Allowable e-Bike Operation Expands Under Michigan DNR Land Use Order Change

Provisions of change in effect immediately after today’s approval

Allowable use of Class 1 electric bicycles on state-managed, nonmotorized bicycle trails/pathways has expanded following approval of a proposed Michigan Department of Natural Resources land use order.

DNR Director Scott Bowen approved the land use order change today during the Michigan Natural Resources Commission’s monthly meeting, which was held at the Cadillac Place Building in Detroit.

“This decision opens our trails to be even more inclusive, providing opportunities to those unable to bike without assistance who want to continue riding and enjoying the outdoors,” said Ron Olson, chief of the DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division. “We anticipate all bikers and trail users will continue to practice appropriate trail etiquette so all users can be safe and enjoy the expansive natural-surface trail system.”

Definitions and details

An electric bicycle (or e-bike) is a bicycle that has a small rechargeable electric motor that can give a boost to the pedaling rider or can take over pedaling completely.

To qualify as an e-bike in Michigan, the bike must meet the following requirements: Read more

Wildlife

Umarex Delivers the Feature-Rich Zelos

As airgunning has grown, shooters have asked for more customization options on factory rifles. The Umarex Zelos – which is now shipping – delivers what they have wanted.

The Zelos is a modular rifle designed for casual shooting, hunting, pesting and benchrest competitions. Available in both .22 and .25 caliber, the Zelos features a sleek 3,625 PSI tank. The pressure regulator is adjustable between 1,000 to 2,000 PSI and the two-stage trigger is also adjustable.

The .22 caliber model generates 1,100 FPS of muzzle velocity and comes with a 20-round magazine. Equipped with an 18-round magazine, the .25 caliber version launches a pellet at 1,000 FPS.

Picatinny rails for optics, bipods and other accessories are integrated into the rifle’s design. While a side-lever action allows for faster shooting, whether hunting or working against the clock in a competition. Read more

Firearms

Sportsmen’s Alliance Sues CDC on Dog-Import Rule

New CDC Rule Will Dismantle Sporting Dog Breeders Throughout Canada and Europe

The Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to rescind a new rule restricting the importation of dogs into the United States. Although the agency’s stated reason for the action is to prevent the spread of rabies, the new rule applies to dogs coming from any country – including Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and many others which the CDC itself classifies as “low risk” or “free” of dog rabies.

“We aren’t going to stand by while CDC cancels sporting dog breeders and hunting or trialing across the border without a fight,” said Dr. Todd Adkins, Vice President of Government Affairs at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “CDC has one speed, and that’s to over-regulate to the point of ruin, so let’s see what a federal judge has to say about this agency running roughshod over the American people once again.”

The CDC rule includes new paperwork requirements and microchips for those who want to enter the United States with a dog and goes on to prohibit any dog under the age of six months from entering the U.S. at all. Health certificates or vaccination records for puppies are irrelevant – puppies are totally banned under the rule.

The new requirements and puppy ban include U.S. citizens who are attempting to re-enter the country after visiting Canada with their dog for hunting, trialing or for any other purpose. There are no exceptions for personally owned dogs. The puppy prohibition also has no exceptions, and this ban will completely crater a thriving community of long-established Canadian sporting dog breeders who send puppies to customers throughout the United States. Similar breeding programs for sporting breeds like Drahthaar (Germany) and Bracco Italiano (Italy) also stand to be decimated.

“CDC either doesn’t know or doesn’t care how destructive this rule is for our members who hunt or trial across the border or get puppies from Canadian or European breeders,” said Michael Jean, Litigation Counsel at the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation. “Regardless of whether this was done out of ignorance or maliciousness, we are going to protect our community.” Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Hunting License Sales Remain Steady in 2022-2023

The Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (Council) in collaboration with Southwick Associates, has released its annual report on hunting license sales, revealing a relatively steady trend for the 2022-2023 license year. According to the report, over 80% of participating states experienced a change of 5% or less in hunting license sales from the previous year.

In early 2021, the Council conducted a comprehensive survey of state wildlife agencies, which showed an overall increase in hunting license sales by 4.9% from 2019 to 2020. This rise was attributed to the surge in outdoor recreation during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as the pandemic extended into its second year, 2021 saw a dip of 1.9% in overall sales, despite the continued high demand for outdoor activities, particularly among nonresident hunters.

The Council revisited the study in early 2023 to track trends in hunting license sales for the 2022-2023 license year. The findings indicated a 3.1% decline in sales compared to 2020-2021 license year. However, the latest report for 2022-2023 showed a much smaller decrease of just 0.3% across the 47 states that participated in the Council’s study, suggesting a stabilization in participation rates.

“The 2022-2023 hunting license sales indicate that participation is likely relatively stable at the national level,” said Swanny Evans, Director of Research and Partnerships for the Council. “This is a positive sign for the hunting and conservation community.”

Key findings from the 2022-2023 report include: Read more

Hunting

Tour Black River Sturgeon Hatchery for Free Aug. 17

Anyone wanting a close-up look at lake sturgeon or to learn more about what goes into rearing this unique fish species is encouraged to take advantage of free hatchery tours at the Black River facility Saturday, Aug. 17. Tours will run from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the facility, located northwest of Onaway.

“Visitors will see 3-month-old lake sturgeon currently in the hatchery and learn about early life history, as well as how we can all play a role to keep this species healthy in our waters,” said Tim Cwalinski, Northern Lake Huron Unit supervisor with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Researchers from the DNR and Michigan State University will be on hand to talk about lake sturgeon biology, development and current research. Sturgeon for Tomorrow representatives will discuss restoration work to improve sturgeon spawning habitat, sturgeon conservation and outreach programming.

The hatchery is located in Cheboygan County on the Upper Black River adjacent to the Kleber Dam. From M-68 2 miles west of Onaway, take Black River Road (F-05) north to Twin School Road, then west a little over 3 miles to the hatchery, which is on the north side of the road just before the dam. Read more

Fishing

Arizona Man Finds Two-Carat Diamond at Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park

‘Minor Find’ second-largest at park in 2024

There is nothing better than memories made while spending quality time with family. For Will and Marshall Barnett, of Buckeye, AZ, a recent father-and-son trip to Arkansas’ famous Crater of Diamonds State Park resulted in the story of a lifetime and the second-largest diamond registered so far this year.

The Barnetts set out on a “boys’ week” road trip from their home in late July, their main goal to visit family and have fun along the way. After learning about the Crater of Diamonds State Park from his uncle, who worked as a park interpreter at another Arkansas State Park, Will decided to stop by Arkansas’ diamond site to try their luck at finding a genuine diamond.

Will and Marshall arrived at the park on the morning of July 27, buckets and shovels in-hand. After renting screens at the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, the two entered the park’s 37.5-acre diamond search area, a plowed field atop the eroded surface of an ancient, diamond-bearing volcano, to start digging. After filling a few buckets with diamond-bearing soil, they headed to the park’s south wash pavilion to wet sift their dirt.

“Wet sifting is one of the most effective methods to search for diamonds,” said Park Interpreter Ashlyn Keys. “The search area has two wash pavilions, with water troughs and tables, for visitors to wet sift. Using screens to separate dirt from the gravel allows you to go through more material in less time, giving a better chance of finding a diamond.”

While sifting, Will spotted a promising, glimmering gem at the bottom of his screen. He quickly called over his son, saying, “Hey Marshall, you should take a look at this!” Marshall excitedly picked out the large stone before asking an experienced miner nearby if they had just found a diamond. Read more

Wildlife

AGM Global Vision Launches Newest LRF-Equipped Thermal Scope

AGM continues to be the most active manufacturer in the thermal market by releasing their long-awaited VarmintV2 LRF Riflescopes, which is no less than its third new product family released in the last month. The VarmintV2 LRF’s bring many of the improvements that users desired in their first ever LRF thermal riflescope series, the Varmint LRF’s. The most prominent of those upgrades include, but are not limited to: on-board ballistic calculator, upgrade to a new sub-20mk 12 micron thermal sensor, recoil-activated video with audio and a completely new user interface.

Physically, the VarmintV2 LRF’s are very similar in appearance to the original Varmint LRF’s. This will help the unit maintain its compact and lightweight housing, as well as its reliance on a single removable and rechargeable 18650 battery. Coming in under 9in and 585g, the VarmintV2 LRF’s leave plenty of rail space on user’s rifles, while keeping weight down in the event that a suppressor or external battery pack is being utilized.

The VarmintV2 LRF family will consist of (4) different lens/sensor configurations: Read more

Optics

Time to Look for Invasive Asian Longhorned Beetle

Wondering what to do between now and the anticipated September release of the “Beetlejuice” movie sequel? Consider spending some time outdoors looking for a real destructive pest – the invasive Asian longhorned beetle.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service declares every August as Tree Check Month, the most likely time to see the beetle and the damage it causes to trees.

Reaching up to 1.5 inches in length, the Asian longhorned beetle, or ALB for short, is distinctive. With a shiny, black body flecked with irregular, white blotches and long antennae with alternating black and white bands, it would be a perfect companion to Michael Keaton’s ghoulish troublemaker. But in the case of ALB, the destruction is real and long-lasting. Read more

Wildlife

Nebraska Commissioners to Consider Bighorn Sheep Season

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will consider recommendations for a 2025 bighorn sheep hunting season at its Aug. 16 meeting at Fort Robinson State Park.

The meeting begins at 8 a.m. Mountain Time at the park’s Buffalo Soldiers Barracks, 3200 U.S. 20, Crawford.

Staff will recommend authorizing one lottery and one auction permit for the bighorn season, which, if approved, would be Dec. 2-22, 2025.

The commissioners also will consider changing park regulations that would: Read more

Hunting

Grizzly Bear Relocated in Northwest Wyoming

After consultation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department captured and relocated a subadult male grizzly bear on July 31, 2024.

The bear was captured and relocated preemptively because it frequented developed areas on private lands in the Wilson, Wyoming area. In cooperation with the USFWS and the Shoshone National Forest, the grizzly bear was relocated to the Camp Creek drainage approximately 30 miles northwest of Cody.

Grizzly bears are relocated in accordance with state and federal law and regulation, and Game and Fish is required to update the public whenever a grizzly bear is relocated.

WHY RELOCATION? Read more

Wildlife
1 … 255 256 257 258 259 … 2,054