ThinkingAfield.org

GW: OK, It’s not your $50 red dot sight, but it will work in low light, whereas the cheap red dots never do. And, that’s when “prime time” happens.

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Leupold’s® long history of optics innovation for hunting continues with the new illuminated FireDot™ Reticle System, now available exclusively in VX-R™ riflescopes.

The system includes five different reticle choices: FireDot Duplex, Ballistic FireDot, FireDot Circle, FireDot 4 and the FireDot Pig Plex. A fiber optic light pipe with a meticulously cut and polished tip provides an illuminated dot, which can be easily seen in bright light, yet is not overpowering in low- light conditions. Once activated, the dot illuminates with bright, sharp definition, while the rest of the reticle remains non-illuminated. This combination leads the eye naturally to the center aiming point and makes target acquisition quick, precise and simple.

“The tried-and-true Duplex® reticle was invented by Leupold in the early 1960s; our FireDot Reticle System continues that tradition of innovation,” said Pat Mundy, communications manager for Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “An all-new fiber optic LED illumination method is employed for the FireDot, which offers reticle options for a wide range of hunting applications.”

Designed for fast target acquisition, each FireDot reticle features an extra-bright centerpoint dot. The FireDot Duplex has the versatility for a broad range of game. Ideal for extended-range shooting, the Ballistic FireDot is well suited for varmint, antelope and big game at longer distances.

The FireDot Circle is designed specifically for fast-moving targets, including dangerous game, pigs and even turkeys. With its bold post, the FireDot 4 helps draw the eye to the center of the reticle and keeps the upper field of view free of obstructions. The FireDot Pig Plex is calibrated to frame up a mature hog and provide just the right amount of lead on running boars.

VX-R riflescopes feature a single push button illumination system with Leupold’s own Motion Sensor Technology (MST™). A touch of the button illuminates the dot within the reticle. By repeatedly pressing the button, the user can select between eight different intensity settings including a high-low indicator, which flashes when either the maximum or minimum intensity is reached. After five minutes of inactivity, the illumination system automatically switches to stand-by mode, but reactivates at the same intensity setting whenever the rifle is moved. This helps extend battery life and, by reducing movement, allows the hunter to maintain greater stealth in the field.

VX-R models include 1.25-4x20mm, 2-7x33mm, 3-9x40mm, 3-9x50mm, 4-12x40mm and 4-12x50mm. Each is available with one or more of the FireDot reticle options. The illumination system is powered by a CR-2032 coin cell battery, readily available around the country Sporting Leupold’s familiar Golden Ring®, VX-R riflescopes are backed by the company’s Full Lifetime Guarantee. Riflescopes with illuminated reticles are legal for use in all states that allow centerfire rifles for big game hunting. For more information, visit a local dealer, 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; flashlights; trail cameras; mounting systems; and optical tools and accessories.

GW: As for me, I’ll be serving my specialty at the Perry VFW Super Bowl party: Venison cooked with my secret recipe on the club’s grill.

Last year, NBC denied an ad PETA created for the Super Bowl due to its graphic content. Not surprising, PETA’s back again this year with another questionable effort that continues the animal rights group’s history of diving deep into racy territory.

PETA’s ad from last year, called “Veggie Love” featured women in their lingerie acting suggestively with a number of vegetables. The sexual content was so racy that the ad was rejected by NBC which was airing the Super Bowl. Now, PETA has creatively decided to repackage that effort. Essentially a sequel, PETA decided to make an ad comprised of outtakes from last year’s banned effort including scantily clad women “auditioning” for a role.

There is no official word yet on whether FOX, the TV channel airing this Sunday’s big game, will air the ad, but it seems highly unlikely.

Sportsmen Need to Contact Their Representatives Today to Stop This Bill
2/3/11

A bill introduced in Connecticut would require all firearms in the state to be registered.

House Bill 5800, introduced by Representative Toni Walker (D- New Haven), would require newly purchased firearms from dealers or from private sales be registered with the Department of Public Safety within 10 days of purchase. All currently owned firearms would also need to be registered within 10 days of the bill going into effect.

Additionally, owners would be required to renew registrations on their firearms every five years and would have to report if a firearm was sold, lost, or stolen.

“Gun registration is the first step to taking away your right to own guns,” said Rob Sexton, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance vice president of government affairs. “Sportsmen and all guns owners must educate elected officials regarding the fundamental right to keep and bear arms. This bill needs to be stopped.”

Take Action! Connecticut sportsmen need to contact their state representatives today and urge them to oppose House Bill 5800. Tell them there is no justification to require guns to be registered with the state. To find your state representative’s contact information, please visit www.ussportsmen.org/LAC.

For more information, contact the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance at 614-888-4868 or email info@ussportsmen.org.

Removes Professionals From Managing Wildlife
2/3/11

An Arkansas senator has proposed to change the state’s constitution to allow hunting, fishing, and trapping license dollars to be used for any government expense. It also strips authority over hunting and fishing laws from wildlife professionals and hands it to politicians.

Arkansas Sportsmen need to call their state senators today and urge them to oppose this dangerous bill!

Currently, the Arkansas constitution requires that all monies received by the Game and Fish Commission, including hunting, trapping, and fishing license dollars, be only used to manage the state’s wildlife. Additionally, the constitution gives the Commission sole authority over hunting, trapping, and fishing laws and regulations.

Senate Joint Resolution 2, introduced by Senator Jeremy Hutchinson (R- Little Rock), would divert most monies received, including fees from sporting licenses, game violations, land sales, and other income, into the state’s general fund where it could be used to pave roads, maintain prisons, or for any other pet project the legislature chooses. The amendment would also take authority away from the Commission regarding hunting, trapping, and fishing rules and regulations and place it with the legislature.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is currently funded by three main sources:

•License fees
• Reimbursement of federal excise tax on firearms, ammunition, and fishing equipment
• A portion of the Arkansas sales tax.
This amendment would take away the license fee portion of the Commission’s funding and put the excise tax, which amounts to millions of additional dollars, in jeopardy.

“Wildlife conservation works in Arkansas and elsewhere because when sportsmen buy a hunting license, they believe the money will be used for fish and wildlife,” said Jeremy Rine, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance associate director of state services. “When this trust is broken, you sever this link and put wildlife conservation in danger. You also jeopardize a significant portion of Arkansas’ economy.”

Hunting, trapping, and fishing are big business in Arkansas worth $1.4 billion to the state’s economy. It generates $100 million in tax revenues and employs over 18,000 citizens.

Take Action! Arkansas sportsmen need to contact their state senator today and tell them to oppose Senate Joint Resolution 2. Tell them that diverting hunting, trapping, and fishing license dollars will harm the state’s wildlife and put in jeopardy millions of dollars in federal excise tax funds. Remind them also that wildlife management needs to be kept in the hands of professionals. To find your state senator’s contact information, please visit www.ussportsmen.org/LAC.

For more information, contact the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance at 614-888-4868 or email info@ussportsmen.org.

For one day of the year they are the country’s most celebrated animal. For the other 364 days most consider them a pest. They wreak havoc on an unprotected gardens and burrow underneath pastures creating tunnels that can collapse causing harm to cattle and horses. They are groundhogs.

Depending where you are in the country you might know them by a different name. In the East “woodchuck” is common. Some call them prairie dogs or gophers, but those are more western terms. The truth is gophers and groundhogs, while related, are different animals. Gophers only get up to 3 pounds while groundhogs can reach ten. Also, prairie dogs live in big colonies (thus those hunting videos where guys shoot hundreds of them a day) and groundhogs live in colonies of 4 -6 animals.

Some people also call them whistle pigs, but this is an older expression. It derives from a whistle-like sound the animals will emit when cornered. For the record, they are also known to swim and climb trees to escape danger.

Groundhog Day

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania likes to take credit for the inception of Groundhog Day, but its roots go back further. It was a German tradition long before the early settlers of the small American town made it popular. If anything, Punxsutawney deserves credit for the holiday’s modern adaptation.

Groundhog Day is based on the European tradition of Candlemas Day. It falls on the mid-point between the winter and spring equinoxes. German folklore states that if the sun comes out on Candlemas, the hedgehog (or badger) will see its shadow and six more weeks of winter will follow. When German settlers came to Pennsylvania they continued this tradition, using groundhogs instead of hedgehogs to predict the weather.

Hunting Groundhogs

While the fat groundhog pictured on television the morning of February 2 might look cute, it is important to remember these animals are a very serious nuisance to farmers. While hunting them in the East is not as popular as it once was, most farmers welcome those who want to pursue the little beasts on their property. If you go out though, don’t expect a day full of shooting, the little critters are more difficult to harvest than people give them credit for.

A few tips include:

* Flies around a hole indicates it is active.

* Morning and late afternoon are the best times to hunt them. A groundhog’s den is 15 – 25 degrees cooler than the surface, meaning they will settle in them during the heat of mid-day.

* If you jump one and it runs into its hole keep an eye on the cavern entrance. Chances are that within 15 minutes (usually sooner) it will poke its head out to see what startled it and if the danger is still close at hand.

* If you are stalking a groundhog and it turns to look at you freeze. Most of the time it is the movement that scares them and they will go back to eating in 10 – 15 seconds.

* Groundhogs live to eat. They are vegetarians, and if they have a choice, will often eat alfalfa over other types of grasses.

Why Hunt Groundhogs?

* As we stated, groundhogs are a nuisance animal. Farmers and horse owners know this, and if you have ever tried to grow a garden where one is present than you understand this fact.

* Groundhogs are also edible. While it may sound unappetizing, they are vegetarians and their meat is highly prized in some circles – not to mention it doesn’t get any more organic. Most chef’s advise that you should roast them like you would roast beef. The younger, small ones are preferred table fare.

* The small tail of a groundhog is prized among fly tiers. Its thickness and texture is somewhat unique, and is used in the production of a handful of different types of flies.

Winchester® Ammunition takes varmint hunting to a new level in 2011 by adding 17HMR to the Varmint Lead-Free ammunition hunting lineup.

This new lead-free load by Winchester Ammunition features a 15.5 grain bullet designed with a Polymer Tip for ultra-flat trajectories and delivers a blistering 2550 fps velocity. The Varmint LF uses a non-corrosive primer and clean burning powder to generate a sure-fire ignition every time.

“The NTX® Polymer Tip technology assures highly accurate, flat shooting bullets at all ranges,” said Brett Flaugher, vice president of sales and marketing for Winchester Ammunition. “ We work hard to offer the most innovative rimfire ammunition, and our offerings continue to expand for small game hunters and shooters.”

The new Varmint LF Bullet features:

Velocity: 2550
Grains: 15.5
Bullet Type: Lead Free NTX® polymer tip jacketed hollow point
Cartridge: 17HMR
Availability: 2011

According to New York city mayor Bloomberg, investigators bought guns in private transactions at an Arizona gun show, despite their having alluded to being unable to pass a background check.

Such sales between individuals are not subject to background checks – but private sellers cannot legally sell to individuals who might not be able to pass background checks otherwise. That makes the seller – and the purchaser – guilty of felonies. Accordingly, anyone party to those illegal purchases (as in the mayor who sent them undercover with the intent to make an illegal purchase) an accessory.

So, let’s start the real prosecution.

GW: Once again, common sense prevails. Hunters are found to be the number one conservationsists through sustainable hunting practices that fund wildlife management.

Washington, DC – Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) is pleased to announce that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will allow the importation of 20 elephant hunting trophies annually from Zambia starting this 2011 hunting season. This historic announcement was made at the 2011 SCI Annual Hunters’ Convention in Reno, Nevada.

“After years of collaboration, the FWS has made the determination that sustainable hunting of elephants will contribute to the enhancement of the survival of elephants in Zambia,” said SCI Foundation President Joseph Hosmer. “As a form of sustainable-use, hunting is a key component of wildlife conservation and management worldwide. The SCI Foundation is very proud to be part of the announcement.”

A formal exchange between the FWS and the Zambian government was made on Thursday, Jan. 27 in conjunction with the SCI Foundation Department of Science-based Conservation and Research. The finding of enhancement by the FWS is a conclusion reached after many years of information sharing, including government to government meetings facilitated at the SCI Convention and the African Wildlife Consultative Forum (AWCF).

Underwritten by the SCI Foundation, the AWCF convenes African governments, world renowned wildlife biologists, professional hunter associations and leading conservation NGOs to share information and discuss current wildlife management issues.

By Glen Wunderlich
Outdoor Columnist
Member Professional Outdoor Media Association

When I ran across this statement defining “Fair Chase”, as it relates to hunting, I thought it would be appropriate to share it with you. To me, it defines the essence of a sportsman: “Fair Chase, as defined by the Boone and Crockett Club, is the ethical, sportsmanlike, and lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging wild, native North American big game animal in a manner that does not give the hunter an improper advantage over such animals.”

Obviously, other forms of legal hunting exist that do not adhere to these standards, such as canned hunts or fenced-in hunting areas. Because of the nature of such hunts, an “improper” advantage could be gained over the animals. To a true sportsman, hunting is much more than that.

Certainly, proper and improper advantages can be debated beyond free-ranging and fenced-in game and here is where ethics comes into play. Once again, the Boone and Crockett Club gets it right: “Fundamental to all hunting is the concept of conservation of natural resources. Hunting in today’s world involves the regulated harvest of individual animals in a manner that conserves, protects, and perpetuates the hunted population. The hunter engages in a one-to-one relationship with the quarry and his or her hunting should be guided by a hierarchy of ethics related to hunting, which includes the following tenets”:

1. Obey all applicable laws and regulations.
2. Respect the customs of the locale where the hunting occurs.
3. Exercise a personal code of behavior that reflects favorably on your abilities and sensibilities as a hunter.
4. Attain and maintain the skills necessary to make the kill as certain and quick as possible.
5. Behave in a way that will bring no dishonor to either the hunter, the hunted, or the environment.
6. Recognize that these tenets are intended to enhance the hunter’s experience of the relationship between predator and prey, which is one of the most fundamental relationships of humans and their environment.

Today’s regulated hunting is a far cry from the days of market hunting in which populations of game animals were decimated to near extinction. No sportsman would take part in any endeavor that would not perpetuate the hunted game population; it would be self-defeating. The sportsman follows the guidelines set by wildlife biologists in a manner consistent with conservation.

To do otherwise would be analogous to Christmas tree farmers harvesting all the conifers and never replanting; they wouldn’t be in business very long. However, there are still whackos that cry foul when the trees are cut, never acknowledging that the abundance of trees would not exist except for demand of buyers and supply of those that cut the trees.

So, too, it is with the hunter/conservationist. While he is maligned by the extremists, he is largely responsible for the available game that is hunted through his payment of hunting and fishing license fees and substantial excise taxes on related equipment. And, he follows the rules so that his passion can be sustained for not only himself, but for future generations.

7/15/08

(Columbus) – A fact sheet that details the dangers of the nation’s largest and most active anti-hunting group is available from the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance
The educational fact sheet is part of the organization’s Sportsmen Against HSUS Campaign, designed to educate sportsmen and sportswomen, elected officials, media decision makers and the public at large about the nation’s largest animal rights group.

“Thousands of people each year donate millions of dollars to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) without truly knowing where their money is going,” said U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Senior Vice President Rick Story. “Our idea is to give sportsmen the information they need to understand the dangers of the HSUS and its anti-hunting agenda and to pass the information on to friends and family.”

New members of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance will receive a copy of the HSUS FACT SHEET. Memberships start at $25. Go to www.ussportsmen.org and click on Join Now to become a U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance member.

Also, sportsmen who contribute one dollar to the fund will receive a fact sheet about HSUS that details the organization’s anti-hunting programs, its annual funding and other important facts.

Money collected will be used exclusively to continue the battle against the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and its animal rights campaign.

The Sportsmen Against HSUS drive will also fund campaigns that combat the public policy threats initiated and supported by the HSUS. The HSUS lobbying machine claims to have played a role in getting 86 different state laws passed in 2007 alone.

Sportsmen who wish to receive the FACT sheet or to otherwise contribute to the Sportsmen Against HSUS Fund may send their contribution to Sharon Hayden, Assistant Director of Communications Data, U.S. Sportsmen’s Aliance, 801 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus, OH, 43229.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.