller worldwide. The company has strived to continually improve the riflescope, adding new features and enhancing its performance. New for 2015, the company is proud to announce the release of the Digisight 850 LRF, a digital NV riflescope featuring a built-in laser rangefinder.

Measuring distance at longer range is always a challenge, but the Digisight 850 LRF is ready for the challenge. With a maximum measuring range of over 400 yards and accuracy of ±1m, the built-in rangefinder allows you to estimate distance to your target long before the target sees you. The rangefinder features not only single mode on a single object, but also scanning mode, suitable for tracking fast moving targets or targets located far from each other. This makes the scope ideal for predator and varmint applications like hog and coyote hunting.

Other innovative features include the THD and AoE functions. THD shows true horizontal distance and is helpful for mountain landscapes, when shooting from high stands, taking into account the shooter’s angle of elevation (AoE) relative to the target. The ability to switch between units of measurement (m/y), and a selection of range finding indicators is also available in the riflescope’s menu. Read more

Optics
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