Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Top Five Holiday Gifts to Help Birds
Washington – Looking for that last-minute gift for someone who cares about birds? With 45 million Americans who enjoy bird watching, there certainly is a demand for such products. The experts at American Bird Conservancy have a few suggestions that can help solve that gift-giving dilemma and make a real difference for the thousands of bird species that call the Americas home. Read more
MONTPELIER, Vt. – The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department says it’s alright to put out those bird feeders now that Vermont’s black bears are sleeping in their dens for the winter. But, the department offers some advice about bird feeder cleanliness before you run out and buy that first twenty dollar bag of seed.
Fish & Wildlife says cleaning bird feeders on a regular basis is an important and often overlooked component of feeding birds so they don’t become sick. Read more
GW: I didn’t want to believe the Sportsman Channel was associated in any way with these poachers, and now I don’t have to…
The Illinois Conservation Police has issued a correction regarding their media release on Wednesday, December 3 that ran as the Top Story in yesterday’s Outdoor Wire detailing more than 130 charges brought against a TV show, its owners, pro-staff and guests. The original report, however, misidentified an outdoor TV network that aired the television show “Wired Arrow”. The show did not air on the Sportsman Channel as was stated in the release.The Conservation Police correction goes on to make it clear that the Sportsman Channel was not implicated in any wrong-doing in the original media release. The Illinois Conservation Police correction also apologizes to Sportsman Channel for the error.
It wasn’t our error, but the mistake is so significant we felt the correction deserved the same exposure and emphasis as the original report.
The .45’s making a comeback in the military after being shelved years ago in favor of the less-potent 9mm. Two great handgun choices are being considered. Details here…
WASHINGTON-As tens of thousands of African elephants and a record number of Africa’s rhinos are killed by poachers each year, African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) has established a US$10 million Urgent Response Fund to stop the killing of Africa’s wildlife, stop the trafficking of wildlife parts abroad and stop the demand for ivory and rhino horn products in Asia. The announcement of the Urgent Response Fund comes on the eve of Wildlife Conservation Day, established two years ago on December 4 by then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to draw attention to the wildlife poaching and trafficking issues. Read more
Introducing the new TORQ VLE – the most innovative combination of silence, safety and performance ever engineered into an off-road electric vehicle. Handcrafted in the U.S.A., the TORQ VLE provides a silent, driver-only experience that’s quicker, quieter, lighter and tighter than any other electric vehicle on the market. The TORQ satisfies one’s need for speed with a swift, silent and stable machine that leaves all others in the dust, while keeping driver safety the No. 1 priority at all times. This electric vehicle is ideal for hunters, nature lovers and recreational drivers young and old. Read more
Plano, IL (December 3, 2014) -Walking on ice to fish is nice. An unexpected plunge into the drink is not. In fact, it’s a serious situation.
Odds are you’re not “that” angler who takes life-threatening chances on lunchmeat thin or rotted end-of-season ice. But as with any extreme outdoor activity, there’s always the possibility of plans going awry and you find yourself in dire straits. And time is of the essence when frigid water and wintry temperatures suddenly encase you. There’s no waiting around for your buddies or emergency crews.
This one’s on you… You are your own best chance of getting out alive.
This Self-Rescue initiative is evident in Frabill’s new I-Series ice apparel. Every new I-Series jacket and bib sports a detailed Ice Safety Label sewn inside. You’ll be informed before embarking about how to avoid breaking through altogether. The Ice Safety Label also provides life-saving information, just in case that unforeseen circumstance should arise.
Need to know the ice thickness requirements for when on foot or motorized transport? It’s there. How about a listing of the four critical steps to self-rescue? You betcha. There’s even a reminder to always carry ice picks – the single most important piece of ice-safety equipment you can own.
Speaking of ice picks, Frabill’s so serious about your wearing them at all times that it has included a FREE set of Frabill ice picks with every I-Series jacket. And, those essential life-saving picks aren’t just slapped in the packaging, but already fitted in the garment’s custom ice pick holsters for immediate access and out-of-the-way positioning while fishing. Read more
GW: An innovative reward system that could prompt someone to come forward…
MAYBELL, Colo. – Colorado Parks and Wildlife is investigating three additional incidents of illegally killed bull elk in high-quality hunting units in Northwest Colorado, adding to three high-quality bulls illegally killed in Game Management Unit 10 in early November, near the town of Dinosaur.
Two bulls were found along Highway 318 late last week, northwest of Maybell. Both were estimated to have been killed before Thanksgiving and were entirely field dressed. The other was found several miles away on Highway 10N, south of Irish Canyon. Thought to have been killed at the end of the Fourth Rifle season, only the front shoulders and backstraps were removed from that bull.
With the known total of illegally taken elk in this area now at six this year, CPW officials are asking the public for help, reminding of a unique, CPW reward program available to anyone that can provide information about the person or persons responsible for killing the high-quality bulls. Read more
EAGLEVILLE, PA – Streamlight® Inc., a leading provider of high-performance lighting, introduced a streamlined, compact version of The Siege® lantern, the Siege® AA. The cordless LED lantern, which uses easily sourced AA alkaline batteries, is ideal for a wide variety of outdoor, safety, and do-it-yourself applications. Weighing about half a pound, it also is easy to carry and store.
The Siege AA features one white C4® LED and two red LEDs to provide five output modes. The new lantern has a polycarbonate, glare-reducing globe cover that makes it comfortable to use in close quarters without impacting vision, providing 360 degrees of soft, even light. With the cover removed, the lantern also can be used to illuminate large areas, either by standing it upright or hanging it upside down using the light’s bottom D-ring for easy attachment. The lantern will float when its globe cover is in place. Read more
GW: Some new offerings from a truly quality ammo manufacturer…
Few cartridges have generated as much immediate interest as the 300 Blackout. Standardized by AAC, this diminutive cartridge is derived from the 223 Remington. Intended specifically for use in suppressed firearms, the versatility of the Blackout has appealed to a much broader range of shooters than just the audience for which it was originally designed. Intended to drive 220 grain bullets at subsonic velocities, the switch to lightweight bullets such as the 125 grain offerings delivers performance very similar to the venerable 7.62×39 cartridge.
This makes the 300 Blackout potent enough for a wide range of shooting tasks, from certain tactical applications to many short range hunting situations involving medium sized game. The ability for many 5.56mm/223 systems to be switched over to the 300 Blackout, merely by changing barrels makes this an incredibly versatile combination. Read more