Delta Waterfowl’s University Hunting Program Delivers Record-Setting Year

UHP teaches the importance of hunting to wildlife management students at 103 colleges across North America

Throughout the 2023-2024 school year, Delta Waterfowl’s University Hunting Program spanned the continent from the University of Northern British Columbia to Maryland’s Bowie State University down to the University of Florida and Texas A&M, and 99 more schools. Delta’s UHP continued its trend of rapid growth since its formal inception in 2017, achieving a record of 103 universities this year, with a total of 447 students in the program.

During the past 25 years, the backgrounds of most college students seeking degrees in wildlife management and biology have shifted. Previously, the majority of students seeking those degrees grew up in hunting and fishing families, or at a minimum, had exposure to outdoor pursuits. Today, however, it’s estimated that 70% of students pursuing these career paths have little or no prior exposure to hunting. Read more

Hunting

Weatherby Unveils the SORIX Semi-Auto Shotgun

Sheridan, WY – Weatherby, a leading name in firearms innovation, proudly introduces the SORIX Semi-Auto Shotgun, a groundbreaking addition to its esteemed lineup. Weatherby has been offering quality shotguns for over 50 years and the SORIX promises to elevate the shooting experience with a host of features designed for reliability, performance, and adaptability.

Key Features of the SORIX Shotgun:

MSRP: $1499 Read more

Firearms

APEX Shotshells Shine in Outdoor Life’s ‘Best Turkey Loads of 2024’ Tests

APEX Ammunition’s 12-gauge Turkey TSS and Turkey Ninja TSS.410 bore received high praise in Outdoor Life’s recently released “Best Turkey Loads of 2024” tests.

In the 12-gauge category, the test team patterned nine different 12-gauge shotshells at 40 yards through three different shotguns. The APEX GT-3 TSS 3-inch, 2 ¼ ounce, No. 9 load delivered the “best overall pattern” of all the ammo tested, delivering up to 270 pellets in a 10-inch circle.

The APEX Turkey Ninja TSS dominated the.410 category and was named “best overall load”, producing “excellent patterns from all three guns” with up to 156 pellets hitting inside a 10-inch circle. Read more

Ammunition

New License Requirement for Inland Fishing Guides Begins March 1

Beginning Friday, March 1, sport fishing guides operating in Michigan will need an inland guide license to take clients on guided trips on inland lakes, rivers or streams. The license is required for anyone guiding on any water except the Great Lakes, Great Lakes connecting waters and bodies of water with a surface area of less than 5 acres.

Great Lakes connecting waters refers to specific bodies of water in Michigan that connect the Great Lakes: the St. Marys River, the St Clair River (beginning at the Fort Gratiot Light), Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River (beginning at the imaginary line extending due south of the Windmill Point Light, Wayne County, and ending at the imaginary east/west line drawn through the most southernly point of Celeron Island). Read more

Fishing

InfiRay Outdoor Announces RICO Mk2 LRF 640 50mm Thermal Weapon Sight

iRayUSA, the United States Distributor of InfiRay Outdoor thermal optics, introduces the next evolution of the RICO (Rugged Infrared Compact Optic) line of thermal weapon sights – the RICO Mk2 LRF.

Built upon the original RICO Mk1 series, the RICO Mk2 LRF was designed with an integrated 1,200-yard capable rangefinder, a 60 Hz refresh rate, and increased sensitivity to an impressive ?20 mK. The RICO Mk2 features a high-performance 12 µm Micro II core, a 1,750-yard detection range, and an ultra-high-contrast 2560×2560 AMOLED HD display for an unparalleled viewing experience. Read more

Optics

NSSF-Adjusted NICS Background Checks for February 2024

The February 2024 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,343,478 is a decrease of 0.01 percent compared to the February 2023 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,343,593. For comparison, the unadjusted February 2024 FBI NICS figure of 2,336,390 reflects a 6.6 percent decrease from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,502,385 in February 2023.

February 2024 is the 55th consecutive month that has exceeded 1 million adjusted background checks in a single month. Read more

Firearms

Cuts to Wildlife Grants Underscore Urgent Need for Mandatory Conservation Funding

 

The funding Congress is expected to approve this week for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant program — at a moment when America’s wildlife crisis is accelerating — underscores exactly why Congress needs to pass mandatory funding for state, territorial, and Tribal wildlife conservation. The legislation reduces the funding available in FY24 for essential state and Tribal wildlife conservation funding by more than $1.4 million below what Congress approved for the current fiscal year. Read more

Wildlife

Great Lakes Fishing Decree Takes Effect

Updated guidelines for co-management of fishery resources in parts of Michigan’s Great Lakes are now in effect for the next 24 years. The new Great Lakes Fishing Decree was approved Aug. 24, 2023, by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. In the months since the decree’s signing, the State of Michigan and tribal governments have been preparing to implement the provisions of the document.

This decree is necessary because five tribes – the Bay Mills Indian Community, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians – reserved fishing rights in the 1836 Treaty of Washington. Those rights were affirmed by federal courts more than four decades ago, resulting in the need for a co-management framework that allows for sharing of the fishery resource. This decree is the third since 1985, and each one has included a fishery management structure that dictates who can fish where, when and how, and what can be brought home or sold. Read more

Fishing

DNR to Host Public Meeting March 14 on Proposed Devoe Lake Dam Removal

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will host a public meeting Thursday, March 14, to solicit feedback on the proposed removal of the Devoe Lake Dam, located in the Rifle River Recreation Area in Ogemaw County.

The meeting will run 7 to 8 p.m. at the Rose Township Hall, 3380 Lupton Road in Lupton. DNR staff will provide an overview of the proposed project, followed by an opportunity for people to ask questions and provide comments.

As part of a departmental effort to evaluate DNR-managed infrastructure and create sustainable resources for current and future generations, it’s been determined that the Devoe Lake Dam is no longer serving a useful purpose. Read more

Fishing
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