Michigan DNR urges boating safety this holiday weekend and all summer long

Michigan’s unofficial start to summer – the Memorial Day holiday weekend – is days away. As many Michiganders and visitors prepare for boating fun on state lakes, rivers and streams, the Department of Natural Resources reminds everyone to put safety first.

It’s also National Safe Boating Week (May 22-28), a week devoted to elevating the campaign for responsible boating and encouraging boaters to always wear life jackets while on the water.

Lt. Tom Wanless, state boating law administrator and recreational safety, education and enforcement supervisor with the DNR, encouraged everyone, before ever leaving shore, to get up to date on boating laws and regulations and ensure that boats and personal watercrafts (such as Jet Skis) – and life jackets and other safety gear – are shipshape.

“Taking time now can prevent potential problems later, because accidents can happen at any time and weather can quickly affect water conditions on inland waters and the Great Lakes,” Wanless said. “Familiarizing yourself and your fellow boaters with valuable safety tips and equipment can mean the difference between a great day on the water and a needlessly tragic outcome.”

Accident reports submitted to the DNR show that in 2020 there were 181 boating accidents reported in Michigan, including 33 fatalities. Additionally, the U.S. Coast Guard reports that, nationally, drowning is the cause of death in 79% of all boating-related fatalities. Read more

Fishing

Boating Safety Suggestions

Here are five safety suggestions from the BoatUS Foundation for Safety and Clean Water. They appropriately enough were entitled “5 Things You Can Do to Take ‘Search’ Out of Search and Rescue”

  1. File a float plan. Tell family members where you’re going, how long you expect to be out, and when you plan to return. If you’re leaving a vehicle/trailer at the boat ramp, you might want to leave a note on your vehicle’s dash with the same information. Either -or both – let people start looking for you if you fail to return by your appointed time.
  2. Have a VHF radio aboard – but not just any VHF radio. Have a radio with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) – it does all the things a “regular” VHF radio does, plus it has a one-button “Mayday” feature that gives rescuers your boat’s location. The handheld DSC VHF units are great for small boats. And I know from experience they can save a lot of time when you have a problem.
  3. Label your SUP, canoe or kayak…might sound like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised. Adding your contact information with a waterproof marker could help the Coast Guard or first responders spend less time chasing false alarms. Marking your paddle craft, FYI, might also mean you get it back when it blows down the lake. If/when that happens, you also need to let authorities know your paddlcraft has gone missing.
  4. Do not leave shore without a fully-charged phone. Smartphones are integral parts of our lives. But they’re not much use to a boater if the battery’s dead or there’s no cell signal. And for most phones, water is not a friend. If you are using a personal watercraft, put your phone in a waterproof pouch or case. That’s also not a bad idea for larger craft. And here’s a bit of insight for both -if you have a lanyard, attach it to something on your craft. Otherwise, it will be the last thing you see as your phone- safe in its waterproof case- descends into the inky depths.
  5. Register your EPRIB or PLB. Having either an Emergency Position Indicating Rescue Beacon (EPRIB) or Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is a great idea, but the Coast Guard receives hundreds of false alerts from them each year. You need to register your device and if you haven’t the highlighted link will take you where you can.
General

Enjoy free fishing, ORV and state park and boating access entry during Michigan’s ‘Three Free’ Weekend

June 12-13, residents and out-of-state visitors can fish, ride Michigan’s off-road trails or visit state parks and state-managed boating access sites – all for free.
Grab your fishing rod and cast a line! Twice a year, you can enjoy two days of fishing without a license. All other regulations still apply.

Ride 3,800 miles of designated routes and trails and the state’s six scramble areas without purchasing an ORV license or trail permit.

Make state parks and boating access sites the background for your fishing trip. The Recreation Passport requirement is waived.

DNR COVID-19 RESPONSE: For details on affected DNR facilities and services, visit this webpage. Follow state actions and guidelines at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus.

General

The Armory Life Celebrates Its Second Year

GENESEO, ILL. – With hundreds of thousands of members and millions of visitors and counting, The Armory Life™ is the go-to source for daily firearms-focused content, delivering fresh and engaging entertainment and education.

Featuring dedicated categories ranging from firearms, CCW, survival, tactics, training and much more, The Armory Life delivers exciting and in-depth daily content. And with video and written content created by some of the most respected experts in the firearms community, The Armory Life is a terrific resource for top firearms-related content. Read more

Firearms

Fierce Firearms’ Twisted Rival

Fierce Firearms | Redmond, UT.

The NEW Twisted Rival from Fierce Firearms is the ideal entry level rifle in our bolt action lineup. This rifle features the deadly combination of affordability and high level performance. We have loaded this rifle with high-end components and features at a price point that is unmatched.

Twisted Rival Features:

  • Custom Fierce 2-lug action with our unique 70 degree bolt throw. The shortened bolt throw will allow unobstructed bolt cycle when shooting with an oversized scope. The bolt raceways are wire EDM cut to ensure the tightest machined tolerances for accuracy and lock up. There are no corners cut in the production of the Rival action.
  • Spiral fluted, match grade stainless steel barrel. The “twisted” contoured barrel is cryo-treated and hand lapped to ensure barrel integrity and our industry leading 1/2 MOA accuracy guarantee.
  • C3 Carbon stock with integral bi-pod rail. The vertical pistol grip was designed to be the perfect crossover stock for both hunting and long range shooting. The palm swell pistol grip and high negative comb cheekpiece make this one of the most comfortable stocks you will ever shoulder.
  • Custom adjustable trigger (1-3 lbs.). Trigger is set standard at 2.5 lbs. Cleanest trigger break available.

With all the high-end features and performance packed into this rifle platform you will hit the hills or the bench with the confidence you need to make any shot. At Fierce there is no compromise and that is why all of our rifles have a limited lifetime warranty. It is time to get Fierce and experience the difference. Read more

Firearms

Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 3.8″ Compact OSP

GENESEO, ILL. – Springfield Armory® is proud to announce the newest addition to the popular XD-M® Elite series — the XD-M® Elite 3.8″ Compact OSP™.This EDC-ready 9mm, like all the XD-M Elites, redefines what you should expect from modern, striker-fired firearms.

The XD-M Elite 3.8″ Compact OSP is designed for concealed carry, combining impressive capacity and performance with concealable dimensions for ease of carry. The 3.8″ match grade Melonite® finished barrel maximizes ballistic performance while remaining compact for concealability, and the compact grip frame houses a double-column stainless steel magazine that provides 14+1 capacity in the two included magazines.

As an Optical Sight Pistol (OSP), the new XD-M Elite 3.8″ Compact OSP features a removable seamless cover plate that reveals a mounting location for the optic of your choice, such as the new HEX™ Dragonfly™ or HEX Wasp™.

To facilitate quick reloads, the XD-M Elite 3.8″ Compact OSP also features a removable extended and flared “short” magwell. An additional benefit of the removable magwell is that you can quickly convert the pistol from a compact to a full-size frame with a 19+1 capacity. This is accomplished by simply removing the magwell and employing optional full-size XD-M magazines with compatible magazine sleeves.

At the heart of the pistol is the Match Enhanced Trigger Assembly (META™) system, a superbly refined trigger designed to wring out the most from the pistol’s most important interface with the shooter. Featuring a flat face and integral overtravel stop, the META™ system delivers the finest trigger pull available on a production polymer-framed pistol. Read more

Firearms

Hawke® Optics Adds New 2-7X32 Vantage IR Scope

The Newest Addition to the Vantage IR Scope Lineup is a Compact Powerhouse of Economical Accuracy

Hawke® Optics, a world leader in high quality sporting optics with outstanding performance in the field at amazing value to consumers, brings a new riflescope model to its value-packed Vantage IR lineup – the 2-7×32 IR. If you’re looking for a great, compact scope to mount on top of your rifle that doesn’t cost and arm and a leg, this is it.

There are a lot of reasons to go with a 2-7 power scope. As with most of Hawke’s 107 riflescopes, this new model is all caliber rated. It is a quick handling scope that gets you on target fast and is great for those close in shots, but it has the clarity and magnification for those longer shots in the field or on the range.

The Vantage IR 2-7×32 is built on a one-inch, mono-tube frame and has 11-layer, fully multi-coated optics with outstanding clarity. It is nitrogen purged to be water-, shock- and fog proof. The scope has Hawke’s MIL-DOT glass-etched reticle with five levels of adjustable red and green illumination with a rheostat on saddle, or you can turn it off for an all-black reticle. This scope has capped, low-profile turrets with ¼ MOA adjustment. Get on target quickly with the fast focus eyebell and high torque zoom ring. Lens covers and a battery are included. These scopes are worry free thanks to the Hawke No-Fault Lifetime Warranty. Read more

Optics

Protection Now, Payment Later

Guns.com announced today that they’ve partnered with Credova Financial to provide financing options to customers. Now, you’ll be able to apply online in seconds and get a near instant approval decision without any impact to your credit score.

By selecting Credova, approved customers can make their purchase today, but pay over time instead of all upfront. Credova doesn’t use any hard inquiries, so customers can get approval to finance their gun and gear without hurting their credit.

Offering deals as good as 90-day interest-free for select buyers, it’s protection now, payment later – which adds just another reason why Guns.com is your easy, one-stop shop for online gun buying.

“Guns.com has one of the largest selections of firearms and gear available online, and our goal is to give customers a level of service they would expect from top ecommerce sites in any industry. Credova has given us one more way to help Americans exercise their 2A rights without breaking the bank,” says Greg Minkler, Guns.com’s Chief Executive Officer. “And because the vast majority of what Guns.com sells is from local gun stores across the country, it’s another great way to help out small local businesses in your area.” Read more

Firearms

Attorneys General Oppose Biden’s ATF Director Nominee

HELENA – Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and 19 other state attorneys general today called on the U.S. Senate to reject David Chipman’s confirmation as director of the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), citing concerns over his approach to public safety and Americans’ right to keep and bear arms.

In a letter to U.S. Senate Republican and Democratic leadership, Knudsen and the coalition of attorneys general outlined the threat President Joe Biden’s ATF nominee would pose to law-abiding gun owners if confirmed to lead the agency responsible for regulating firearms. Chipman has a long history of anti-gun rights lobbying and activism.

“Mr. Chipman has a First Amendment right as a private citizen to work for these political organizations and to lobby for the taxation, registration, and even confiscation of firearms. Americans likewise have the Second Amendment to protect their God-given rights to keep and bear arms,” Knudsen and the attorneys general wrote. “Accordingly, we ask you to oppose Mr. Chipman’s confirmation to this important position and demand President Biden nominate someone who is not hostile to our rights and way of life.”

ATF agents play an important role in upholding the public safety of communities around the country and will be disserved by an agency director with a political agenda. Americans’ Second Amendment rights do not need to be infringed to keep them safe from violent criminals.

“Its agents deserve a director who will inspire confidence from the people they serve. Given Mr. Chipman’s history of anti-gun lobbying and political activism, Americans cannot be reasonably expected to believe he will be an unbiased enforcer of current laws,” the letter stated. “As the chief legal and law enforcement officers in our respective states, we are concerned that Mr. Chipman will make Americans less safe by diverting ATF resources to attack the rights of law-abiding gun owners instead of cracking down on violent criminals and criminal organizations.”

Attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia also signed onto Knudsen’s letter.

Click here to view the letter.

CONTACT: Kyler Nerison | kyler.nerison@mt.gov

Firearms, Gun Control

Primary Arms and On Target Magazine Announce Rifle Giveaway

HOUSTON, TEXAS – Primary Arms has announced a new rifle giveaway in partnership with On Target Magazine that runs until July 10, 2021. Like other Primary Arms gun giveaways, this giveaway is completely free to enter and is available through the On Target Magazine giveaway page.

The Gun & Gear Giveaway centers on a Faxon Firearms 5.56mm Ascent 16-inch carbine, paired with a Primary Arms Optics GLx® 2.5-10x44mm FFP Rifle Scope and GLx 30mm Cantilever Scope Mount. This general-purpose rifle also includes a Magpul MS1 Sling, Magpul QD swivels, a Slate Black Industries SVG M-LOK Vertical Grip, a Real Avid Gun Boss Pro AR-15 Cleaning Kit, and an Evolution Outdoor EVA 42” Tactical Rifle Case. All in all, this kit is worth over $1,700, making it a worthy addition to any rifle collection.

“We’re excited to partner with On Target Magazine for another free rifle giveaway,” says Dina Sanders, Primary Arms’ Brand Marketing Manager. “This giveaway package is perfect for new or experience gun-owners that want to supplement their collection with a high-performance, general-purpose AR-15. We’ve hand-selected these parts from our collection to ensure comfortable ergonomics and exceptional precision for any activity.” Read more

Firearms
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