ThinkingAfield.org

By Glen Wunderlich
Outdoor Columnist
Member Professional Outdoor Media Association

Senator Diane Feinstein and another Democrat from Maryland, Benjamin Cardin, have introduced legislation aimed at curtailing aerial shooting of wolves in Alaska. It’s mind boggling how a couple of city slickers such as these two could conjure up a scheme to manage wildlife better than the experts in the Alaska Division of Fish and Game, Wildlife Conservation, but they’re giving it their best shot.

You’d think that Alaska’s wildlife biologists might want to have a say in the matter, and they do: “Wolves and bears are very effective and efficient predators on caribou, moose, deer and other wildlife. In most of Alaska, humans also rely on the same species for food. In Alaska’s Interior, predators kill more than 80 percent of the moose and caribou that die during an average year, while humans kill less than 10 percent.
In most of the state, predation holds prey populations at levels far below what could be supported by the habitat in the area. Predation is an important part of the ecosystem, and all ADF&G wolf management programs, including control programs, are designed to sustain wolf populations in the future.

The Alaska Board of Game approves wildlife regulations through a public participation process. When the Board determines that people need more moose and/or caribou in a particular area, and restrictions on hunting aren’t enough to allow prey populations to increase, predator control programs may be needed. Wolf hunting and trapping rarely reduces wolf numbers enough to increase prey numbers or harvests.”

Feinstein, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and Defenders of Wildlife counter this way: “Shooting wildlife from airplanes is not sport…It undermines the hunting principle of a fair chase…”

Fair chase can be defined as a snarling pack of wolves running down a defenseless infant moose. That’s about as fair as it gets in the wild and apparently, as long as a wolf does the killing, it doesn’t matter how gruesome the kill is. For lunatics on the left, being eaten alive is a better way to go than being shot from an airplane. It just doesn’t seem to make sense to me, however, – even given the likelihood that not all aerial attempts will make for instant kills.

Employing bow and arrow would seem to fit Feinstein’s definition of a fair-chase type of hunt, but how many people are signing up for wolf hunting with archery equipment? Fair chase tends to lessen the odds of a kill by a hunter. But when the issue is control – and, make no mistake, wolf control is Alaska’s issue – the most effective method must be used: aerial shooting.

But, Feinstein’s proposal provides an exception to allow airborne hunting during biological emergencies, which is defined as a case where a wildlife population’s sustainability is significantly threatened by an excess of predators.

Notice there is no mention about people, just animals. You see, the people in remote areas of Alaska aren’t able to get jobs at the mall and then parlay their pay into ground chuck at Kroger. These Americans eat from the bounty of the land to survive.

But, this isn’t about them, is it? It’s about one component of a fractional element and special interest groups being paid back for their political funding and support of cooperating candidates. In fact, this issue typifies how the Democrat party has become no more than a conglomeration of whiners asking what the government can do for them. John Kennedy, how did your party get your most famous quote so goofed up?

What makes perfect sense is that if hunting is practiced, the HSUS is against it. That’s always its common denominator. And, it doesn’t matter to them if sustenance hunters are going hungry, as long as hunters cannot hunt.

So, instead of using volunteers who pay for the privilege to participate in game management, Feinstein and her comrades will pay government employees to do the job with taxpayers’ money but only when the animals – not the Alaskans – are in peril.

I’m sure Feinstein will praise the job-making maneuver just when jobs are needed most! I wonder why the ignorant Alaskans didn’t think of this.

This from the National Shooting Sports Foundation…

United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator John Ensign (R-NV), Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons (R), Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid and Commissioner Tom Collins joined with senior executives from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) — the trade association for the firearms industry — in dedicating to Clark County (NV) 178 acres of the Clark Country Shooting Park (CCSP) as a public module.

Set to open later this year, the CCSP public module includes:

Shotgun Center: This feature contains 24 combination Trap and Skeet fields, a 5,443-square-foot shotgun center with a reception area, a pro shop, shotgun storage lockers and a cafeteria. It also features 80 full-service RV sites, a clay target storage building, lit ranges and shade ramadas.

Public Rifle/Pistol Center: The Public Rifle/Pistol Center offers 30 shooting points up to 50 yards; 15 shooting points up to 200 yards; 15 points up to 100 yards, night lights, shade ramadas, concrete shooting tables, covered shooting areas, a 3,000-square-foot building with a convenience store, a reception area, a 30-seat classroom, restrooms and a pro shop.

Hunter Education Center: This 4,400-square-foot building contains three 30-seat classrooms expandable up to one 90-seat classroom, two offices for Nevada Department of Wildlife use, and restrooms. It also features night lighting, a 100-meter archery range with 10 positions, a 100-yard range with 10 positions and a 50-yard range with 20 positions. It will also contain a shotgun range and two walking field courses.

Archery Center: The Archery Center houses a known-distance archery range, covered firing points, classroom area, restrooms, and shade ramadas.

“As the largest shooting park in the world, this state-of-the-art facility represents Nevada’s pride in gun ownership and shooting sports,” Senator Reid said. “In addition to providing a safe place for Nevadans to hone their shooting skills, the park will provide important firearms training and gun safety programs. I am glad to have been a part of securing land and funding for this project and I thank everyone involved with the project for making it a reality.”

The CCSP is a member of NSSF’s Association of Shooting Ranges (NASR), the National Rifle Association (club member) and the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. The NASR is the leader in shooting range management and operations and has established a “five star” program, which sets standards for recreational shooting ranges. The CCSP has been designed to meet and exceed this “five star” rating.

“We congratulate the people of Nevada on establishing a premiere shooting facility where all law-abiding Nevadans, and visitors to the Silver State, will have an opportunity to engage in firearms training and the shooting sports,” said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. “We as an industry are thankful to the many legislators at the federal, state and local levels of government who have played a role in helping to develop the CCSP. In particular, we would like to thank Sen. Reid for his outstanding leadership in this regard.”

The general manager for the CCSP is Don Turner, who has been an officer of the NASR and has previously served as Chief Rangemaster for the Ben Avery Shooting Facility (Arizona) and the statewide project leader for shooting ranges in Arizona.

“In 2002, Sen. Reid and Sen. Ensign, Rep. Gibbons (now Governor), and Rep. Berkley submitted a bill to transfer 2,900 acres of land to Clark County specifically for this shooting park,” Turner said. “All of the shooters in Nevada appreciate their help, the great support from the Clark County Board of County Commissioners and our very dedicated 30-member Citizen Advisory Committee for allowing this facility to be realized. There can be no doubt that the CCSP is a community project with tremendous backing from the public.”

By Glen Wunderlich
Outdoor Columnist
Member Professional Outdoor Media Association

After careful consideration, I chose to hold off on this year’s food plot seeding and had become concerned that I had made a foolish mistake. Almost like a real farmer, I watched the weather and became fearful of the forecasted, unseasonable heat wave of early August into the 90s. I was afraid that any tender brassica seedlings, unfortunate enough to have germinated, would be baked alive. Then the rains came. Over three inches of Mother Nature’s finest elixir would have meant certain pooling with tiny turnip seeds floating and settling in gobs. I was glad, but I still wasn’t sure my delay tactics made sense.

That’s when I phoned a friend, Jack Logan, the king of corn and other food plant matters. He didn’t answer, so I left a detailed message. On Saturday morning, August 8th my friend, Joe, his dog Cocoa, and I navigated our way to Corunna Mills through the fierce deluge for some birdseed. Once inside the grain elevator’s door, I spotted owner, Dick Demerly, just waiting for someone to ask him a question.

When I mentioned my apprehension, Dick said to plant the seed as soon as possible. Jack Logan returned my call and concurred. Great! Now that I had my answer, the heavy rains were forcing me to wait. Fortunately however, the food-plot site for this year’s planting is well-drained and rather sandy. As soon as the weather broke, Joe and I surmised the situation on location and decided to spin some seed that afternoon.

I readied my 1954 Ford NAA with a chain-link and board drag attachment so that the soil could be smoothed before broadcasting the seed. The soil was understandably heavy, so when I began working the field, I moved the 3-point hitch as high as it would go to reduce drag. Joe and Cocoa marched back and forth spreading potential. As soon as they finished, I completed one more pass to cover the seed ever so slightly and began hoping for the best. Although there were some areas that were too wet to negotiate, we were able to sprinkle the seed into 90-percent of the plot.

Even though my small-scale “farming” operation pales in comparison to what farmers contend with all year, every year, it gives me a profound appreciation for what they do on a regular basis. Everyone understands the factor weather plays in good crops. However, few may realize how much expense and energy is at stake.

This year’s food plot work began last fall with a spraying of glyphosate (the active ingredient in RoundUp or generic equivalents) to kill off existing vegetation. Although the cost has come down since last year, it is still an expensive proposition to spray.

Then there’s the tilling, which was performed last fall and several times this season in order to avoid more expensive sprays. In mid-July one final spray was applied to kill recently sprouted weeds. Expensive applications of 19-19-19 fertilizer and peletized lime were completed and worked into the soil so that the brassicas would flourish. And, finally the cost of the seed is added to the fragile equation.

My little food plots are more recreational than anything else. Yet, I pause to consider how fortunate all of us are to be able to rely on farmers that gamble with the weather and other market conditions to bring us what we need to survive.

There are no shortcuts to the expense and hard work. Skimping on any one of the elements necessary to successful farming and all is wasted. And, even if all the rules are followed and all the requisite cash is spent in preparation, it matters not if Mother Nature does not cooperate. Hats off to the farmers that have the nerve.

Glen Wunderlich: Pushing this issue now makes good sense. Another liberal Supreme Court appointee will tip the scales of justice strongly to the port side and resultant rulings will reflect a radical departure from Constitutional principles. Go get ’em boys!

BELLEVUE, WA – The Montana Shooting Sports Association (MSSA) and the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) have formed a strategic alliance to litigate the principles of the Montana Firearms Freedom Act (MFFA), passed by the 2009 Montana Legislature and signed into law by Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer.

The MFFA declares that any firearms made and retained in Montana are not subject to any federal authority, resisting Congress’s dramatically expanded use of the interstate commerce clause to justify Washington’s regulation of virtually all of the private economy. The MFFA also applies to firearm accessories and ammunition.

MSSA is most well-known for advancing pro-gun and pro-hunting bills in the Montana Legislature, and has been successful with 54 pro-gun and pro-hunting measures 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 primary purpose of the MFFA is to set up a legal challenge to federal power under the commerce clause. MSSA and SAF expect to mount this legal challenge by filing a suit for a declaratory judgment to test the principles of the MFFA in federal court on October 1st, the day the Montana law becomes effective.

The concept of the Firearms Freedom Act has caught fire nationwide. Tennessee has passed a clone of the MFFA. Other clones have been introduced in the legislatures of Alaska, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Minnesota and Michigan. Legislators in 19 other states have indicated that they will introduce MFFA clones soon or
when their legislatures next convene. See: http://firearmsfreedomact.com

This wave of interest across the Nation is what the federal judiciary calls “emerging consensus” and will play an important role in validating the principles of the MFFA.

MSSA president Gary Marbut commented, “We’re excited to get the MFFA into court to articulate and argue the principles of freedom and states’ rights. It’s especially encouraging that people in so many other states are getting tickets to ride this particular freedom train. It will be an interesting journey, and we hope successful one.”

SAF founder Alan Gottlieb added, “This is an issue that needs public attention because it challenges federal intrusion into an area where the federal government clearly, and literally, has no business.”

The MSSA/SAF legal team is currently working up its arguments and litigation strategy. The team has identified several areas of rationale’ that have never been discussed before in cases about Congress’s commerce clause power. The general thesis is that Washington has gone way overboard in attempting to regulate the
internal affairs of states under the strained theory that states’ internal activities are related to interstate commerce.

Although the MFFA addresses firearms, ammunition and firearm accessories specifically, it is primarily about states’ rights and the commerce clause power of Congress. Firearms are the object; states’ rights and freedom are the subject.

Seattle gun owners can take much credit for the ouster of anti-gun Mayor Greg Nickels in this week’s primary election, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said this morning following what amounted to a concession speech at his press conference.

Nickels came in third in the city’s “Top Two” primary, signaling that voters in Seattle were fed up with his bully pulpit style, and perhaps more than anything, his arrogance, said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. No single episode has better underscored that haughtiness than the mayor’s open defiance of Washington State law that denied him the authority to set up the city’s own restrictive gun laws.

“When the mayor announced last year that he would ban legally-carried firearms from city property when he knew it would be contrary to the state’s preemption statute,” Gottlieb recalled, “it made tens of thousands of Seattle gun owners furious. Nickels insulted their intelligence by promising to ban guns by executive order, which is the height of municipal contempt for the rights of citizens under the state Constitution. He literally threw away their votes.”

CCRKBA Projects Director Thomas McKiddie, a West Seattle resident, said he and his gun-owning fellow Seattleites had simply had enough of the mayor’s condescension toward their rights to be safe on city streets, in parks and on other public property.

“I don’t know a single gun owner in Seattle who voted for Nickels,” McKiddie said. “After he threatened an executive order, he lost the nerve to actually issue one because he knew he would lose that fight in court. Instead, he included gun prohibitions in use contracts for the Seattle Center and other venues. He knew a citywide ban would be unenforceable, and his ouster demonstrates that Seattle gun owners were having none of it.”

“We hope this sends a signal to Nickels’ successor,” Gottlieb observed, “that stirring the wrath of gun owners is a mistake. This week’s primary result in Seattle should stand as a warning to other mayors who signed on with New York’s Michael Bloomberg to trample the firearms rights of their constituents.

“Mayors are not monarchs,” Gottlieb concluded. “They are not above the law. Greg Nickels is going to have a long time to think about that, as he watches this election season from the sidelines.”

With more than 650,000 members and support ers nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (www.ccrkba.org) is one of the nation’s premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States.

Glen Wunderlich: “The arrogance of many of today’s politicians indicates they forget how they climbed the ladder in the first place. There are sure to be more of these paybacks for their socialist and left-leaning ways as Americans wake up and begin to stand their ground and defend core values.”

The Second Amendment Foundation today accused MSNBC of using deceptively-edited video from a Phoenix, Arizona anti-tax rally on Monday to invent a racial stereotype in its on-going effort to demonize and marginalize American firearms owners as “racists.”

The MSNBC video, narrated by reporter Contessa Brewer, appearing with “Morning Meeting” host Dylan Ratigan, shows an AR-15 rifle being carried over a man’s shoulder. The man is part of a crowd protesting near the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, where President Barack Obama spoke. Brewer notes on camera, “Yes, there are Second Amendment rights, for sure, but also there are questions about whether this has a racial overtone. I mean, here you have a man of color in the presidency and white people showing up with guns strapped to their waists.”

“What MSNBC purposely did not reveal with the deliberately doctored video is that the man carrying that sport-utility rifle was an African-American,” said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb. “MSNBC knows the man was black , yet all they showed in a brief film clip was a close-up of the rifle against the man’s neatly-pressed dress shirt. It was impossible to tell the man’s race.

“This is a detestable attempt to manipulate public sentiment,” he continued, “in MSNBC’s continuing effort to perpetuate a stereotype of gun owners as white racists. It was even suggested during the segment by MSNBC culture critic Toure that it would not be surprising ‘if we see somebody get a chance and take a chance and really try to hurt’ the president.

“By irresponsibly fomenting this kind of racial divisiveness through the use of carefully-edited video,” Gottlieb stated, “MSNBC is not simply reporting news, it is provoking a reaction. If any harm comes to the president, MSNBC’s hate-mongering should be blamed.

“I wonder,” Gottlieb conclude, “if Keith Olbermann is going to name MSNBC as the worst ne ws network in the world.”

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

Michigan State Rep. Paul Opsommer announced today that he will be introducing a firearm ownership protection package, a group of bills designed to ensure that Michigan citizens who lawfully own firearms are not discriminated against in the hiring process or end up being fired because they are simply exercising their 2nd Amendment Rights.

“Unless firearm ownership is directly related to an established and bona fide occupational requirement for the job there is no reason for an employer to ask questions about whether a potential employee owns or knows how to use a gun”, said Opsommer. “We also need to ensure that employers can not create over-reaching company policies that violate the Constitution and provide an excuse to terminate employees whose political views differ from those of management. People who lawfully own firearms and are following appropriate storage laws should not lose the ability to transport them in privately owned vehicles.”

Such laws have been passed as recently as July in the case of Arizona, and have been passed in ten total states such as Florida and Oklahoma. The law was upheld there by the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit after Oklahoma first passed it in response to a dozen employees being fired from their jobs at the Weyerhaeuser paper mill.

“A person who legally owns a firearm needs to have a way to store it as they are going to and from work, home, hunting, or any other lawful purpose”, said Opsommer. “People shouldn’t have to feel that their cars are going to be searched just because they told their boss they are going hunting after work.”

Rep. Opsommer expects the bills to be introduced this week.

By Glen Wunderlich
Outdoor Columnist
Member Professional Outdoor Media

Introduced August 11th, Michigan House bill 5232, cited as the Michigan Firearms Freedom Act, seeks to invoke the power of the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution relative to looming federal gun regulations. As the federal government attempts to expand its reach into our daily lives more and more, some have come to realize it is time to make a stand. Town hall meetings are one thing, but when the politicians return to the security of the House and Senate chambers, they know they can spin the current vocal contempt into nothing more than bellyaching by a vocal minority. Sure they can be voted out of office, but in the meantime with their power-hungry liberal majority, they can do as they please. Not any more. Not in Michigan, if we stick by our guns!

The concept is simple: Declare big government’s reach into Michigan’s matters null and void. The bill was authored by Rep. Phillip Pavlov and has 44 co-sponsors. That’s a bunch! Here’s what it states: “A bill to create the Michigan firearms freedom act; to make certain findings regarding intrastate commerce; to prohibit federal regulation of firearms, firearms accessories, and ammunition involved purely in intrastate commerce in this state; to provide for certain exceptions to federal regulation; and to establish certain manufacturing requirements.

The regulation of intrastate commerce is vested in the states under amendments IX and X of the constitution of the United States, particularly if not expressly preempted by federal law. Congress has not expressly preempted state regulation of intrastate commerce pertaining to the manufacture on an intrastate basis of firearms, firearms accessories, and ammunition.”

Both Tennessee and Montana already have adopted Firearms Freedom acts and other states are following suit. However, the Federal Government’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) has already vilified states’ positions on this issue. In a written statement, BATF claims ‘Federal law supersedes the [Tennessee] Act’, and thus the ATF considers it without merit. Somebody’s got things backwards but it’s going to be difficult to weasel out of the U.S. Constitution’s clear language and intent. The shoe fits, boys, and it’s time to try it on for size.

I see this as an opportunity for sorely needed Michigan industry. If law-abiding Michigan citizens create enough demand by virtue of their refusal to go along with the federal programs relative to restrictive gun laws, then supply will follow demand. Michigan manufacturers will make Michigan guns and we’ll buy them here, too.

National health care can be handled in the same manner and is already being addressed in Arizona with a vote on the issue next year. Similarly, medical marijuana laws are in effect in 11 states and hinge on the same principle in spite of the U.S. Government’s position that marijuana is illegal anywhere. The power is vested in the people and the states. The Federal Government seems to be thumbing its nose at the U.S. Constitution when doing so is convenient to their schemes. Time has come to stand up, as written and ratified December 15, 1791.

And, this just in:

Michigan House Rep. Opsommer offered the following concurrent resolution:
House Concurrent Resolution No. 9.
A concurrent resolution to reaffirm the right to bear arms under the Michigan Constitution, the supremacy of the Second Amendment over the Commerce Clause, and the intent of the Michigan Legislature to not recognize or enforce unconstitutional firearm restrictions placed upon its citizens.
Whereas, Article I, Section 6 of the Michigan Constitution, clearly affirms a right to bear arms. This provision prescribes that the primary purpose of the right to bear arms is not related solely to hunting but clearly allows Michigan citizen’s to be able to protect one’s self, family, and possessions from the private lawlessness of other persons or potential tyranny of governments; and
Whereas, There are also federalism provisions under the United States Constitution that prohibit the federal government from interfering with the right to bear arms within Michigan. The Tenth Amendment guarantees to the states and their people all powers not granted to the federal government elsewhere in the United States Constitution; and
Whereas, Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution provides the federal government with the power to regulate commerce. However, this provision only empowers the government to regulate commerce between states and cannot be used to impose regulations onto firearms beyond this scope or that are at cross-purposes with the Second Amendment; and
Whereas, Several new federal laws have been proposed that would overstep the bounds of both the Second Amendment, Michigan’s sovereign constitution, and its firearm laws; and
Whereas, It is not the intent of the Michigan Legislature to pass laws that would mandate the use of “coded,” “serialized,” or “chipped” ammunition, to create databases of such ammunition, or to outlaw the ability of people to hand load otherwise lawful ammunition. Furthermore, it is not the intent of the Michigan Legislature to pass laws that would mandate the use of so called “smart gun” technology that wirelessly or otherwise authenticates and enables a firearm to be used by only one person. Furthermore, it is not the intent of the Michigan Legislature to allow for licensing schemes for the purchase of firearms that would mandate facial recognition, iris scans, fingerprinting, or other advanced biometric technology. Furthermore, it is not the intent of the Michigan Legislature to regulate the private transfer or sale of firearms beyond what is currently required by law. Furthermore, it is not the intent of the Michigan Legislature to pass laws that would make firearm ownership or use dependent upon the purchase of personal insurance policies or other similar risk instruments. Furthermore, it is not the intent of the Michigan Legislature to prohibit firearm ownership to individuals based upon their reporting of the past use of pain killers or other medications for surgical recovery, dental procedures, and other legitimate medical purposes. Furthermore, it is not the intent of the Michigan Legislature to pass laws that would infringe upon the ability of firearm owners to keep such weapons loaded and readily accessible within their homes, or that would allow for officials to inspect firearms within their homes without first obtaining a valid search warrant issued in conjunction with a lawful criminal investigation. It is however the intent of the Michigan Legislature to ensure that such firearm schemes are not imposed upon the citizens of Michigan by either the federal government or itself, and would view such infringements as violations of both the Second Amendment and the Michigan Constitution; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That we reaffirm the right to bear arms under the Michigan Constitution, the supremacy of the Second Amendment over the Commerce Clause, and the intent of the Michigan Legislature to not recognize or enforce unconstitutional firearm restrictions placed upon its citizens.
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, members of the Michigan congressional delegation, and the head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

Amen.

The new Winchester® Ammunition Ballistics Calculator is the most innovative program on the market, using cutting-edge technology to offer ballistics information for shooters and hunters.

The Winchester Ballistics Calculator allows users to choose their type of ammunition and compare up to five 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 – then print the ballistics for later reference on the range or in the field. The calculator is now live at www.winchester.com/ballistics.

“The Winchester Ballistics Calculator is the most interactive program on the market and is available to anyone who visits our site,” said Greg Kosteck, director of marketing for Winchester Ammunition. “The technology used in this program makes understanding ballistics and bullet performance easy; and it’s the ideal resource for shooters and hunters.”

Winchester teamed up with Quilogy, a St. Charles, Missouri-based IT and Marketing consulting company, to develop the state-of-the-art ballistics calculator. The ballistics calculator was built using Microsoft Silverlight, a cutting-edge technology that integrates seamlessly into a Web browser and allows the user to run highly advanced software applications over the Web.

For more information about Winchester Ammunition and its complete line of products visit www.winchester.com.

The 6th Annual Perry Youth Hunt Extravaganza is slated for September 26th and 27th this year and will be held at the Perry VFW, 601 N. Main, Perry. The event has grown to become a unique celebration of the special two-day, youth-only deer hunt for youngsters and rewards young men and young women for participating. There is no entry fee and no requirement to harvest deer; only a valid hunting license is needed. Simply stated, the goal has been to get kids out of the house and away from computers long enough to sample the thrill that awaits them afield.

Overflow crowds have been a testament to the success of the occasion and registering could not be easier. Those fortunate enough to harvest deer bring them in for photos beginning at 10 am September 26th and continue to do so throughout the following day, Sunday. Beginning at 8:30 pm Sunday the 27th, tickets are drawn for T-shirts and valuable prizes until everything is gone. All prizes are drawn randomly and are done so with no regard to hunters’ success – and, that’s what makes this celebration so unique!

Organizers of the Perry Sons of Amvets encourage everyone that supports the concept, and/or that has youngsters participating, to join us at the Perry VFW on Friday, August 28th from 5 pm to 8 pm for a New York strip steak dinner to help us raise necessary funding. The cost is a mere $8 for a quality, 12-ounce, Angus steak dinner grilled over an open flame to order. All proceeds go directly to purchase prizes for the youngsters.

Since the youth hunt began a few years ago, 283,000 new hunters have been added to the shrinking ranks of the national hunting fraternity in no small measure attributable to a program named Families Afield launched in 2004 by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF.org). Michigan is one of 28 states that has passed legislation lowering barriers to hunting and the effort has made a remarkable difference in hunter recruitment with over 30,000 young adults added to our hunting ranks.

Hunters contribute more than $30 billion annually into the American economy, much of it directed to rural areas such as ours. Approximately about a million jobs in America are supported by hunters. Over the past 40 years, hunters have spent $13.4 billion for hunting licenses, tags and permits, all funding wildlife conservation.

For every 100 adult hunters today, only 69 youth hunters are being recruited. Because of the declining numbers, economic projections indicate funding for wildlife conservation could drop commensurately.
Years ago, most hunters started hunting small game such as rabbits and squirrels; however, today it’s all about big game and there is no better way to experience such a thrilling hunt right in our own area.

So, bring the whole family for a top-quality steak dinner August 28th to the Perry VFW and help to promote the cause.