Research on the Rapidan WMA: Brook and Brown Trout Interactions Revealed

About the time tulip poplars, oaks, maples, and hickories are burnished the color of an ending season, brown trout and brook trout from Georgia to Maine turn their attention to a new beginning:  procreation.  The colorful flanks of these trout mirror the spectra of leaves that carpet the floor of the Appalachian Mountains. Brown trout sport a warm honey beneath black peppercorn spots all covered in a chrome sheen. Worm-like markings lay over the dark olive backs of brook trout, flanked with shades of yellow specks punctuated by drops of ox blood, each fish dotted in its own constellation.

Brook trout are native to streams that vein over Appalachia; brown trout are a European import, well established for decades. With shortening shadows and cooler temperatures, both species lay their eggs in gravelly redds where oxygen-rich water bathes through them the winter-long as they incubate.  Brown trout may have a competitive edge over the native brook trout, particularly at lower elevations where warmer water favors brown trout. Other interactions between the two species are not well understood.

To learn more about how brook trout fare over a long span of time in the presence of brown trout, biologists John Odenkirk and Mike Isel with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (VDWR) examined a large amount of data—nearly 25 years’ worth of information—on brook and brown trout in the Rapidan and Conway rivers of northern Virginia. Sport Fish Restoration dollars—federal excise taxes paid by fishing tackle manufacturers—funded their work. Odenkirk and Isel published their findings in the scientific Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, March 2022 issue. Read more

Fishing

FPC Succeeds in Appeal of Lawsuit Challenging Ban on Shooting Ranges

CINCINNATI, OH – Today, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) and FPC Action Foundation announced its successful appeal in Oakland Tactical Supply, LLC v. Howell Township, Michigan, which challenges zoning restrictions imposed by the Township that prohibit shooting ranges for long guns. Because of this key decision, the case can now proceed at the trial court under the standard outlined in NYSRPA v. Bruen. The opinion can be viewed at FPCLegal.org.

“The district court should decide, in the first instance, whether Oakland Tactical’s proposed course of conduct is covered by the plain text of the Second Amendment,” reads the Sixth Circuit’s decision. “If the district court concludes that Oakland Tactical’s proposed course of conduct is covered by the plain text of the Second Amendment, it should then determine whether historical evidence—to be produced by the Township in the first instance—demonstrates that the Ordinance’s shooting-range regulations are consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.”

“Howell Township must now prove that its training restrictions are based on analogous historical regulations,” said FPC Law’s Director of Constitutional Studies, Joseph Greenlee. “And because analogous historical regulations do not exist, we’re optimistic that the Township’s restrictions will be held unconstitutional.” Read more

Gun Control

Maryland’s Gun Licensing Law Unconstitutional, Argues FPC in New Brief

RICHMOND, VA – Today, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) announced the filing of an important appellate brief, joined by FPC Action Foundation and Independence Institute, in Maryland Shall Issue v. Hogan, a case that challenges Maryland’s gun licensing and training requirements. The brief can be viewed at FPCLegal.org.

“No law during the colonial, founding, or early republic periods required any American citizen to obtain a license before possessing a firearm,” argues the brief. “Only overtly racist licensing laws existed, which targeted slaves, free African Americans, and Indians—all of whom were denied Second Amendment protections. These discriminatory laws do not justify Maryland’s licensing law, and to the contrary, reveal its unconstitutionality.” Read more

Gun Control

SAF Sues California Over Gun Show Ban

The Second Amendment Foundation has filed a federal lawsuit challenging California’s Senate Bill 264, a ban on gun shows held on public property that was passed and signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.

Joining SAF are the California Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. B&L Productions, Inc., d/b/a Crossroads of the West; Gerald Clark; Eric Johnson; Chad Littrell; Jan Steven Merson; Inc; Asian Pacific American Gun Owners Association; and the Second Amendment Law Center, Inc. The case is known as B&L Productions v. Newsom.

SAF is represented by noted civil rights attorney Donald Kilmer, who successfully represented SAF in overturning the ban on gun shows at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego County, where the defendants were ordered to pay plaintiffs close to half-million dollars in combined damages and attorney fees

Named as defendants in this case are California Gov. Gavin Newsom in his official capacity as Governor of the State of California, Attorney General Robert Bonta in his official capacity as Attorney General of the State of California, Karen Ross, in her official capacity as Secretary of California Department of Food & Agriculture, and Todd Spitzer, in his personal and official capacity as District Attorney of Orange County. The 55-page federal complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Read more

Gun Control

FPC Files New Lawsuit Challenging ATF “Frame or Receiver” Rule

FORT WORTH, TX – Today, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed a new lawsuit challenging the ATF’s rule that would create new terms and enact a slew of regulations for the agency to enforce, including ones that would treat non-frames and non-receivers as if they were actual frames and receivers of weapons. The complaint in VanDerStok v. Garland can be viewed at FPCLegal.org.

“The Final Rule defies the plain language of the [Gun Control Act] and longstanding agency interpretation suggesting that the items at issue here, sometimes colloquially referred to as receiver blanks, unfinished frames or receivers, or 80% frames or receivers, are not firearms,” says the complaint. “Through this rulemaking, however, the Agencies are attempting to create a broad, sweeping definition by including items that are not yet the ‘frames or receivers’ of such weapons and by including ‘frame or receiver kits.’”

“Neither the president nor any federal agency has the power to make law,” said FPC’s Senior Attorney for Constitutional Litigation Cody J. Wisniewski. “The Constitution is clear–Congress has the power to make law, and the Executive Branch is limited to enforcing that law. But here, President Biden openly admitted that he would circumvent Congress and have the DOJ and ATF issue new regulations that go well beyond congressionally-established law and seek to greatly expand the ATF’s reach. FPC will not stand idly by while the federal government tramples the rights of peaceable individuals through agency rulemaking.” Read more

Gun Control

Primary Arms Expands Outdoor Selection with New Hunting Products

HOUSTON, TEXAS – Primary Arms has pushed an update to their retail website, adding a new ‘Hunting’ category to the top of the page.

To browse the new Hunting category, click here.

The new Hunting assortment features a wide selection of hunting-focused products, including firearms, ammunition, optics and observation tools, apparel and footwear, hunting accessories, trail cameras, first aid, and camping gear. It’s the first time that Primary Arms has carried such a wide arrangement of purpose-made hunting products, and customers will be excited to know it’ll carry Primary Arms’ commitment to everyday great prices and service.

The new assortments include products for most of the common game types, so whether you’re after waterfowl, large game, or predators, Primary Arms will have the latest products to help you get the most from this season. That even includes high-end gear like night vision and thermal equipment. Read more

Ammunition, Firearms, Optics

Arizona: Fires, Flooding Limit Hunting Access In Units 7E, 11M

Coconino National Forest says closures to affect all hunts in 2022

FLAGSTAFF — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) advises hunters that the recent Tunnel and Pipeline fires, and subsequent burn-scar flooding, have resulted in serious safety issues that will impact public access into these areas near Flagstaff.

The Coconino National Forest has closed portions of game management units 7E and 11M to address these issues. These closures will limit hunting access for all hunts in 2022. AZGFD is working closely with the Forest to ensure hunters will have as much access into these units as safely as possible.

The U.S. Forest Service administratively closes lands for various reasons, including safety concerns. These types of closures are not necessarily limited to vehicular travel; they also may include access by foot. All hunters are urged to be safe, follow all restrictions, and plan ahead to determine areas of access for their hunts. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

How To Select the Right Riflescope for Your Hunting Needs

RICHMOND, Va. — Experienced hunters and shooters understand that, when setting up a rifle for a specific purpose, a key element is selecting the right riflescope for the task at hand. From lightweight mountain rifles to heavy beanfield models, and everything in between, GPO USA (German Precision Optics) has a high-quality, affordable scope to meet the needs of every hunter on the planet.

“Fly fishermen call it ‘matching the hatch,’” said Mike Jensen, GPO USA President and CEO. “They know they need to present exactly the right fly to maximize their chances of success. Hunters that mount exactly the right riflescope on their rifle will likewise maximize both their enjoyment and their chances of making the shot during even the most difficult conditions.”

GPO USA offers a full array of options for hunters, from the PASSION™ 3X and 4X line offering both one-inch and 30mm tubes and 42mm, 50mm and 56mm objective lenses, all the way through the award-winning SPECTRA™ scopes series with dozens of models that include 30mm & 34mm tubes — and objective lenses ranging between 44mm and 56mm. SPECTRA™ has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from top-end scopes so there is something that will meet every hunter’s needs, and budget.

Among the many top-end features found in all GPO riflescopes, two stand out — the company’s proprietary GPObright™ coating process and Double HD Objective Lens Technology.

GPObright™ coating is a process that maximizes light transmission through each surface of an optical element. As light hits an optical surface, Read more

Optics

Federal Premium Gold Medal Sierra MatchKing 6.5 Creedmoor Named “Most Accurate”

ANOKA, Minnesota –– After extensive testing by the editors of Outdoor Life, the Federal Gold Medal 6.5 Creedmoor, 140-grain Sierra MatchKing was named the Editors Choice for the most accurate load in 6.5 Creedmoor. The article outlining the testing and results was written by Outdoor Life Shooting Editor, John Snow.

During the testing, the Federal Gold Medal Sierra MatchKing was shot through 9 different 6.5 Creedmoor rifles. The ammunition performed above its competitors, with the smallest 10 five-shot groups measuring an average .501 in (1/2 MOA).

“The quality in design, craftsmanship, and components of Federal products is highly recognized once again by this acknowledgment from Outdoor Life,” said Jason Nash, Federal’s Vice President of Marketing. “The rigorous testing by the editors shows that the Federal Gold Medal 6.5 Creedmoor, 140-grain Sierra MatchKing is the go-to load for out-of-the-box accuracy for the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge.”

Federal Gold Medal 6.5 Creedmoor 140-grain Sierra MatchKing is built for long-range accuracy. The load uses exclusive benchrest-quality Gold Medal primer design and the precision-built Sierra MatchKing bullet. The boat-tail hollow-point bullet is built with a uniform match jacket to ensure consistent long-range accuracy. Read more

Ammunition
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