Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Knoxville, TN
Tisas, a premium supplier of 1911-style pistols, enters the competition market with the introduction of their 1911 Match Pistol.
Tisas’ line of 1911’s, are already known for out of the box accuracy, but some customers were asking for a model better suited to competition and Tisas responded with the following upgrades for their latest model: Read more
Jerseyville, IL— Fire-N-the-hole Broadheads has introduced the SLANG BLADE 1×4 mechanical broadhead. The only mechanical broadhead on the market that can be used with traditional compound bows and crossbows alike.
Fire-N-The-Hole Broadheads Slang Blade 1×4 Mechanical Broadhead:
The Slang Blade 1×4 mechanical broadhead is a different design from other mechanical broadheads on the market with 3 goals in mind: 1) A firing mechanism that guarantees to open every time and 2) the largest cutting radius than any other broadhead. 3) field point accuracy.
Size: The 1×4, 4-inch cut is attained by removing the ferrule out that the traditional broadheads have, and replacing it with the weight of the cutting blades. This gives the blades four times more material than traditional blades of other broadheads. Each blade weighs 34.5 grains, which means that 70% of the weight of the broadhead is in the blades. This turns blades into small knives, which are tough enough to cut through skin, fur, flesh, bone, vital organs, etc. At 50-thousandths thick and 200-thousandths wide, this makes the 4-inch mechanical an exceptionally durable broadhead that gets the job done. Read more
By Glen Wunderlich
Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)
The month of September offers some of the finest weather Michigan has to offer, as the door is opened to another hunting season. Outdoor enthusiasts are called to the colorful display of autumn colors in our vast deciduous forests and anglers have a final chance at stream trout before the season ends on the final day of September. In addition, small game hunters have their first shot at grouse and woodcock, while others blend squirrel hunting with whitetail deer scouting.
With my campsite strategically reserved the week following opening day the 15th, my plan is to do it all but with a focus on bushytails in the big woods. Here are some considerations, if you choose to combine a leisurely stroll in the hardwoods, while testing your marksmanship.
* While shotguns can be effective, save them and their problematic pellets for the birds. The best tool for the job is a scoped .22 rimfire rifle. Everyone seems to want to brag how they can pluck the wings off a fly at 50 paces with their .22 rifle, but when it comes down to it, it’s cheap talk. Here’s a rule one can take to the field: With your chosen ammo, you must be able to keep 9 out of 10 shots within 1.5 inch groups. Get as close to the target as you must to produce this level of accuracy.
Vintage Mossberg up to the Task
* Make sure to use a scope designed for rimfires. That’s because their parallax is set to focus at closer ranges. Typical high-power rifle scopes can leave the uninitiated looking for the culprit in their inconsistent target results.
* Supersonic ammo is not needed and is almost always not as accurate as sub-sonic ammo. (Target and standard velocity options are all sub-sonic for this reason.) High velocity and hyper velocity are also noisy, because they break the sound barrier (approximately 1120 feet-per-second).
* Install a sling before heading afield. The use of a sling allows hunters to use their hands to operate binoculars – a must for seeing the unseen. Properly used, slings can steady shots, as well.
* A binocular harness keeps the glass protected, while allowing quick access. Simple straps will cause binoculars to get in the way at times.
* A seat is always useful for sitting and glassing, but carrying one along can be too much. Consider a seat or pad that hooks to one’s belt.
* A small backpack can hold necessities such as plastic bags for game, latex gloves for field dressing game, freezer packs, insect repellant, lunch and a drink, etc.
Practice sessions should include various ranges to verify point of impact. With a 50-yard zero, it will be necessary to confirm bullet placement at closer ranges for ethical confidence afield.
Find the nut trees to find bushytails. Hickory nuts are favorites of the tree-dwellers and are worth observing from a distance. When scanning surroundings, do so next to a tree for potential use as a steady rest for precise shooting.
I find more squirrels by listening than looking. No doubt that early season leaves can obstruct vision, but they work both ways. Listen for acorn remnants falling from trees in one particular spot and move into position.
A sharp knife is needed, because a squirrel’s hide is tough. However, the sooner the cleaning is finished, the easier it is.
For table fare, cut them into pieces and par-boil before the preferred method of cooking, frying or grilling. And, if you can’t wrap your head around eating one, you simply are not hungry.
Trip 1: Sept. 19-21
Trip 2: Sept. 21-23
Registration required by Aug. 29
Join the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Skills Academy on a three-day hike for intermediate-level backpackers. This class will build on your existing backpacking knowledge and skill set while you experience the rugged landscape of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.
The Porcupine Mountains are a true wilderness, with more unforgiving terrain than most Michiganders are used to handling. Challenge yourself with a hike along the park’s escarpment, past Government Peak and Lake of the Clouds overlook, for a total of 19.6 trail miles through elevation changes rarely experienced in the Midwest.
Instructors will help you hone your gear list, improve your food planning and handling, reinforce the practice of conserving resources, introduce backcountry navigation skills, practice gear management, take a deeper dive into “Leave No Trace” principles and improve your basic wilderness first-aid skills. Read more
This Convertible, Full-Auto BB Rifle/Pistol is All Exhilaration
BLOOMFIELD, NEW YORK — Air power takes a future-tech turn with the Crosman ST-1, a full-auto BB airgun that does dual duty as a rifle and a pistol. The sleek and sexy ST-1 integrates a high-capacity magazine—holding over 300 BBs—giving airgun enthusiasts free rein to let it rip with the pure joy of shooting. Lock in the adjustable/removable stock and barrel extender and the ST-1 becomes a red dot sight-equipped rifle ready to be emptied at long range. Pop off the stock and unscrew the barrel extender and shooters have a full- or semi-auto AR pistol ready to rock n’ roll.
With its futuristic white and black look and tactile grips, the ST-1 is nothing if not bold. It’s the kind of airgun that makes tin cans tremble in fear. Available this Spring on Crosman.com for a MSRP of $279 Read more
FORT WORTH, TX – Today, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) announced a victory in Andrews v. McCraw, its Second Amendment lawsuit that challenged a ban on handgun carry by young adults in the State of Texas. The judgment and injunction can be viewed at FPCLaw.org.
“The issue is whether prohibiting law-abiding 18-to-20-year-olds from carrying a handgun in public for self-defense is consistent with this Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation,” wrote Judge Mark Pittman in his Opinion. “Based on the Second Amendment’s text, as informed by Founding-Era history and tradition, the Court concludes that the Second Amendment protects against this prohibition. Texas’s statutory scheme must therefore be enjoined to the extent that law-abiding 18-to-20-year-olds are prohibited from applying for a license to carry a handgun.”
“Texas cannot point to a single Founding Era law that prohibited 18-to-20-year-olds from carrying a functional firearm for self-defense, because not only did no such law exist, but those individuals are an important reason why we have a Bill of Rights in the first place,” said FPC Senior Attorney for Constitutional Litigation, Cody J. Wisniewski. “The typical age of individuals that went to war with the British for our Independence was between 17 and 20 years old. And young people have just as much a right to keep and bear arms in public as adults over the age of 21. This decision is a significant victory for the rights of young adults in Texas and demonstrates for the rest of the nation that similar bans cannot withstand constitutional challenges grounded in history, as Bruen and Heller require. We look forward to restoring the right to keep and bear arms throughout the United States in the coming months and years.” Read more
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is working with Oakland County to limit the spread of spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). On August 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed a small population of spotted lanternfly in Pontiac in Oakland County. This is the first confirmed case of live spotted lanternfly in Michigan.
With certain duck and goose hunting seasons starting September 1 throughout the state, and others to follow this fall and winter, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources asks all hunters to be observant and careful when harvesting and handling wild birds, due to the presence of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus.
Although the rate of positive HPAI detections has slowed this summer, a recent uptick in reports of wild bird die-offs, neurologically abnormal wild birds and HPAI detections has prompted the DNR to issue additional guidance. Influenza experts expect a resurgence of this “bird flu” as waterfowl migrations get underway and fall hunting seasons begin.
The H5N1 virus continues to be detected through wild bird surveillance activities and is considered widespread in wild bird populations throughout Michigan, including all watersheds in both the Upper and Lower peninsulas. Dabbling ducks are the most commonly infected waterfowl, but geese, swans, shorebirds and other species also can be infected.
“Avian influenza or ‘bird flu’ is caused by viruses that infect both wild and domestic birds. Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses can severely affect the health of domestic birds, wild birds and, sometimes, humans and other mammals,” said Megan Moriarty, the state wildlife veterinarian with the DNR.
“As Michigan waterfowl hunters get out in the fields and marshes this season, we want them to know there is a lot they can do both to help prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza and to keep themselves, others and our bird and wildlife populations safe,” she said. Read more
To follow up on last week’s introduction to photographing in your yard, and more specifically photographing at your feeding station, we wanted to share some ideas about how you can get a solid start at expanding your backyard birding activities to include a camera in hand and digital photos in your near future. Truly, this can be the most advanced and most rewarding aspect of backyard birding, so we are hoping folks without current bird photo equipment will consider some fairly easy to use, economy-minded equipment to get started in advance of all the excitement that fall migration brings. Read more
Colona, IL – There is no doubt we are in the “golden age” of semi-auto rifles with companies like Rock River Arms continuing to offer top-quality rifles designed with premium materials and strict quality control — all sold at reasonable prices. Rock River Arms earned their reputation by manufacturing some of the most accurate and reliable semi-auto rifles for the law enforcement and civilian markets. Now for 2022, the company ups the game for hunters with the introduction of the All-Terrain Hunter (ATH),a mid-length rifle that stands tall in the field of AR-platform hunting rifles.
Designed specifically with the modern hunter in mind, the ATH rifle’s precision 18-inch heavy match stainless steel barrel is cryogenically treated for maximum stability and accuracy even under high-volume shooting conditions. Chambered in .223 WYLDE to accommodate both 5.56mm and .223 Remington hunting ammunition, the ATH barrel incorporates a 1:8 twist rate and boasts a guaranteed 3/4 MOA accuracy at 100 yards. Read more