ThinkingAfield.org

Washington, DC – Today in a joint press conference held on Roosevelt Island, on the Potomac River just outside of the nation’s capital, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the formation of the Wildlife & Hunting Heritage Conservation Council which will serve as the advisory committee to the administration to advise on policy affecting every hunter in America. Safari Club International was present for the announcement and will seek to play a significant role on the newly formed Federal Advisory Council.

The Wildlife & Hunting Heritage Conservation Council is a joint advisory committee that will report directly to the Director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Sam Hamilton. The Council will be comprised of 18 members and 6 ex officio members from the hunting and wildlife conservation community. Those positions are defined to include representatives of the big game hunting community, upland hunting community, waterfowl hunting community, along with representatives from hunting guides & outfitters, the firearm industry, and the archery industry. The other eight positions will be filled by representatives of various land management agencies such as US Forest Service, Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Agency and Bureau of Land Management.

“The announcement that Secretaries Salazar and Vilsack made today takes a huge step forward in addressing the interests of the hunting community,” said SCI President Larry Rudolph. “SCI has worked for decades in Washington to ensure all hunters have access to public lands for hunting and has ensured the science behind wildlife management is based on continued sustainable use. By forming the Wildlife & Hunting Heritage Conservation Council, this administration will be receiving direct advice from the hunting community- the same community that has been advocating for sustainable use conservation since the days of Teddy Roosevelt.”

“SCI would like to thank both Secretary Salazar and Secretary Vilsack for their assistance in formalizing the Wildlife & Hunting Heritage Conservation Council. We look forward to working with this administration to carry forward the banner of our hunting heritage and sustainable use wildlife conservation,” concluded Rudolph.

The announcement of the Wildlife & Hunting Heritage Conservation Council will be placed on the Federal Register on Friday, Feb. 5, 2010.

The Australian maker of Yellow Tail Wine has pledged $100,000 to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the nation’s largest anti-hunting organization. This partnership offers further proof of HSUS’ work to spin its animal rights message in a way as to seem mainstream.

As HSUS states on its website:

“… the HSUS has paired with [yellow tail] for the “tails for tails” program. Through the end of March, you’ll see special [yellow tail] displays bearing The HSUS name and logo in stores across the country.

Through “tails for tails,” [yellow tail] is donating $100,000 to support us and our programs to help animals, including our Spay Day Online Pet Photo Contest.”

Alerted to this relationship, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) immediately contacted the American distributor of the wine, W.J. Deutsch and Sons Ltd., and urged them to ask Yellow Tail to sever its relationship with HSUS.

A copy of the letter the USSA sent to management can be found by clicking here. Thus far, the USSA has not heard from W.J. Deutsch regarding our request.

“This wine maker has fallen into the same trap as other companies who donate money to HSUS,” said Bud Pidgeon, president of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance. “They believe they are helping animals in shelters when in fact they are funding an agenda from an animal rights group that is largely divergent from the vast majority of Americans.”

Take Action! Sportsmen should contact W.J. Deutsch and Sons Ltd. and inform them that they disapprove of Yellow Tail Wine’s relationship with the HSUS. It is important that W.J. Deutsch and Sons Ltd understand that each dollar given to HSUS is another dollar that can be used to attack hunting, fishing and trapping rights. Further, tell them that sportsmen will be forced to select alternative brands if the relationship with HSUS is not severed.

W.J. Deutsch and Sons Ltd. can be contacted at:

108 Corporate Park Drive
White Plains, NY 10604
Tel: 914-251-9463
Email: info@wjdeutsch.com

Ask to speak to Bill Deutsch, W.J. Deutsch’s chairman or Peter Deutsch, the company’s chief executive officer.

For more information regarding the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alert Network, call 614-888-4868, or email Greg R. Lawson, director of communications at glawson@ussportsmen.org or Sharon Hayden, assistant director of communications at shayden@ussportsmen.org.

U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance
801 Kingsmill Parkway
Columbus, Ohio 4322929
614-888-4868
www.ussportsmen.org
info@ussportsmen.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Talon Hunting Hang-on Tree Stands and Brackets/Straps

Units: About 6,800

Manufacturer: Summit Treestands LLC, of Decatur, Ala.

Hazard: The tree stand can unexpectedly detach from the tree when the brackets fail, posing a fall hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received four reports of the brackets failing, resulting in reports of falls and injuries including broken bones.

Description: This recall involves Talon Raptor brackets/straps and Cabelas Realtree series hang-on tree stands with the Talon brackets/straps. A safety label sewn onto the bracket reads “Treestand Strap Assembly.” Tree stands involved in this recall have the following model numbers: rsEagle 82044, rsOsprey 82041, rsFalcon 82042, rsHawk 82043 and Cabelas Realtree Outfitters Series Hawk Deluxe 81509. Model information is printed on the tree stand warning label that is sewn onto the seat.

Sold at: Hunting stores and in catalogs nationwide from May 2009 through November 2009 for about $25 for the bracket only, for between $130 and $180 for the tree stand.

Manufactured in: USA

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the brackets and contact Summit Treestands to receive a replacement bracket/strap.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Summit Treestands at (800) 241-5559 anytime, or visit their Web site at www.summitstands.com

By Glen Wunderlich
Outdoor Columnist
Member Professional Outdoor Media Association

During the welcomed January thaw recently, I had an opportunity to take inventory of my hunting grounds and food plots. There wasn’t enough whitetail yellow snow for me to gather for next year’s cover scent, but the brief excursion proved worthwhile, nonetheless.

In the past it was difficult to understand why wild turkeys didn’t live in and around our luscious brassicas from November and beyond. I have seen them in huge gangs elsewhere, but for reasons unknown to me, they preferred picking remnant beans or corn in farm fields. I always thought that it had to be tougher to find enough forage to survive in the picked fields but whoever said turkeys have the ability to reason things out? At long last, however, they seem to have caught on to my fast-food smörgåsbord.

Late January finds the foliage of the turnips and rape still green, although no longer upright. Most of the fleshy root bulbs have been thoroughly sampled by the local deer population – some hollowed out entirely – but, because we plant several acres, there’s plenty of nutrition to go around into springtime. But, finally I spotted a gobbler. Then a half dozen peered toward me, apparently feeling safe this time of year from a comfortable distance. Before I snuck off, I had counted 13 longbeards.

I then moved to another area where we had planted two different brands of brassicas in parallel plots – one from an out-of-state vendor, the other from mid-Michigan’s Ed Spinnazola, who can be found at (www.deerattraction.com) or telephone at 586-784-8090; the difference between the two plots was startling! Ed’s Brassica mix produced above-ground flesh approximately four times the size of brand X. In addition, his mix still had forest-green foliage in late January (what was left of it), while brand X had long ago turned yellow, then brown, then gone. I am sold on the Michigan blend and will be sure to use only the Special Brassica Blend from Ed from now on. Ed also offers other food plot mixes that may be of interest; all can be found on his web site. Food plotters can also arrange shipment by calling his home number above. Ed will also be conducting a free Deer Habitat Management seminar on March 27th from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM at the Shiawassee Dog & Gun Club, 155 S Vitified Hwy, Corunna. The Shiawassee Conservation District asks that you RSVP at 989-723-8263 ext 3. And, if a free seminar isn’t enough, the Shiawassee River Branch of QDMA is providing a free lunch.

For another option to save on shipping of seed, you might want to consider meeting Ed Spinnazola personally at the Michigan Deer and Turkey Spectacular February 12 – 14at the Lansing Center, where he will be manning one of the myriad exhibit booths.

The Spectacular is a great way to get your questions answered by the pros, including Ed. And, if you go to the show’s website at www.deerinfo.com you can also download a $2-off coupon. Event producer, Glenn Helgeland has done his best to add new topics and speakers and demonstrations to this year’s event. New is a Tech Info Center covering nine topics with some demos, Mini 30- minute seminars, basics of hunting seminars for deer and turkey, and over 225 entries in the deer, elk, bear, and turkey contest are anticipated. A new list of seminar speakers and topics containing more than 40 how-to seminars including food plots and habitat improvement are offered. In addition, a live gun auction will be conducted on Sunday.

Producer Helgeland states, “We’re working hard to keep the show fresh and interesting with solid tech information and new activities. Exhibits and products, the trophy contest, and the seminar program are the old reliables, but even they are constantly tweaked.” Last year’s attendance was over 15,000 and offers something for all of Michigan’s outdoor enthusiasts including the following returning favorites:

Byron Ferguson – International archery trick shot
New Products Special Display area, which allows checking out new stuff without salesmen
Optics Hands-on Tryout area with expert help
Live animal display with wolf, bobcat, black bear, grizzly bear, cougar, and turkeys
Venison Butchering demos
Hands-on Shooting with laser firearms and archery equipment
Flint Knapping of stone arrowheads, knives and axes
Deer Skeleton Complete
Trail Camera Contest

There’s more to the show and the best idea for complete details is to visit the website mentioned above.

iPhone users can now download Winchester® Ammunition’s award-winning Ballistics Calculator for free. Winchester has taken all of the features and functionality from its Web site version of the Ballistics Calculator and developed a user-friendly interface for the iPhone.

The iPhone version of Winchester’s Ballistics Calculator will allow users to choose their type of ammunition and compare up to three different Winchester products with easy-to-read, high-tech ballistic charts and graphs. You can customize shooting conditions by entering wind speed and outside temperature, adjust zero marks for sighting in.

The Web based calculator is also live at www.winchester.com/ballistics.

“With so many of our customers using iPhones these days, it’s only fitting that we provide this feature to them,” said Brett Flaugher, vice president of domestic and international marketing and sales for Winchester Ammunition. “Having the Ballistics Calculator plugged into your iPhone while you’re at the range, or in the field will be a valuable tool. Users will be able to plug in conditions, test their ammo and then make adjustments, if necessary.”

Winchester teamed up with Quilogy, a St. Charles, Missouri-based IT and Marketing consulting company, to develop the state-of-the-art ballistics calculator for the iPhone. The Winchester ballistics calculator for the iPhone was designed to leverage the latest iPhone technology, such as the touch and tilt features; providing Winchester customers with a rich end engaging experience.

By Glen Wunderlich
Outdoor Columnist
Member Professional Outdoor Media Association

When overreaching governmental entities threaten Second Amendment rights, The National Rifle Association (NRA) has a way of reigning in power grabs. No matter how willful the opposition is to fundamental rights, the NRA is strong enough to fight back on any level. Most times, I applaud its efforts, but this time I am concerned that it may be crying wolf.

In the February issue of American Rifleman (its official journal), Executive Vice President, Wayne LaPierre, lays out an ominous scenario of global gun control by the United Nations (U.N.) in a piece titled “The First Step in Trampling Our Rights.” He points out how past U.N. representative, John Bolton, firmly opposed any transfer of rights in the name of global civil disarmament, which would, in effect, abrogate the Americans’ constitutional right to bear arms. Good for him. But, Hillary Clinton is “our girl” (her words) now and supports international control of the firearms and ammunition trade. In an official U.N. report by the George Soros funded International Action Network on Small Arms written by American Professor, Barbara Frey, she states, “Self-defense is sometimes designated as a right. There is inadequate legal support for such an interpretation…” in her assessment of international law.

However, as a sovereign nation, we Americans have rights that by definition are above all others and no treaty can, or will ever, change that. Here’s why: Hillary Clinton has no authority to enter into an international treaty; only the President has this power, but Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution authorizes the President “by and with the advice and consent of the Senate…provided two thirds of the Senators present concur.” Good luck with that one, Hill. But, let’s say it happened.

Under Article VI, paragraph 2 requires “…all Treaties made…under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby…” Scared yet? Don’t be.

The President has sworn to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. All Federal and State officers have done the same. However, the U.S. Constitution does not provide any authority for the U.S. to be subject to or bound by any “mandate” that abrogates rights guaranteed by our Constitution. Therefore, no treaty has the ability to supersede, and thus violate, any provision in the Constitution and would therefore be pronounced null and void.

There’s one final issue: We the people. No snake oil sales force will ever overcome the will of the people of these United States. And, The Second Amendment – the one right that guarantees all others – will come into play. And, if Ms. Clinton or any of her ilk don’ t believe it, just back us Americans up to the wall.

So, Mr. LaPierre, with all due respect, I’m not scared enough to check if the sky is falling. Heck, I’m not scared at all.

Second Amendment Foundation
12500 NE Tenth Place • Bellevue, WA 98005
(425) 454-7012 • FAX (425) 451-3959 • www.saf.org

MISSOULA – The United States has made its first response to a lawsuit filed in federal district court in Missoula to test the Montana Firearms Freedom Act (MFFA), passed by the 2009 Legislature and signed into law by Governor Schweitzer.

The MFFA declares that any firearms, ammunition or firearms accessories made and retained in Montana are not subject to federal regulation under the power given to Congress in the U.S. Constitution to regulate commerce “among the several states.” The MFFA is a states’ rights challenge on Tenth Amendment grounds, with firearms serving as the vehicle for the challenge.

This lawsuit to validate the MFFA was brought by the Montana Shooting Sports Association (MSSA) and Second Amendment Foundation (SAF). The suit names U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder as defendant, and is referred to as MSSA v. Holder.

The first response to the lawsuit by the United States is a Motion to Dismiss, submitted January 19th and considered to be a standard procedural maneuver in lawsuits against the U.S government. This motion seeks to avoid the legal merits by asserting that the Plaintiffs lack standing to sue, that a justiciable controversy does not exist, and that prevailing case law is against Plaintiffs.

MSSA President Gary Marbut, also a Plaintiff in the lawsuit explained, “The first import of this response is that the legal game is now on. There was some concern that the defendants would forfeit the game with no response in an effort to prevent this important issue from being adjudicated properly. We are now beyond that hurdle.” However, the Motion to Dismiss by Washington also seeks to sidestep proper adjudication.

SAF Founder Alan Gottlieb said, “We are disappointed but not surprised that the government would try to kill this suit on standing, rather than arguing about the merits of the case.”

The MFFA concept has gained traction across the Nation since its passage in Montana. Tennessee has enacted a clone of the MFFA, and other clones have been introduced in the state legislatures of 19 other states, including: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. . Ten or more additional states are expected to introduce yet more MFFA clones in the next few weeks. (See: http://www.FirearmsFreedomAct.com)

The U.S.’s Motion to Dismiss and Brief in Support are viewable at: http://FirearmsFreedomAct.com/montana-lawsuit-updates/

MSSA and SAF have assembled a litigation team for this effort consisting of three attorneys from Montana, one from New York, one from Florida and one from Arizona. Lead attorney for the Plaintiffs is Quentin Rhoades, partner the Missoula firm of Sullivan, Tabaracci and Rhoades. Other interested parties from both in and out of Montana are preparing to weigh in on this issue of national interest and national importance as amicus curiae (friends of the court).

Marbut commented, “The FFA concept has created a firestorm of interest nationwide. Lots of people and other states are watching carefully to see how Montana fares in this challenge to overbearing federal authority and to Washington’s attempt to control every detail of commerce in the Nation, especially including activity wholly confined within an individual state. That level of micro management certainly was not the intent of our founders when they gave Congress limited power in the Constitution to regulate commerce ‘among the states’.” (See: http://FirearmsFreedomAct.com/what-is-the-commerce-clause/)

MSSA is the primary political advocate for gun owners and hunters in Montana, having gotten 54 pro-gun and pro-hunting bills through the Montana Legislature in the past 25 years. SAF is a pro-gun foundation in Bellevue, Washington, established to press the rights of gun owners primarily in judicial fora. SAF has been a party to numerous lawsuits to assert the rights of gun owners across the Nation.

The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. SAF has previously funded successful firearms-related suits against the cities of Los Angeles; New Haven, CT; and San Francisco on behalf of American gun owners, a lawsuit against the cities suing gun makers and an amicus brief and fund for the Emerson case holding the Second Amendment as an individual right.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – State lawmakers have approved a special gun deer hunt for Wisconsin soldiers who missed the regular hunt because they were overseas.

The program announced Friday will link returning soldiers with landowners whose crops are being damaged by nuisance deer.

Representative Chris Danou of Trempealeau was the bill’s chief sponsor. He says a special hunt is a great way to thank the more than 3,000 returning soldiers for their service.

The Wisconsin State Journal says the original legislation would have allowed the additional season to run only from Feb. 4 to Feb. 7.

But lawmakers expanded the season substantially. Now veterans will be able to hunt any day between now and September that’s convenient for them and the landowner.

By Glen Wunderlich
Outdoor Columnist
Member Professional Outdoor Media Association

A friend asked me last week what I was doing now that deer hunting season was over. “Gettin’ ready for crow season,” was my immediate response. He laughed a bit and then said, “How do you get ready for crow season?”, somewhat inquisitive and somewhat as if he figured I couldn’t actually be doing anything to prepare. My “Loadin’ ammo” retort seemed to wipe that smirk off his face but most people still think there’s something wrong with looking forward to hunting crows. Now, I’m not talking about animal rightists, who are opposed to any form of hunting; the average hunter doesn’t get it either – unless, of course, he’s seen it rain crows.

I had never been very successful at bagging the crafty troublemakers but results began to improve when I re-read a segment of Bert Popowski’s “Crow and Varmint Hunting Bible” relating to shot size. One would think that heavier shot would carry farther and that magnum loads would do the sky-busting trick best, but it never worked for me. We’d drop one here and there but for the most part, the crows would get the last laugh. Bert indicated that it was a common fallacy for hunters to use shot that was too heavy, and for crows, even loads designed for pheasant were not optimum. Since Bert used number 9 shot, I decided to give it a try and that’s when results began to change.

What really surprised me was the length of some of the kills. Of course, that got me thinking. If 9 shot was capable of long-range success, bigger would be better. Not bigger in shot size but bigger in payload. So, this season our crazy crow club has graduated to magnum, home-brewed 3-inch bird blasting bombs carrying 1 7/8 ounces of shot.

We had to hand load the shells, because no store (or ammo manufacturer) has any demand for such a concoction. And, that’s understandable. The shot size is too small for larger birds, such as pheasant or turkey, and the magnum wallop would tenderize partridge and woodcock beyond recognition. However, since we weren’t interested in deep fried crowquettes, why not give it a shot?

With all the components gathered, I headed over to Shawn Weaver’s house with Matt Arnold (the other members of our crow-crazy clan) to manufacture our own brand of perforating punch. In short order, the assembly mission was complete and it was time for testing.

Although manufacturers do not agree on what pattern percentage constitutes a particular degree of choke (ratio of total shot in a load versus total shot within a 30-inch circle at 40 yards), there is agreement that full choke patterns fall within 65 to 75 percent. Since our pet brand contained an astounding 1097 pellets, patterning would be not be an easy chore but, since I wasn’t content to rely on what was stamped on my choke tube, it had to be done for reference.

Back home, another crow buster, Joe Reynolds and I, drew a crow outline on a large sheet of paper and stapled it to the backstop at 40 yards. One blast and it was back to the garage to begin the arduous task of counting holes. We sectioned off the target and a half hour later, when the counting was complete, a total of 676 pellets had hit the 30-inch circle making for 62 percent of the load. Although it was a little less than I had hoped for, the pattern density indicated the shot was a bit high and that some of the shot missed the paper. More interesting, however, was the number of holes in our flying crow outline: 106! Since only about 4 pellets are necessary to kill a crow, maybe it’s a bit of overkill. Then again, maybe there’s no such thing when it comes to crows.

More testing will be performed at extended ranges but it appears we may be on to something. Just don’t let any crows know what we have in store for them in a few weeks.

LANSING, MICH – MUCC today congratulated Becky Humphries on being named Director of Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE). Humphries will take the helm of the new Department on January 17, the date when it officially takes effect under Governor Granholm’s Executive Orders 45 and 54 of 2009, which recombined the Departments of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality.

While MUCC maintains strong opposition to the gubernatorial appointment of the DNRE director, the organization thanked Granholm for choosing a leader with a proven track record of supporting the hunting, fishing and trapping community. “We look forward to working with Director Humphries to create a Department that is more transparent, user-friendly, and effective”, said MUCC Executive Director Erin McDonough. “As we work to build a foundation for the future of conservation, wise use, and science-based management of Michigan’s natural resources, it is essential that we have a Director with the leadership skills, commitment to resource management and passion for our outdoor heritage that Rebecca Humphries possesses.”

McDonough also emphasized the importance of hiring a Director who is knowledgeable and respectful of the user-pay system. “Director Humphries has frequently displayed a commitment to making sure restricted funds generated by license fees are spent appropriately. In an era where budgets slashes are the norm instead of the exception, MUCC is confident that Director Humphries will defend attempted diversions of these restricted funds.”