Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops Donate 55,000 Rods and Reels to Inspire the Next Generation of Anglers

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Over 500,000 rods and reels donated in the past decade as the annual Gone Fishing event returns with free in-store fishing events and the Johnny Morris Bass Pro Shops Kids’ Braggin’ Board

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops founder and noted conservationist, is encouraging families to get outside and enjoy the joys of fishing this summer, reminding them to “take a kid fishin’, you’ll be happy you did!” To help make those moments possible, Johnny and Bass Pro Shops are donating more than 55,000 rods and reels to youth-focused nonprofit organizations across the United States and Canada, helping more kids experience the excitement of their first catch.

With this donation, Bass Pro Shops has provided more than half a million rods and reels to youth-focused nonprofit partners across North America through the Gone Fishing program, opening the door for hundreds of thousands of kids to discover a lifelong love of fishing. Read more

Fishing

Michigan’s ‘Three Free’ Weekend June 13-14 means free fishing, ORVing and state park entry

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June 2, 2026

Contact:?Ron Yesney?(ORV), 906-228-6551 or Marcee Wardell (fishing), 517-284-5830

anglers of all ages fishing off pierThe Michigan Department of Natural Resources encourages everyone to take advantage of “Three Free” Weekend, coming up Saturday, June 13, and Sunday, June 14.

It’s two full days when Michigan residents and out-of-state visitors can grab a fishing rod, ride the off-road trails and visit state parks, boating access sites and other outdoor locations – all free of charge.

“This season, we’re encouraging newcomers to discover the outdoors and inviting longtime outdoor explorers to dust off their gear and get out there,” said DNR Director Scott Bowen. “Whether you want to cast a line, hit the ORV trails or relax in Michigan’s award-winning state parks, ‘Three Free’ Weekend checks all the boxes.”

Enjoy it all

The DNR’s “Three Free” Weekend includes the following: Read more

Fishing

Michigan DNR teams with City of Mt. Pleasant to safely relocate bear

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a black bear hangs out in a tree in Mt. Pleasant

June 2, 2026
Contact: Mark Boersen, 989-275-5151, ext. 2722730 or Brian Piccolo, 989-275-5151, ext. 2722030

A 150-pound black bear that wandered into a Mt. Pleasant neighborhood and climbed a tree directly over a white-picket fence was captured and safely relocated to a northern Michigan swamp Tuesday.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources partnered with Mt. Pleasant police, firefighters and city workers to isolate the male bear in the tree and then tranquilize and tag the animal before transporting it about 60 miles away to the Houghton Lake area.

Bear in Mt. PleasantWith a crowd of residents watching from a safe distance, the tranquilized bear fell unharmed about 18 feet into a thick pole vault pad borrowed from Mt. Pleasant High School.

“Sometimes bears wander in and out of developed areas, but this one was so far inside the city limits that we thought it best to intervene and take the bear out of this situation in a safe manner,” said Mark Boersen, a DNR wildlife biologist who participated in the effort. “Eventually, he would come down out of the tree, probably at night, but removal is the safest situation for people and their pets and the bear. Everything worked out well.”

Tuesday morning, Mt. Pleasant police and DNR Conservation Officer Michael Lator responded to reports of the treed bear near Fancher and Mosher streets, a residential area north of Central Michigan University. The DNR’s Wildlife Division was called in to tranquilize and transport the bear. Assisting in that effort were Boersen; Scott Larsen, the DNR’s state wildlife veterinarian; and Brian Piccolo, a DNR wildlife biologist and field operations manager.

The City of Mt. Pleasant provided a bucket truck to help biologists discourage the bear from climbing further up the tree. The animal was then tranquilized with a dart rifle. Once the bear was safely down from the tree, biologists did a medical workup of the animal – finding it healthy – and attached an identifying red ear tag.

It wasn’t immediately known where the bear originated, but Piccolo said it likely ventured over from the Chippewa River corridor, which is about a mile and a half west of the neighborhood.

The capture and relocation come three weeks after the DNR confirmed a bear sighting in the Carleton/Flat Rock area in southeast Michigan’s Monroe County. While the vast majority of Michigan’s more than 12,000 bears live in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, it’s not uncommon to see them in mid-Michigan and even occasionally in southern Michigan.

“In a general sense, you may encounter a bear anywhere in the Lower Peninsula,” Boersen said. “Obviously they’re less likely as you go south. But people in the Lower Peninsula should not assume that they would never have a bear come in their yard.” Read more
Wildlife

Hook & Barrel Magazine Teams Up with Taurus to Give Away Two GX2 TOROs

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Hook & Barrel Magazine®, The Lifestyle Magazine for Modern Outdoorsmen™, is excited to announce its latest exclusive giveaway sweepstakes, awarding two lucky winners a Taurus GX2 TORO—a sleek, modern concealed-carry 9mm pistol that blends everyday reliability with a fast, optics-ready design built for confident, on-target performance.

“The GX2 TORO is a straightforward 9mm built for how people actually carry today,” said Niki Morrison, Hook & Barrel’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations. “We’re excited that not one but TWO Hook & Barrel readers will win!”

Entering the sweepstakes is simple: readers can visit the Hook & Barrel website and follow the instructions on the giveaway page, where full terms and conditions are also available. The sweepstakes is currently running through June 30, 2026, and winners will be notified after the sweepstakes concludes. Read more

Contests, Firearms

Benjamin Marauder Gen 3 Sets Standards for PCP Airguns

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Benjamin is well known for manufacturing top-quality airguns that produce the velocity and accuracy shooters and hunters demand, and that reputation fueled the nearly total redesign for the much-anticipated third generation of the Marauder Gen 3 PCP Air Rifle. This multi-shot, bolt action air rifle has been tweaked from muzzle to butt to produce more power, refined adjustability and precise focused performance.

The Benjamin Marauder Gen 3 is available in two calibers, .22 and .25. The .22 caliber produces a velocity of up to 1,200 feet per second with 50 foot pounds of energy. The .25 caliber sends the pellet downrange at up to 1,150 feet per second with 80 foot pounds of energy. The adjustable regulator maintains consistent pressure delivery for deadly accuracy.

The cocking effort has been lightened by 32 percent over Gen 2 models. It now only takes approximately 15 pounds of force to ready the rifle. The stock is all-weather with an adjustable cheek piece, and the barrel features integrated sound suppression. The reservoir is 500cc, 3625PSI (250 BAR).

With deadly accuracy, rugged quality and an exceptionally powerful shot, the Benjamin Marauder makes each of your hunts or target shooting session one for the books.

Learn more about Benjamin Airguns at www.benjaminairguns.com.

Firearms

Steiner Introduces eDiscovery 10×42 Binoculars—A New Tool for Birders Who Document as They Observe

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Greeley, CO – Steiner Optics introduces the eDiscovery 10×42 binoculars, purpose-built for birders who demand optical performance and the ability to document sightings without ever taking their eyes off the subject.

Observe. Capture. Share.

At its core, the eDiscovery 10×42 is designed to meet the expectations of experienced birders. High-definition glass delivers excellent color fidelity and contrast which is critical for picking out subtle plumage differences, field marks, and feather edging in challenging light. The 42mm objective lenses provide strong light transmission for dawn chorus outings and late-day movement, while the 10x magnification offers the reach needed for identifying distant shorebirds, raptors, and waterfowl.

A wide field of view (108m at 1000m) helps maintain situational awareness and makes it easier to acquire and track fast-moving species, whether following warblers through dense canopy or scanning a mixed flock along a hedgerow.

The rugged, rubber-armored chassis is IP67 waterproof and built for real field conditions, including rain, humidity, salt spray, and temperature swings that birders routinely encounter. Read more

Optics

Bond Arms Launches Limited-Time Giveaway: Purchase a 250th Model for a Chance to Win an LVRB

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Bond Arms is turning up the excitement with a limited-time giveaway celebrating American craftsmanship, heritage, and innovation. Customers who purchase any qualifying 250th model will have the chance to win the highly anticipated LVRB.

This exclusive promotion showcases some of Bond Arms’ most patriotic and collectible firearms while giving fans an opportunity to own one of the brand’s newest and most talked-about releases. Even more exciting, one winner will receive an LVRB from the very first production batch of Lever Action Guns.

Eligible models in the 250th lineup include:

  • America 250th Black Cerakote Version .45LC/.410
  • America 250th Rough Series Version .45LC/.410
  • Merica’ 250th 45-70

Built with Bond Arms’ signature durability, precision engineering, and unmistakable American styling, these limited-edition models are designed to stand out whether carried in the field or displayed in a collection. Read more

Firearms, Promotions

Pondera County, Montana Man Sentenced for Poaching Trophy Deer

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Photo courtesy of Montana. Fish, Wildlife and Parks

A Pondera County man has been sentenced to fines and license revocation for poaching a trophy white-tailed buck in 2025.

Tony Zimbelman, age 23, initially claimed to have shot the deer with archery equipment during archery season. Acting on a tip from a concerned citizen, Montana game wardens contacted Zimbelman who admitted to shooting the deer with a rifle on the day before the archery season opened in September 2025. The deer was a large buck with a Boone & Crockett score of 182.

On March 23, 2026, Zimbelman reached a plea agreement in Montana Ninth Judicial Court for Misdemeanor Unlawful Possession of Wildlife, and was sentenced to six months in jail, suspended, along with fines and restitution totaling $3,000. His hunting, fishing and trapping privileges were also revoked for two years.

“This case came about because of an initial tip from a concerned sportsman, and the assistance and support from people like that are incredibly valuable to us,” said game warden sergeant Mike Krings who led the investigation. “Private citizens act as extra eyes and ears in the field for game wardens and help us preserve fair chase opportunities for the vast majority of Montana hunters who do things the right way.” Read more

Poachers

FPC Files Reply Brief in Lawsuit Challenging New York Body Armor Ban

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Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed a reply in support of its motion for summary judgment in Heeter v. James, its lawsuit challenging New York’s unconstitutional body armor ban.

FPC is joined in this case by two individual FPC members. The plaintiffs are represented by Nicolas J. Rotsko of Fluet.

The motion was filed in Buffalo in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York.

FPC’s brief was filed on May 29, 2026. Briefing on the parties’ motions for summary judgments will continue through the end of June.

New York’s body armor ban unconstitutionally criminalizes the purchase of simple personal protective equipment, and shows how far the state is willing to go to prevent peaceable people from protecting themselves.

“New York is such a joke and can’t seem to make up its mind. In this case, the State argues the Second Amendment doesn’t protect defensive armor because it supposedly only protects firearms-but in other Second Amendment cases, New York repeatedly argues that entire classes of common arms can be banned or restricted without constitutional protection. New York’s desperate effort to criminalize the purchase of body armor is every bit as unconstitutional as a handgun ban, and we’re going to make the State understand that. The right to keep and bear arms includes the right to own defensive armor, period. We look forward to ending this immoral ban once and for all.” -FPC President Brandon Combs. Read more

Self Defense

Last call for Michigan bear and elk hunting applications

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An elk and a bear in a field

Today is the final day to apply for 2026 bear and elk hunting licenses! Apply anywhere hunting licenses are sold, online at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses or on the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app. Applications are $5.

Aren’t planning to hunt this year? Increase your odds for next year and purchase your elk chance or bear preference point instead!

Hunting unit and season date information is available at Michigan.gov/Elk and Michigan.gov/Bear. Call the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 for assistance with applications. Drawing results will be posted online June 22.

You can get another chance at a bear or elk license by applying for the Pure Michigan Hunt! Applications are $5 and available anywhere hunting licenses are sold, online at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses or on the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app. Buy as many applications as you want. Three lucky winners will get prize packages – learn more at Michigan.gov/PMH.

Hunting
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