Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
May 28, 2025
Contact: Lt. Mark DePew, 989-275-5151
A Grayling man faces two felony charges, including safe breaking and possession of burglary tools, following arraignment Friday in Crawford County’s 87-C District Court.
Andrew William Michalak, 54, was arraigned for his involvement in a series of state forest campground thefts targeting payment collection sites – known as pay pipes – where campers deposit cash. Read more
May 28, 2025
Contact: Bill Scullon, 906-250-6781
Community groups, conservation clubs and even K-12 students in the Upper Peninsula will improve hundreds of acres of land to support the deer population through a matching grant program partially funded by deer license revenue.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is awarding a total of about $148,300 to 15 projects as part of the 2025 Upper Peninsula Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership Initiative. There are 14 new projects and one carryover from last year.
The projects include tree and shrub planting, turning forest trails into wildlife corridors, protecting existing habitat with fencing and other enhancements to private or non-state-owned land.
Partners include conservation districts, deer hunting groups, sportsmen clubs, schools and others. Grants can range from $2,000 to $15,000. Applicants match at least 25% of the cost either financially or through in-kind contributions. Read more
Experience the adventure of a lifetime with the Ultimate Safari Sweepstakes, offering an extraordinary package that includes a 46+ Cape Buffalo and 46+ Sable hunt in South Africa alongside Nick Hoffman, the star of Nick’s Wild Ride on the Outdoor Channel. This unforgettable package with Wintershoek Safaris offers an all-inclusive 10-day, 11-night stay at 5-star lodge, Camp Wag n Bietjie, for one hunter and one observer.
Enjoy a $4,000 flight credit, a membership to Global Rescue Services, a shoulder mount taxidermy from Splitting Image Taxidermy, and a $800 customs broker credit from Coppersmith. Hunters choose their method of take, with field preparation included.
And that’s not all—an impressive array of gear is included too! The package features: Read more
Public engagement event June 13 at Van Riper State Park
| The Michigan Army National Guard’s 107th Engineer Battalion will conduct engineer construction projects beginning May 31 at Van Riper, Craig Lake, and McLain state parks and various state forest campgrounds and recreational facilities in Baraga County.
Soldiers assigned to the 1432nd Engineer Company, based in Kingsford and Gladstone, will participate in Innovative Readiness Training projects to assist the unit with building readiness. The projects offer hands-on experience for guard personnel in construction and maintenance, while also providing benefits to the parks and community. Read more |
In the world of firearms, some pieces find the perfect balance of artistry and craftsmanship. For more than 50 years, Fabbrica Armi Isidoro Rizzini (F.A.I.R.) has embodied the traditions of Northern Italy’s Gardone Val Trompia region—renowned across the globe as the birthplace of European arms craftsmanship. Given this reputation for excellence, IFG proudly offers F.A.I.R. shotguns to enthusiasts and collectors here in the U.S.
The Jubilee Venice, an over-under luxury shotgun, is a testament to F.A.I.R.’s legacy in every detail, meticulously executed to appeal to the most refined sportsmen and collectors. Read more
Imagine an America without first responders and ask yourself if that’s a country in which you’d want to live? That is both the cautionary tale and the lament of Behind the Badge, Answering the Call to Serve on America’s Homefront by Johnny Joey Jones.
Jones is the insightful Fox News contributor and best-selling author of Unbroken Bonds of Battle, who lost his legs to an improvised explosive device while serving as a Marine bomb tech in Afghanistan. Sacrifice is personal for Jones, so is his desire to tell the stories of others who serve for causes greater than their own.
In Behind the Badge, Jones chronicles the stories of firefighters, police officers, border patrol agents, game wardens, sheriffs and dispatchers who all deliver lifelines to those in need and protect us from the calamity and evil of modern society.
To read the rest of the column click here
June 2 is a big day for Wyoming hunters — it’s the deadline to submit applications for many fall hunts for residents and nonresidents. Applications must be submitted on the Wyoming Game and Fish Department website by midnight MDT.
Hunters have a few days left to complete applications for:
The Wyoming Game and Fish Hunt Planner can help hunters with their applications through interactive, in-depth mapping. For each species, hunters can see an overview of all the hunt areas in the state and choose individual areas to explore. Different colors designate private and public lands, and users can see public and county roads. Changing the map base layers also allows hunters to toggle between views like road maps or satellite imagery.
In addition to the hunt area maps, each area also has details about topography and how easy the land is to access. Other public hunting locations are marked with points for Game and Fish wildlife habitat management areas, walk-in and hunter management areas.
All applications must be made online. For those who may not have access to a computer or need assistance applying, Game and Fish has computer stations at each of its regional offices and at the Cheyenne Headquarters. Hunters with questions about applying online can call Game and Fish at (307) 777-4600.
Director Clark calls landowners hours after encounter to offer support
Two landowners were picking mushrooms about a mile north of Choteau on Wednesday night when they were charged by an adult female grizzly bear. The men shot and killed the bear at close range, and fortunately, they were uninjured during the encounter.
“I spoke to John and Justin shortly after the incident and they were both still shook up,” Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director Christy Clark said. “They told me their story and it was clear it was very traumatic. What’s important here is they’re ok.” Read more
The U.S. Army has announced that the MARS Inc, Barrett team has been selected as the winner of the xTech Soldier Lethality competition. In six months, this team of agile businesses were able to design, build, test, and demonstrate the effectiveness of a new 30mm grenade rifle system in support of the Army’s Precision Grenadier System (PGS) requirement. PGS is a soldier portable, shoulder fired, semi-automatic, magazine fed, integrated armament system (weapon, ammunition, fire control) that enables rapid, precision engagements to destroy personnel targets in defilade and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) targets at close range. Both companies are proud to have the opportunity to provide this unique capability to the U.S. and allied war fighters.
“For decades, Barrett has changed the battlefield with revolutionary systems like the shoulder fired semi-automatic .50 caliber Model 82 and its modern variants, as well as the MRAD MK 22 — the world’s most accurate multi-caliber sniper rifle,” said Bryan James, Barrett CEO. “These weapon systems are now supporting the U.S. and more than 80 allied nations around the world. With our focus now on the U.S. Army’s PGS initiative, we are committed to delivering another game changing advantage: a system with Programmable Air Bursting counter defilade and Counter-UAS capabilities designed to keep our troops safe and ensure mission success.”
The xTech program was an incredible demonstration of the strength and capabilities of the Barrett team to collaborate with likeminded companies to achieve what many thought unachievable in the given timeframe. As part of that journey, Barrett worked closely with small business innovator MARS Inc to bring their technology to life, AMTEC Corp to develop an entirely new family of 30mm shoulder fired munitions, and Precision Targeting to provide a fire control system customized for the AMTEC ammunition. This new ammunition family will have the full spectrum of capabilities required to achieve the US Army’s mission to provide overmatch on the modern battlefield. This includes, Programmable Air Bursting High Explosive (HE), Proximity Fuzed and Point Detonating HE, as well as a Close Quarter Battle Round. Read more
On this Memorial Day weekend, we recognize the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our nation, our freedom, and our values. Their legacy shines brightly in every corner of our great country, and we will forever be grateful and will never forget.
Please take the time this weekend to remember and honor those who have given everything to protect each and every one of us, ensuring that American liberty is secure today, tomorrow, and for all generations to come. God Bless the United States of America.
And, don’t forget the flag rules, which are different than other holidays: The flag should be at half-mast until noon on Monday, when it is raised to the top.
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