Senate Takes Significant Step toward Final Passage of Great American Outdoors Act

Yesterday, the Senate took a monumental step toward passing the historic Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422), which represents the single greatest commitment to increasing public access and advancing conservation in a lifetime, by voting to proceed to final consideration of the bill on an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 80-17.

S. 3422 will provide $9.5 billion over 5 years to address the crumbling infrastructure on America’s public lands and waters. While the National Park Service will receive $6.5 billion in funding, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) worked to secure the inclusion of $3 billion in funding to be set aside to repair and maintain public land infrastructure overseen by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS), and U.S. Forest Service (USFS), which are critically important to providing recreational opportunities to sportsmen and women. Read more

Fishing, Hunting

Michigan creel clerks hope to connect with anglers this summer

As this year’s open-water fishing season gets underway, anglers at many lakes, rivers and Great Lakes ports may encounter DNR fisheries staff members collecting data about their fishing experiences.

“The information we gather from anglers helps us get a clearer picture about fish health, movement and population trends throughout Michigan,” said DNR fisheries biologist Tracy Claramunt. “We really appreciate anglers taking a few minutes to talk with us.”

Creel clerks are stationed at boat launches and piers around the state, asking people questions as they return from fishing trips. Trip length, target species and number and type of fish caught provide valuable data for the DNR’s statewide angler survey program. In some cases, clerks may ask to measure or weigh fish and to take scales or other body parts for aging – data that is key to helping the DNR manage state fisheries. Read more

Fishing

Michigan: enjoy free fishing this weekend, June 13-14

Grab a fishing rod and enjoy some fine Michigan fishing during the 2020 Summer Free Fishing Weekend. This year, it’s Saturday and Sunday, June 13 and 14 – two full days when everyone can fish without a license (though all other fishing regulations still apply).

During Free Fishing Weekends, the DNR waives the Recreation Passport entry fee normally required for vehicle access to Michigan’s 103 state parks and recreation areas; however, the passport requirement has already been suspended until further notice.

The DNR has offered Free Fishing Weekends since 1986 as a way to promote awareness of the state’s vast aquatic resources. With more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, tens of thousands of miles of rivers and streams, and 11,000 inland lakes, Michigan and fishing are a perfect match. Read more

Fishing

Michigan teachers find quick, creative ways to complete salmon’s journey

The future of 45,000 baby salmon hung in the balance as schools across Michigan abruptly closed their doors in March. The normal date for releasing fish raised as part of the DNR’s Salmon in the Classroom program is between April 15 and May 15, but the state’s coronavirus emergency required a swift change.

This year’s program included nearly 300 teachers from across the state. Each classroom raises 150 Chinook salmon, from egg to smolt – the “young adult” phase of life – followed by a spring release in an approved waterway. Students help care for the fish, while teachers use provided curriculum to teach about ecology, Great Lakes concerns, natural resources stewardship and more.

When many teachers found themselves locked out of buildings and needed to quickly, and safely, release their fish, program coordinator Tracy Page worked with other experts at the DNR to create a plan. Page said the teachers jumped into action with “care and compassion for their classroom fish friends.”

Sarah Cartwright, seventh grade science teacher at Berkley’s Norup International School in Oakland County, had just 20 minutes to get fish out of the tank.

“That was a challenge, as they usually do not like getting caught,” Cartwright said. With her two young children in tow, she met the school’s sixth grade science teacher in Rochester Hills at the Clinton River – a site approved by DNR fisheries biologists – to release Norup International School’s 114 successfully raised and healthy fish.

In many areas of the state, some teachers were able to practice social distancing and use COVID-19 cleaning protocols that allowed them to enter buildings for short periods of time to feed fish, clean tanks and record educational content for students. Read more

Fishing

Coast Guard Breaks Illegal Fishing Interdiction Record for Third Straight Year

NEW ORLEANS — U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement crews have already interdicted a record-breaking number of lanchas throughout the Gulf of Mexico for fiscal year 2020.

Since October 2019, Coast Guard assets and personnel have detected a total of 176 lanchas, interdicting 106. Since the first recorded lancha interdiction in the late 1980s, the Coast Guard has seen a significant uptick in detection of the vessels, particularly in the past three years, recording a seasonal record of 74 lancha interdictions during the same time frame in the previous fiscal year.

The Coast Guard utilizes a layered approach for interdiction through aircraft, small boats and cutters as well as improved technology on those assets, resulting in the drastic increase in lancha interdictions.

“A huge part of our mission success comes from the dedication and close coordination between our local, state and federal partners,” said Lt. Kurt Mees, Coast Guard Station South Padre Island commanding officer. “We are all committed to the protection of marine resources and the enforcement of U.S. regulations.”

A lancha is a fishing boat used by Mexican fishermen that is about 20 to 30 feet long with a slender profile. They typically have one outboard motor and are capable of traveling at speeds in excess of 30 mph. Lanchas pose a major threat, usually entering the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone near the U.S.-Mexico border in the Gulf of Mexico with the intent to smuggle people, drugs or poach the United States’ natural resources.

If you witness suspicious activity or illegal fishing in state waters (out to 9 miles offshore), please contact the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s “Operation Game Thief” at 1-800-792-GAME (4263). For all suspicious activity or illegal fishing occurring in federal waters (out to 200 miles offshore), please contact the U.S. Coast Guard at 361-939-0450.

General

Davidson’s Adds Polymer 80 Complete Pistols

PRESCOTT, Ariz. – Davidson’s, one of the nation’s top firearms wholesalers, is pleased to announce we now carry complete pistols from Polymer 80.

The new PFC9™ & PFS9™ Complete Pistols combine innovative ergonomics and features to provide the ultimate in shootability and comfortable concealment. Built with high?strength reinforced polymer construction, the P80® Pistol Frames include P80’s aggressive standard texture on the sides, front and backstrap for a supreme grip in multiple environments. Their complete slide features front and rear serrations coupled with clean, modern lines and a heavy front chamfer which allows effective manipulation and holstering of a P80® pistol while maintaining a low?key aesthetic profile. Read more

Firearms

Primary Arms June Rifle Giveaway

Includes 2 Fully-Equipped Ruger 10/22 Takedown Rifles

Comes with Primary Arms Optics, CCI Ammunition, and More

Complete Package Valued at Over $3,700

HOUSTON, TEXAS – Primary Arms has announced its June Rifle Giveaway, which offers two enhanced Ruger 10/22 Takedown rifles to celebrate Father’s Day. This two-rifle set includes many aftermarket parts and accessories, along with range gear and ammunition to prepare anyone for a day of plinking and target practice.

Starting with 2 Ruger 10/22 Takedown rifles, Primary Arms includes a number of notable aftermarket improvements to make this giveaway perfect for novices and experts alike. The factory triggers have been replaced with the Ruger BX-Triggers, allowing for greater precision and a smooth trigger pull for new marksmen. For optics, Primary Arms has overhauled the factory rail with a Tactical Solutions rail mount, along with a set of Steiner Optics T-Series Scope Rings and a Primary Arms SLx 3-18x50mm FFP Rifle Scope with an Illuminated Athena BPR reticle. This scopes’ wide magnification range and intuitive grid-based reticle makes it an exceptional target optic for any distance or target size. These rifles will also come with a total of 10 Ruger 10/22 BX-1 10rd magazines, so the winners can spend more time practicing and less time loading.

In addition to the pair of firearms, the winner will receive two Grey Ghost Gear Coyote Brown Range Bags, along with a pair of Magpul Terrain Black/Bronze Safety Glasses, a pair of Walker’s Razor Electronic Hearing Muffs, 1,000 rounds of CCI 40gr CPRN Ammunition, and one Otis Technology Elite 60-Piece Cleaning Kit. Altogether, this giveaway is valued at over $3,700, making it one of the largest Giveaways in Primary Arms history.

To enter, simply visit the Giveaway Landing Page or follow the instructions on the accompanying Primary Arms Blog article. The giveaway will run until June 30, 2020 at 11:59pm CST. Read more

Firearms

Federal Ammunition Introduces New Black Cloud TSS 20 Gauge

ANOKA, MN – Duck and goose hunting entered a deadly new age with the introduction of Black Cloud TSS. Now hunters can get that same performance in a new 20-gauge load that blends No. 3 FLITESTOPPER Steel with No. 9 18 g/cc Tungsten Super Shot. Shipments of this new product have begun to arrive at dealers.

A full 56 percent than lead and more than double the density of steel, TSS pellets maintain velocity farther, hit harder and penetrate deeper than any waterfowl payload ever has. The swarm of shot leaves no chance for escape with the FLITECONTROL FLEX wad, which opens from the rear for a controlled release of the payload and the deadliest, most consistent patterns.

“The hard-hitting TSS pellets make up 60 percent of the payload, our FLITESTOPPER steel pellets make up the remaining 40 percent,” said Federal Shotshell Product Manager Dan Compton. “A raised cutting ridge encircling the exterior gives the pellets an unparalleled ability to slice through feathers and flesh, with no loss of penetration or adverse effect on ballistics and flight characteristics. FLITESTOPPER steel creates significantly larger wound channels than standard round pellets. Coupled with TSS, this blended load delivers extremely impressive results.”

Features & Benefits

    • New option pushes 20-gauge effective range to 50 yards
    • 60 percent TSS pellets
    • TSS is more than double the density of steel and 56 percent denser than lead
    • 40 percent FLITESTOPPER Steel
    • FLITECONTROL FLEX wad provides the most consistent patterns in all waterfowl chokes
    • Reliable primer and clean, fast-burning propellant
    • Blended load featuring No. 9 TSS and No. 3 FLITESTOPPER Steel

Read more

Ammunition

Alpha HD Scouting Camera from Black Gate Hunting Products

Higher standards and lower prices. That’s the name of the game for Black Gate Hunting Products. When that mantra is applied to the trail camera industry it results in the Alpha HD, an innovative new trail camera that is packed full of impressive features and won’t break the bank.

The Alpha HD features an extreme high definition 32 MP camera and a 5 MP CMOS sensor. With a multitude of optional photo quality settings, including 5 MP, 8 MP, 12 MP, 16 MP, 20 MP, and 24 MP, you’re sure to find a setting that captures the right level of detail and maximizes your storage capacity. Capable of three shooting modes – Photo, Video, or Photo+Video – the cameras can shoot 4k quality video and also include multiple shooting options to tailor the set up for each specific user application.

Forget about having images of the back half of your quickly moving game. An ultra-wide detection zone means you’ll pick up every nearby motion and the near instant trigger speeds of 0.2-0.6 seconds ensures they’ll stay in frame of your photo. The fully automatic IR filter is coupled with 940NM No Glow technology and 45 IR LEDs to make this camera capable of capturing crystal-clear low light images. It also boasts an impressive sensing range and night-time lighting distance of 65 feet. All of this is driven by dual PIR sensors covering a full 120’ of angle. Read more

Hunting

Protect trees and forests from invasive species; don’t move firewood

LANSING, Mich. –- The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is reminding the public about the risk of accidentally spreading invasive species while moving firewood. New infestations of invasive pests or diseases can be devastating and pose a serious threat to Michigan’s agriculture, forests and the environment.

Harmful invasive species, some of which are invisible to the naked eye, can hide in or on firewood. While most cannot move far on their own, these pests and diseases can be transported undetected on travelers’ firewood, starting new infestations in locations hundreds of miles away. These invasive species threaten native tree species without natural defenses against these pests and diseases. Infestations also can destroy forests, lower property values and cost huge sums of money to control.

“It is nearly impossible to detect diseases – like thousand cankers disease, which affects walnut trees, or oak wilt in oak trees – just by looking at the wood,” said Mike Philip, director of MDARD’s Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division. “Never assume wood appearing uninfested is safe to move.” Read more

Wildlife
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