Supreme Court to Hear Case Regarding Facebook Threats

 Posted Tue, 06/17/2014 – 10:38am by LLDovey

Many POMA members, outdoor industry professionals, and outdoorsmen have been the subject of threats on social media. Some so violent and graphic they make your skin crawl. The industry is so concerned that an impromptu meeting of industry representatives was held at the 2014 SHOT Show to discuss the situation and possible action. Now, the Supreme Court of the United States is involved. On June 16, 2014 the Supreme Court announced it would hear a case involving threats made over Facebook. Is this the case the outdoor industry has been waiting for to support? Read more

General, Self Defense

Beat those Mosquitoes

By Glen Wunderlich

If you have that outdoor bug – a hankering for fresh air and sunshine – there’s one ready to have you, too:  the mosquito.  Here are a few options to keep them from biting and  bugging you.

Years ago, the rage was bug zappers.  They did a fine job killing flying insects at night, but the trouble was that only about 2 percent of them were mosquitoes.  Turns out that mosquitoes are not attracted to light.

Then came the Mosquito Magnet® powered by a 20-pound propane cylinder that produces carbon dioxide and a secondary attractant and sucks the buggers into a trap.  It’s effective and expensive costing from $400 to over $1,000 and is as portable as a boat anchor.  Anyway, rumor has it that they’ll be outlawed soon by the government as a contributor to global warming, climate change or for causing mosquitoes to be doomed to endangered species status.

Popular choices are lotions and sprays containing DEET.  Just how safe this stuff is on our skin remains questionable at best, however.  Do you really trust a concoction of chemicals that will literally melt plastics and painted surfaces?  Yuk!

A safer alternative for the skin is Natrapel, which contains no DEET, but frankly it doesn’t last as long as DEET and is not recommended for clothing.

Spending time on the patio or in the garage, where the wind can’t blow the bugs off course, I’ve relied on a totally effective, inexpensive appliance called ThermaCELL.  It’s used as a mosquito repeller in your backyard or away from home and creates a 15 x 15-foot zone of protection.

  • Repels mosquitoes, black flies, no-see-ums and other flying insects
  • Registered with the EPA
  • No open flames or hot wax; safe to use
  • Comfortable: No smelly lotions, sprays, or oils
  • Convenient: Compact, portable, and easy to carry

Read more

Fishing, Hunting

Meprolight Introduces Erbium Glass Technology-Based Laser Range Finder

Meprolight – a leading manufacturer of Laser Range Finder systems, electro-optical systems, thermal and night vision equipment for military, law enforcement and civil applications – introduces for the first time at Eurosatory 2014, the new MEPRO LRF 20-70 – a compact, very fast, Erbium Glass Technology-based Laser Range Finder with a range of 20,000 meters and a repetition rate of 1 pps and 3 pps in burst mode. Read more

Hunting

SCI Foundation Hosts Director Of CAMPFIRE Association To Address White House Council, Congressional Caucus

June 13, 2014

Washington, D.C. – This week, Charles Jonga, Director of the Community Areas Management Program for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) in Zimbabwe came to Washington as a guest of the SCI Foundation.  He discussed the necessity of community involvement in wildlife management before the Presidential Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking (Advisory Council) and shared how hunting is an integral source of funding for CAMPFIRE programs. Additionally, Director Jonga addressed over 150 U.S. Congressional staffers at the International Conservation Caucus Foundation to inform policy makers on CAMPFIRE’s anti-poaching efforts, and to demonstrate the negative impacts created by the recent U.S. ban of elephant imports.

“The CAMPFIRE program benefits over 750,000 households across Zimbabwe. I was very thankful for the opportunity to speak, so that I could articulate just how severe an impact would occur if U.S. government policies continue to undermine our funding base,” Jonga said. “Organizations such as CAMPFIRE rely on American hunters as a primary revenue source to fund anti-poaching programs. The current ban will severely cut CAMPFIRE’s budget and our ability to protect elephants.” Read more

Animal Rights, Hunting, Poachers, Wildlife

Tahquamenon Falls River Trail re-opens after high water damage

Tahquamenon Falls State Park announced today that the River Trail at the park has re-opened.

River Trail repair workOn May 21, the trail was closed due to water levels three times higher than the average for May (according to the U.S. Geological Survey). Rangers and other park staff members have been working to repair the damage, removing fallen trees and repurposing materials from the old boardwalks and bridges to build new ones. “Our staff is dedicated to maintaining the safety of our guests,” said park supervisor Craig Krepps, “They worked diligently to repair the trail in an expedient fashion, allowing park visitors the chance to enjoy this popular trail this summer. Read more

General, Wildlife

Michigan DNR graduates 23 new conservation officers

Twenty-three recruits successfully completed Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officer training and graduated today, June 13. Ceremonies were held at the training academy in Lansing, involving the recruits’ families and academy staff.

conservation officer shieldThe 23 new officers now enter 18 weeks of field training partnered with more experienced conservation officers in the counties in which they have been assigned. The academy and ongoing support for the graduates is funded in the DNR budget through a General Fund appropriation approved by the Legislature and Gov. Rick Snyder. Read more

General

HSUS “Rescued,” Dumped Off Dogs

This from www.Humanewatch.org

It’s been a little while since we checked in on the federal lawsuit facing the Humane Society of the United States. No, not the racketeering lawsuit accusing HSUS of illegal witness payments—HSUS settled that one with its co-defendants for almost $16 million last month. We’re referring to another lawsuit, this one filed by Daniel Christensen, a hunting dog breeder in South Dakota whom HSUS “raided” in 2009.

In that case, HSUS assisted in the seizure of dogs from Christensen’s property. KELO TV reported at the time of the seizure that “Many of their [the dogs’] new handlers are from the Humane Society of the United States.” Scotlund Haisley, then the head of HSUS’s “rescue” team, told the media that “Under the request of the local authorities, we will now continue to provide care and medical treatment for these animals awaiting the judicial system.”

The judicial system spoke—and it threw out the warrant that HSUS used to seize the dogs (which was obtained by a local animal control officer). Christensen then sued Haisley, HSUS, and others for allegedly violating his rights. Read more

Animal Rights

Take Scouting To A Whole New Level With The Bushnell Trophy Cam HD Series

Overland Park, Kan. – Bushnell, an industry leader in high performance sports optics for more than 65 years and a market leader in the trail camera industry, has introduced three new Trophy Cam HD trail cameras. Leading the industry with a one-year battery life and superior image clarity, the Bushnell Trophy Cam HD and HD Max offer a host of valuable features in an aggressive new design.

Featuring black no-glow LEDs, an 8MP camera and high definition video (720p for the HD and 1080p for the HD Max), the Trophy Cam HD is packed with features to help hunters more effectively monitor game activity around the clock, including hybrid capture mode, a hyper passive infrared sensor (PIR) and an extended detection range. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

DNR offers tips for residents encountering snakes

This time of year, as snakes are out and about in the great outdoors, the Department of Natural Resources gets many questions about Michigan’s snakes. Michigan is home to 17 different species of snakes, 16 of which are completely harmless to humans.

 

There are two that are very similar and often cause a stir when people encounter them. Eastern hog-nosed snakes, when threatened, puff up with air, flatten their necks and bodies and hiss loudly. (This has led to local names like “puff adder” or “hissing viper.”) If this act is unsuccessful, the snakes will writhe about, excrete a foul-smelling musk and then turn over with mouth agape and lie still, as though dead. Despite this intimidating behavior, hog-nosed snakes are harmless to humans.

 

The eastern massasauga rattlesnake, the only venomous species found in Michigan, is quite rare and protected as a species of special concern due to declining populations from habitat loss. As the name implies, the massasauga rattlesnake does have a segmented rattle on its tail. It should not be confused with the other harmless species of snake in Michigan that do not have segmented rattles but will also buzz their tails if approached or handled. Read more

Wildlife
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