Michigan: 2020 Black Lake sturgeon season lasts one day

This year’s sturgeon season on Black Lake (Cheboygan County, Michigan) ended at 1:40 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 – not quite six hours after the day’s 8 a.m. start.

The fishing season, which included spearing or hook-and-line fishing, was scheduled to run Feb. 1-5, or until the harvest quota had been reached. This year’s allocation of sturgeon for Black Lake anglers was seven fish, although Department of Natural Resources officials set a harvest quota of six fish to reduce the risk of over-fishing.

There were 472 registered anglers on the ice Saturday, the highest total since the inception of the open sturgeon fishery. People of all ages again participated, and from a number of states.

According to the DNR, three of the six sturgeon harvested were males ranging from 44 to 60 inches in length, and 16 to 51 pounds in weight. The three females ranged from 47 to 75 inches long, and 19 to 100 pounds in weight. Read more

Fishing

Michigan: don’t forget to mail Wetland Wonders Challenge punch cards

Hunters, if you haven’t yet submitted your punch card for the Consumer’s Energy-sponsored Wetland Wonders Challenge, be sure to mail it in by Feb. 21.

Cards with three or more punches can be mailed to:

DNR Detroit Metro Customer Service Center
Attn: Holly Vaughn
1801 Atwater St.
Detroit, MI 48207

Punch cards must be postmarked by Feb. 21.

Seven lucky winners will be chosen. All seven winners will take home a golden ticket, good for one first-choice pick at a managed waterfowl area drawing (non-reserved) for the 2020-21 waterfowl hunting season. In addition, winners will receive a $500 gift card for waterfowl hunting gear, a Yeti water bottle and a Zink custom duck call. Contest partners Michigan United Conservation Clubs will select winners on March 1.

To be entered, participants must hunt at three of the seven southern Michigan Wetland Wonders and submit a punch card entry form. Those who hunted at more than three of the locations will receive an additional contest entry for each additional punch. Those who hunt all seven will automatically win a prize. Read more

Hunting

Primary Arms Pistol Caliber Carbine Giveaway

Built from a Fully-Featured FM Products FM9

Includes Optics, Accessories, Ammunition, and More!

Total Package Valued at Over $2600

Giveaway Starts February 3rd and Ends February 29th at 11:59PM CDT

HOUSTON, TEXAS – Primary Arms has announced its February giveaway, offering entrants a chance at taking home a fully-kitted Competition PCC setup. Built from FM Products’ FM9 3-Gun Carbine, this rifle is further enhanced with a match trigger, ambidextrous controls, and a red dot sight from Primary Arms Optics. In addition, Primary Arms will provide the winner with 1,000 rounds of ammunition, a cleaning kit, a range bag, plus hearing and eye protection. To enter, participants need only visit the giveaway landing page, where they can sign-up for free. Giveaway ends on February 29, 2020 at 11:59PM CDT. Read more

Firearms

Pelican iM3300 Storm Long Case in Realtree EDGE

COLUMBUS, Georgia — The Pelican iM3300 Storm Long Case in Realtree EDGE Camo is packed with the same impressive features as Pelican’s Premium Protector case, but is upgraded with a Press-and-Pull latch that locks the case like a drum, but opens at the touch of a finger. Built with light-but-strong injection-molded HPX Resin, the Storm boasts six of these latches, three double-layered soft-grip handles and a pair of padlock hasps. Powerful hinges and an O-ring seal protect firearms and valuables. With all of these features, it only weighs 23 pounds. Made in the USA! Read more

Firearms

Savage Arms RENEGAUGE Turkey

WESTFIELD, Massachusetts –– The new Savage Arms Renegauge Turkey is the ideal shotgun for longbeard callers. With its 24” barrel and Mossy Oak camouflage patterns, Renegauge Turkey is easy to maneuver in dense brush and even easier to conceal from anxious jakes.

“Renegauge Turkey is not just another shotgun,” Jessica Treglia, Sr. Brand Manager at Savage Arms said. “It’s a Savage. We’re all hunters, and we know what we wanted. Renegauge is an off-the-shelf 12 gauge that can be tailored to fit like a custom gun, and it will reliably cycle anything you feed it—no questions asked.”

Mossy Oak Bottomland and Obsession patterns are ideal for hunters who work at close distances. And Renegauge Turkey is built for the hunt. With its patented D.R.I.V. (Dual Regulating Inline Valve) gas system, Renegauge Turkey will cycle any shells from 3” Magnums to 2 ¾” target rounds. The D.R.I.V. system ensures excess gas vents before it drives the bolt, resulting in consistent ejection, less felt recoil, and a lightning fast cyclic rate for reliable follow-up shots. Read more

Firearms

Nosler Trophy Grade Ammunition Line Additions

Bend, Ore. –– Manufactured to Nosler’s strict quality standards, Trophy Grade™ ammunition uses Nosler® brass and Nosler® bullets to attain optimum performance, no matter where your hunting takes you. Whether you want your ammunition loaded with AccuBond®, Partition®, Ballistic Tip® or E-Tip®, Nosler® Trophy Grade™ Ammunition has the right load for the right game.

2020 offerings in Nosler’s Trophy Grade® Ammunition line include:

6.5 Creedmoor – 140gr Partition® 6.5 PRC – 140gr AccuBond®

270 Winchester – 130gr Partition® 270 Winchester – 150gr Partition®

27 Nosler – 150gr AccuBond® 28 Nosler – 160gr Partition®

30-06 Sprg – 165gr Partition® 30-06 Sprg – 180gr Partition®

30 Nosler – 200gr AccuBond® 30 Nosler – 200gr Partition®

For more information on Trophy Grade® Ammunition please visit: www.nosler.com/trophy-grade-ammunition/

Ammunition

Michigan: rustic campground to open at Ionia State Recreation Area

Starting this spring, visitors to Ionia State Recreation Area will have access to hike-in camping options at the popular, mid-Michigan outdoor recreation destination. The new rustic campground, opening May 15, was designed to provide the space and setting for people interested in a camping experience that puts them even closer to nature.

The campground will have 16 rustic campsites that require an easy, quarter-mile hike from the parking lot, including 10 sites set in the woods, five sites set along Sessions Lake and one site that backs up to a creek. Each of the rustic campsites includes a fire pit and picnic table and proximity to outhouses located along the access trail. Read more

Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife

Mantis Tech Launches X2

Oswego, IL – Mantis Tech is tickled pink to announce the Mantis X2, the most affordable and effective dry fire tool available. Mantis continues to accelerate the pace at which it provides real-time, data-driven feedback to shooters of all shapes and sizes.

“Dry fire practice is proven as the gateway to efficient improvement in shooting,” says Engineering Manager Chase Roberts. “But it sucks. It’s boring. Most people hate it. Until they dry fire with Mantis. Then all of a sudden it’s like they’re on a first date with their future spouse. Sparks fly, rainbows and unicorns, ALL the goodness happens.”

The X2 is a small, powerful precision sensing device that tracks the minutest of movements, collecting thousands of datapoints per second. Once rail-mounted, it analyzes shooter movements, and sends the data over Bluetooth to the MantisX app for smartphones and tablets. The app provides real-time analytics and coaching tips to improve shooting mechanics.

Additionally, the free app maintains a history of your shooting performance that is optionally stored in the cloud. Shooters can form groups and view each other’s data, and is extensively used by both instructors and students. Read more

Firearms

Pennsylvania Bear Harvest State’s Best All-Time

Pennsylvania hunters took 4,653 black bears this past fall, setting a new state record bear harvest.

In 2018, the bear harvest was 3,153, 11th best all-time, but also the lowest bear harvest in the past 11 years. So, the overall bear harvest increased by a third from 2018 to 2019.

With a statewide bear population of about 20,000 bears over the past several years, it was a harvest increase sought by the Game Commission, which had employed the largest suite of bear-season changes ever approved in a single license year.

“There were 30 days of bear hunting across all bear seasons in 2019,” explained Mark Ternent, agency biologist. “The last time that happened was in 1931.”

Pennsylvania’s previous top bear seasons occurred in 2011, when 4,350 bears were harvested, and in 2005, when 4,164 were taken. Read more

Hunting

Michigan: DNR Launching New License Sales System

System down starting Feb. 15; customers encouraged to buy licenses and permits early

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will move to a new, more technologically advanced system for selling hunting and fishing licenses, hunting applications, and ORV and snowmobile permits online and at retail agent locations statewide. The new system will go live at noon Feb. 18.

The transition to the new license sales system will take place Saturday, Feb. 15, through noon Tuesday, Feb. 18. DNR licenses, permits and applications will not be sold in stores or online during that time.

To avoid any interruption to outdoor activities that weekend, customers are encouraged to buy licenses or permits before Feb. 15, if possible.

Anglers will not need a license to fish Feb. 15-17. No fishing license is required during the annual winter Free Fishing Weekend, Feb. 15 and 16, and the DNR also is allowing free fishing on Monday, Feb. 17, to coincide with the time the license system is unavailable. All rules and regulations still apply.

Snowmobilers and off-road vehicle riders can find a list of select dealers selling preprinted ORV licenses and ORV and snowmobile trail permits while the system is down at Michigan.gov/Snowmobiling.

Moving to the new system, which will replace a 26-year-old system under a vendor contract ending in April, allowed the DNR to upgrade its license sales technology, enhance features for customers and provide new equipment to license retailers.

“We’re always looking to improve our customers’ experience, and we designed this new system to improve the license-buying experience both online and in stores,” said DNR Director Dan Eichinger. “We spent more than two years planning and developing a modern license sales system that offers up-to-date, convenient and cost-effective services for our customers and retail partners.”

Features of the new license sales system include:

  • A barcode scanner wand at retailer locations, which will allow license agents to speed up the sales process by quickly scanning customer driver’s licenses – including nonresidents – rather than typing in customer information.
  • A more streamlined buying and selling process both online and in stores – for example, customers will only have the option to buy licenses for which they are eligible, meaning they shouldn’t be able to accidentally buy the wrong license and pay the wrong amount.
  • The opportunity for online customers to create a profile, access their order history, reprint previously purchased, non-kill tag items and set up voluntary auto-renewal of fishing licenses.
  • Purchases consolidated on the printed license, which means fewer licenses for customers to carry and potentially lose.
  • A QR code on the license to encrypt the customer identification number for increased security.

The DNR license sales system serves about 2 million customers a year, online and through 1,500 retail agent locations throughout Michigan, issuing nearly 4 million licenses and permits and processing roughly $77 million in revenue. Read more

Fishing, Hunting
1 … 950 951 952 953 954 … 2,055