SIG SAUER Custom Works Adds the P365XL SPECTRE Comp

NEWINGTON, N.H. – SIG SAUER is pleased to announce the expansion of the SIG Custom Works SPECTRE Series of pistols with the introduction of the P365XL SPECTRE Comp. This latest release from SIG Custom Works combines superior craftsmanship and the rich SPECTRE feature-set with cutting edge technology, resulting in less recoil and an enhanced shooting experience to America’s #1 selling micro-compact pistol.

“The SPECTRE family of pistols is SIG Custom Works feature-rich polymer pistol line that is fine-tuned for performance. The custom-designed slide and gold features of the P365XL SPECTRE Comp make this latest addition to the SPECTRE series noticeably distinct,” said Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, Commercial Sales, SIG SAUER, Inc. “However, the true standout feature of the P365XL SPECTRE Comp is the uniquely integrated compensator that reduces muzzle flip and felt recoil by up to 30%, and because of the design will never come loose or cause function issues. The P365XL SPECTRE Comp offers all the benefits of a compensated pistol in a reliable, concealable, everyday carry package.”

The SIG Custom Works P365XL SPECTRE Comp is a 9mm polymer frame pistol that features the laser stippled XSERIES (LXG) grip module, an optics-ready slide with custom serrations featuring an optic plate and rear dovetail sight, integrated compensator, a titanium nitride gold barrel and XSERIES gold flat trigger, and X-RAY 3 day/night sights. The SIG Custom Works P365XL SPECTRE Comp ships with (3) three steel magazines and comes with a Limited-Edition SIG Custom Works case, coin, and certificate of authenticity. Read more

Firearms

Hornady Launches New Podcast

Grand Island, NE — Hornady® is proud to announce the launch of their new podcast, The Hornady Podcast.

Hornady Communications Manager and host of the Hornady Podcast, Seth Swerczek discusses all things hunting, shooting, reloading and outdoor lifestyle. Listeners can expect insight from the biggest names in the industry and numerous members of the Hornady staff.

“We are extremely excited to launch the official Hornady Podcast,” said Seth Swerczek, Marketing Communications Manager. “This podcast will be a great resource for information as we take deep dives into the topics we are most passionate about.” Swerczek added.

The Hornady Podcast is available via the following platforms: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, YouTube, and Vimeo.

For additional information, please visit: https://www.hornady.com/team-hornady/the-hornady-podcast Read more

Ammunition

Consumers Energy Foundation awards $70,000 to support Michigan Arctic Grayling Initiative

Northern Michigan University, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, has received a Consumers Energy Foundation grant of $70,000 to support efforts to bring back the Arctic grayling to Michigan waters.

Combined with support from the Henry E. and Consuelo S. Wenger Foundation, the Consumers Energy Foundation grant will fund an evaluation of several types of chambers for rearing Arctic grayling eggs in Michigan streams. Remote site incubator designs successfully used to rear eggs in Montana streams work well there, but their successful operation is less certain in Michigan streams. This project will evaluate alternative approaches to the RSI design in lab and stream environments to determine which will be most efficient and reliable for Michigan’s stream environments. .

“This is the second contribution we have received from the Consumers Energy Foundation since we started our initiative to bring Arctic grayling back to Michigan,” said DNR Fisheries Division Chief Jim Dexter. “With their partnership we are able to get closer to meeting our goals and seeing success.” Read more

Fishing

Streamlight BearTrap Work Light for Multiple Law Enforcement Uses

Eagleville, PA –– Streamlight® Inc., a leading provider of high-performance lighting, introduced the BearTrap®, a multi-function, 2,000-lumen work light designed for law enforcement and first responder uses such as providing emergency scene lighting, illuminating traffic stops or servicing agency fleets.

Featuring both spot and flood beams, the BearTrap can rotate 270 degrees in its frame. The light clamps to most surfaces without scratching or stands alone for hands-free task illumination. The BearTrap also features a magnetic base and a hanging hook for additional hands-free lighting options.

“With its bright white light and hands-free options, the BearTrap is a versatile light for law enforcement – for anything from fleet vehicle servicing to emergency lighting,” said Streamlight Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Michael F. Dineen. “Fleet maintenance technicians can use it to illuminate hard-to-reach areas when making vehicle repairs, and police can clamp it to a patrol vehicle hood or use it on a stand-alone basis for scene lighting. And its rechargeable lithium-ion battery allows for extremely low operating costs.”

This new work light provides six output modes, including three spot and three flood settings The BearTrap’s flood mode fills work areas with soft, bright light, ranging from 2,000 lumens on high with a 2.5-hour run time to 575 lumens on low, with an 8.75-hour run time. In spot mode, the light provides a white concentrated beam for specific task lighting, ranging from 1,000 lumens on high for 4.5 hours to 325 lumens on low for 12.5 hours. Read more

Optics

iSportsman ARX Unleashed

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA— The outdoors is getting updated. iSportsman, the leading online recreational program management service in the nation, is making distant sign-in boards, manually logging harvest records in notebooks and never really knowing who is on your land or where they are a thing of the past with the launch of iSportsman ARX. The new digital land and activity management tool promises to change the way hunt clubs outfitters and private landowners manage hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities on their properties.

iSportsman is an innovative management solution, used to manage hunting, fishing and other natural resource-based recreation on military bases, state public hunting areas and national wildlife refuges across the United States. ISportsman ARX brings that same great service in an affordable, easy-to-use solution custom tailored to the specific needs of private landowners.

Plotting and managing land boundaries, areas, tree stands, duck blinds, feeding plots and more is only part of the benefits iSportsman ARX has to offer. Using a mobile phone, hunters or recreationists can easily and quickly check into an area or stand for an activity and check back out upon completion. iSportsman ARX allows hunt clubs, outfitters and land managers to view who is actively recreating on their land, with whom and even what type of hunting they are engaged in. Harvest data is entered through iSportsman ARX by users so landowners, outfitters or club managers can maintain up-to-date, real-time records. The software allows clubs, outfitters and land managers to easily maintain records of harvests and finances, promote opportunities to other ARX users and even review charts and graphs that display hunting pressure and activity on their properties. Much of the financial and harvest data is downloadable to spreadsheets or can be shared with other stakeholders as needed. Read more

Hunting

Handy Shot Placement Aids Available from NBEF

Improve accuracy and reduce game recovery time

RAPID CITY, SD – The National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF) offers educational items to increase success and safety for bowhunters. Wild turkey hunters can refer to the shot placement aid to improve shot accuracy for a quick harvest and game recovery.

The Advanced Turkey Anatomy and Shot Placement Guide is an informative shot placement training aid with full color 8.5″ x 11″ transparent overlays. Separate acrylic overlays feature the muscular system, skeletal system, circulatory system, and vital organs specific to turkeys. Accompanying text includes shot placement information and illustrations for both firearm hunters and bowhunters. Useful for hunting guides, hunter education instructors or today’s informed hunter. Responsible hunting includes knowledge of accurate shot placement for a quick kill and game recovery. Technical expertise and guidance for this guide was provided by the National Wild Turkey Foundation. This is part of the International Bowhunter Education Program Hunter Responsibility Series which includes anatomy and shot placement guides for whitetail deer, bear and elk. Suggested retail $12.50. Read more

Archery

Michigan’s Deer Management Report 2022

By Glen Wunderlich

Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)

The National Deer Association (NDA) is a non-profit deer conservation group that leads efforts to ensure the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat and hunting. Each year, the group presents a compilation of whitetail statistics from the season completed the past year (this one covers years 2020-2021) – the most recent season with complete harvest data available from all major deer states.  Its goal is to change deer management for the betterment of hunting and to protect North America’s most vital and admired game species for future generations.

Deer hunters in the United States harvested an estimated 6.3 million white-tailed deer in the 2020-21 hunting season – the most since 2011, according to the NDA’s latest deer report. Harvests of both antlered bucks and antlerless deer were up over the 2019 season, but the estimated buck harvest of 3,041,544 was the most in 21 years.

“2020 saw the highest buck harvest in the new century, and amazingly we estimate that we set another new record for the percentage of those bucks that were 3½ years old or older,” said Kip Adams, NDA’s Chief Conservation Officer. “U.S. hunters are taking fewer yearling bucks and killing more of them as mature deer, but this doesn’t mean fewer bucks harvested overall. We’re killing older bucks and more bucks than ever in America.”

A look back in time offers a glimpse of how our hunting habits have changed.  Consider that the nation’s record season of 1999 may have seen more bucks taken; however, more than 50 percent of them were yearlings (1 ½ year-old bucks).  The steadily climbing percentage of 3½-and-older bucks in the harvest is the result of declining pressure nationwide on yearling bucks. Only 26 percent of the 2020 antlered-buck harvest was yearlings

Michigan ranks second in the nation for the sheer number of bucks taken at 219,387 followed by Pennsylvania with 174,780.  Only Texas topped Michigan with its 449,933 antlered bucks.

Among the top states with antlered buck harvest per square mile is Michigan with 3.9 bested slightly by Delaware.

The take of antlerless deer is an important aspect of deer management and Michigan rated third in the country with 191,252 behind only Pennsylvania and Texas.

Inexplicably, Michigan’s statistics relative to the age structure of animals taken is not being reported.

“We know 2020 hunting license sales increased by about 5 percent over 2019, and those license buyers took home half a million more whitetails than the previous season, or an increase of almost 9 percent,” said NDA’s Chief Conservation Officer, Kip Adams. “They helped increase the antlerless harvest back above the buck harvest where it needs to be, but they also saw more mature bucks in the woods than ever before. Hunters are clearly reaping the benefits of more naturally balanced age structures in herds across the whitetails’ range.”

For what it’s worth, the report mirrors our own anecdotal experiences right here in Shiawassee County, as we continue to see more mature bucks afield than previous years.  We are doing something right!

Hunting, Wildlife

Michigan: Time to Apply for 2022 Conservation Officer Academies

Now is the time to get started for anyone interested in becoming a Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officer in 2022. The DNR is currently accepting applications for two conservation officer academies to be offered this year. Applications are due Monday, Feb. 28.“

If you’re looking for a rewarding career where you can spend time outside and teaching others about the outdoors, don’t miss this opportunity to be a part of a DNR conservation officer recruit school,” said Chief Gary Hagler, DNR Law Enforcement Division. “Our recruits say the conservation officer academy is one of the biggest and best challenges of their lives, setting them up for success in a one-of-a-kind career they love.

”Steps to apply

A physical fitness test and entry-level law enforcement exam are the first two steps toward submitting an application.

  • Sign up for a physical fitness test offered through the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards. Upcoming test locations include:
    • Feb. 5 at Macomb Community College (Wayne County).
    • Feb. 13 at Delta College (Bay County).
    • Feb. 13 at Wayne County Regional Police Academy.
    • Feb. 18 at West Shore Community College (Mason County).
    • Feb. 26 at Michigan State Police Training Academy in Dimondale (Eaton County). This physical fitness test is for conservation officer applicants only and will allow a maximum of 30 people. To sign up, email DNR-LED-Employment-Training@Michigan.gov.
  • Complete the National Testing Network entry-level law enforcement exam. A passing test score is valid for one year. While the civil service exam is currently unavailable, applicants residing in Michigan who have successfully completed the civil service exam within the past five years can submit those exam results.
  • After receiving passing test results, candidates can submit their applications through the State of Michigan job openings website.

Candidates should be motivated self-starters with excellent communication skills who enjoy helping others learn about natural resources.Applicants are not required to have a college education, background in law enforcement, or fish and game experience. All conservation officer recruits will receive comprehensive training during the academy, as well as being paired with veteran DNR conservation officers during their first assignments after graduation.

Anyone interested in learning more or asking about the hiring process is encouraged to contact a recruiter.Michigan conservation officers are fully commissioned law enforcement officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety and protect citizens through general law enforcement and conducting lifesaving operations in the communities they serve. Learn more at Michigan.gov/ConservationOfficers.

Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife

Beretta Launches Updated A400 Xcel Sporting Semi-Auto Shotgun

Accokeek, MD (January 31, 2022) – Beretta is pleased to announce the launch of an updated version of one of our most popular sporting clays shotguns – the A400 Xcel Sporting. Built on the revolutionary A400 action, the newest iteration of the Beretta A400 Xcel Sporting features enlarged controls, the innovative Blink gas operating system for 36% faster follow-up shots, and Beretta’s Kick-Off recoil reduction system for enhanced stability, comfort, and control for faster target acquisition.

“Improving such a technologically advanced shotgun, already at the top of a very crowded product segment, seemed to be an impossible mission to undertake,” Carlo Ferlito, General Manager & C.O.O. of Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A. and Member of the Board of Directors of Beretta USA, Corp., said. “However, we accomplished this feat and are proud to introduce the A400 Xcel Sporting – crafted by the Beretta engineering team with updates made based on customer input. The final result is here: the best sporting semi-auto ever built.”

Quickly becoming a favorite among serious competitive shooters, its sleek lines and superior ergonomics are designed with one goal in mind: naturally following your eye to the target.

The updated model showcases a new, aesthetically pleasing receiver design with an enhanced top and bottom profile and a proprietary, laser-engraved Aquatech Shield grey coating. With an enlarged loading port and extended bolt handle and release, the A400 Xcel ensures easy manipulation in all weather conditions.

The A400 Xcel features Beretta’s ultrafast BLINK gas operating system with a cross tube gas piston that allows for 36% faster cycling than its competition. Read more

Firearms

SAF Sues California to Protect Gun Owner Privacy

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation today filed a lawsuit in San Diego County Superior Court against California Attorney General Rob Bonta, challenging the constitutionality of a recently-enacted section of the state Penal Code requiring the state Department of Justice to share private information on millions of gun owners in the state, with the California Firearm Violence Research Center and others.

Joining SAF in this action are the Firearms Policy Coalition, California Gun Rights Foundation, San Diego County Gun Owners PAC, Orange County Gun Owners PAC, Inland Empire Gun Owners PAC and Doe Brandeis, a private citizen. They are represented by attorneys Bradley A. Benbrook and Stephen M. Duvernay with the Benbrook Law Group, PC in Sacramento. The lawsuit is known as Brandeis v. Bonta.

The lawsuit contends disclosure of personal information about California gun owners under provisions of Assembly Bill 173, passed by the Assembly last year, violates their privacy rights, which are specifically protected by the state constitution. This information sharing also violates provisions of Proposition 63, the ammunition background check measure passed by voters back in 2016, which specified that personal information was to remain confidential, and shared “only for law enforcement purposes.” Read more

Gun Control
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