Three Michigan Men Fined Nearly $20,000 for Poaching Waterfowl

Three Macomb County men fined nearly $20,000 for poaching waterfowl

Three men from Harrison Township, Michigan, were arraigned and sentenced yesterday in the 42nd District Court in New Baltimore on charges related to illegally hunting and baiting waterfowl in December.

Richard Schaller, 52, Robert Kucinski, 49, and Timothy Morris, 58, pleaded guilty to a total of 13 misdemeanor charges, including:

  • Taking, possessing an over-limit of Canada geese.
  • Taking, possessing an over-limit of mallards.
  • Taking, possessing an over-limit of hen mallards.
  • Taking, hunting waterfowl over a baited area.

Additionally, Schaller was charged with one count of placing bait for the purpose of taking waterfowl.

On Dec. 6, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Report All Poaching hotline received a tip about a potential over-limit of taken waterfowl near a pond off Chesterfield Road in Chesterfield Township, Macomb County. Read more

Poachers , ,

DU, International Partners Launch Study on Great Lakes Algal Blooms, Mallard Populations

Wetlands, like Ohio’s Metzger Marsh on the edge of Lake Erie, are crucial for improving water quality and waterfowl habitat.

Ducks Unlimited, international partners launch $2.1 million study on Great Lakes algal blooms, mallard populations

$1 million gift by Sunshine Charitable Foundation helps fund the project

CHICAGO – March 18, 2021 – A $2.1 million international study led by Ducks Unlimited and supported by a substantial grant from the Sunshine Charitable Foundation will connect how Great Lakes wetland habitats can reduce harmful algae blooms and improve the population of mallards, one of the region’s most important waterfowl.

The large-scale study will guide conservation stakeholders and U.S and Canadian governmental agencies to identify wetland restoration projects that would improve water quality for the more than 30 million people who get drinking water from the Great Lakes, as well as the hundreds of species of wildlife that rely on healthy water during their lifecycles.

This research was made possible by a $1 million grant from David and Denise Bunning via their Chicago-based Sunshine Charitable Foundation.

The project will blend new technology and scientific expertise and is divided into two components, water quality research and Great Lakes mallard population status. Read more

Wildlife

USA Archery Secures Generous Grant From Bass Pro Shops And Cabela’s Outdoor Fund

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – USA Archery is grateful to receive a generous grant of $20,000 from the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund in support of USA Archery membership growth and grassroots club development. This grant funding will be used to provide high quality welcome kits to new USA Archery Junior Olympic Archery Development clubs.

In support of USA Archery’s efforts to promote membership growth, grassroots expansion of archery and long-term club sustainability, these high-quality welcome kits will enhance upon current kits that include the USA Archery club handbook, Explore Archery Curriculum and a set of USA Archery Achievement Awards.

Club membership benefits include:

If you are interested in starting a club today, contact clubs@usarchery.org and take advantage of the free welcome kit!

Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) is a program of USA archery that helps archers to enjoy the sport recreationally or progress to the excitement of competition. JOAD offers barebow, recurve and compound archers the opportunity to learn range safety and proper shooting technique in an environment that also fosters focus, increased self-confidence, and team building skills. JOAD is open to any youth archer aged 8 to 20 and is designed to grow with the youth archer. Introductory JOAD classes teach the fundamentals of proper shooting form; as the young archer develops, they will learn more advanced techniques and earn achievement awards. Visit the USA Archery Club Locator to find a club near you.

The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charity empowering more than 200 million passionate customers to support key conservation efforts by rounding up their purchases in stores and online. By bringing together customers alongside dedicated team members, industry partners and leading conservation organizations, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s is creating North America’s largest conservation movement to collectively shape the future of the outdoors and all who love it for generations to come. Read more

Archery

Lone Wolf Arms LTD19 Pistol

Lone Wolf Arms, a company known as a leader of innovation in the Glock aftermarket, is proud to announce the Lightweight Tactical Defense (LTD) pistol line. With more than two decades of experience providing aftermarket solutions to enhance both performance and aesthetics of the Glock-pattern pistol, Lone Wolf Distributors has implemented these into a complete pistol.

Unlike many other Glock-pattern alternatives on the market, the LTD is not the result of simple geometry changes, or polishing of new old-stock parts, but rather the culmination of decades of experience. Lone Wolf Arms has seen trends rise and fall, fielded thousands of customer comments and questions, and learned what truly improves the platform. The LTD is the culmination of that experience and provides the same capacity as its inspiration, but thanks to the Timberwolf (registered trademark) Frame, offers a slimmer, more natural feel. Specification junkies will also note that the LTD pistols are also lighter than the original. Critical ounces have been removed from the slide for a pistol that cycles quicker, recoils less, and carries more comfortably. Read more

Firearms

Walker’s Unveils the New FireMax Ear Pro and Walkie Talkie

Walker’s®—the industry leader in hearing protection and enhancement—introduces the new rechargeable FireMax Muffs and FireMax Walkie Talkie. The pinnacle in electronic shooting muffs, the all new Firemax is the result of over three decades of experience in our industry! This unit incorporates Walker’s legendary Sound Activated Compression (SAC) protection built into a slim streamlined design. The digital platform includes four frequency modes controlled by silent soft touch digital buttons and is powered by a 2000 mAH rechargeable lithium battery for over 200 hours of performance protection!

The FireMax features a new digital sound processing system that not only incorporates Active Dynamic Sound Suppression but also includes sophisticated digital circuitry that allows the user to select specific audio modes for boosting desirable sound clarity. The Universal and Power Boost modes enhance general sound to specific levels while the Clear Voice and Hi-Frequency modes can be chosen to better discern conversations and higher-frequency sounds (such as steel impact), respectively.

The muffs also come with a new Rubber Tacti-Grip headband and cooling gel ear pads to support all day comfort whether you’re wearing them in the field or on the range! Read more

Firearms

Firearm Industry Economic Impact Rises 232% Since 2008

The total economic impact of the firearm and ammunition industry in the United States increased from $19.1 billion in 2008 to $63.5 billion in 2019, a 232 percent increase, while the total number of full-time equivalent jobs rose from approximately 166,000 to over 342,330, a 106 percent increase in that period, according to a report released by the National Shooting Sports Foundation®, the industry’s trade association.

On a year-over-year basis, the industry’s economic impact rose from $60 billion in 2019, to $63.5 billion. Total jobs increased by more than 10,000 in the same period, from nearly 332,000, to over 342,330. The broader impact of the industry throughout the economy, supports and generates business for firms seemingly unrelated to firearms, at a time when every job in America counts. These are real people, with real jobs, working in industries as varied as banking, retail, accounting, metal working and printing among others.

The firearm and ammunition industry paid nearly $7 billion in business taxes, including property, income and sales-based levies. Read more

Firearms

Boyds Gunstocks Celebrates 40th Anniversary

GW: A great alternative to cheap synthetics…
MITCHELL, S.D. – Started in 1981 as a one-man operation, Boyds Gunstocks has grown into the largest aftermarket gunstock manufacturer in the world employing over 100 talented craftsmen and women. Dustin Knutson and Rob Carstensen, long-time employees at Boyds Gunstocks have become the two new owners. “40 years says a lot about how we do business and how satisfied our customers are; they continue to support us year after year,” says Dustin Knutson.

Boyds offers aftermarket gunstocks in over 155 different gun brands and over 1,200 models within those brands. “Nobody can offer the huge selection and variety of stocks that we offer,” says Dustin.

With 40 years of innovation under their belt, Boyds continues to come out with new stock shapes to give the public what they are asking for: quality, comfortable, stable, accurate-shooting stocks for a very affordable price. Boyds’ most recent line of innovation focused on adjustability. The At-One series offered customers an adjustable length of pull, an adjustable comb, modular grips, modular fore-ends, and modular buttstock toe. “With the At-One you get perfect fit, no matter what shooting situation you find yourself in. The stock adjusts in seconds to fit your body perfectly, giving you the comfort and accuracy you deserve,” says Dustin.

Boyds offers over 24 stock shapes in over 15 different colors and several grades of solid Walnut. Personalizing your own Boyds Gunstock is as easy as going to Boyds’ website and plugging in your gun’s Make, Model, and Action; doing so brings up a myriad of customizing options that allows a customer to make truly a one-of-a-kind, personalized gunstock that has its own unique style and fits them perfectly. Option choices include such things as choice of butt pad, laser engraving, grip caps, fore-end tips, white line spacing, aluminum pillar bedding, and more. “We give the customer what they want, the way they want it,” says Dustin Knutson, “that’s the secret to our success.” Read more

Firearms

A new era for Walther starts with the PDP – Performance Duty Pistol

Mar 18, 2021

 

Walther’s timeless innovation has once more achieved a breakthrough never seen before in firearms with the PDP elite handgun. Whether you are on the job or with the family, it is your duty to stay ready for any situation that may come. Now, you can do so confidently with the groundbreaking advancements afforded by the Walther PDP. With revolutionary ergonomics, SuperTerrain Slide Serrations, and a brand-new Performance Duty Trigger, this is the next evolution in world-class ingenuity for pistols.

No other handgun can put all the tools you need at your disposal like the Walther PDP. It’s a handgun specifically designed to maximize readiness no matter the circumstance, and with the support of Walther’s historic ingenuity, it’s guaranteed to surpass all expectations time and time again. The unique design offers versatile advantages when you need them most, providing supreme performance in any condition, making this the go-to choice for shooters who demand excellence every single day. Read more

Firearms

Live Spring Migration Maps

When we see birds migrating, like these Ross’s Geese, it’s interesting to put migration in context on a national scale using BirdCast (photo by Paul Konrad).
An example of a BirdCast migration map moment for early Sunday morning, March 14th.

BirdCast is a remarkable feature for birders that will help us all better understand spring migrations in our area, and across the United States, night by night! BirdCast provides real-time analysis maps that show intensities and movements of actual bird migration as detected by the weather radar network. You can also use BirdCast to get a prediction of how overnight migration activities might enhance your birding experiences the following day. Plus, it’s very interesting and informative to learn about the pulses of migration as they are happening.

You can also check back on archived maps after a migration surge to see the big picture on radar. Simply input the date you wish to review to see how flights transpired.

Case in Point: After a very obvious overnight and morning migration into the Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge area in northeast South Dakota, our editor used BirdCast to see what kind of migration took place the previous night. It provided a revealing look at the overnight action that brought tens of thousands of birds into the refuge and surrounding area.

The real-time analysis maps show intensities of actual nocturnal bird migration as detected by the weather radar network at https://birdcast.info/migration-tools/live-migration-maps/

At the same time, you can check BirdCast to get a forecast of bird migration overnight with reference to active weather systems. Produced by Colorado State University and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the very useful bird migration forecast maps can be accessed at https://birdcast.info/migration-tools/migration-forecast-maps/ Read more

Wildlife

MAX-9 Laser Sights Announced by Viridian

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. –– Viridian Weapon Technologies is proud to announce new green and red E-Series™ laser sights for the new Ruger MAX-9™. Ruger’s new sub-compact 9mm is ideal for every day carry, and the new E-Series lasers add to the MAX-9’s functionality by speeding up target acquisition.

“Viridian is pleased to work with Ruger to bring these new lasers to those who want to add to the MAX-9’s functionality,” said Viridian President and CEO Brian Hedeen. “The E-Series lasers are available in both red and green providing a full range of options for those who rely on the speed of a laser to cut down time-to-target. The MAX-9 is a dynamic new pistol, and Viridian’s E-Series laser is the perfect addition.”

Viridian, one of the world’s largest independent providers of weapon-mounted technology, specializes in versatile gun-specific lasers. The E-Series green and red laser sights for the Ruger MAX-9 are the most recent additions to a deep line of Ruger pairings. The red E-Series laser is perfect for low-light shooting. The green E-Series laser is visible at up to 100 yards in daylight and at over two miles at night. Read more

Optics
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