Whitewater Fishing’s New Prevail Pant

There’s a reason you don’t wear your favorite jeans to the gym or cargo pants to church. Pants matter. This applies to boating and fishing as well. You want something that plays the part, moves with your actions, and offers features for the task at hand. Whitewater Fishing created that garment and calls it the Prevail Pant.

Whether registering 30,000 “steps” on the deck of a bass boat, scouting from the tower, or simply looking for casual comfort docking at the rum bar, the Prevail Pant is for you.

Like all Whitewater creations, it begins with the fabric. “We nailed the stretch,” said Whitewater president Aaron Ambur. The Prevail Pant’s advanced 4-way stretch, nylon/spandex twill fabric is infinitely comfortable and gives with you every move, not constricting while kneeling or sitting like pants using traditional woven materials. Read more

Fishing

New York AG Announces Not-for-Profit Industry Ban on Ex-NRA CFO Wilson “Woody” Phillips

GW:  After being a member of the NRA for decades, I have decided not to renew my membership nor make any more contributions to the NRA.  LaPierre specifically has been stealing from all members for years, it was revealed, and I figure he’s taken enough from me.  No wonder he quit!  His henchmen are no different when it comes to violating the public trust.  Yes, I followed the trial and the money and some of the shenanigans are listed below.  Fool me once…and, that’s it!

On the eve of the trial, Wayne LaPierre stepped down as Executive Vice President and CEO of the NRA, a role he held for more than 30 years.

Attorney General’s Press Office/212-416-8060 nyag.pressoffice@ag.ny.gov

Settlement Follows AG James’ Win in Liability Phase of NRA Trial Where Jury Found NRA, Phillips, and Wayne LaPierre Liable for Breaking Not-for-Profit Laws

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced a settlement with the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Wilson “Woody” Phillips banning him from serving as a fiduciary of a not-for-profit in New York for 10 years and requiring training before returning to any such position. In February, a jury found Phillips liable for violating his duties in managing the NRA and its financial affairs and ordered him to pay $2 million in damages. A second phase of the trial, set to begin on July 15, was going to determine whether Phillips should be barred from re-election or appointment as an NRA officer or director, or from serving as a fiduciary in any other New York state not-for-profit corporation. Today’s agreement keeps the jury’s verdict against Phillips intact, including the monetary damages he has to pay, and removes him from the second, remedial phase of the trial against the NRA, Wayne LaPierre, and John Frazer, who were senior executives of the NRA until recently.

“New Yorkers deserve to know that when they support a not-for-profit, those donations are being used to advance its mission, not squandered on lavish perks for staff or cronies,” said Attorney General James. “For decades, Wilson Phillips oversaw and allowed financial mismanagement and corruption at the NRA, and that is why the jury found him, the NRA, and his co-defendants, senior executives Wayne LaPierre and John Frazer, liable for their misconduct. Today’s agreement should serve as an example that my office will hold anyone, and everyone, involved in abusing their power or misappropriating funds accountable.”

Attorney General James filed a lawsuit against the NRA and the other current and former senior officers in August 2020. On the eve of the trial, Wayne LaPierre stepped down as Executive Vice President and CEO of the NRA, a role he held for more than 30 years. The jury found all of the defendants—the NRA, LaPierre, Phillips, and Frazer—liable for violating New York not-for-profit laws. Phillips was found liable for failing to uphold his duties as a nonprofit executive and ordered to pay $2 million in damages. The jury also concluded that LaPierre abused his position, violated his duties to the NRA, and caused $5.4 million in financial harm to the NRA. He was ordered to pay $4.35 million to the NRA after crediting payments he made in advance of the trial.

Over the course of a six-week trial, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) presented evidence revealing the extent of the NRA and its senior leaders’ violations of the law and misuse of NRA funds. The evidence presented included:

  • Invoices of repeated private flight trips to the Bahamas taken by Wayne LaPierre with friends and family and paid for by the NRA that were allowed by Phillips;
  • Expense reports submitted by Wayne LaPierre and paid by the NRA for reimbursement of outdoor mosquito treatment at his house, landscaping for his house, and gifts for friends and family;
  • Lucrative NRA contracts given to companies owned by LaPierre’s friends, from whom he received valuable gifts, with payments to such companies approved and facilitated by Phillips;
  • Invoices worth more than $4 million dollars from the NRA’s then-largest vendor, Ackerman McQueen, described as “out-of-pocket” expenses with no detail and which Phillips allowed to be used as a pass-through for expenses incurred by NRA Executives, including high-end travel expenses for Wayne LaPierre and hair and makeup expenses for LaPierre’s wife; and
  • Testimony from whistleblowers detailing harassment, intimidation, or other forms of retaliation by the NRA for raising concerns about the misuse of funds.

The second phase of Attorney General James’ trial against the NRA, LaPierre, and Frazer is set to begin on July 15 before Justice Joel Cohen, sitting without a jury, to determine non-monetary relief.

The matter is being handled by Assistant Attorney General and Special Counsel Monica Connell and Chief of the Enforcement Section Emily Stern, with a team including Bureau Chief James Sheehan, Assistant Attorneys General Jonathan Conley, Erin Kandel, Jonathan Lester, Alexander Mendelson, Steve Shiffman, Daniel Sugarman, Stephen Thompson, and William Wang, and legal assistant Nyna Sargent — all of the Charities Bureau — and with additional assistance from legal assistants Luz Ceballos-Lopez, Sophia Friedman, Imani Saddler, and Jacqueline Sanchez. The Charities Bureau is part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

Gun Control

Detailing a 1954 Ford NAA Tractor

By Glen Wunderlich

Glen’s 1954 Ford NAA

With the Mid-Michigan Old Gas Tractor Show a scant month away, it’s time to refresh it a bit.  The sheet metal is perfect from our 1995 restoration; however, to make it sparkle in the sunshine, I’ll be repainting the red portion of the vintage machine.  Below is a photo of the late Mike Browder lettering one of the fenders back in the day.  Sure miss the ol’ boy, but he’ll be with me at the show in August.

Mike Browder’s Artistic Ability in Action

General , ,

Fast-Growing Button Bush

Button Bush Flower

By Glen Wunderlich

I got these plants from the Shiawassee County Conservation District (Mid-Michigan) and found them to be prolific in growth.  They grow fast and large and attract pollinators.  Seeds from the flowers can be used for propagation, but the stems can also be planted in soil to start your own.

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is a hardy deciduous shrub used for beauty and functionality. Buttonbush is a fast grower characterized by its round, white, spiky flowers and fragrant aroma. Buttonbush grows best in wetlands or near rivers and is often used to prevent erosion. The shrub requires full sun but may tolerate some shade. Otherwise, buttonbush is extremely resilient in all types of temperatures and conditions. It is important to note that the leaves of this plant are toxic to humans.1

Common Name Buttonbush, common buttonbush, honeybells, pond dogwood, swampwood
Botanical Name Cephalanthus occidentalis
Family Rubiaceae
Plant Type Perennial, shrub
Mature Size 6-12 ft. tall, 6-12 ft. wide
Sun Exposure Full, partial
Soil Type Loamy, silt, moist
Soil pH Neutral
Bloom Time Summer
Flower Color White
Hardiness Zones 5-11 (USDA)
Native Area North America
Toxicity Toxic to humans1

Buttonbush Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing buttonbush:

  • Plant in full or partial sun though the shrub will thrive in six to eight hours of sun a day.
  • Aim to keep the soil moist at all times, especially if the bush is in full sun.
  • Avoid alkaline soil and plant buttonbush in soil that is neutral to slightly acidic with a soil pH level of 6.8 to 7.2.
  • Feed the bush in the spring with a slow-release fertilizer.
Wildlife

Biologists Set To Begin Grizzly Bear Captures On Custer Gallatin National Forest, Montana

BOZEMAN – As part of ongoing efforts required under the Endangered Species Act to monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Ecosystem, the U.S. Geological Survey, in conjunction with Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, is working to inform the public that pre-baiting and scientific capture operations are once again about to begin within northwestern portions of the Custer Gallatin National Forest and private lands, south of I-90, in Montana. Biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) will begin the field captures June 17 and continue through July 22. Capture operations can include a variety of activities, but all areas where work is being conducted will have major access points marked with warning signs. It is critical that all members of the public heed these signs.

Research and monitoring of the grizzly bear population is vital to ongoing recovery and management of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In order to attract bears, biologists use natural food sources such as recently road-killed deer and elk. Potential capture sites are baited with these natural foods and if indications are that grizzly bears are in the area, culvert traps or foot snares are used to capture bears. Once captured, bears are handled in accordance with strict safety and animal care protocols developed by the IGBST and approved by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Whenever bear capture activities are being conducted for scientific purposes, the area around the site will be posted with bright warning signs to inform the public of the activities occurring. These signs are posted along the major access points to the capture site. It is important that the public heed these signs and do not venture into an area that has been posted. For more information regarding grizzly bear capture efforts call the IGBST trapping hotline at 406-994-6675. Information about the grizzly bear research and monitoring is available from the IGBST website: https://www.usgs.gov/science/interagency-grizzly-bear-study-team

Wildlife

Nearly 100 parcels of Michigan DNR-managed land available via online auctions in August, September

The properties, ranging in size from under an acre to 160 acres, are available in more than two dozen counties

Lake frontage, river frontage and vacant, forested acreage surrounded by private ownership – these describe some of the parcels available in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ next round of surplus land auctions set for later this summer.

The DNR is busy preparing 91 such properties for sale via online auctions in August and early September.

Surplus land sales, a regular part of the DNR’s public land strategy, are key to how the department manages the land it oversees on behalf of the people of Michigan. Auction proceeds will be reinvested in acquiring critical land for the public to help provide future outdoor recreation opportunities in keeping with the DNR’s mission to conserve, protect and manage the state’s natural and cultural resources for the use and enjoyment of current and future generations.

Land in more than two dozen counties throughout Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula will be available via 11 online auctions between Aug. 2 and Sept. 5: Read more

Wildlife

Hawke Optics Introduces The Frontier 1×22 Red Dot

Hawke® Optics, a worldwide leader in precision optics, is continuing their evolution into the tactical market with their clearest, brightest, and strongest red dot sight yet. In 2019 Hawke launched their entry level Vantage series of Red Dots, following that up with two new and improved Endurance Red Dot sights in 2020. Both optics have been popular with value minded AR shooters, but the New Frontier 1×22 Red Dot is sure to be a hit with shooters looking for a more premium Red Dot.

Whether you’re putting it on an AR, SBR, lever gun, or braced pistol, this sight will get you on target with more confidence and hold up to the recoil of as many rounds as you can put through your gun. The accuracy and durability of this optic is at least as good if not better than any other similarly priced red dot sights on the market.

The biggest selling point to the sight is Hawke’s all new Auto Illumination Mode (AIM), which allows for an outstanding battery life expectancy of up to 50,000 hours. A.I.M. capabilities work by automatically turning the illuminated reticle on when the sight senses movement and turning it off when inactivity is detected for longer than 2 minutes. Then the sight will power on again as soon as movement is detected. A 10-stage digital brightness control includes 2 night-vision compatible settings. Paired with a high efficiency LED emitter, the Frontier operates at a daylight-bright setting for several years on a single battery. Read more

Optics

Celebrating Ruger’s 75th Anniversary with a Limited Production Engraved No. 1

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is proud to celebrate its 75th year as an American firearms manufacturer in 2024. To commemorate this milestone, the Company is releasing a very special edition of one of America’s most iconic firearms – the Ruger No. 1.

Only 75 of these rifles have been built and each is engraved “1 of 75” on the bottom of the receiver. A special serial number (R75-401 through R75-475) was created just for these rifles.

“This rifle not only commemorates a significant milestone in the Company’s history, but it is a testament to the dedicated craftsmen and women working to preserve Bill Ruger’s legacy,” said Chris Killoy, President and CEO of Ruger Firearms. “This beautifully crafted rifle is truly a work of art.”

Introduced in 1967, the single-shot No. 1 is an American classic designed by Bill Ruger himself. It has a hammerless falling-block action designed for both strength and beauty. The diamond anniversary edition of the No. 1 rifle is handsomely adorned with attractive scrollwork engraving that accentuates the gold and silver Ruger Eagle and 75th anniversary emblem.

This commemorative Ruger No. 1 is chambered in .270 Win. and features a 22″ barrel with express sights and integral scope mounts machined directly on the solid steel quarter rib. High-grade American walnut compliments the beauty and elegance of the receiver and barrel.

For more information on the Ruger No. 1 or to learn more about the extensive line of award-winning Ruger firearms, visit Ruger.com, Facebook.com/Ruger or Instagram.com/Rugersofficial.

Firearms

New HEVI-Shot HEVI-Steel Upland Loads Now Available

HEVI-Shot launches a new product line called HEVI-Steel Upland. The two new high-velocity, 12-gauge dove and quail loads feature precision steel pellets, dependable ignition, and a unique HEVI-Shot wad to produce exceptionally tight patterns. This new product line is now available at select dealers and online. Check with your local ammo store for availability.

“When a dove races across a field or a covey of quail erupts at your feet, speed matters. That’s why we push HEVI-Steel Upland faster than competing steel loads,” said Dan Compton, HEVI-Shot’s Shotshell Product Director. “The velocity boost we gave these loads makes it easier to connect on hard-flying birds and delivers more energy on impact. They are perfect for upland hunters looking for a good, non-toxic, steel-shot option at a competitive price point.”

Aided by HEVI-Shot’s best-in-class wad and precision manufacturing techniques, HEVI-Steel Upland hits hard every time. Its high velocity of 1,350 feet per second (fps) provides ideal downrange energy. The two new 12-gauge, 2-3/4-inch loads will be available in shot size No 6 or 7 and sold in a 25-count box. Read more

Ammunition

Zanders Releases Exclusive Line of S&W M2.0 9MM Pistols

Zanders, a national distributor located in Sparta, Illinois, is pleased to announce an Exclusive line Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 9MM pistols in a Gold Cerakote finish.

The S&W performance that began with the polymer construction is now forging forward. The lightweight and rigid metal frame of the Smith & Wesson M&P9 M2.0 Metal provides an extraordinary foundation for higher performance. Built on the M&P platform, it is compatible with all M2.0 magazines, slides holsters and palmswells. This Zanders Gold Cerakote exclusive will be offered in both a 10rd and 17rd magazine options.

To order the Smith & Wesson exclusive pistols click the link below:

S&W M2.0 9MM Pistols Read more

Firearms
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