Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Carroll, IA – Volquartsen Custom is excited to announce the release of our Lightweight Barrel and Stock for the Ruger 10/22 Takedown®.
We have combined premium accuracy and a lightweight design into a complete drop-in kit for the increasingly popular takedown design. This kit includes everything needed to convert the Ruger 10/22 Takedown® into a lightweight tack driving set up. Read more
We all love antlered animals, but what is it made of?
By Austin Delano
Antlers. They have fascinated man since the beginning. Going back thousands of years, one can see man’s love for animals with antlers etched and painted on the walls of caves. Antlers were a trophy in a different way before they were used to decorate walls of our hunting camps and game rooms. Before modern civilization, antlers were used to make tools, ceremonial wear, and weapons just to name a few. So how do these intriguing bones grow? What are they made out of? How do they go from this soft looking, furry velvet, to a durable set of rock hard fighting gear? Read more
At 9 a.m. Nov. 18, conservation officer Richard Cardenas received a complaint that had been phoned in to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Report All Poaching Line about a deer that had been shot.
The caller said she was awakened by a loud thud against her house at approximately 3 a.m. When she went outside to investigate, she discovered a deer lying near her house between a woodshed and the back porch. She then witnessed her neighbor come into her yard, claim the deer and drag it by the antlers to his property.
After speaking to the witness, Cardenas went to the suspect’s residence next door, where he contacted the suspect and observed a bait pile in the backyard, with spotlights from the house pointed toward it.
Cardenas questioned the suspect about the deer in the back of his pickup truck, including about what time of day he shot the deer. The suspect first told Cardenas that he shot the deer at 6 a.m. After further questioning, the suspect changed his answer to say he didn’t know what the time was when he shot the deer. Read more
Cortland, NY…….Redding Reloading Equipment has completed their 6 year plan of expansion and upgrades to their manufacturing equipment. During that period manufacturing and warehousing space grew by over forty percent and the company’s inventory of CNC machining centers increased two and one half times. Significant increases in staffing also followed and the resulting production capability dramatically increased, easing the backlog, which had been created by the recent hyper-market. This growth in production capabilities and talented new employees has now allowed the company to again accept orders for new Custom Dies and sets. Read more
(Wilsonville, OR)– Crimson Trace, the industry leader in elevating laser sighting systems to standard equipment on concealed carry and personal defense firearms, now offers gun owners several avenues to education for those firearm uses. First-time gun buyers and female gun owners often are the leading groups seeking more information about firearms and shooting skills improvement.
According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s “First-Time Gun Buyers” report, one of the most important factors behind a first gun purchase is preparing for home- and self-defense. That NSSF report also indicates that “prior to purchasing a first gun, most (buyers) have had some form of instruction, formal or informal. After the purchase, approximately two?thirds of first?time gun buyers obtained some form of training for their gun.” Gun stores and other facilities across America report that concealed carry certification courses continue to be very popular and most classes are full. Read more
MISSOULA, Mont.—New statistics recently released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) show hunters and anglers generated $1.1 billion in 2014. That funding will be distributed to state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies to support America’s conservation and recreation projects.
“‘Hunting Is Conservation’ is not just a motto or a theme or a mantra. It’s truth,” said David Allen, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation president and CEO. “Sportsmen and women who hunt and fish are the people who generate the funds for on-the-ground conservation and wildlife management efforts from coast to coast.”
The funding is raised through the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration programs which place excise taxes on the sale of firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, fishing equipment, electric boat motors, and from taxes on the purchase of motorboat fuel.
“These funds are the cornerstone of state-based efforts that are critical to the preservation of America’s wildlife and natural resources,” said Service Director Dan Ashe. “But they are also the fuel for a massive financial engine that benefits outdoor recreationists, hunters, boaters and anglers, equipment manufacturers and retailers, and local and regional economies. Their value cannot be overstated in providing opportunities for the next generation of Americans to get outdoors, experience our wild places and learn the importance of conserving our natural heritage.” Read more
As this year’s open-water fishing season gets under way, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers that fisheries personnel will be collecting data (about anglers’ fishing trips) at lakes, rivers and Great Lakes ports.
DNR creel clerks will be stationed at boat launches and piers, asking anglers questions as they return from their fishing trips. Information will be requested on trip length, target species and number and type of fish caught. In some cases, creel clerks may ask to measure or weigh fish and to take scale or other bony part samples for aging. These data are key information in managing the state’s fisheries resource. Read more
BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. — An alarmingly large and rapidly expanding burro population is damaging wildlife habitat, crowding out wildlife species and incurring costs to state and federal taxpayers, according to testimony at the May meeting of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission in Bullhead City.
In addition to the animal’s impact to other species and habitats, Arizona residents are also being impacted by an over-abundance of burros, said Bullhead City Mayor Tom Brady.
“This is a significant issue that is having a direct impact on our community – and others around the state – and must be resolved,” Mayor Brady said. “Due to a lack of proper management, the population of burros is now expanding at an alarming rate and is creating a public safety and ecological concern for our residents.” Read more
Turnbull Restoration & Manufacturing Co. of Bloomfield, New York is proud to announce the introduction of a new line of 1911 pistols – the BBQ Series. These pistols are based on the classic 1911 design and feature Turnbull’s world renowned attention to detail and workmanship.
All of the styles have in common a 24 karat gold inlay of a crossed fork and spatula, the insignia of the BBQ Series and have a unique serial number that is hand cut with the BBQ designation. The Turnbull BBQ series of 1911s offers a choice of four styles of hand engraving on one of two frames. Each style offers the discriminating collector an opportunity to own a top quality pistol with classic engraving in the style that best suits the owner. MSRP on the BBQ Series starts at $5,000. All components are made in the U.S.A. Read more
There’s a very good reason iHUNT by Ruger remains the best-selling hunting app for smartphone users. Featuring high-quality animal and hunting calls with no audio noise, iHUNT brings the ultimate hunting call system right to a user’s mobile device.
To further increase the value of the premiere hunting call app available on Android and iPhone, iHUNT by Ruger has added the very popular Solunar Times, Activity log, Weather and Photo Sharing features that had previously only been available to iTunes users. Hunter’s can now plan their hunt using the Solunar times and weather, record the results on the activity log and share photos of their trophy with the iHUNT community. All this plus the ability to create an infinite number of playlists using the 600 sounds from 47 species and the ability to connect via Bluetooth with the iHUNT by Ruger speaker ensures a successful hunt.
A thoughtful design and presentation of feature options makes the iHUNT incredibly easy to navigate and use. With iHUNT by Ruger, hunters carry a high-quality calling system afield with the convenience of a smartphone.
The iHUNT by Ruger app features an unmatched selection of more than 47 animals and 600 hunting calls. The app has 40 different deer calls, 54 coyote calls, 37 turkey calls and 29 duck calls. There are even 26 alligator and crocodile calls on the iHUNT app. And that’s just a sample of the calls and variety of animal species. Read more