New Mexico Supreme Court Rules in Support of Public Access to Public Waters

Decision confirms the public’s right to walk or wade streambeds that cross privately owned lands

SANTA FE, N.M. – The New Mexico Supreme Court has ruled again in support of public access to public waters in a Thursday decision that confirms the public’s right to walk or wade streambeds crossing privately owned lands.

The opinion ruling by the court follows its unanimous decision in March to strike down a regulation that allowed landowners to close access to streams flowing through their properties. The New Mexico Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, along with the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and the Adobe Whitewater Club of New Mexico, had filed suit in 2020 asking the court to nullify the regulation as unconstitutional. That decision overturned the so-called Non-Navigability Rule and also voided closures adopted previously on several New Mexico streams. Read more

Fishing

TrueTimber Announces Archery Essentials Giveaway

INMAN, S.C. – September 6, 2022 – TrueTimber has partnered with Bear Archery and Malta Dynamics to announce the 2022 Archery Essentials Giveaway. One fan will be randomly selected to win the grand prize package designed around the bow hunting essentials. Fans have multiple opportunities to enter using the Archery Essentials giveaway landing page. The entry period begins today and ends September 30, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Grand Prize:

“With bow season right around the corner, we wanted to create a giveaway tailored for those archers heading into the woods this year,” said TrueTimber CEO Rusty Sellars. “Bear Archery has been a long-time partner of ours and the past giveaways with them have always been popular. Malta Dynamics is one of our newer partners, but their harness has been an absolute hit and really rounded out the package. With a new bow, harness and $500 to spend on TrueTimber gear, one lucky hunter will be set up for success, and we can’t wait to pick a winner.”

This giveaway is open to continental U.S. residents only and entrants must be age 18 or older. Other restrictions apply. For more information and additional coverage on the giveaway, fans are encouraged to follow the TrueTimber, Bear Archery and Malta Dynamics social media pages.

To learn about the entire TrueTimber product line and see all available patterns, visit

TrueTimber.com. Details about future product launches can be found on TrueTimber’s

Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.

Archery

WSF Dedicating $1.22 Million to Grant-in-Aid Projects

Bozeman, MT – The Wild Sheep Foundation Board of Directors has approved funding for its FY2022-23 slate of Grant-in-Aid projects. WSF will be contributing $1,222,637.00 toward 14 projects that in total will exceed $5 million to benefit wild sheep populations across North America. This Conservation Grant funding is one component of the expected $6 Million in mission program funding WSF will direct this fiscal year.

“As the trusted facilitator for raising and directing funds for wild sheep conservation, we receive a number of grant requests,” explained Gray N. Thornton, President, and CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation. “This means a lot of agencies, universities, individuals, and other conservation partners are focusing on wild sheep, which is a good thing. We’re excited about this level of commitment and the quality of projects these experts have identified and brought forth.”

The project submission period was July 2022. WSF’s Conservation Staff conducted the initial review of funding requests received, followed by an independent review by WSF’s Professional Resource Advisory Board. Final funding recommendations were made to the WSF Board of Directors, giving special consideration to funding requests submitted by or through its network of 36 Chapters and Affiliates. Read more

Wildlife

Pumpkin Damage Minimized

By Glen Wunderlich

After a couple days away, I came home to find the deer had acquired an appetite for my prize pumpkins.

Deer Damage

Fortunately, most are fine but not ripe yet.  Good news is that even the green ones picked early will turn yellow in time.

General

A Bureaucratic Runaround

By Glen Wunderlich

Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)

Reserving a campsite at the Rifle River Recreation Area was easy enough with www.Midnrreservations.com.  I found the website easy to navigate by simply entering the location, arrival and departure dates, number in the party and camping equipment such as tents or trailers.  With a few clicks the payment was made and my mind was eased to know I would have a specific site when I made the distant trek north.

My adventure would include exploring the vast Huron Manistee National Forest in Ogemaw County just north of the camp.  To do so with a 2-wheel drive pickup didn’t make a lot of sense, however, with the cost of fuel and the uncertainty of the condition of the dirt roads and trails.  That little light bulb in my brain then clicked on and led me to uncover what it would take run an ATV on the trails, so it was back to the computer for reference.

I learned that an ORV trail permit is required when operating on state-designated ORV trails and scramble areas. The cost is $10 (plus $26.25 for the ORV license) for a total of $36.25. ORV trail permits are not valid as a stand-alone license; an ORV license must also be purchased.

Furthermore, an ORV license is required to ride eligible county roads, frozen surface of public waters, state forest roads (open to ORV use) and eligible national forest roads.  The cost is $26.25 and both the trail permit and license are valid for one year, which begins April 1 and ends March 31 of the following year.

The question had become how to get these trail stickers.  Nowhere online did I find the answer, so I contacted the Michigan Secretary of State for the solution.  The automated system informed me that I’d have to wait on hold or I could get a return call when it was my turn.  I chose that option, because I could go about my business without a phone stuck to my ear.

The call came as advertised and at this point in the process I was transferred to a person who led me to believe I was on the right trail.  He signed me up for an appointment at the Secretary of State the next morning.  Ah, now we were getting somewhere.  He also informed me that I would need some proof of ownership of the ATV, such as a title or bill of sale.  No problem.

When I got to the counter, title in hand, the clerk promptly informed me that they didn’t sell the permits and that I’d have to get them at a retail store such as Walmart or Meijer.  What?!  There must be some mistake!  With my tail between my legs, I walked off in puzzlement and across the road to Walmart.  Sure enough, they took my cash and the DNR stickers were in-hand.  The joke was on me, but the mission was accomplished.

I’d love to talk to the person that sent me on that wild goose chase, because I have no idea why he thought I was after geese.

General

Michigan: First official shoreline horseback riding season at Silver Lake State Park, Nov. 1-30

For many, the term “riding” soon will take on a whole new meaning at Silver Lake State Park.

This fall marks the first official shoreline riding season, when horseback riders will have the unique opportunity to ride the Lake Michigan shoreline at one of Michigan’s most unique state parks.

Silver Lake State Park is best known for its popular 450-acre off-road vehicle area in Oceana County. Each summer, thousands of motorcycles, quads, four-wheelers and other ORVs descend on this popular destination – which also happens to be the only sand dune riding opportunity east of the Mississippi River.

The shoreline riding season runs Nov. 1-30, and registration is open now. The registration fee is $10 per horse per day, and 100 slots are available each day. Read more

Wildlife

Bear Creek Arsenal .17 HMR AR-15s

Sanford, NC –Bear Creek Arsenal® is proud to announce their all-new .17 HMR AR-15 rifles and complete uppers! These were designed from the ground up for maximum reliability and accuracy and use the finest materials available including 7075 T6 Aluminum, 9310 Steel, and 416R Stainless Steel. They also come with all the amenities of modern sporting rifles including a full-length M-Lok handguard, free float barrel, and Bear Creek Arsenal’s® patent-pending Gen-2 side charging handle.

BCA’s .17 HMR AR-15 is perfect for beginner and veteran shooters alike, combining the low cost and recoil of rimfire ammunition with the superior ballistics and accuracy of .17 HMR. Each complete upper will ship with a 10-round magazine and comes with a lightweight buffer and spring to adapt AR-15 lowers.

Bear Creek Arsenal® develops and manufactures firearms and shooting products for a multitude of customers throughout the United States with one primary focus: providing the highest quality of firearms for the everyday American.

For more information, please visit www.bearcreekarsenal.com

Firearms

Norma Precision Inc. Introduces the New Tac-22 Subsonic

Savannah, Ga. – Norma Precision Inc. is proud to introduce the newest addition to their Rimfire product portfolio, Tac-22 Subsonic. Designed mainly for practice, hunting, and plinking, Tac-22 Subsonic is an affordable and reliable round with consistent accuracy and performance because of its stable trajectory. This cartridge is a 40-grain lead, hollow point with a muzzle velocity of 1033 FPS.

It shoots consistent tight groupings and offers reliable fast firing energy transfer regardless of the relevant shooting distance. Norma Tac-22 Subsonic is perfect for any suppressed weapon and for shooting in locations where low sound emissions are required therefore making it the perfect option for “silent” hunting or plinking in urban areas.

For more information on Tac-22 Subsonic, please visit the Norma Precision Inc. website.

Ammunition

Taurus Introduces the New GX4XL 9mm EDC Pistol

(Bainbridge, GA) – Taurus, manufacturer of premium handguns for defense, hunting, and sport shooting, is pleased to announce the release the second model iteration in the company’s popular GX4 series pistols. The new GX4XL combines all the performance features of the original GX4 micro-compact 9mm with a new slide and barrel configuration for enhanced accuracy and terminal performance.

The GX4XL is built on the same award-winning polymer receiver as the GX4. Hailed for its exceptional handling characteristics in a micro-compact profile, the GX4XL’s hybrid stainless steel and polymer receiver includes a modular grip with standard or high-swell backstrap options for a custom fit, industry-leading grip texturing for optimal firearm control, an ergonomic and reversible magazine release to promote no-fumble mag swaps, and a class-leading flat-face target trigger with a generous trigger guard to accommodate all hand sizes.

What separates the GX4XL from the GX4 is its extended barrel and slide assembly. The GX4XL barrel is .64 inches longer than that of the GX4. This extended length translates to an increase in muzzle velocity and harder hits downrange. With this increased barrel length comes a longer slide profile and subsequent extended sight radius. Already noted for its remarkable accuracy, the GX4XL further tightens the point-of-aim/point-of-impact ratio. In short, the deep-conceal GX4XL’s micro-compact design gives up nothing in the kind of terminal performance, accuracy, and handling serious EDC practitioners demand.

The carbon steel slide found on the GX4XL is treated with a gas nitride finish to enhance surface hardness and reduce wear—a key consideration for a handgun intended for reliable everyday carry. Equally protected from wear and corrosion is the DLC-coated stainless-steel barrel. Not only does the Diamond-Like Coating boost surface durability, the coating’s inherent lubricity also reduces friction for smooth, reliable operation in the most austere conditions. Read more

Firearms

FPC Statement on the Failure of Multiple Anti-Rights Bills in California

SACRAMENTO, CA – Firearms Policy Coalition issued the following statement in response to the failure of California measures SB 918 (Portantino), which would have made it nearly impossible for most people to lawfully exercise their fundamental rights, and AB 1227 (Levine), which would have instituted punitive taxes on those same fundamental rights.

Despite a full court press by Attorney General Rob Bonta and Senator Anthony Portantino to turn the tide, their efforts to defy the Supreme Court’s decision in NYSRPA v. Bruen by expanding the definition of “sensitive location” to the point of comical absurdity has failed.

In addition, Assemblymember Marc Levine’s elitist attempt to create barriers to access the fundamental right to acquire firearms and ammunition with dramatic tax increases on these rights has also failed.

SB 918 and AB 1227 were examples of the contemptuous undermining of the natural rights of the People. This cavalier attitude, particularly following the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Bruen, is naked conceit. These measures and those like them seek to increase state violence and put peaceable people in government cages for exercising their rights. Read more

Gun Control
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