U.P.’s Black River Lake Boating Access Site Closed Indefinitely

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has closed the boating access site at Black River Lake in Gogebic County indefinitely, and the public is advised to avoid the area and the soft soils that have been newly exposed, due to draining of water from the impoundment.

Since June 28, the DNR has been receiving reports of extremely low water levels within Black River Lake. This impoundment, approximately 10 miles southeast of Ironwood, was maintained by a water control structure on the lake’s north side. During an on-site investigation, DNR Fisheries Division staff determined that the water control structure experienced a partial failure, with one of the lower stoplogs breaking, causing the impoundment to slowly drain.

“Upon inspecting the dam, it appeared the lower stoplog(s) failed, and that was the cause of the drainage. Upon further investigation of the downstream area below the dam, sediment was not observed to have washed into the floodplain or caused erosion of the streambanks, indicating that this was not a quick flooding event,” said Jennifer Johnson, DNR fisheries biologist. “During the site visit, I spoke with locals who described the impoundment as being 10-15 feet low over the course of three weeks. It is likely that the stoplog(s) completely failed around June 24 or 25, which coincided with a heavy rainstorm.” Read more

Fishing

Independence Day Shoot

Independence Day Shoot
July 4th, 2024

By Glen Wunderlich

Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)

A few close friends and I participated in my annual 4th of July shoot in Shiawassee County, Michigan.  All calibers were welcomed and ran the gamut from .22 rimfire to .300 Winchester and .45-70 calibers.  Distance ranged to a maximum of 280 yards with lots of inter-active targets of water filled-vessels.  A few out-of-the-box rifles in .22-250 and .223 Remington were bore sighted and dialed in for their maximum point-blank range.  A couple of cannon blasts began the festivities and shook neighboring windows.  What the heck…it’s only once a year!

The shoot gives us an opportunity to shoot big-game rifles, which are not legal to hunt deer in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan but are legal for varmints of all size – and, of course, all the target shooing one’s shoulder can bear.

My .45-70 J.D. Jones’ custom Contender is always a big hit – especially on a ballistic-steel, resetting popper at 200 yards.  As J.D. Jones once said, “You’ve got a tiger by the tail”, when it comes to this heavy-hitting hand cannon, and some were initiated to the experience.

No rapid-fire shenanigans.  Just controlled trigger work – all day long!

Ammunition, Firearms

Remembering Our Forefathers’ Pledge on Independence Day

“We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

— Declaration of Independence, 1776

General

Black Bear Near Colstrip, Montana Captured, Relocated

A young male black bear that had been getting into garbage in and around Colstrip residential areas in recent days was successfully captured, tranquilized, tagged and relocated to a remote area Friday by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 7.

There has been a bit of an uptick in bear sightings recently around the region. But the mere presence of bears should not be considered an imminent threat. Bears prefer to avoid contact with humans, but when they receive frequent food rewards such as household trash, pet food and fruit, they can quickly become habituated to people This creates a situation that, if not remedied, may mean injury to humans or death for the bear. Hence the saying, “A fed bear is a dead bear.” Read more

Wildlife

Luth-AR Launches Exciting July Giveaway

Buffalo, MN – Luth-AR, the leading provider of high-quality AR accessories, is thrilled to announce its latest giveaway for the month of July 2024. This month, participants have the chance to win a fantastic prize package consisting of a MBA-5 Carbine Buttstock and a Chubby Grip™.

The Luth-AR MBA-5 Buttstock is the latest in the MBA Series. Designed as an affordable, lightweight, adjustable carbine buttstock with a paddle-style adjustment lever allowing rapid positioning. The wide flared cheek rest provides a comfortable cheek weld and the integrated Picatinny rail allows for attaching a mono-pod or other accessories and the Anti-rattle set screw allows for adjustment when used with a Mil-spec buffer tube.

The Chubby Grip® is designed with shooter ergonomics in mind. The full palm swell fills the hand, providing a consistent and rapid grip, properly positioned to promote accurate and repeatable shots on target. The thumb rest and palm shelf work together to lock the hand in place shot after shot, while the raised trigger finger surface, forces the finger into the proper curved position for better trigger control and comfort. Read more

Contests

Winchester Honors 125 Years of The Grand American with Commemorative Ammunition

EAST ALTON, IL — As the Official Ammunition of the Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA), Winchester is honoring the 125th Anniversary of The Grand American with commemorative AA® shotshell ammunition.

As one of the most longstanding supporters of the ATA, and most preferred shotshell of its competitive shooters, the Winchester AA/Grand American commemorative ammunition is both a collectible for the mantel, or, superior fit for a round at the shooting range. The ammunition features the Grand American 125th Anniversary badge and imagery celebrating the rich history of the event.

“Winchester AA shotshells and The Grand American Trapshooting World Championships have contributed significantly to the rich history of the shooting sports,” said Jason Gilbertson, Director of Marketing for Winchester Ammunition. “Winchester is proud to celebrate this milestone anniversary of The Grand American with our legendary AA shotshell ammunition.” Read more

Ammunition

Gamekeeper Podcast: The Degradation of Wild Mallard Genetics

EP:243 | The Degradation of Wild Mallard Genetics

On this week’s podcast Dr. Philip Lavretsky of UTEP and Dr. Brian Davis of Miss State University join us to explain the frightening scenario of the degradation of wild mallard genetics. Released “game farm” mallards were previously thought to not survive the winters, and certainly weren’t thought to be breeding with wild ducks. Turns out that’s not true as they are having an increasing genetic influence on the Atlantic flyway mallards and the phenomenon is moving west. All we have to do is look to Europe to see what could play out. This alarming story plus new information that Dr. Lavretsky explains has everyone worried about the future of our beloved greenheads. If you love wildlife, especially ducks, you’re going to want to pay attention to this one and share it. Listen and Learn.

Listen Links:
Website: https://mossyoakgamekeeper.com/podcasts/ep243-the-degradation-of-wild-mallard-genetics/

Wildlife ,

Smith & Wesson Adds 45 Colt to the Model 1854 Series

MARYVILLE, TN. – Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ Global Select: SWBI), a leader in firearm manufacturing and design, announces today the release of the new Model 1854, chambered in 45 Colt.

At the time Smith & Wesson introduced the Model 1854 series, .44 Rem Mag was the caliber offering of choice. Now, starting today, you can own one of these smooth lever guns in the iconic 45 Colt cartridge. The Model 1854 series is designed to strategically blend the classic aesthetic of the American lever gun while incorporating modern enhancements. This past year, the series received the 2024 Editor’s Choice Best All-Around Rifle, from Outdoor Life. Models are offered in a paired synthetic black polymer and stainless-steel finish, as well as a walnut furniture combination with Armornite finish.

These rifles are designed with a 9+1 capacity, include a threaded 19 ¼-inch barrel, and boast a crisp and smooth action that is also tough enough to stand up to use in the field. The Model 1854 comes with additional features out of the box like a 4 ¾-inch Picatinny base for mounting optics, an adjustable XS Sights® ghost ring rear sight, a gold bead front sight, flat-face trigger design, and removable magazine tube that allows you to safely unload the rifle. Read more

Firearms

Bidding Begins on July Collection of Collector’s Elite Auctions

Bidding begins Thursday, July 4, on the July collection of Collector’s Elite Auctions. The auction runs for two weeks, closing on the evening of Thursday, July 18.

Just a few of the unique items in the July collection are customized handguns from the personal collection of long-time American Handgunner editor Roy Huntington’s; a WWII-era Winchester M1 Carbine set up with a Vietnam-era Starlight Scope; and a new in box Merkel Express .500 Nitro sidelock double rifle.

Bidding for these items kick off on Independence Day and closes the evening of July 20th. Items are expected to be added from now until the auction opens for bidding. Read more

Firearms

NSSF-Adjusted NICS Background Checks for June 2024

The June 2024 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,059,037 is a decrease of 4.7 percent compared to the June 2023 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,110,696. For comparison, the unadjusted June 2024 FBI NICS figure of 1,958,447 reflects a 9.0 percent decrease from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,152,187 in June 2023.

June marks the 59th month in a row that has exceeded 1 million adjusted background checks in a single month. Read more

Firearms
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