Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
The Michigan Boating Industries Association has announced the cancellation of the 63rd annual Detroit Boat Show, which was scheduled to run January 16 – 24, 2021, at The TCF Center, (formerly Cobo Center), in Detroit. Read more
Premium Prize Opportunity
Greeley, PA: Kahr Firearms Group brands Auto-Ordnance and Magnum Research have contributed three exciting guns to the Athlon Shoot $1 Million Giveaway. From Auto-Ordnance comes the M1 Carbine, model AOM130, MSRP $1142. This GI pattern rifle is chambered in .30 Carbine, and has a beautiful American Walnut stock. With its 18” barrel and weighing in at only 5.4lbs, the M1 is a handy semi-automatic carbine that any shooter will enjoy. Owning an Auto-Ordnance M1 Carbine means owning a piece of American history. From Magnum Research, a Baby Eagle III pistol is included, model BE45003RS, MSRP $734. This semi-compact, steel framed model is chambered in .45 ACP. It carries on the tradition of reliable, accurate, comfortable shooting performance that Baby Eagle pistols are known for. Guns are available chambered in 9mm, 40 S&W, or .45 ACP. The final contribution from Magnum Research to the giveaway is an iconic Desert Eagle Mark XIX, model DE50, MSRP $1703. The king of magnum auto-loaders, this Desert Eagle in .50AE uses a reliable gas action operating system that both handles powerful cartridges and reduces recoil. Desert Eagles can be had in a wide range of finishes, and four calibers: .44 Magnum, .357 Magnum, .50 AE, and .429 DE. No matter what caliber or color you pick, owning a Desert Eagle means owning a legend!
For information on the Athlon Outdoors “Shoot for a $1Million” giveaway, visit https://www.ballisticmag.com/shoot-for-one-million/. You can sign up there to win a million dollars worth of prizes and cash, including an M1 Carbine, Baby Eagle, and Desert Eagle. Kahr Firearms Group Director of Marketing, Jodi DePorter, commented that “..this contest has a wide range of prizes from across the industry. It is a huge opportunity for shooters to win big!” Be sure to submit your entry by 11:59 PM ET, on January 31, 2021. Read more
After experiencing technical issues Saturday, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources licensing system is performing as expected.
At around 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, the licensing system began experiencing slowness and timed-out transactions as some customers tried to purchase licenses. The DNR continues to work with the system vendor, Sovereign Sportsman Solutions (S3), to determine the cause of the issues, which affected S3-supplied licensing systems in other states, too.
As of Saturday afternoon, Michigan’s licensing system was successfully processing transactions as expected, and more than 45,000 hunters have purchased licenses since then. The DNR wanted to ensure the vendor’s system was selling licenses without issue for 48 hours before making this announcement.
Hunters who were unable to purchase licenses or deer tags due to Saturday’s system slowdown should do so online at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses or at a local retailer as soon as possible to comply with state law. The DNR does not have the authority to waive a license as a requirement for hunting.
Successful hunters who used a homemade deer kill tag as instructed must consider their purchased, official tag to be validated and not use it to take another deer. Read more
Leaves are down, temperatures are cooler, and that means it’s prime time for pruning oak trees, which can be infected by the oak wilt fungus if they’re pruned during the high-risk period April 15-July 15.
“Beetles that can carry the disease from tree to tree are not very active now, and the trees are not vulnerable to infection,” said Simeon Wright, forest health specialist with the DNR Forest Resources Division. The beetles are attracted to fresh bark damage or wounds where tree limbs have been removed.
Firewood can harbor the fungus, too. If you suspect your firewood is infected, burn it, chip it or debark it before April. Once the wood has been dried over a year and/or all bark loosens, it can no longer spread oak wilt. Read more
“Add Some Horsepower to Your Holiday” Offers Yamaha Repower Customers Option for Zero Down, Rates as Low as 3.99 Percent APR for up to 180 Months*
KENNESAW, Ga.– The “Add Some Horsepower to Your Holiday” offer from Yamaha Marine gives customers continued incentive to purchase new Yamaha four-stroke outboards this holiday season between Nov. 16, 2020, and Dec. 23, 2020.
“This finance offer makes purchasing Yamaha outboard power even easier this holiday season,” said Dale Barnes, Division Manager, Marketing, Yamaha Marine Engine Systems. “Customers who take advantage of ‘Add Some Horsepower to Your Holiday’ can reap the benefits of low interest rates for an extended period and time without delaying the opportunity to get on the water.”
“Add Some Horsepower to Your Holiday” applies to eligible, new Yamaha four-stroke outboards** and gives customers the option to put zero down and qualify for financing rates as low as 3.99 percent APR for up to 180 months* when they purchase from authorized, participating Yamaha Outboard Full Line (repower) dealers. The offer requires a minimum of $3,000 in finance amount and is effective for eligible four-stroke outboards purchased and warranty registered between Nov. 16, 2020, and Dec. 23, 2020. Read more
Phoenix, AZ – McMillan® Fiberglass Stocks, the industry leader in precision-driven custom stocks, expands its lineup of ready-to-install fiberglass stocks with the introduction of the new Z-10 Bag Rider.
The Z-10 Bag Rider is based on the company’s popular A-10 tactical stock, which replaces the A-10’s familiar butt hook with a swept butt profile to more easily accommodate rear bags for bench or prone shooting.
As part of the McMillan Z-series line, the Z-10 Bag Rider features a universal inlet design that fits most Remington and Remington clone barreled actions and that accepts a wide range of barrel contours. These include actions from APA, Defiance, Bighorn, Stiller, Lone Peak, Surgeon, Ultimatum, and more. The universal inletting makes the Z-10 Bag Rider drop-in-ready direct from the factory. Read more
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is asking freight carriers, warehouse workers and delivery drivers to be on the lookout for invasive spotted lanternfly after the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed dead spotted lanternfly insects were found in Michigan in recent weeks. While the specimens found were dead, these cases demonstrate one of the many ways this insect could find its way into the state. There is no evidence of established populations of spotted lanternfly in Michigan.
“Thanks to the collective efforts of MDARD inspectors, alert business owners and USDA, we were able to intercept these shipments. These detections showcase the importance of being on the continual lookout for invasive species,” said Robert Miller, MDARD’s Invasive Species Prevention and Response Specialist. “This a great example of the public and government agencies working together to keep out unwanted pests and protecting our prized natural resources.”
Invasive species are those that are not native and can cause harm to the economy, environment, or human health.
First found in the United States in 2014 in southeastern Pennsylvania, spotted lanternfly has been spreading rapidly across the nation. Infestations have been confirmed in Delaware, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Ohio. If introduced, spotted lanternfly could seriously affect Michigan’s agriculture and natural resources. This insect could damage more than 70 varieties of crops and plants including grapes, apples, hops, and hardwood trees. Read more
Nearly 20 million Modern Sporting Rifles in Circulation
NEWTOWN, Conn. – NSSF®, the firearm industry’s trade association, released the 2020 edition of its Firearm Production Report to members. The report compiles the most up to date information based on data sourced from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF’s) Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Reports (AFMER) as well as the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). Key findings for public release showed:
If you’re hunting in the northeastern Lower Peninsula this firearm season, don’t forget to take your deer head to a DNR check station or drop box to be tested for bovine tuberculosis.
The DNR needs samples from Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle and Roscommon counties. Surveillance goals for these counties help biologists understand the scale of bovine TB infection in the local deer herd.
“Sixty percent of deer that test positive for bovine tuberculosis show no signs of the disease, so testing is important,” said Emily Sewell, DNR wildlife health specialist.
Bovine TB is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis and, though typically occurring in cattle, it can infect nearly any mammal, including humans.
“It’s important that hunters take precautions like wearing latex or rubber gloves when field dressing their deer. If they notice any lesions on the lungs or in the chest cavity, they should avoid cutting into the lesions and bring the deer to a check station,” Sewell said. Read more
PHOENIX –
We all like to carry spare ammunition when in the field, and Galco offers several great options for hunters. All are handcrafted from rich, premium Latigo dark havana leather for both beauty and long term durability.
The Butt Cuff has reinforced stitching between each loop to help prevent interior cartridge loop dimensions from changing, while a suede tongue and nylon lacing keep the cuff securely on the stock. The Butt Cuff carries between five and nine rounds, depending on the cartridge, and is available in both right and left-handed models. Read more