DU’s season in review offers an in-depth look at the 2023-24 waterfowl season

Ducks Unlimited proudly presents its 2023-24 Season in Review, a comprehensive analysis of waterfowling across the United States, focusing on a year marked by unique environmental challenges and conservation efforts.

The report offers a detailed overview of the environmental challenges and achievements encountered over the season, enriched by insights into specific phenomena such as El Niño and its implications for waterfowl habitats.

The 2023-24 waterfowl hunting season faced unparalleled challenges, marked by adverse weather conditions and ecological stresses. Despite an initial improvement in breeding conditions over 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (BPOP) revealed a troubling 7% decline in total duck populations across the Traditional Survey Area, indicating the most significant drop in nearly 15 years. Read more

Hunting

NSSF Celebrates Kentucky Second Amendment Privacy Act Passing into Law

NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, celebrates Kentucky House Bill 357, informally called the Second Amendment Privacy Act, passing into law. This NSSF-supported law protects the privacy and sensitive financial information of people purchasing firearms and ammunition in Kentucky. The law was passed with an overwhelming majority by the Commonwealth’s General Assembly.

The law prohibits financial institutions from requiring the use of a firearm code, also known as a Merchant Category Code (MCC), from being assigned to designate firearm and ammunition purchases at retail when using a credit card. The law also forbids discriminating against a firearm retailer as a result of the assigned or non-assignment of a firearm code and disclosing protected financial information. Additionally, the law prohibits keeping or causing to be kept any list, record or registry of private firearm ownership. The law was sponsored by Kentucky state Reps. Derek Lewis and Michael Meredith, as well as state Sen. Jason Howell. Read more

Gun Control

Bear Creek Arsenal 9mm Bufferless Revolutionary AR Pistol

Having a handgun is an essential part of everyday carry, but one always needs a backup or spare option. Bear Creek Arsenal has the ultimate truck gun now in a 9mm bufferless option. Designed for discerning shooters who demand portability without compromising performance, this bufferless option represents a new era in PDWs. This pistol eliminates the need for a traditional AR buffer tube, significantly reducing the overall footprint. Our patent-protected BCG seamlessly integrates with the blow-back operating system, resulting in a compact, efficient firearm. Read more

Firearms

Hydra Weaponry Introduces the Hydra 10

Hydra Weaponry, Maine’s largest firearms employer, designers, and manufacturers of the truly modular MARCK-15 Hydra® Weapon System, unveil the Hydra 10, a .308 with the hard-hitting performance expected of this leading American AR-rifle manufacturer.

Based on customer demands, the Hydra 10 is built upon years of research, development, and real-world testing. It combines advanced engineering with user-centric features to deliver a rifle platform that excels in any scenario. From long-range precision shooting to tactical applications, the Hydra 10 offers unmatched adaptability and performance.

Key features of the Hydra 10 include: Read more

Firearms

XS Sights R3D 2.0 Tritium Night Sight Kits for 1911 Pistols

Fort Worth, Texas – XS® Sights is pleased to now offer its popular R3D 2.0 Tritium Night Sights for Colt, Kimber, and Springfield Armory 1911 pistols.

Designed for improved speed and accuracy in any light, these new second-generation tritium self-defense sights are brighter, stronger, and even easier to install than the original R3D models. Featuring a notch and post design with two rear tritium dots and a high-contrast green dual-illuminated Glow Dot front sight that is wider than most on the market, the R3D 2.0 is designed to improve your shooting.

The Glow Dot’s self-luminous tritium vile glows in low or no light for 12 years and is surrounded by XS’ proprietary photoluminescent dot material that absorbs ambient light to glow in low light. This makes the front sight brighter than the two rear tritium dots and, combined with the wide notch, provides more visible indexing for increased precision and accuracy. Read more

Firearms

SAF Files Reply Brief In Lawsuit Against NM Gov. Grisham

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation and its allies in a federal lawsuit against New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s prohibition of lawful carrying of arms in Albuquerque and surrounding Bernalillo County have filed an appellants reply brief with the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The case is known as Fort v. Grisham, and is part of a consolidation of cases all challenging the governor’s arbitrary carry ban announced last year. SAF is joined by the New Mexico Shooting Sports Association, Firearms Policy Coalition and a private citizen, Zachary Fort, for whom the case is named. They are represented by attorneys Jordon P. George at Aragon Moss George Jenkins in Albuquerque, and David H. Thompson, Peter A. Patterson and Kate Hardiman at Cooper & Kirk in Washington, D.C. Read more

Gun Control

Idaho Hunter Stats Show Drop in Elk and Mule Deer Harvest, Bump in Whitetails in 2023

For the first time since 2013, statewide elk harvest came in below 20,000.

It didn’t take a whole lot of rubbing the crystal ball to forecast a less-than-stellar mule deer harvest in 2023 because of the severe winter that preceded it. And with last fall’s harvest stats now available, the story that commenced after one of the worst eastern Idaho winters on record can be told.

Ironically, it may have been the opposite weather that contributed to the lowest elk harvest since 2013. Warm fall weather with little precipitation often creates poor hunting conditions, but weather or not, the statewide elk harvest dropped nearly 2,400 animals compared to the prior year.

But not all deer and elk harvests were down. White-tailed deer harvest had a modest bump—and the first increase in four years—signaling herds may be recovering from a large disease die-off in 2021.

“It was kind of a screwy year,” said Toby Boudreau, Deer and Elk Coordinator. “I think everyone expected the mule deer harvest to drop significantly, but we’re hopeful the mild winter will speed up their recovery, or at minimum, get it off to a good start.”

The elk harvest is a bit of a head-scratcher. Anecdotally, Fish and Game heard reports from experienced elk hunters who were not finding elk in their usual spots during fall, and suspect weather may have been a significant factor. Read more

Hunting

New Elk Harvest Record Set by Wyoming Hunters

Wyoming hunters had one of the most successful elk hunting seasons on record in 2023-24, with nearly a five percent increase in harvest compared to the previous season, according to the latest elk harvest survey report. During the season, hunters spent more than 480,000 recreation days in the field and harvested nearly 29,000 elk. Over the last decade there has been an increasing trend in elk harvest. Read more

Hunting

Kite Fishing 101 with Tigress Outriggers and Gear

Kite fishing is gaining popularity in the offshore fishing community as anglers note the productive results behind a very exhilarating fishing strategy. Tigress has designed many options to give anglers all the gear they need to succeed when trying this method.

The kite keeps live baits on the water’s surface, creating a realistic presentation for surface-feeding fish. As anglers deploy the kites, a large surface area across the ocean gets coverage as the bait fish entices the target predator to come up for a quick bite. This technique is most known for catching sailfish. However, kite fishing will attract other species, such as dolphins, mahi-mahi, wahoo, king mackerels, and tuna.

Offshore fishing often comes with a wide variety of winds and sea conditions. Like the traditional kite, the wind will play a role in the kite’s ability to fly. One of the fantastic features of the kites offered by Tigress is no matter the wind circumstances, multiple kite selections are available and fine-tuned for each type of wind, whether light or strong. The options available are the Specialty Lite Wind Kite, the All Purpose Kite, and the Hi-Velocity Kite. Read more

Fishing
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