ThinkingAfield.org

The DeadShot FieldPod offers hunters bench rest accuracy when it matters most – in the field. With the DeadShot FieldPod, hunters can achieve in-field accuracy comparable to what they’ve experienced at the range.

The hunting rest allows you to take stability along for the hunt. With a fully adjustable dual frame supported by a solid tripod base, it’s capable of supporting nearly any weapon. Length and elevation adjustments ensure fit and balance, while the precision cast aluminum hub system allows the rest to pivot up and down, and rotate left and right. Constructed of high-quality, lightweight cast aluminum, it weighs less than 6 pounds. With a height adjustment range from 20 to 42 inches, it works great for hunters sitting on the ground or in a chair. It collapses quickly for easy transportation and its innovative frame design makes the rest fully compatible with detachable magazine rifles like the popular AR-15.

It’s ideal for shooting rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders, and crossbows from inside a ground blind. It helps deer, turkey, and predator hunters maintain perfect gun position on every set while minimizing movement and speeding up target acquisition.

For more information about Battenfeld Technologies and Caldwell Shooting Supplies, visit www.BattenfeldTechnologies.com or call 573-445-9200.

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Powered by an exclusive new rangefinder engine technology, Leupold’s® RX®-1000i with DNA™ fits in a shirt pocket, yet offers hunters and shooters even more ranging precision and speed, along with an exceptionally bright target image.

DNA (Digitally eNhanced Accuracy), a next-generation Leupold technology, not only increases ranging speed, but makes the RX-1000i accurate to 1/10 of a yard against all background colors and textures. DNA also provides the RX-1000i with greater ranging capability against soft targets such as deer and trees.

A digital laser rangefinder, the compact RX-1000i with DNA measures only 3.8 inches long and weighs just 7.8 ounces. Its multicoated lens system produces a bright, pristine image, helping to transmit 80 percent of available light to the eye – three times greater than the light transmission of traditional Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) rangefinder models. Actual 6x magnification and a vivid red Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display also make it easier to spot and range game, even through dark timber and in low-light conditions.

The advanced RX-1000i TBR® with DNA models also offer Leupold’s exclusive True Ballistic Range® technology to help place shots with exceptional accuracy.

All RX-1000i units are weatherproof and rugged, with a tough aluminum casing and rubber armor. The RX-1000i with DNA has a black finish, while the TBR model is available in either gray/black or Mossy Oak® Break-Up® Infinity™ camouflage.

“Following on the heels of our successful RX-1000 introduction in 2009, the new RX-1000i with DNA models once again raise the bar on compact rangefinder function and performance, giving hunters and shooters a handy tool to easily spot targets and range them faster and more precisely than ever,” commented Pat Mundy, communications manager for Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “These are truly innovative rangefinders that offer the best of all worlds: shirt pocket size for easy and convenient carrying, exceptionally rugged to withstand the hardest hunt, and superior ranging performance to help set up for an accurate shot.”

Maximum range of the RX-1000i with DNA is 1,000 yards (914.4 meters) on reflective targets. Minimum range is 6 yards (5.5 meters). In bow mode, maximum range is 125 yards (114.3 meters). Scan mode provides continuous range updates to help stay on target when tracking movement or scanning an area. Measurements are provided in yards or meters.

Other key features include:

* OLED display has variable brightness settings, making it easier to see in dim light than LCD displays typical of most other rangefinders
* fast-focus eyepiece with precision clicks
* redesigned Quick Set Menu provides on-screen prompts for easy use in the field
* selectable reticles – hunters can choose from three different reticles to best suit the terrain and game, from elk to small varmints
* fold-down rubber eyecups accommodate users with or without glasses
* convenient battery power indicator

The RX-1000i TBR with DNA units can automatically calculate the shot angle and provide the True Ballistic Range rather than the straight-line distance to the target. Optimized for most popular bow and rifle trajectories, the rifle settings also work in conjunction with Leupold’s Ballistic Aiming System® riflescope reticles for exceptionally accurate shot placement. Available only in the RX-1000i TBR, milliradian outputs can precisely match mil based reticles such as the Mil Dot, TMR and Horus Vision® offerings.

Each rangefinder comes with a Cordura® holster, lanyard, CR2 lithium camera battery and complete instructions. For more information, go to www.leupold.com or call 1-800-LEUPOLD.

Leupold & Stevens, Inc., the preeminent American-owned and -operated optics company, employs more than 700 people in its state-of-the-art facility near Beaverton, Ore., where rugged, dependable, high-performance Golden Ring® optics, Mark 4® riflescopes and Redfield® Revolution™ riflescopes are designed, machined and assembled. Leupold is a fifth-generation, family owned company whose products are sold worldwide to hunters, competitive shooters, American military warfighters, law enforcement personnel and wildlife observers. The product line includes rifle, handgun and spotting scopes; binoculars; rangefinders; trail cameras; flashlights; mounting systems; and optical tools and accessories.

Contact: Patrick Mundy (503) 526-1467 or pmundy@leupold.com
Jeff Patterson, Swanson Russell (402) 437-6410 or jeffp@swansonrussell.com

HSUS’s tax returns show that it gave just $81,124 to hands-on pet shelters in Michigan between 1998 and 2009. That’s only $6,760.33 annually. Last year HSUS gave just $7,039 to hands-on pet shelters in Michigan.) That may sound like a lot, but considering its income stream and purported purpose, it’s a waste of your money.

During that same 12-year period, HSUS spent $767 million on expenses including lobbyists, lawyers, payroll, and (of course) more fundraising. America’s pet shelters typically get about one percent of that. HSUS’s executive pension plan gets far more. More than $11 million in the past seven years…More facts about the veiled enemy of well-meaning, yet gullible Americans who donate to these anti hunters at the titel link. HSUS: Enemy of man.

By Glen Wunderlich
Outdoor Columnist
Member Professional Outdoor Media Association

Groundhog Day has come and gone, as has another reason to party in Punxsutawney. It almost makes me want to cry. Almost. But, what really bothers me is the way ol’ Phil is treated. I mean just how humane is it to drag him from his burrow and parade him in front of the world demanding he predict the weather. And, a six-week prognostication, at that. I can understand why he’s so popular; heck, our best meteorologists only go out on a limb with 7-day predictions, and usually by the end of the given timeframe, a little revision is in order.

But, not Phil. He never takes anything back. He uses no computer models, no weathervanes, and no almanacs. No wonder he’s so popular!

But, at least one among us – and, my guess is just one – wants one of her own for purely selfish interests. Ms. Debra Firmani, writing for the United States Humane Society’s (HSUS) website puts it this way: “For me, it’s not about their annual weather-prediction gig—I just think they’re wonderful animals to watch. For some reason, though, my wildlife-friendly yard—endorsed by countless birds and squirrels—has attracted no groundhogs. Not far away, I often see them foraging along roadsides and trails. But these fleeting glimpses are not enough. I still dream of the day when a groundhog will explore my yard, judge it burrow-worthy, and start digging.”

There must be some way we can help. I don’t suppose those folks in Pennsylvania would ever give up Phil. Besides, why waste the talents of one so illustrious and clever, when any ol’ hay hog – excuse me, woodchuck – will do.

Notwithstanding Phil’s skills, we may have missed a fantastic opportunity with the recent passing of Groundhog Day. But, could you have imagined the ruckus if someone had snatched ol’ Phil away from the circus. (Sorry. I think that’s a bad word.) Such a slithering scoundrel undoubtedly would go to the top of the most wanted list – yes, even ahead of Bin Laden.

Is there a hay farmer out there that wouldn’t allow Ms. Firmani an opportunity to help herself to a few of yours? Hey, I’ll spring (get it?) for a live trap, as long as I get it back after relocation is complete. Now, we must be careful here because HSUS warns on its website that timing is everything: “Before attempting to evict and exclude woodchucks, consider that breeding female woodchucks have dependent young in their burrows from late winter until spring or early summer, and evicting them during this time can be inhumane.”

Now, I’m thinking snatching them from their home at any time might be inhumane, but what would a cold-blooded killer like me know about such things. Wait a minute. We go after the female that’s already bred! That’s it!

Look, Ms. Firmani could hit the jackpot with only one snatch-and-grab. Sure momma ‘chuck might complain a bit, but the rest of the soon-to-be family would never know the difference. Now, if the HSUS will volunteer one of its many animal-friendly weasels to tunnel in with a pregnancy test…

On February 22 the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) will host a national event called “Spay Day” to encourage pet owners to spay and neuter their animals. It’s a great idea, of course, but HSUS can and should do much more.

Spay Day used to be run by the Doris Day Animal League, which spent its own money to promote spaying and neutering. Now, with HSUS in charge, the event is essentially a fundraiser: Americans are being asked to donate a minimum of $5-and, of course, they will be asked for more money later.

HSUS typically shares less than 1 percent of its income with hands-on pet shelters-the facilities that actually spay and neuter dogs and cats. And it has a staggering $191 million in assets. That’s enough money to spay or neuter every unsterilized dog in America.

If you want to actually make a “Spay Day” difference, make a visit to your local humane society or another pet shelter in your community. Donate your money, your time, and your helping hands. The animals will thank you, and your mailbox won’t be overflowing with junk mail from HSUS.

David Martosko

Director of Research, Center for Consumer Freedom

Washington DC

Friday, February 04, 2011

U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) has asked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to respond to allegations that it allowed suspicious firearm transactions to proceed, and that a gun sold in one of those cases may have been involved in a shootout that claimed the life of a Border Patrol agent.

In a letter to the bureau, Sen. Grassley criticizes the agency’s conduct of its southwest border program known as Project Gunrunner, saying, “There are serious concerns that the ATF may have become careless, if not negligent, in implementing the Gunrunner strategy.” In a follow-up letter, Sen. Grassley questions whether bureau officials tried to silence an internal whistleblower who brought the issue to the attention of congressional staff.

The BATFE has routinely asked for cooperation from gun dealers to identify suspicious gun purchases. Just as routinely, dealers contact the bureau when they suspect straw purchases are occurring. The allegation now is that the BATFE has instructed dealers to complete those sales and report descriptions of the buyers, but that the agency then failed to prevent those firearms from being smuggled to Mexico.

If true, the allegations cast grave doubt on the value of the bureau’s new proposal for multiple sales reporting. In December, the BATFE asked the White House to approve a requirement that licensed gun dealers in the border states report multiple sales of semi-automatic rifles larger than .22 caliber that have a detachable magazine, much as dealers now report multiple sales of handguns. The agency claims the move is needed to assist in the efforts to stop gun running into Mexico.

This initiative has met bipartisan opposition in Congress and — although requested on an “emergency” basis — has yet to win approval from the White House. The NRA strongly opposes the implementation of the new regulation as it clearly falls outside the range of powers granted by Congress.

The question raised by the new allegations is this: If the BATFE cannot follow up effectively on real-time reports of suspicious sales, how can it possibly make effective use of a flood of new multiple sales reports?

The new charges against the BATFE have already drawn attention from the national media. Stay tuned here for new developments.

GW: This was copied – word for word – from Democrat Senator Feinstein’s website…

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein urged President Obama to prohibit the importation of military-style assault firearms that contribute to violence in the United States and Mexico.

Following is the text of the letter from Senator Feinstein to President Obama:

January 31, 2011

The Honorable Barack H. Obama
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

I write to urge you to review enforcement of the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) provision, 18 U.S. Code Section 925(d)(3), which prohibits the importation of firearms except those that are “generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes.” Previous Administrations have used this authority to limit the importation of military-style assault firearms, and it could once again be a helpful tool in preventing the gun trafficking that is fueling the horrific gun violence in Mexico, the Southwest border region, and many cities and towns across our nation.

Since December 2006, more than 30,000 people have been killed in Mexico in drug-related violence. Every day, there are reports of ruthless and brutal gun murders as Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) fight for control of smuggling routes and terrorize anyone who might get in their way. The DTOs have killed mayors, judges, and other officials who have tried to stop the carnage. They have even targeted young people, murdering 14 teenagers at a birthday party in Ciudad Juarez in October of last year.

Regrettably, firearms trafficked from the United States help fuel the violence in Mexico. Of the firearms recovered by the Government of Mexico and traced through ATF in the past 4 years, more than 50,000 were manufactured in, or imported into, the United States prior to being recovered in Mexico. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and other federal, state and local law enforcement are working to stop this gun trafficking and related violence, but they need additional help. The Administration recently took an important step forward with ATF’s initiative to collect information on multiple sales of semi-automatic assault rifles from Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. I applaud you for this initiative. However, much more must be done.

Under the GCA, the Administration has the authority to prohibit the importation of non-sporting firearms. In 1989, in response to growing drug gang violence, the ATF under President George H.W. Bush denied applications to import a series of semiautomatic rifles that it found were designed and intended to be particularly suitable for combat rather than sporting applications. Similarly, in 1997, President Clinton used this authority and ordered ATF to conduct an expedited review to determine whether modified semiautomatic assault-type rifles were properly importable under the statutory sporting purposes test. In April 1998, ATF determined that rifles with the ability to accept a detachable large capacity military magazine “are not generally recognized as particularly suitable for or readily adaptable to sporting purposes and are therefore not importable.”

Since the Clinton Administration’s efforts, the GCA’s prohibition against non-sporting firearms has not been aggressively enforced, and many military-style, non-sporting rifles have flowed into the United States civilian market. Some of the rifles are cheap AK-type variants from former Eastern bloc countries, while others are more expensive, high-tech weapons. All of them, however, share military-style characteristics that should make them ineligible for import. Furthermore, it appears that some importers are bringing in rifle parts and reassembling them with a small number of domestically manufactured components. This practice has gone unchecked, despite Section 922 (r) of the GCA, which prohibits using imported parts to assemble any semiautomatic rifle or any shotgun which is identical to any rifle or shotgun prohibited from importation under 18 U.S. Code Section 925(d)(3).

I urge you to review enforcement of the GCA and take any regulatory steps necessary to stop the both the importation of all military-style, non-sporting firearms, and the assembly of those firearms from imported parts. We must ensure that law enforcement has all the necessary resources and tools needed to stop the gun violence that is taking a deadly toll in Mexico and in our country. I look forward to working with you toward that goal. Thank you for your attention to this urgent issue.

Sincerely,

Dianne Feinstein
Chairman
United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control

cc: Eric Holder, Attorney General
Kenneth Melson, Acting Director of the ATF

State Senator R.C. Soles (D – NC) Long time Anti-Gun Advocate State Senator R.C. Soles, 74, shot one of two intruders at his home just outside Tabor City , N.C. about 5 p.m. Sunday, the prosecutor for the politician’s home county said.
The intruder, Kyle Blackburn, was taken to a South Carolina hospital, but the injuries were not reported to be life-threatening, according to Rex Gore, district attorney for Columbus, Bladen andBrunswick counties.

The State Bureau of Investigation and Columbus County Sheriff’s Department are investigating the shooting, Gore said. Soles, who was not arrested,declined to discuss the incident Sunday evening.

“I am not in a position to talk to you,” Soles said by telephone. “I’m right in the middle of an investigation.”

The Senator, who has made a career of being against gun ownership for the general public, didn’t hesitate to defend himself with his own gun when he believed he was in immediate danger and he was the victim.

In typical hypocritical liberal fashion, the “Do as i say and not as i do” Anti-Gun Activist Lawmaker picked up his gun and took action in what apparently was a self-defense shooting. Why hypocritical you may ask? It is because his long legislative record shows that the actions that he took to protect his family, his own response to a dangerous life threatening situation, are actions that he feels ordinary citizens should not have if they were faced with an identical situation.
It has prompted some to ask if the Senator believes his life and personal safety is more valuable than yours or mine.

But, this is to be expected from those who believe they can run our lives, raise our kids, and protect our families better than we can.

Interesting little story here.
Please send this to your friends, senators and congressmen! We do not need double standards in this country!

Posted by Paula Tyler on December 13, 2010 at 8:38pm in Tennessee SGP

MISSOULA, Mont.-New data reveal a massive one-year decline in elk populations at ground zero of wolf restoration-Yellowstone-and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is renewing its call for Congress to delist wolves legislatively.

Reports also indicate that moose in the Yellowstone region are nearly nonexistent, adding even more urgency to the RMEF call for Congressional action.

RMEF President and CEO David Allen says two bills in Congress, a House version (H.R. 509) and a new Senate version (S. 249), hold the best promise. RMEF is asking lawmakers to remove unnecessary federal protections on burgeoning wolf populations and grant science-based wolf management authority to the states.

“Both bills would end the ridiculous lawsuits that are preventing a fully recovered species from being managed by conservation professionals,” said Allen. “And both bills would end the profiteering and abuses of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by environmental and animal rights activists who need a wolf controversy in order to protect their revenue streams.”

Allen said RMEF is asking its members and other conservationists to call their elected representatives and urge support of the House and Senate bills.

“All one has to do is look at the continued games being played with ESA rules by folks like Defenders of Wildlife, because that will make our case for us as to why delisting by Congress is warranted,” he added.

New data show the northern Yellowstone elk herd has declined from some 18,000 animals in the mid-1990s to just 4,400 today-a 75 percent decrease. Biologists estimate the herd has plummeted 24 percent in just the past year alone.

Other big game herds in wolf-inhabited areas of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming also are declining rapidly.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:

Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.9 million acres-a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved atwww.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Saint Paul, Minn. – February 3, 2011 – Pheasants Forever has received a $1.27 million pledge from Larry and Brenda Potterfield, founders of MidwayUSA, to launch its FOREVER Shooting Sports Program. The funding will help Pheasants Forever achieve its goal of developing a sustainable, comprehensive shooting sports program with its chapters and partners.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s FOREVER Shooting Sports Program will utilize research-based recruitment and retention strategies to introduce up to 20,000 individuals annually to shooting sports through a variety of community based programs and events over the next five years. The program is off and running thanks to the first donation from the Potterfields for $250,000. Dick Leeper, Executive Director of the Midway USA Foundation, presented the check to Pheasants Forever at the organization’s National Pheasant Fest event this past weekend.

“This generous donation from the Potterfields is a direct reflection of the great work Pheasants Forever members, chapters, partners and staff are doing with our No Child Left Indoors® initiative,” said Howard Vincent, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s National President and CEO, “We view the FOREVER Shooting Sports Program as a gateway to the outdoors, and a gateway to the world of wildlife habitat conservation.”

“Brenda and I, along with the rest of the folks at MidwayUSA, strongly believe in Pheasants Forever’s habitat mission,” said Larry Potterfield, “We’ve always believed in giving back to conservation organizations. We’re proud to factor in the creation of the FOREVER Shooting Sports Program and look forward to years of great shots and even greater conservationists.”

Models for successful shooting sports programs already exist within Pheasants Forever’s ranks. For example, Pheasants Forever Young Guns is the shooting sports program for the Illinois Pioneer Pheasants Forever chapter. This youth led program offers 12 shooting events per year to novice shooters of all ages and gender, and has grown from 33 to 450 shooters in just 3 years. The fact that youth help plan and facilitate Young Guns shooting events has helped recruit additional youth members, and it also helps them develop the leadership skills they will need as future Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever volunteer conservationists. Through the FOREVER Shooting Sports Program, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever plan to develop up to 10 such “Young Guns” programs annually.

Pheasants Forever also plans to make ammunition and incentive grants available to all 700-plus Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters across the country as part of its FOREVER Shooting Sports Program.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever chapters hold more than 500 youth events annually. For more information, contact Rich Wissink, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever National Youth Programs Specialist, at (715) 722-0286 / Email Rich.

Pheasants Forever is dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs.