Nanotags Are for the Birds

Animal migrations and homing instincts remain one the most fascinating of natural phenomena.  Salmon swim upstream and migratory birds fly south, north, and back again.

How do migratory birds know what to do? Memory is deeply implicated—molecular memory—profoundly encoded in the double helix of their DNA from eons of experience.

The first beautiful days of autumn usher migratory birds on their way before the breath of winter lays on the land: honking giant Canada geese in a V pointed south; swarms of chatty rusty blackbirds in an amorphous mass; and confusing fall warblers, singles slipping silently through sylvan stands. Birds big and little have learned a geography of survival over a span of time that rational beings can hardly comprehend.

What cues birds to pick up and go, and by what routes are becoming clearer, producing big data sets from the smallest of technologies over a vast geography of the northeast United States. It’s a multistate endeavor from Maine to Maryland made possible by State Wildlife Grants administered by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Nanotags aren’t much to look at, but the science behind them may help scientists understand how birds migrate.

Read more

Wildlife

Top 10 best hunting practices for firearm deer season

Hunters can expect excellent conditions for the 2021 firearm deer season, which begins Monday, Nov. 15. As Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers gear up for the season, they share best practices and tips to avoid the most common violations and mistakes they see every year.

“Most of the violations that conservation officers encounter during firearm deer season are simple mistakes people make when they get caught up in the excitement of the hunt or forget to put safety first,” said F/Lt. Jason Wicklund, DNR Law Enforcement Division. “We want people to be safe, so they have a good story to tell friends and family about their successful hunt.”

Here’s a list of 10 best practices to help hunters avoid common mistakes and violations during firearm season – most of which easily can be avoided with a little research and planning.

#1 – Properly tag your deer

Conservation officers often see the wrong kill tag on game – such as fish or turkey licenses on deer. Often, this is a simple mistake made in the dark and can be corrected by re-tagging the deer as soon as you notice the error. Read more
Hunting

Project FeederWatch Starts Saturday

Information provided by Project FeederWatch participants provides valuable information about winter bird populations, such as nuthatches and redpolls (photos by Paul Konrad).

The biggest event of the winter – Project FeederWatch – begins this Saturday, November 13th with thousands of eager birders reporting during this 35th season! If you haven’t renewed or if you are a first timer, you can sign up now to report the birds coming to your feeders or bird-friendly habitat; it’s easy and it’s fun to participate, regardless of your age or where you live in the United States or Canada. It’s easy too; simply monitor your feeder, birdbath, or birdscape to identify and count the birds during your selected times on certain count days each month through April 30.

Project FeederWatch is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada that engages birders and provides biologists with continent-wide information about winter populations and movements of birds month to month, and over decades. To get all the details about how to participate in Project FeederWatch, see Detailed Instructions – FeederWatch And there is a wealth of information available on the website for all birders to use to improve and expand your backyard birding activities this winter.

Wildlife

Record Peregrine Falcon Migration

The Florida Keys Hawkwatch is heralded as “The Peregrine Falcon Migration Capitol of the World” (photo by Paul Konrad).

Triple digit totals of Peregrine Falcons migrated past the Florida Keys Hawkwatch daily for 10 straight days from October 8th to 17th – totaling 2,430 Peregrines in 10 days! Most of us consider a sighting of a single Peregrine a great accomplishment, so imagine daily tallies of 117 Peregrines October 8th, 287 on the 9th, 609 on the 10th, 296 the 11th, 126 the 12th, 137 the 12th, 239 the 14th, 113 the 15th, 134 the 16th, 142 on October 17th. And that’s not all, considering many other raptors graced the sky, including numbers of Ospreys, Broad-winged Hawks, and Sharp-shinned Hawks headed trans-Caribbean.

Take a look at the Florida Keys Hawkwatch daily totals for the month of October to see Peregrine Falcon numbers increase toward the peak days of migration and then downturn after mid-October, and see totals of other birds of prey that passed by the count station at HawkCount The current season total for Peregrines is 3,264!

To review live counts as they are posted today, as well as daily totals throughout the season, and monthly counts of raptors at all hawkwatch count sites across North America – which is great fun and informative – visit HawkCount

Wildlife

Primary Arms Government November Giveaway

HOUSTON, TEXAS – Primary Arms Government has announced their November giveaway, which includes a Daniel Defense DDM4 LE Patrol Rifle with a Primary Arms SLx® 1-5x24mm FFP Rifle Scope and GLx® 30mm Mount.

Every month, Primary Arms Government offers professional customers a chance to win exclusive firearm sweepstakes, often including some of the most popular premium tactical brands. This giveaway is only open to Active-Duty Military, Veterans, and First Responders, who can enter to win for free—no purchase necessary.

This month, Primary Arms Government is offering an impressive rifle package that includes one of the most popular defensive carbines on the market: the Daniel Defense DDM4 16” LE Patrol Rifle. Featuring a cold hammer-forged 16” barrel and carbine gas system, this rifle epitomizes Daniel Defense in their commitment to quality components and battle-ready reliability. This DDM4 comes in the exclusive law enforcement configuration with a 9” M-LOK Omega handguard for attaching lights and other accessories. Quick disconnect attachment points are integrated on both sides of the rail for a fully ambidextrous sling.

To help you get the most from the rifle, Primary Arms Government has also included their exclusive Primary Arms SLx 1-5x24mm FFP Rifle Scope with ACSS® Raptor 5.56 reticle. This lightweight, low-power variable optic includes features found on premium grade optics but at an unbeatable value. The intuitive ACSS Raptor 5.56 BDC makes it easy to range and engage targets out to 600 yards, while its bold center horseshoe and chevron provide fast acquisition in close quarters. This optic also comes with a US-made GLx 30mm scope mount. Both the optic and mount received separate recommendations for duty-use by the National Tactical Officers Association. Read more

Firearms

HatsanUSA’s First .50 Caliber Rifle: PileDriver

The PileDriver is Hatsan’s first .50 caliber air rifle, and the market’s most powerful production PCP rifle. The PileDriver is designed exclusively for high-powered hunting applications. Capable of producing over 800 ft-lbs. of energy in 50 cal, it is also available in a 700+ FPE-generating .45 caliber model. Although this rifle utilizes a 33-inch barrel, its bullpup design keeps the maximum length under 4 ft. The side lever cocking mechanism is easy to reach and operate. A 480cc carbon fiber bottle fills to 4350 PSI and will provide up to 6 high-powered shots on a single fill. The PileDriver’s unique, patented hammer design eliminates traditional steel coil springs in favor of a smoother, easier-to-cock, gas piston mechanism. This top-loading single-shot rifle also features an extra-large loading port that will accommodate ammo up to 34mm in length.

The all-weather synthetic bullpup stock features an ergonomic pistol grip with textured grip surfaces for enhanced feel and control. The soft rubber buttpad is both elevation and angle adjustable to ensure controlled recoil and a comfortable fit. An elevation adjustable cheek rest ensures proper sight alignment with any optic. The rifle’s 14-inch-long scope rail is cut to accept both Picatinny and 11mm Dovetail mounts, offering plenty of real estate for a wide variety of optics. Three Picatinny accessory rails are attached around the air bottle for added customization. The high-strength steel barrel is precision rifled for long-range accuracy, and the absence of a shroud allows for the use of sabot rounds, further expanding one’s ammunition options.

MSRP: $1,199.99 Read more

Firearms

Christensen Arms & Warne Rings on Common Optic Mounting Questions

Gunnison, Utah – Christensen Arms, manufacturer of state-of-the-art precision firearms and custom carbon fiber barrels, is proud to announce their Rapid Fire Fridays event with Warne Rings & Bases that answers the age old questions surrounding optic mounting. This event is now live on YouTube just in time to get your Christensen Arms firearm dialed in for that hunt of a lifetime or to dominate the target at the range.

“This is an incredible opportunity for hunters and sport shooters alike to learn from one of the industry’s best for scope mounting solutions,” said Meredith McCaskill, Vice President of Marketing, Christensen Arms. “We want all of our customers and followers to have access to the most commonly asked questions, and our Rapid Fire event does just that.”

This informative event featured Randy Parks, Director of Marketing for Warne, talking about various products and techniques to help you choose and mount your optics. Here are just a few of the topics covered:

·What are the most common mistakes made when installing optic mounts?

·How do you decide between one piece or two-piece mounts?

·Do rings need to be lapped?

·Is there a preferred installation method for the best ring alignment and even torque?

·What should new long-range shooters look for in rings and mounts? Read more

Firearms, Optics

DRD Tactical MFP-21 Pistol

Lyons Falls, NY: DRD Tactical, innovators of quick take down rifles, has announced that they’ve added a pistol to their lineup. Introducing the MFP-21, this new multi-function pistol is available in both 300 BLK and 5.56mm with interchangeable barrel capability & quick take down technology.

The MFP-21 features a Picatinny rail incorporated on the rear of the receiver. It accepts any Picatinny rail attachment brace and offers improved brace stability. This pistol also includes a new patented gas block, ambidextrous bolt release and custom two-stage trigger, designed by DRD Tactical. Read more

Firearms

Sapir Named M. Paul Kessler NY Outdoor Citizen for 2021

Glenn Sapir of Putnam Valley, NY, was named the recipient of the New York State Outdoor Writers Association’s prestigious M. Paul Keesler New York Outdoor Citizen Award at its annual conference held this year in Saratoga, NY.

The Keesler Award is presented to an individual or organization that effectively has raised the public’s awareness of outdoor recreational opportunities and conservation issues in New York State. The award was created to honor worthy individuals and organizations, at the same time perpetuating the name of one of the organization’s dearest members. The late M. Paul Keesler spent nearly five decades promoting and conserving the outdoor wonders and recreational opportunities within New York State.

Sapir has been an outdoor writer for over 50 years and has served the outdoor community in many ways by publicizing outdoor recreational opportunities and alerting people to important issues in conservation and outdoor sports.

He has been an editor for the “Big Three,” including Field & Stream for 18 years, but has contributed to state and local publications as well, including New York Sportsman (for which he served as editor), The Conservationist, The Fisherman, and others. His newspaper column for Gannett’s Journal News, which covered three New York counties, ran for 27 years. In all of these he exposed readers to outdoor recreational opportunities and conservation issues in New York State. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife
1 … 743 744 745 746 747 … 2,087