Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
DNRE check staions indicate about a 15 percent increase in deer kills in the Upper Peninsula during the regular firearms deer season; however, based on the past 10 years, these figures are still below average.
LANSING (AP) — Gov.-elect Rick Snyder plans to re-split the departments of Environmental Quality and Natural Resources, returning them to separate agencies with their own directors.
Snyder will formally announce the change during this afternoon’s news conference. He also plans to introduce the new directors.
Former agriculture director Don Wyant will become DEQ director, while DNR Science and Policy Office Chief Rodney Stokes will become DNR director. The current director of both departments, Rebecca Humphries, is leaving to work for Ducks Unlimited.
The new agriculture director will be Keith Creagh, a former deputy director who just retired.
Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm put state regulation of natural resources and the environment into one department under a 2009 executive order. Republican Gov. John Engler separated the duties into two agencies in 1995.
GW: EOTech’s innovative sighting systems have been around for a long time and at one time were sold under the Bushnell brand: HoloSight. However, Bushnell and EOTech have parted ways. I have used one of EOTech’s HoloSight optics on a custom SSK Industries .45-70 Contender for many years and love the system. The brutal force of the hard-kicking .45-70 custom loads I feed the Contender never upset the zero – and, when I say hard-kicking, I mean over double the force of the “wimpy” .44 Magnum. J.D. Jones, founder of SSK Industries, was correct when he said of his handcannon: “You’ve got a tiger by the tail.”
What makes the sight better than the dimestore red dots is that it works in low light situations – those critical to big game hunters. Cheap red dots, on the other hand, reflect the red light back into the user’s eyes when it starts to get dark, rendering the optics completely useless. In addition, cheap red dots subtend a larger portion, if not all, of long-range targets. Not so with EOTech’s adjustable dot.
Congratulations to a fine Michigan-based company for the military contract!
ANN ARBOR MICHIGAN – L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) announced today that the EOTech division has been awarded a $25 million firm fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ), non-competitive follow-on contract to provide its miniature day/night optical sighting systems in support of the U.S. Special Operations Command’s (USSOCOM) Weapons Accessories Program. Production of the units will be performed at the EOTech facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
“L-3 EOTech offers the only state-of-the-art holographic weapon sights available and fielded for the military market. We are proud to supply the military with innovative technology that provides our warfighters with both increased accuracy and situational awareness,” said Paul Mangano, president of EOTech.
EOTech’s unique holographic weapon sighting system is based on the same target acquisition technology used on aircraft. When viewed through a holographic sight, the soldier will perceive the reticle on the same plane as the target, eliminating critical sighting time and allowing the operator to instantly engage a target. This complex holographic sighting technology is currently only available in EOTech products.
In support of the Weapons Accessories Program, the L-3 EOTech line of sighting systems offers operators faster and more precise target acquisition capabilities when used with the small arms weapons platforms, as well as other individual and crew-served weapons. EOTech sights significantly improve the effectiveness of launchers by providing faster and more accurate targeting abilities through advanced holographic technology.
L-3 EOTech is the exclusive manufacturer and world leader of holographic sighting systems for small arms and is dedicated to continually producing high-quality, battle-tested products for U.S. servicemen and women. The sights are manufactured and distributed worldwide from the headquarters located in Ann Arbor, Mich. These advanced technology sights are used extensively by elite military groups, federal law enforcement, as well as state and local law enforcement organizations. To learn more about L-3 EOTech, please visit the company’s website at www.L-3com.com/eotech.
Bogart, Ga. – Trail-cameras are now one of the hottest-selling items in the hunting industry, but few hunters have unleashed their scouting camera’s full potential for advanced deer management and hunting. The non-profit Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) has published a book that links science with scouting, allowing trail-cameras users to expose new dimensions of whitetail behavior and population dynamics.
“Deer Cameras: The Science of Scouting” is a 242-page, full-color book with 12 chapters written by several of the nation’s top experts in deer management and illustrated with more than 300 trail-camera photos submitted by QDMA members.
A Dream Team of Authors
QDMA selected more than a dozen different contributors who specialize in using trail-cameras for management, research and hunting. They include wildlife biologists, wildlife consultants and a professional wildlife photographer.
Tracking Mature Bucks
QDMA’s “Deer Cameras” contains two dedicated chapters that teach you how to photograph elusive mature bucks. You’ll learn to predict their seasonal movements using the latest scientific knowledge about home ranges and core areas. Then, use the book’s recommended setup techniques to photograph and track mature bucks to enhance hunting success.
The Most Comprehensive Guidance on Trail-Camera Surveys
Trail-camera surveys are simply the most powerful deer management tool you can use that doesn’t require professional assistance. Surveys can reveal deer density, sex ratios, age structure of bucks, and even the impact of predators on fawn recruitment. QDMA’s “Deer Cameras” covers this method like no other source, with four dedicated chapters that take you all the way through interpreting results and applying them to your deer management decisions and hunting strategies.
Get the Most From Your Trail-Cameras
Learn how to choose the right trail-camera for your goals, how to capture the highest-quality photographs, and how to monitor other wildlife beyond whitetails. Additionally, learn stealthy setups for monitoring human intruders without cameras being discovered. Special sections even show you how to build your own “homebrew” trail-camera, and a four-page photo gallery helps you diagnose deer oddities you might see.
Like “Quality Food Plots,” QDMA’s first book, “Deer Cameras: The Science of Scouting” is heavy on photos, diagrams and charts to help illustrate key concepts.
“Deer Cameras: The Science of Scouting” is available for $24.95 plus S/H. To order, visit www.QDMA.com or call (800) 209-3337.
Deer Cameras: The Science of Scouting
• $24.95
• Soft cover
• 242 pages
• Full color
• Produced by QDMA, printed in U.S.A.
• 12 chapters
• 12 different contributing authors
• More than 300 trail-camera photos taken by QDMA members, plus nearly 100 additional support photos.
About QDMA
Founded in 1988, QDMA is a national nonprofit wildlife conservation organization with 50,000 members in all 50 states and Canada, and several foreign countries. Membership in QDMA is open to anyone interested in better deer and better deer hunting, and committed to ethical hunting, sound deer management and the preservation of the deer-hunting heritage. To learn more about QDMA and why it is the future of deer hunting, call 800-209-3337 or visit www.QDMA.com.
Contact: Lindsay Thomas Jr.
800-209-3337 or lthomas@qdma.com
PRATT, KANSAS – Deer hunters always enjoy the chase, but the ultimate satisfaction of taking a deer can be when the meat is served to family and friends. No hunter wants to waste weeks of practice, scouting, preparation, and bagged game, so once the deer is down and tagged and photos snapped, the work of caring for the meat begins.
No matter the weather, cooling a deer soon after the kill is critical. When weather is mild, hunters must take special care to ensure their hard-earned deer is pleasing table fare, and when cared for correctly, venison provides lean, healthy, gourmet-quality meat.
A quick, clean kill through the lungs or heart is important, and knowing one’s range and equipment combined with careful shot selection are the keys to a good shot. As soon as the deer is recovered, it’s also important to field dress the animal so that the carcass can cool quickly. Be careful to keep dirt, hair, and debris away from exposed meat while dressing and when moving the deer to the vehicle. Those who plan to process their own deer should hang the deer in a clean, cool building. It’s often best to remove the hide so that meat can continue to cool, particularly if the weather is warmer than usual. Hunters who plan to have the deer processed by commercial butchers should contact them as soon as possible to arrange for delivery.
A cool, clean place is essential for butchering. Many hunters like to age their deer, but a cooler is often needed for this. Aging is not necessary, but for those who prefer this method, venison should be aged at 35-39 degrees. Cooler than this, and the meat may freeze; warmer, and the meat may spoil.
With a little extra effort and time, successful deer hunters will enjoy months of rewarding venison meals. Remember: make a clean shot, field dress the deer quickly, cool the meat, and keep it clean.
GW: Be smart: Remvoe the tenderloins from inside the animal immediately after field dressing. They are strips that run against the backbone on the inside of the animal along the ribcabe. If you leave them, they dry out and the best part, albeit a small part, of the deer is wasted.
GW: For this time I am with the HSUS. Anti-hunters going after anti-hunters? I love it!
BOISE, Idaho — The Humane Society is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for anyone who can lead Idaho authorities to a rougue and taunting poacher.
The case involves the self-described anonymous poacher, who claimed in a letter to Idaho wildlife officials earlier this month to have killed a whitetail deer illegally, an antelope, and a turkey and that he will continue his anti-hunting ways.
The November 12 correspondence to Idaho Fish and Game officials also contained photographs of the dead deer and antelope and the promise to take more wildlife illegally.
Investigators indicate the letter was postmarked from Everett, Wash.
The reward is offered by the Humane Society of the United States and The Humane Society Wildlife Trust Fund.
GW: Makes sense to me. I’m sure the state will still receive lots of tax revenue from the the myriad anciliary items.
COLUMBIA — Gun buyers can save a few bucks this weekend during the South Carolina’s third annual Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday.
Shoppers looking for some handguns, rifles and shotguns won’t have to pay sales tax Friday through midnight Sunday during “Second Amendment Weekend.”
Accessories like ammunition, black powder, holsters and archery supplies are taxed. There also is no exemption for antique and collectible handguns, as well as handguns that do not fire a fixed cartridge.
South Carolina holds a tax break weekend for back-to-school items in August.
By Glen Wunderlich
Outdoor Columnist
Member Professional Outdoor Media Association
One of the difficulties encountered afield is repeating accuracy potential developed at the sight-in bench. Obviously, pin-point accuracy is not as important at closer ranges, but when stretching the limits of a firearm across a field or through the woods, every bit of precision is required to minimize the risk of bad shots.
Here’s a tip for those that shoot from any type of box blind, where typically, only some form of front rest is used. First, place a sandbag-type rest on the window sill opening. Second, get a quality bipod that will adjust from 24 inches and up. (I prefer one that will extend to 60 inches or more so that it can be used for different purposes later.) Place the bipod under the shoulder stock of your firearm directly in front of the swivel stud and anlge the legs forward slightly.
Once you get the firearm at the proper height, you’ll be able to fine tune elevation quickly by moving the firearm back and forth across the front rest. With the proper set up, the firearm can be held in place, hands free and be ready for action. And,if you need to move the set up to a different location, it can be done rather quickly.
You will be surprised how stable the hold will be!
Outdoors Magazine is actively seeking a photo to adorn the February cover of their magazine. Ideally the photo will display an adult and a young hunter together with a whitetail deer or other big game animal they have harvested. Other photos, such as fish and small game animals, will also be considered and should they not be chosen for the cover, could be used inside of the magazine.
Outdoors Magazine understands that for most sportsmen, the pursuit of their passions afield and the love of their family are closely linked. That is why the magazine is declaring February its “Youth in the Outdoors” month and will focus the February issue of the magazine on youth and families in the outdoors.
Photos should be submitted via email to amanda@elkpublishing.com. It is preferred that images be at least 300 DPI in size. For more information contact kyle@elkpublishing.com.
Leica Sport Optics is pleased to announce a new riflescope trade-in promotion. From now through January 31st, 2011, take an immediate $500 off the purchase of one of our brand new Leica ER Riflescopes when you trade-in a riflescope of your own at any participating, authorized Leica retailer in the US or Canada.
Program rules:
1) Trade-in scope must be functional: Clear image & reticle must be visible through the scope.
2) any brand/make & model accepted
3) promotion ends January 31, 2011
As you have come to expect the Leica ER Riflescope line is built to the same rugged and demanding manufacturing standards that our other products are subject too. Superior optical performance with unparalleled resolution & light delivery are guaranteed, but the ER will also hold up to the harshest conditions with the highest water-proof rating in the industry.
Available in two powers, 2.5-10×42 & 3.5-14×42, with 5 different reticles and three turret options, the Leica ER Riflescope line offers options for all shooters. Typical retail prices on these products range from $1799 to $2159, however through this fantastic offer you can own one of these same products starting as low as $1299 after your trade-in.
Don’t miss your opportunity to get your first Leica ER Riflescope through this fantastic offer!
• 1/4 MOA Adjustments
• 4″ of eye relief
• generous area of straight tube fore & aft of turret housing for easy mounting
• 48% more mounting area than many competing products
For more product information visit: Leica Sport Optics www.leica-sportoptics.com