Boone and Crockett Club on the State of Big Game

MISSOULA, Mont. – As the organization that was founded by Theodore Roosevelt to reverse the decline of big game populations more than a century ago and has tracked their recovery ever since, the Boone and Crockett Club today reflects on the tremendous strides that have been made in wildlife and habitat conservation over the past several decades. Its records data points to a bright future for North American big game and the sportsmen who are responsible for their abundance.

The Club recently concluded its triennial Big Game Awards, which established several new benchmarks in conservation success that the Boone and Crockett Club feels is cause for celebration.

“Impressive, remarkable and revealing,” said Boone and Crockett Club President Timothy C. Brady. “In all the years the Club has been hosting these events, the quality and quantity of the trophies that were on display, and the others taken within this awards period, were over the top and should be a measure of pride and hope for all sportsmen.”

The Club began hosting public exhibitions of big game trophies in 1947. Today these events coincide with the three-year recording period for its next records book. The theme of this year’s event was, North American Big Game, More and Healthier Than Ever, Under the Watchful Eye of Sportsmen. Within the Club’s three-year recording period (2016-2018), there were two new World’s Records and an astounding 40 new state and provincial records set from 33 categories of native North American big game. Read more

Wildlife

Holosun Introduces New Premium Micro Red Dot

City of Industry, CA – Holosun is pleased to introduce the latest in its lineup of premium micro red dot optics, the HE508T-RD. The HE508T is a pistol sized protected by a CNC machined titanium housing. Its open frame design and ultra-clear glass give the HE508T a superior sight picture, and the latest Holosun technologies make this optic ideal for any situation.

Leading the Holosun lineup for pistol sized optics, the HE508T is packed with proprietary technology to help keep its users shooting in any environment. The HE508T’s titanium housing makes it durable, corrosion resistant, and lightweight while Solar FailSafe and Shake Awake technologies keep it running, no matter what. Additionally, the HE508T has an IPX8 waterproof rating which means that the optic can safely operate in wet climates, in the rain, and even when submerged in water.

Holosun proudly boasts a battery life of up to 100,000 hours, or ten years, on the HE508T. Battery life is critical, so Holosun developed Shake Awake technology that helps users preserve battery life by detecting motion, and a lack of motion, in the optic. When no motion is detected, the unit will automatically power down the L.E.D. to conserve power. Once movement resumes, the optic immediately restores power to the L.E.D. so that the user never has to guess or wonder if their optic is active. If the unexpected should occur and the battery does fail, Solar FailSafe uses a small solar panel mounted on top of the HE508T to collect ambient light to provide illumination for red dot. The brightness of the L.E.D. varies depending on the amount of light in the environment so users will never have a dim red dot in daylight or one that’s too bright indoors. Read more

Optics

The All-American Single Trap From CZ-USA

Kansas City, KS – Designed and made specifically for the competition shooter, CZ-USA’s new CZ All-American Single Trap shotgun resets the high bar for performance and value in a single-shot trap gun.

Competitive shooters can choose from a 30-, 32-, or 34-inch single barrel model.

CZ-USA upgraded the All-American Single’s internals with CNC-ed parts, including replaceable hinge pins, a locking lug, and firing pins that ride in replaceable bushings. In addition to this, all other parts are drop-in replaceable for when the round counts start to climb.

The barrel on the All-American is ported with a lengthened forcing cone. To fine-tune the shotgun to the individual competitor, the length of pull is adjustable from 14 ½- to 15 ½-inches. Toe in/toe out modifications can easily be made for the butt pad, while the four-way adjustable parallel comb can be adjusted for a perfect point of impact. The trigger reach has a full 3/8th inch of adjustment available to make the grip as comfortable as possible. Read more

Firearms

Landon Catches On

By Glen Wunderlich

“There’s no fish in here,” was the conclusion of my great grandson, 9 year-old Landon, after casting lines into the Looking Glass River for an hour or so this past spring. The trouble was that I couldn’t convince him otherwise. This time, however, when he was to visit, I was hoping to find a quiet place on a lake where we could participate in more than a worm-drowning exercise.

The lake selected was Woodland Lake – an all-sports, public access lake in Livingston County about 45 miles from our home in Shiawassee County. Quiet it is not during most any summertime weekend. In fact, I thought it might be a bit too large and busy for my tidy little 10-foot jon boat; that’s exactly why the plan was to be on the water by 6:30 am Monday.

Having never fished the lake, I was happy to learn from the lake’s only marina owner/operator, Mike, that Monday mornings are about as peaceful as it gets on this body of water. I didn’t have the time or inclination to dig our own worms, figuring they’d have tunneled half way to China during the heat we’ve experienced recently. Fortunately for us, worms and night crawlers are about as readily available at many gas stations as the fuel they offer.

The day before the fishing trip, Landon practiced casting a small weight with an open-face reel of mine and picked up the technique quickly. The boat and gear were then loaded into the truck on Sunday and by 5:30 am the following morning we were on the road. The sun had turned the scant clouds red, as it made its glorious entrance on the horizon.

The calm and inviting water made for the perfect setting. No other boats were present; we had the lake to ourselves.

The bobber was set about 4 feet above the small sinker and hook – deep enough to make it difficult to cast for a novice, so I took on the task for the youngster. Although pike were among the species regularly caught in the lake, I didn’t want to fish with steel leaders; if one took our bait, it would just have to snap the 4-pound test line. I figured the young man would be happy fighting some bluegills – and, he was.

We pulled them in one after the other. We weren’t getting anything large enough to keep for a fish fry, but the action was so fast that it was all I could do to keep bait on Landon’s line. In the meantime, I’d cast some top-water lures and some small spinners but it produced nothing more than lake weeds. But, weeds are good, as Landon learned.

One after the other, the boy who had never fished in a lake from a boat was occupied with non-stop action. But, then it happened. I couldn’t help but notice the severely bent rod and Landon’s struggle to turn the handle on the ultra-light reel. It was all he could do to hang on, as I reached for the landing net in anticipation of something big. I saw the fish’s reflection under water and recognized it as a large mouth bass and a good one at that!

Landon’s first Large Mouth Bass

Once in the boat, I took some pictures and set the fat fish free in short order. The kid had landed the biggest fish of his life and took it in stride. I didn’t measure it but it was certainly over the minimum 14 inch length – a good catch for anyone.

A few more bluegills and a lake perch and things were back to normal. And, then it happened again. Another big bass had struck Landon’s night crawler and it was instant replay time. A lunker bass, some photos, and the prize was releaed into the water. Ho hum.

Landon’s second big Bass

I don’t know how many fish were landed that morning but there was one more giant hooked. This one, however, had the fortune to give us the slip in the weeds. By now, the sun was heating up the air and after about 4 hours of non-stop action, we agreed that we had had enough fun.

We never got more than 100 yards or so from shore making for a simple adventure. Although city life was all around us, we had found the serenity within – a mundane Monday morning for many but not for us.

Fishing

Gun Digest 2020

APPLETON, Wis. – Gun Digest Media announces the release of its long-running annual, Gun Digest 2020, the 74th edition.

Since 1944, the Gun Digest annual, “The World’s Greatest Gun Book,” has served as the industry’s trusted source for detailed, entertaining and interesting information about firearms. Gun Digest 2020 is the finest collection of great stories, historical reflections, in-depth reviews and new-product roundups available. Its 560 pages cover rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders, handguns, airguns, optics and more. Read more

Firearms

Up North Again

By Glen Wunderlich

Every time one of those “Pure Michigan” spots would come over the radio waves and into my ears, it was as if Tim Allen was speaking directly to me. I simply couldn’t take it anymore and planned that get-away to parts “Up North.” Kneff Lake rustic campground in Crawford County would be the destination and outpost for a few days of exploration, discovery, and fishing.

Kneff Lake is a mere 20 acres, but it is stocked with trout. Some 25 or more years ago, I fished the lake with some friends and once we figured out the technique for catching those cold-water trout, we hauled them in. It was those memories that I sought to relive.

The campground offers dozens of spacious, private sites sprinkled high atop the small lake. However, even with my lightweight, 10-foot jon boat, I gave up on the idea of lifting and carrying the boat and gear up and down the steep and lengthy incline. It was primarily the “up” part of the equation that I did not want to attempt by myself.

Who needs a stair climber?

Either that mountain-like trek was more than I recall or Father Time’s whispering in my ear, “Forget it” changed my plans; it was time to explore other possibilities.

My need for an easier way to launch the boat prompted me to ask a local convenience store worker for a lake more suitable for my plan. Somehow, the convoluted directions brought me to tiny Glory Lake in Hartwick Pines State Park. The launch site was perfect with not one other person on the water. I pulled in a few pan fish including one sizeable rock bass. It was as if I had my own private lake.

Back at camp I searched the county map for other nearby lake access and found K.P. Lake only about 10 miles north. It appeared to be a straight-forward drive and after a camp breakfast, it was time to explore. Stephan Bridge Road was the shortest distance but that seasonal road of sand along the eastern boundary of Camp Grayling made it seem much longer than it was. At first, when I noticed a large tract of cleared land behind a short fence, I wondered who would have removed all the timber. It became patently obvious when I read a prominent sign posted on the endless fence:

At no more than 20 mph it took some time but I located the well-hidden K.P. Lake – another perfect launch site; a Michigan Recreation Passport was all that was required and I had one. Interestingly, a sign was posted with the following:

As I rowed into the stiff north wind, I could see the unmistakable outline of one of the magnificent water birds in the distance. I skirted the rare bird from a safe distance for a better look and did my best to capture the moment on video.  Obligingly, the lone loon belted out its spooky call and dove below lake level for a meal of fresh fish. The sight and sound made my day!

As part of my trip home, one more stop was on the agenda: The Au Sable River in Oscoda County. Just east of the Parmalee Bridge was a public access point for canoes, which doubled as a stream-side place to fish from the banks. Having caught plenty of trout there years ago, it was worth a look. I rigged a red wiggler worm onto a hook and caught a keeper brook trout on the second cast.

Small Brook Trout from the Au Sable River

After catching another one, I continued on my path home well satisfied with the sights and sounds of the North.

It was a trip to test some camping gear and a chance to return to my past. The sound of coyotes howling in the night along with a solitary whippoorwill added some icing on the cake. It was good to be back “Up North.”

Fishing, General, Wildlife , ,

CZ-USA’s New Do-It-All CZ 1012 Shotgun

Kansas City, KS – Whether you are an upland or waterfowl hunter, or just like to break a few clays on the weekends, the CZ 1012 shotgun is your shotgun. With its new gas-less operating system the CZ 1012 is a workhorse that keeps running with minimal maintenance.

The CZ 1012 represents CZ-USA’s next evolution in their semi-auto shotgun line with the 1012’s gas-less spring bolt operating system. Instead of redirecting gas from the barrel to run the action, the 1012 uses a spring within the bolt to store energy during the shotgun’s recoil and expends this energy a split second later to rotate and unlock the twin lug bolt head from the barrel extension to withdraw the spent shell.

The major advantage of this gas-less system is a much less stringent maintenance schedule, unlike gas guns, which require periodic cleaning of the piston and magazine tube.

During extensive testing of this system by CZ engineers and designers, 5,000 shells were fired through several CZ 1012’s, without a drop of oil or cleaning of any sort being done. Results? Zero parts breakage or malfunctions. Try that with your standard gas-operated shotgun. Read more

Firearms

Michigan: citizen tips lead to Gladwin man with more than 1,400 illegal panfish

After receiving multiple tips from local anglers about possible over-fishing on Gladwin County’s Lake Lancer, Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers spoke with the suspected man twice in one day while he was at the lake. The second contact of the day led to a voluntary search of the 67-year-old Gladwin man’s garage freezers, where officers discovered a significant number of panfish – ultimately issuing a ticket for illegally taking more than 1,400 panfish.

Conservation Officer Mark Papineau said he had received many reports about a fisherman who frequented the lake.

“The angler’s vehicle often was spotted in the parking lot of a private boat launch and the angler himself was witnessed fishing Lake Lancer several times per day,” Papineau said. Based on the leads, Papineau and Conservation Officer Joshua Wright conducted a marine patrol at the lake the morning of Aug. 14.

When the officers arrived at the boat launch, they saw a vehicle with a boat trailer that matched the reported vehicle description. During their patrol, the officers contacted an angler . The angler presented a fishing license and was found to have 13 panfish in his possession – he was within the daily limit of 25 panfish.

When the officers returned to the boat launch later that morning, the suspect’s vehicle and boat trailer were gone. Checking the area later in the day, Papineau and Wright noticed the angler’s vehicle and boat trailer had returned. After about an hour, the man returned to the dock. Spotting the officers, the Gladwin man immediately said, “I’m not over my limit.” Wright asked him how many fish he had, and he repeated that he was not over his limit.

The conservation officers continued talking with the man and learned that he was in possession of 24 panfish. The angler confessed to the 13 panfish he caught earlier in the day, too, and invited the officers to follow him to his residence to obtain those fish as evidence.

At his Gladwin residence, the man consented to let Papineau and Wright search his garage chest freezers, which held the 19 panfish caught earlier in the day – six additional fish to what the man had originally claimed. Additionally, the officers found more than 70 bags of filleted panfish. The legal panfish daily limit includes 25 per day, in addition to two days’ worth of processed fish. In total, the man exceeded the limit by more than 1,400 fish.

Papineau and Wright confiscated the fish and issued the angler a ticket. Once the fish is no longer needed as evidence, it will be donated to a local food bank or church. Read more

Fishing, Poachers

Federal’s New 224 Valkyrie Loads

ANOKA, Minnesota – – Federal proudly announces two new flat-shooting Premium 224 Valkyrie loads that deliver precision accuracy at long ranges. Shipments of these Federal Premium 224 Valkyrie cartridges have been delivered to dealers.

In 2018, Federal transformed the MSR 15 platform and broke all boundaries of ballistic performance by introducing the 224 Valkyrie cartridge. Now, it’s giving hunters and shooters new loads that stretch the cartridge’s capabilities even farther: 80.5-grain Gold Medal Berger Hybrid and 78-grain Barnes Triple-Shock X.

Like all 224 Valkyrie offerings, the new loads provide extremely flat trajectories and match accuracy at extreme ranges. They offer significantly less wind drift and drop than other loads in their class, as well as less than half the recoil of cartridges with comparable ballistics. Read more

Ammunition

Arizona: As Temperatures Climb, AGFD Assists Thirsty Animals

PHOENIX — Water is the essence of life and it’s just as precious for Arizona’s wildlife.

For that reason, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has trucked or airlifted more than 1.5 million gallons of precious water to catchments throughout the state since January 2018. And trail cameras tell the tale of this important work with footage of elk, deer, bighorn sheep and countless other species leaning over for a refreshing drink at one of 3,000 catchments maintained by the department.

Download photos and video

“Water catchments are used by all wildlife and while badly needed monsoon rains recently returned, storms are often sporadic and large sections of the state do not receive adequate water to sustain local wildlife populations,” said Joseph Currie, AZGFD Habitat Planning program manager, who oversees the department’s water catchment efforts. “By hauling to water catchments, we’re helping to prevent the localized wildlife die-offs that could happen if water simply wasn’t available.” Read more

Wildlife
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