Government Shutdown Update: Essential ATF Services Resume

On Monday, October 20, the U.S. Department of Justice began recalling ATF staff who were furloughed during the ongoing government shutdown. Following pressure from firearm industry groups and members of Congress, the National Firearms Act (NFA) division’s examiners were deemed “essential” and ordered back to work. Federal employees responsible for reviewing NFA forms and licensing applications have resumed operations, even though many other federal offices remain closed.

NFA Services Back Online

NFA examiners process applications for regulated items such as suppressors, short?barreled rifles and pre?1986 machine guns. Their return means:

  • All NFA forms are being processed again: Forms 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are back in the queue, and approvals are moving forward. Dealers can resume transfers of silencers and other NFA?regulated items, and customers should expect wait times to shrink to normal levels.
  • Minimal backlog expected: The ATF estimates it can clear the brief backlog within about a week.

FFL Licensing Services Back Online

  • ATF FFLC division restored: The Firearms Licensing Center has called staff back, so applications for new Federal Firearms Licenses (FFLs) and Special Occupational Tax (SOT) registrations are being processed again.

What Else Hasn’t Stopped Read more

Firearms

Retired Barge Enhances Artificial Reef off Georgia Coast

The Coastal Resources Division (CRD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, deployed a 130-foot retired barge to Artificial Reef A, located approximately seven nautical miles east of Little Cumberland Island in about 40 feet of water.

The steel-hulled vessel was thoroughly cleaned and inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard prior to deployment to ensure all hazardous materials and pollutants were removed. The barge now rests on the seafloor, where it will soon begin serving as essential fish habitat, providing shelter and structure for a wide variety of marine life, including snapper, grouper, sea bass, and other reef-associated species.

“Artificial reefs like this one play a critical role in supporting Georgia’s coastal fisheries,” said Paul Medders, CRD’s Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Unit lead. “They not only improve fish habitat but also create exciting new opportunities for anglers and divers.”

The project was funded by the sale of Georgia recreational fishing licenses and through the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act, a national program that reinvests excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat fuel back into conservation and public access projects. Read more

Fishing

Hook & Barrel Magazine Launches New Giveaway Featuring Heckler & Koch VP9A1 by Langdon Tactical + Holosun EPS RD 6

Hook & Barrel Magazine®, The Lifestyle Magazine for Modern Outdoorsmen™, is thrilled to announce its latest exclusive giveaway sweepstakes, giving readers the chance to win a top-tier firearm setup: the Heckler & Koch VP9A1 by Langdon Tactical, paired with the Holosun EPS RD 6 optic. This elite prize package is valued at $1,580.99.

“One very lucky person is going to walk away with a truly exceptional package,” said Jillian Dow, Hook & Barrel’s Digital Media Manager. “Every time we launch a giveaway, the response from our readers is overwhelming—it’s an amazing way for us to give back to the outdoor community that supports what we do.”

Entering the sweepstakes is simple: readers and viewers can visit the Hook & Barrel website and follow the instructions on the giveaway page, where they can also view full terms and conditions. The sweepstakes is running currently through November 24, 2025, and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter. Read more

Contests, Firearms

Introducing the Ruger American Rifle Generation II Prairie Models

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is excited to announce the addition of the Prairie variant to the already popular Ruger American® Rifle Generation II family. This addition reflects Ruger’s ongoing commitment to expanding one of America’s most trusted hunting rifle platforms. American Rifle Gen II Prairie models are available in both intermediate and long range calibers, ranging from 22 ARC up to 7mm PRC.

Prairie models feature an attractive black stock textured with gray and bronze splatter for excellent grip and control in the field as well as a durable, Smoked Bronze Cerakote barreled action. The bull contour, cold hammer-forged barrel helps to mitigate recoil while the shallow spiral fluting provides additional cooling. The muzzle is threaded to accept suppressors or other accessories and comes equipped with a color-matched thread protector.

The American Rifle Gen II continues to build on the reliability and accuracy of the original Ruger American Rifle with its improved ergonomics, three-position safety with stainless steel locking bolt, and more rigid stock. The new Prairie models add to the current American Rifle Gen II lineup, which now includes a complete array of models in 48 configurations and 21 calibers. Read more

Firearms

VTF&W Website Helps with Learning How to Process Deer

Vermont is one of the most rural states in the country, and Vermonters have a proud heritage of living close to the land. Hunting is highly regulated and provides a way to connect with the land, connect with nature and connect with a healthy, sustainable food source that is rooted in Vermont.

Making the most of the meals provided by deer taken in hunting seasons starts with processing them quickly and correctly which is why the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has three online videos demonstrating how to process deer. Finding the videos is easy on the Fish and Wildlife website. Click on “Hunt” and then “White-tailed Deer” and “Processing Your Deer.”

The educational videos are titled Field Dressing a Deer, Skinning a Deer and Butchering a Deer.

“Correctly processing game can make a big difference in the taste of the meat,” said Hunter Education Program Coordinator Nicole Meier with the department. “Taking the time to do it correctly assures that you and your family will have many enjoyable meals ahead.”

Hunting

AGM Global Vision Announces Instant Rebate Promotion on ObservIR LRF Thermal – 4K Binoculars

AGM Global Vision has announced a limited-time instant rebate program on select ObservIR LRF thermal binoculars, offering significant savings to dealers and customers just in time for the peak of fall hunting season.

From October 20 through October 31, 2025, qualifying purchases of ObservIR LRF models will receive instant rebates of up to $500 at checkout. This promotion applies to the following models:

  • ObservIR LRF 25-256 — $200 Instant Rebate (Promo MAP: $1,495)
  • ObservIR LRF 35-384 — $400 Instant Rebate (Promo MAP: $2,795)
  • ObservIR LRF 35-640 — $500 Instant Rebate (Promo MAP: $3,695)

Read more

Optics

Remington’s Core-Lokt Tipped for Lever-Action Rifles Now Shipping

LONOKE, Ark. –– Remington Ammunition announces the availability of Core-Lokt® Tipped Lever Gun cartridges, the newest expansion to the award-winning Core-Lokt line. These precision-engineered loads are now shipping to dealers nationwide, offering lever-action rifle hunters enhanced accuracy, higher ballistic performance, and trusted Core-Lokt terminal results. Three cartridge options are currently shipping to dealers, with three more options coming soon.

Core-Lokt Tipped Lever Gun Ammo | Rifle

“The original Core-Lokt set the standard for big game hunting, and Core-Lokt Tipped takes it even further,” said Remington’s Centerfire Ammunition Product Director Kris Carson. “Now tuned for lever guns, these new loads give hunters the modern performance they want in the classic platforms they love. Currently, we have 30-30 Win. 32 Win., and 444 Marlin available, with 360 Buckhammer, 45-70 Govt., and 35 Rem. will soon follow.” Read more

Ammunition

Gov. DeSantis Highlights Success of Everglades Python Removal Program

Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted the success of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Python Action Team – Removing Invasive Constrictors (PATRIC) program in achieving record-setting removal numbers of invasive Burmese pythons from Florida’s Everglades. The governor also called on funding for the program to be continued annually to build off of the state’s initial $2 million investment in 2025.

“FWC’s partnership with Inversa has supercharged the removal of invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “The new program accomplished more removals in July 2025 alone than in the entire year before. Our $2 million investment in python removal in the state budget has made this partnership possible, amplifying the success of the PATRIC program. We must now build on their achievements and continue investing in this proven strategy to protect the Everglades for many years to come.”

“Governor DeSantis has consistently been a champion for conservation and protecting the Everglades,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto. “Our partnership with Inversa and the Python Action Team Removing Invasive Constrictors (PATRIC) program highlights the milestones we’ve achieved against the invasive Burmese python, which will benefit generations to come.” Read more

Wildlife

A Quick and Dirty Guide to Elk Hunting This Year

The point of this quick and dirty elk hunting forecast is to help guide hunters who may be picking up the rifle or muzzleloader later in the season.

Sure, some might argue that the peak of elk season spans the first and last days of September while you traipse around the woods with a compound bow in your hand, listening for bugles. I’m not going to dispute that; however, there are several opportunities throughout the fall to go after elk, and the point of this quick and dirty elk hunting forecast is to help guide hunters who may be picking up the rifle or muzzleloader later in the season.

For those looking for regional-specific elk info, head to the bottom of this article—but hold off just a second. While elk conditions and populations can vary from region to region, there are a few general truths to elk hunting I’d like to highlight before diving into more localized information.

First off, a little background for context. Read more

Hunting

Hunter Shoots Grizzly Bear in Self-Defense on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest

The hunter called the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office as soon as he was able to report the incident.

On the morning of Oct. 18, a big game hunter shot and killed a male grizzly bear in self-defense after it charged him from a short distance away while hunting in the North Antelope flats area of Island Park on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.

The hunter was hiking through thick timber when the grizzly came out of the brush, charging directly toward him. The man used the hunting rifle he was carrying to shoot the bear, killing it before contact was made.

The hunter called the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office as soon as he was able to report the incident. Idaho Fish and Game was notified and immediately responded to the report. After conducting a thorough investigation, it was determined that the hunter acted in self-defense as he was being charged by a bear from a close distance. Read more

Hunting
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