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Saint Paul, Minnesota – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that the new Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up will run Monday, August 2nd through Friday, August 27th. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Farm Bill Biologists are prepared to work with landowners through the entire sign-up period.

The new general CRP signup will be the first since 2006, and landowner demand is expected to be strong, especially considering the USDA has updated soil rental rates since that last general signup. “CRP continues to be a good option for producers to ensure income on the tough-to-farm and lowest producing acres,” said Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Vice President of Government Affairs, “This general signup’s 4 million-plus acre nationwide allotment is likely to fill up quickly, so it’s critical that landowners get into their local USDA service centers immediately to examine CRP options on their land.” Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 60 Farm Bill Biologists working at USDA service centers to provide one-on-one assistance to farmers and ranchers during the 2010 general sign-up.

The new CRP general sign-up arrives in time to address the 4.4 million acres of CRP expiring on September 30, 2010. It is also representative of USDA’s ongoing action to maximize the wildlife habitat and environmental benefits created via the program’s 25-year history. This February at Pheasants Forever’s National Pheasant Fest, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced his pledge to keep CRP fully enrolled at the federally mandated (via the 2008 Farm Bill) maximum level of 32 million acres. With an additional 14.2 million acres of CRP slated to expire between 2011 and 2013, the new general sign-up is the critical first step, said Nomsen.

Today’s announcement also resonates with pheasant hunters, as CRP acres provide the top nationwide habitat component in producing pheasants. Just three years removed from record-setting pheasant harvests (Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota); hunters have been disappointed in the 6.5 million acres that left the Conservation Reserve Program without a general signup. America’s quail populations continue their rapid decline because of habitat losses. “This new general signup is critical to prevent us from losing more acres and for preventing continued population decline of the birds many of us love to pursue each autumn,” Nomsen added.

Nomsen also points out how understated CRP is to the rural environment and the rural economy. “For 25 years, CRP has been the nation’s single most important and successful conservation program, protecting water quality and soils, and creating habitat for a diverse mix of wildlife,” he said, “It’s a program critically important to the economy of rural America and our nation’s outdoor traditions. CRP in the next 25 years will continue all of these benefits, while also producing the habitat critical to pollinators and the $19 billion dollars honey bee pollination means to America’s agricultural economy.”

Since its formation in 1985, Pheasants Forever has been one of the nation’s strongest supporters of CRP. A voluntary program for agricultural landowners, CRP provides annual rental payments and cost-share assistance for the establishment of long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible farmland. The millions of acres of CRP lands in the United States protect topsoil erosion, improve water and air quality and is a major contributor to increasing wildlife populations – including pheasants and quail – in many parts of the country.

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.
Contact:
Anthony Hauck (651) 209-4972 or AHauck@pheasantsforever.org

By Glen Wunderlich
Outdoor Columnist
Member Professional Outdoor Media Association

Last week’s column covered the first session with my new Horton Vision crossbow, which was little more than an introduction to some basics. When the chronograph indicated arrow speed at 290 feet-per-second (fps), I was somewhat surprised how much slower it was than the advertised speed of “up to” 325 fps. However, since its kinetic energy was still ample for whitetail hunting, this week’s focus is on accuracy and other considerations.

For an added measure of enjoyment, my friend and hunting partner, Joe Reynolds, brought along his new Parker Hurricane crossbow. The Hurricane model is about a year old, so Joe was able to get a good deal on it at the Deer Spectacular in Lansing this past spring. However, it uses the same mechanism as Parker’s newest model; only the stock has been changed. The salesman told Joe that it was rated at 350 fps – the fastest legal speed permitted by law in Michigan – and that Parker didn’t exaggerate its claims. It was time to find out.

The first arrow was clocked at 352 fps and so was the second! (Understand that even though Joe’s arrows exceeded the speed limit, they would still be considered legal, because advertised speed of the manufacturer is how legal is defined in Michigan.) Penetration was beyond good; the arrow almost went completely through the bag target.

We set the bag at 20 yards and I shot one arrow, which was a little off the mark. But, when sighting in, there is no concern about being on target right away; the object is to shoot tight groups. Without a scope adjustment, I released my second arrow, which promptly struck the first arrow and drilled a hole clean through one of the vanes. We quickly wised up and placed several targets on the bag and never fired more than one arrow at each target.

Joe’s laser-like shots at 20 yards could not be seen and were close enough to center that we then moved the target to 30 yards. I made some scope adjustments after two initial shots and finished the 30-yard target experiment by placing the next two shots in the middle of two separate 1-inch squares! However, I was already holding over some two inches to get on center, making me question the calibration of the various horizontal lines on the Mult-A-Range scope. Joe then smoked a few more shots close enough to center that we moved the target to 40 yards.

My groups were still only a couple of inches but well below the center of the target, when using the second horizontal line on the scope for the 40-yard shots. The calibration of the reticle may be on the mark, however, from an elevated stand. Joe’s Parker was thumping the bag impressively but the wind was becoming a factor and we called off the session.

I resumed shooting the next morning and found that group sizes never exceeded a few inches out to 45 yards! When one considers the kill zone of a deer, which is approximately nine inches, the Horton Vision is well within acceptable standards – even for an accuracy freak like me. But another factor – one of noise relative to downrange arrow speed – began to creep into my mind. Even though the Horton Vision is probably the quietest crossbow on the market, it still makes enough noise to spook game before the arrow arrives at the longer ranges. At least that’s my theory. With that in mind, it may be a moot point, if an archer can hit a target beyond 50 yards with the Horton, if a deer will “jump the string.”

So, if you are looking for a narrower and lighter crossbow for field use, the Horton Vision may be for you. It’s obviously accurate enough. But, if you’d like to stretch the limit of the law, and be able to make longer shots, the Parker is as good as it gets in the velocity department.

Understand, however, that I wouldn’t attempt these longer shots without designing a stand with a solid rest similar to one used with a firearm. Otherwise, accuracy is not going to be any better than anything else. But, being able to use a rest is a decided advantage over vertical bows, not to mention that the crossbow remains cocked and ready to rock without all the extraneous movement associated with vertical bows. And, as demonstrated, it doesn’t take long to get dialed in.

The NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action wrapped up its lobbying efforts at the first session of the UN committee drafting an “arms trade treaty.” The “Preparatory Committee for the UN Arms Trade Treaty Conference” (called the “Prep Com”) has been meeting in New York from July 12 to today, July 23. The meeting is one in a series to prepare for a major conference to finalize an arms trade treaty in 2012.

NRA-ILA was one of few pro-gun groups at the meeting. Anti-gun groups had a strong presence led by the International Action Network on Small Arms.

The Chairman of the meeting, Ambassador Roberto Garcia Moritan, released a 14-point outline of a possible arms trade treaty. Several other supporting position papers were also published. The inclusion of civilian firearms remains one of the controversial aspects of the proposed treaty. Countries such as Mexico and the Netherlands want civilian firearms included in the treaty. Other countries, such as New Zealand, want those types of arms excluded from the treaty. In a move that disappointed anti-gun groups, Moritan’s treaty outline includes a category for “Exclusions,” and the supporting position paper lists an exclusion covering civilian firearms. Still, we must remain vigilant on this and series of other threatening issues.

The Prep Com will meet again in New York the week of February 28, 2011. It will meet a second time in July 2011. There are also an extensive series of workshops scheduled for 2011 to “support” the Arms Trade Treaty.

Below, you may view video coverage of these meetings by NRA News correspondent Ginny Simone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FulGZGJnmhs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8Hbddd7LL4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ-RqSWsKP0

We will report on further developments as they occur.

MISSOULA, Mont.– With their latest petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, animal rights activists are preparing to sue for federally mandated release of wolves in every state, warn officials with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

David Allen, RMEF president and CEO, says animal rights groups have learned that introducing wolves translates to major fundraising, and activists have found a way to exploit the Endangered Species Act “as well as taxpayer-funded programs that cover lawyer fees” to push their agenda and build revenue through the courts.

“There are now about 100,000 gray wolves in the U.S. and Canada, and over the past few years in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, activists discovered that every wolf is also a cash cow,” said Allen. “If we don’t get some reform in federal laws very soon, we’re all going to be living in Jurassic Park. This is not about saving a lost species. It’s about money and special interest agendas.”

“Americans need to wake up,” he added, ‘because when you respond to those fundraising letters with photos of cute little wolf pups, you’re writing a check that our country’s rural and traditional lifestyles can’t cash. You’re eroding the fundamentals of America’s model for wildlife conservation.”

Allen said undermanaged wolf populations in the northern Rockies are compromising the health of other wildlife species — especially elk and other prey. In areas of Montana and Idaho where wolves share habitat with elk, calf survival rates now are too low to sustain herds for the future.

‘How do animal rights groups who claim to defend wildlife justify elk calf survival rates below 10 percent? Clearly they have another agenda,” said Allen.

Participation in hunting and the funding it generates for conservation also are being negatively affected, as are local economies, livestock production and potentially even human safety.

Continuous lawsuits by activists have setback wolf control and management efforts, compounding problems and costs for states.

“Now imagine bringing these kinds of impacts to more populated states elsewhere in the U.S., and I think we’re looking at an unprecedented wildlife management disaster,” said Allen.

RMEF has helped to successfully restore elk populations in Kentucky, Tennessee, Wisconsin and other states where habitat is suitable and citizens support the effort. Elk restoration is being considered currently in Virginia and Missouri using these same criteria.

“There are two proven ways to restore a species,” said Allen. ‘Our way is offering to help with funding and expertise so long as the local public wants the species and the state can manage them. The other way is using lawsuits and loopholes to shove a project down people’s throats.”

Animal rights groups filed a petition July 20 complaining that wolves now inhabit just 5 percent of their former range in the U.S., and that wolf populations should be recovered in all significant portions of that range. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) responded by saying that it is reviewing “what is realistic and where the suitable habitat would be.” The agency’s review could be complete by late 2010 or early 2011.

‘We urge USFWS to be very cautious in this evaluation and reject the rhetoric of the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Earth Justice, Humane Society of the U.S. and other animal rights groups. Wolf re-introduction in the greater Yellowstone region was a classic example of “let’s get our foot in the door and then move the goal line,” and should be warning enough. This is a fundraising strategy with anti-hunting, anti-ranching, anti-gun impacts, and the public needs to understand and see it for it is,” added Allen.

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 5.8 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 at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Contact: Steve Wagner, Blue Heron Communications, 800-654-3766 or steve@blueheroncomm.com

GW: Good advice in any state.

WATERBURY, VT – Wild animals do not make good pets. Some are dangerous when they reach maturity, almost all do not adjust well to captivity, and many populations of reptiles and amphibians, including turtles, are being threatened by people illegally collecting them in the wild.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says a recent newspaper advertisement promoting turtles as pets and showing a photo of a wood turtle could mislead people to think it is OK to keep a wood turtle. It is illegal in Vermont to catch or possess a wood turtle as well as other native turtles.

Vermont is home to seven species of turtles: spotted turtle (small with distinct yellow spots; endangered and known from just a handful of locations), spiny softshell (large, threatened, confined to Lake Champlain and lower portions of rivers that flow into Lake Champlain), map turtle (up to 10″ and confined mainly to Lake Champlain), musk turtle (rarely seen lake or stream bottom walker), snapping turtle (large, prehistoric looking giant that can have a 18″ shell and be 36″ nose to tail tip; can live up to 100 years and lay up to 100 eggs per year), painted turtle (perhaps our most plentiful turtle, relatively small, smooth dark shell, and likely a mix of midland and eastern subspecies in Vermont), and last but certainly not least, the wood turtle.

The wood turtle averages about 7.5 inches in shell length, and it has reddish-orange skin on its neck and legs and a roughly textured shell. It is dependent on streams and small rivers where it spends the winter on the bottom. In warmer months it may travel 1000 or more feet from the stream to forage on land.

Adult wood turtles may live 60 years, but egg and hatchling survival is extremely low. Survival of older juveniles and adult breeders is key to maintaining this species. The wood turtle is rare throughout its range which includes Vermont.

Taking a turtle home removes it from its breeding population and reduces that population’s chances of replacing turtles that die. It takes many years for a turtle to mature and we need the older breeders to maintain populations. Only 2 percent of hatchling turtles may survive to become breeding adults, and wood turtles only lay an average of seven eggs each year.

Wood turtles have not fared well in the face of human development of the landscape. Habitat loss and alteration, isolation of populations from each other, road mortality, impacts from mowers, increase in turtle predators such as raccoons and skunks, and collection of wild turtles as pets have contributed to a region-wide decline in this species.

It is illegal to collect and possess native wildlife, including turtles, as pets. Yet, an illegal pet-trade still exists. Even animals reported to be “captive bred” are a problem because breeding stock comes out of the wild.

Don’t be part of the problem. Remember that wildlife are not pets. They belong in the wild. Enjoy Vermont’s natural heritage where it belongs — in the wild. To learn more about wood turtles and other wildlife in Vermont, visit the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website “Critter Curriculum” at www.vtfishandwildlife.com/vtcritters.

Indiana Adds County to Emerald Ash Borer/Wood Quarantine
Emerald ash borer (EAB), an invasive forest insect that kills ash trees, has been detected in Hendricks County.

As a result, Robert E. Carter Jr., director of the DNR, declared the county quarantined for EAB after state entomologist Phil Marshall recommended that movement of regulated ash material and hardwood firewood within the county be limited to reduce spread of the insect. To view quarantined areas and EAB sightings in Indiana go to the DNR’s interactive EAB Map at http://www.in.gov/dnr/entomolo/5349.htm.

An EAB quarantine restricts the movement of regulated ash materials, including whole ash trees, limbs, branches or debris of ash trees at least 1 inch in diameter, ash logs or untreated ash lumber with bark attached, or cut firewood of any hardwood species, outside of the affected county. Regulated ash material and hardwood firewood may be moved within the county, but special permission in the form of a signed compliance agreement must be obtained from the Indiana DNR to move it outside the county borders. In general, the DNR recommends that movement remain limited within each county when possible to reduce spread of the insect within the county. A compliance agreement can be applied for by contacting the Indiana DNR’s Division of Entomology and Plant Pathology at (317) 232-4120.

EAB, first found in Indiana in 2004, has now been identified in 35 Indiana counties: Adams, Allen, Blackford, Brown, Carroll, Cass, DeKalb, Delaware, Dubois, Elkhart, Floyd, Grant, Hamilton, Harrison, Hendricks, Huntington, Jay, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Lawrence, Marion, Miami, Monroe, Noble, Orange, Porter, Randolph, Ripley, St. Joseph, Steuben, Tippecanoe, Wabash, Wells, White and Whitley.

In addition to the state-level quarantine, all of Indiana is under a federal quarantine that prohibits moving regulated ash material out of Indiana without a compliance agreement or permit from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). For a federal compliance agreement application, contact USDA, APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) at (765) 497-2859.

Ephrata, Washington – An 18-year-old Mattawa man has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, after shooting at a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) police captain Saturday in Grant County.

The man is being held in Grant County Jail on $1 million bail, along with his 60-year-old father, who drew a knife on another WDFW police officer. The father has been charged with second-degree assault, and is being held on $100,000 bail. The men, who made a preliminary appearance today in Grant County Superior Court, are to be formally arraigned next Monday. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has also placed holds on both men.

The two were arrested Saturday evening, following a vehicle pursuit by WDFW and the State Patrol on State Route 28 near Ephrata.

The incident began about 8:30 p.m. Saturday, when WDFW Officer Chad McGary was checking anglers at Crab Creek, a popular fishing area near Beverly in Grant County. McGary contacted the 18 year old, who had been fishing but did not possess a fishing license. As McGary was escorting the suspect back to his vehicle, to confirm whether he had purchased a license, the man drew a gun and pointed it at the officer. The man’s father also approached the officer, brandishing a knife.

The young man then escaped to a car and was pursued by WDFW Capt. Chris Anderson. During the pursuit, the suspect turned his vehicle around and drove toward Anderson’s marked police vehicle, firing shots and penetrating the driver’s side door with one round. Anderson returned fire after the suspect attempted to shoot at him a second time.

After a pursuit of several miles, the suspect was apprehended after his car stalled on State Route 28 near Ephrata.

The young man was booked into Grant County Jail for alleged attempted murder in the first degree. The suspect’s father was booked for alleged assault and for an outstanding felony warrant on an unrelated charge.

The incident is being investigated by the Columbia Basin Investigative Team, a regional law-enforcement consortium. Investigations are routinely conducted following police use of force involving firearms.

WDFW police are general-authority law enforcement officers who provide a range of police services focused on natural-resource protection and public safety.

By Glen Wunderlich
Outdoor Columnist
Member Professional Outdoor Media Association

When my new Horton Vision crossbow arrived at the doorstep, I knew there would be plenty to learn about its function. Little did I know, however, how little I knew.

Before any testing could take place, a bit of assembly had to be performed. The stirrup had to be mounted to the front of the barrel and the scope had to be secured to the mounting rail. Check.

I then placed one of the three provided arrows in the flight groove and let it fly toward the target. Bull’s eye at 20 paces! Let’s go hunting. Oh, that’s right, the season doesn’t begin for a few months. That’ll give me more time to discover what I don’t know.

For starters, rule #1 is to keep your front hand in the proper position on the forearm. To do otherwise could lead to a race downrange between your fingertips and the arrow. Even if your fingertips win, you lose.

The manual safety must be purposely pushed forward much like any firearm but this particular one makes substantial noise – much more than is practical in a hunting situation. There is simply no way this safety could be disengaged with a whitetail nearby without sending it to parts unknown. To me, this condition is problematic: some hunters will defeat the safety by disengaging it while on stand to avoid spooking game. I am by no means advocating this practice but it’s going to happen.

The trigger is stiff enough, that Horton could have supplied a mini string cocker to operate it. When I hooked a trigger scale to it, I couldn’t get it to come close to firing within the 72-ounce scale. Considering the condition noted above with the noisy safety, maybe the heavy trigger was built in by design. I have fired many guns over the years and have never found one that took the force to operate it as this crossbow trigger does. It certainly won’t fire by accident!

As a student of ballistics, I had to find out just how much less than the advertised speed of “up to 325 feet-per-second” (fps) this crossgun (excuse me, crossbow) will fling an arrow. (By the way, in Michigan crossbows cannot exceed 350 fps for legal hunting and advertised speed is how they are judged.) When I released an arrow through the speed meter, it clocked in at 290 fps – far below advertised speed. Then I read in the manual, that with a lighter-than-supplied arrow, such speed could be attained. Whaddayaknow!

According to the manual, my arrow with tip weighs 438 grains and coupled with the actual velocity, a whopping 82 foot-pounds of kinetic energy is developed. Compared to firearms, it doesn’t stack up, but arrows aren’t bullets and do their damage with shear penetration and cutting ability. For reference, only 25-41 foot-pounds are required to take medium-sized game such as deer. Black bears and elk need 42-65 pounds of force, while dangerous game such as cape buffalo or grizzly bears need 65 foot pounds to get the job done. Therefore, penetration will not be a problem.

As with any other hunting tool, crossbows will only be effective if shots are placed on target. The Vision comes with a lighted-reticle Mult-A-Range scope, which has 5 crosshairs for varying yardage designed for increments of 10-12 yards each. It is interesting to note that typical firearm scopes may not be suitable for crossbows because there is a phenomenon called reverse recoil which could destroy them. (Airguns work the same way.) I just hope it is calibrated close enough with my less-than-advertised-up-to-325 fps rig to actually be worth retaining.

In any case, the learning curve has begun and I expect to have this contraption figured out and dialed in long before the archery opener October 1st.

An alligator crossing the road in Sanford, Florida Monday night got a surprise when a man decided to catch it and grabbed it by its tail. But the alligator’s surprise was nothing compared to the man’s when the reptile whipped around and bit him on the leg and then ran into some bushes.

As if getting bitten once wasn’t enough, the man, who officials said appeared to be intoxicated, reached into the bushes to grab the gator again, and it obliged him by biting him, again.

The gator was trying to get to some water when Dirk Alan Willms, 44, (DOB 08/13/65), of 501 Lemon St., Sanford, decided to catch it.

Eventually, Willms subdued the 45-inch alligator and took it to his house. Someone who saw him with the alligator reported it to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, which then called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

FWC Law Enforcement Officer Naomii Tye responded to the call, issued Willms a ticket for possessing an alligator, a second-degree misdemeanor, and then released the small reptile in nearby Lake Jesup. The maximum penalty for a second-degree misdemeanor is 60 days in jail and $500 fine.

While Tye was filling out the citation, Willms commented that he should have cut the gator’s tail off and left it where he caught it, and that he had caught several alligators in the past and had never been bitten.

“If someone sees an alligator that they think is a threat to public safety, they should call the FWC. They should never try to catch it themselves, no matter how small it is,” said Tye. “As Mr. Willms found out, not only is it dangerous, it’s against the law.”

Willms received minor punctures and lacerations, and Tye instructed him to seek medical attention to avoid infection from his cuts.

The moral of this gator tale is if something isn’t bothering you, leave it alone.

Catching and possessing alligators without a permit is against the law. Violators should be reported to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922. Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward if their information leads to arrest.

SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI -More women than men took up hunting last year, according to new net figures from the National Sporting Goods Association.

While total hunters in the U.S. decreased slightly (.05 percent) between 2008 and 2009, the number of female hunters increased by 5.4 percent, netting 163,000 new participants. Growth areas for women included muzzleloading (up 134.6 percent), bowhunting (up 30.7 percent) and hunting with firearms (up 3.5 percent).

Data also show women outpaced men among net newcomers to target shooting with a rifle, where female participation grew by 4.1 percent.

New hunters and shooters are cause for celebration because more participation helps with funding for conservation, according to officials with National Hunting and Fishing Day. Congress established NHF Day, set for Sept. 25, 2010, to recognize America’s sportsmen and women for their leading role in fish, wildlife and habitat conservation (more info at www.nhfday.org).

“New hunters, shooters and anglers are a good thing for everyone who loves the outdoors,” said Denise Wagner of Wonders of Wildlife museum in Springfield, Mo., the official home of NHF Day. “Hunting and fishing license sales, combined with special taxes on firearms and ammunition, bows and arrows, and rods and reels generate about $100,000 every 30 minutes, totaling more than $1.75 billion per year, for conservation. When it comes to funding for wildlife and wild places, more is definitely better.”

The growth in new participation among women, perhaps counterintuitive to traditionalists, is no surprise to Steve Sanetti, president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry.

He explained, “Over the past several years, our industry has worked hard to help build this segment of our market. We’ve developed shooting and hunting products especially for women, reached out with welcoming and instructional workshops for women, and encouraged existing hunters and shooters to introduce their spouses, daughters and other newcomers to shooting sports and outdoor lifestyles. I believe these efforts are paying off, which is a bright spot for our industry as well as for conservation.”

Also unsurprised at the number of female hunters and shooters are the women Olympians of the USA Shooting Team, whose ever-increasing visibility has made them effective ambassadors, role models and recruiters of women to traditional outdoor sports.

“Shooting is one of the most fun and empowering things you can teach a young girl or a grown woman,” said Corey Cogdell, 23, a lifelong hunter and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in trap shooting. “Most men are surprised to find out that I am an avid outdoors woman and are often intrigued to learn how they can get females in their own lives involved in hunting and shooting.”

Connie Smotek, 45, a two-time Olympic skeet shooter, bronze medalist in the 2009 World Cup, and avid bird and big-game hunter, added, “Shooting and hunting are activities which a woman can enjoy for a lifetime.”

Cogdell and Smotek are among the many USA Shooting Team members who parlayed early interests in hunting into international success in shooting sports-an opportunity that didn’t exist for women until comparatively recently. Women’s shooting wasn’t officially added as an Olympic sport until 1984 (although U.S. rifle shooter Margaret Murdock won a medal competing against men in the 1976 games). Since then, U.S. women have won 10 Olympic medals in shooting, which is a growing source of pride.

Four of those 10 medals were won in the past four Olympics by Kim Rhode, a double-trap and skeet shooter now among the most elite and enduring athletes in all of sports.

The entire USA Shooting Team is serving as honorary chair for NHF Day 2010.

Sponsors for NHF Day 2010 include Wonders of Wildlife, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Bass Pro Shops, Smith & Wesson, Sportsman Channel, Realtree, Cabela’s, GunBroker.com, Yamaha, Pope and Young Club and Izaak Walton League of America.

For more information about NHF Day, visit www.nhfday.org.

Participation statistics are from the National Sporting Goods Association report “Sports Participation in 2009-Shooting Sports.”