Water Safety Tips to Live By

Summer is in full swing, and the water is the place to be! Though there are many ways to enjoy Michigan’s waterways – swimming, fishing, paddling, boating and more – the Michigan Department of Natural Resources wants to ensure that your first priority is safety in and around the water.

“Michigan’s waters, from the Great Lakes to our inland lakes, can be deceptively dangerous,” said Ron Olson, chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “With several drownings already reported on inland lakes and the Great Lakes this season, this underscores the importance of practicing and reviewing water safety each and every time you’re on the water.”

Although most tips apply to all situations in and on the water, there are a few distinctions between general water safety, Great Lakes beach safety and boating safety.

General water safety tips

  • Before leaving home for any beach outing, check local weather reports and lake conditions.
  • Always swim with a buddy or an observer on shore, regardless of swimming abilities.
  • When near the water, keep small children in a U.S, Coast Guard-approved life jacket, even when playing on shore in the sand. Always watch and never turn your back to children in or near the water.
  • Have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal floatation device readily available in case you or another swimmer needs help.
  • When visiting a state park, swim in buoyed swim areas. These areas are equipped with additional safety features, such as buoys or markers that identify water depth less than 5 feet (inspected approximately every two weeks), a beach flag warning system (found in buoyed swim areas in state parks along the Great Lakes) and rescue equipment. It’s important to remember that not all state parks have designated swim areas.
  • Avoid swimming near the outlets of rivers – either upstream from the outlet or where there are “no swimming” signs – because these currents can be extremely hazardous. Swimmers can be quickly swept out into the Great Lakes.
  • Swimming near moored or anchored boats? Boats coming and going can create turbulent water strong enough to exhaust even strong swimmers.
  • Especially in the spring and fall, please be cautious of cold-water temperatures. Sudden immersion and/or sustained time in cold water can cause cold shock, making it hard to breathe and increasing your risk of drowning.
  • Keep in mind that DNR staff start removing swim buoys, beach warning flags and other visual markers that denote buoyed swim beaches at state parks along the Great Lakes after Labor Day.
  • Please be aware that there are no beach guards in state parks. Visitors must swim at their own risk and are asked to always prioritize safety.

Great Lakes beach safety tips Read more

General

Summer Sweepstakes Hosted by FL Outdoors

The grand prize features a Texas whitetail dream hunt with professional hunters Levi Morgan (Bowlife TV show) and Joel Burham (Whitetail Fit).

FL Outdoors—makers of TAC Vanes, Swhacker Broadheads, and C’Mere Deer Attractants—has launched an Outdoor Summer Sweepstakes, open to all, with a grand prize package featuring a Texas whitetail dream hunt with professional hunters Levi Morgan and Joel Burham at Cactus Jack Ranch.

Grand Prize Details Read more

Contests, Hunting

Hook & Barrel Magazine Launches Giveaway to Celebrate New Video Series

Hook & Barrel Magazine®, the lifestyle magazine for modern outdoorsmen, is thrilled to announce an exclusive giveaway sweepstakes that will give readers the chance to replicate the full hunting rig featured in their new series “The Hook: Lights Out.” The prize package includes the coveted (and hard to get!) Marlin Dark Series 1895 lever-action rifle, the Pulsar Thermion 2 LRF XQ50 PRO thermal riflescope, the Silencer Central BANISH 46 suppressor, and a Hook & Barrel Magazine subscription package. The total value of this giveaway is more than $7,600.

The “Lights Out” rig is featured in the series’ four adventure-filled episodes, all of which include the unique blend of hunting, music and adventure that Hook & Barrel Magazine is known for.

“One very lucky person will win this rig! I shot it throughout the series, and I can honestly say it’s one I would be proud to have in my gun safe,” said John J. Radzwilla, Hook & Barrel’s Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief and CEO. “With our last giveaway, the number of entries was incredible, and I have no doubt this one will be the same—we’re already seeing a record number of people engaging with the ‘Lights Out’ videos and entering to win.”

Entering the sweepstakes is simple: Readers and viewers can visit the Hook & Barrel website and follow the instructions on the giveaway page, where they can also view the full terms and conditions. The sweepstakes will run from July 26, 2024 to September 20, 2024, and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter.

Contests, Firearms, Optics

AGM Global Vision Launches Their Newest Compact Thermal Monocular

AGM proudly announces its newest line of 384 Thermal Monoculars, the Seekers. The Seeker monoculars bring many of the improvements users have been clamoring for since the Taipans were first introduced to the market back in 2021. The most prominent of those upgrades include, but are not limited to: a transition from a non-removable battery to a removable rechargeable 18650, a crisp new 12-micron sub-20mk thermal sensor, an upgraded user interface/menu, a new 90-degree tilt sensor and built-in recording with audio.

Not only that, but the Seeker monoculars continue to maintain many of the aspects that made the Taipan series the best-selling thermal monocular series in the country. Those aspects include keeping the overall dimensions of the unit very similar to those in the compact and lightweight Taipan housings and maintaining an oversized eyepiece which dramatically increases the comfortability for the viewers in the field. One of the more unheralded aspects that makes the Seeker so great is how much easier they are on the eye compared to many other thermal monoculars on the market with overly compact eyepieces.

The Seeker series will come with three standard models initially: Read more

Optics

ZEISS Expands Line-Up of Conquest V4 Riflescopes

Two new configurations with Ballistic Stop

ZEISS, a premium optics manufacturer for over 175 years, welcomes two new SKUs to the Conquest V4 riflescope family. The new additions comprise of the 3-12×44 with a Z-Plex reticle (#20) and 3-12×56 with a Plex-Style illuminated center-dot reticle (#60) and feature a Ballistic Stop for an absolute confirmation of zero, multi-turn turrets, and zero stop. The riflescopes include enhanced engravings for fast and accurate adjustments, .25 MOA per-click settings, and capped windage. Both models offer best-in-class optical quality with a 4x zoom ratio providing exceptional versatility in the field.

Conquest V4 riflescopes feature ZEISS T* coating that guarantee brilliant, high contrast images even in adverse light conditions and LotuTec® coating ensuring a clear view in all weather conditions. The higher definition glass produces 90% light transmission, delivering great low-light performance, and excellent target resolution. Read more

Optics

Springfield Armory Announces Launch of 1911 DS Prodigy Comp AOS 9mm Pistols

Springfield Armory® is proud to announce the launch of the 1911 DS Prodigy™ Comp AOS 9mm in 5” and 4.25” variants. Both of these pistols are integrally compensated to reduce felt recoil and muzzle rise, and combine the most beloved characteristics of the 1911 with modern capacity for unrivaled performance.

The integral compensator on the Prodigy Comp is discreetly designed, featuring a single port on the top of the hammer-forged slide and barrel. By redirecting gas upwards, it reduces muzzle rise and enhances control, allowing for faster and more accurate follow-up shots. Additionally, the pistols feature a tritium front sight positioned behind the compensator to ensure an uninterrupted sight picture.

The Prodigy Comp takes the proven 1911 platform and enhances it with double-stack capacity and a performance-driven feature set. Configured around a double-stack magazine, the polymer grip module of the 1911 DS pistol mounts to a forged steel frame, offering capacities of 17+1 and 20+1. Read more

Firearms

Pietta Introduces the King Trio Exclusively Through Davidson’s

Pietta Firearms, the leader in refined, historical firearm reproductions and quality, innovative, modern firearms, and Davidson’s, one of the nation’s leading firearms distributors have partnered again to create a timeless classic that is one of a kind and has rarely, if ever, been produced by any manufacturer. The triple cylinder “King Trio” is one revolver that helps alleviate ammo shortage issues through its ingenious design and caliber selection.

The King Trio was developed with every single-action revolver shooter in mind. With its cylinder/caliber selections, .38 Special, .38 Super, .357 Magnum, and 9mm, customers have the peace of mind that when there’s a shortage of one caliber, they can easily switch cylinders to another. Aesthetically, customers can trust to receive that same quality and craftsmanship they’ve come to expect from Pietta. It features solid walnut grips, a case-hardened frame, a brass backstrap and trigger guard, and a blued barrel. Quality is second to none and like all Pietta firearms, it is backed with an ironclad warranty. Read more

Firearms

Get Safety-Certified During Hunter Safety Education Week

Fall hunting is right around the corner, but you can get safety-certified now during the DNR’s Hunter Safety Education Week, Aug. 12-18. More than 60 in-person classes and/or field days are being offered in 40 counties throughout the state as additional opportunities to obtain your hunter safety education certificate.

To purchase a hunting license in Michigan, anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1960, is required to successfully complete an approved hunter safety education course.

These classes are commonly offered in the spring, ahead of spring turkey season, or in the fall before the firearm deer season. Hunter Safety Education Week is being offered in addition to the already planned fall classes.

“Just like preparing for school and fall extracurriculars, hunting season needs to be considered in advance,” said Lt. Tom Wanless, DNR recreational safety, education and enforcement supervisor. Read more

Hunting

REDARC Tow-Pro Trail Kits

REDARC, a leader in power management systems and towing for over 45 years, proudly announces the launch of the Tow-Pro Trail Kits. These new additions to the Tow-Pro lineup offer a complete off-the-shelf solution for brake controller installation, streamlining the process with a plug-and-play kit.

The Tow-Pro Trail Kits are designed to simplify purchasing a brake controller for specific vehicles. Each kit includes a Tow-Pro Trail brake controller, remote control knob, vehicle-specific wiring harness, mounting bracket, and a switch insert. The remote head integrates seamlessly into the dashboard, ensuring a factory look while eliminating knee knocking and preventing airbag interference. These kits are compatible with select models from Jeep, Nissan, Ram, Ford, and Toyota. Read more

General

Stealth Cam 360-Degree Revolver Series Trail Cameras Now Available

IRVING, TX –– Pre-season starts now. With the mid-point of summertime commemorated and the 4th of July holiday behind us, scouting season is officially underway. And with it comes a brand-new assortment of trail camera technologies and accessories ready to take to the field—all courtesy of Stealth Cam™.

After launching two revolutionary, 360-degree trail cameras earlier this year, Stealth Cam, the leader in trail camera technology research, development and evolution for more than two decades, has announced their all-new Revolver™ and Revolver™ PRO trail cams are now available for purchase both online and through a variety of retailers nationwide.

Most notably, these cameras offer the equivalent of six cameras worth of coverage in a single device. Revolving through six unique zones, each cam delivers a complete panorama of its surroundings, meaning users get 360 degrees of visibility, day and night, to ensure they never miss a thing—even deer passing behind where the lens is positioned.

Each cam responds almost immediately to movement, quickly situating its lens in the correct zone and delivering superbly clear images and videos within moments of capture. But that’s just the beginning. The Revolver series of trail cams also offers the option to get more than one photo from a single vantage, eliminating the need for setting up multiple cameras overlooking food plots by ensuring the area is always covered, all the way around.

This includes the following three photo operation setting selections: Read more

Hunting, Optics
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