The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are considering allowing the use of crossbows during archery season. The proposed change would mean hunters could use crossbows if they wish, or they could continue to use vertical bows. These changes are being considered as a way to encourage greater participation in the archery season and may help increase overall participation in deer hunting, benefiting hunter recruitment and retention. Allowing the use of crossbows during archery season may also help younger and older hunters who may be unable to use vertical bows.

The use of crossbows during archery seasons has been allowed in several other states, including neighboring states Georgia and Alabama. Some states allowed the use of crossbows to increase deer harvests in response to expanding deer herds, particularly in urban areas. Success rates for hunting with crossbows compared to vertical bows has been a major point of discussion in these states. Reports from Ohio, Arkansas, and Georgia, indicate that success rates for hunting with crossbows were similar to success rates for vertical bows. These states have reported some increase in deer harvest levels, but generally crossbow harvests represented a small percentage of the overall deer harvest with minimal, if any, impact on deer herds.

This is a complex issue. Caution is warranted when considering information from other states, because circumstances in Florida are different with regard to deer habitats, deer populations, and hunting-season structure and bag limits. Up to two antler less deer are allowed to be harvested daily during the 30-day zonal archery season in Florida. Ohio, Arkansas, and Georgia allow antler less deer harvest during archery season, but hunters are limited in the number of antler less deer that may be harvested during the season. These limits vary from 2-6 antler less deer in Ohio, 2-4 antler less deer in Arkansas and up to 10 antler less deer in Georgia. Under these different conditions, deer harvest rates in Florida may vary from other states.

STEVE LEE says he never set out to be an internet hit. He just loves guns - and thought he would write a song about it.
He says he is as shocked as anyone is that his YouTube clip I Like Guns has been viewed more than 1.26 million times in the six weeks it has been online.
The paean to guns, produced by Bill Chambers - father of Kasey - features Lee shooting at everything from watermelons to cars, and with everything from muzzleloaders to a fully automatic M60 and a rocket-propelled grenade.
Some of the guns are so dangerous that they are banned in Australia, meaning Mr Lee had to travel to Cambodia to film much of the clip.
Mr Lee, who usually performs with his wife and four children, was inspired to write the song many years ago because of negative media coverage of guns.
"When you watch movies firearms are portrayed as a bad thing … I wanted to show that they can be used for fun and sport and not violence.''
He had never posted a song online before and did not know just how popular his song would be.
"It's not every day you hear a story like this," he said. "[Posting clips on YouTube] is all new to me … I didn't think it would do that well.''
The song, which features lines such as ''[God] gave me this voice so I can be a singer, so you tell me why I've got a trigger finger'', has been particularly successful in the US, where the debate over gun control rages on.
He has been interviewed by US media, including a journalist from the National Rifle Association, and the song is No. 1 on the chart of the online music distributor CD Baby.
Mr Lee said that while he was happy about his overseas success, he would not like the issue of gun control in Australia to go the way of the US debate.
"You have got to abide by the law, and there are some people out there who shouldn't be able to use guns. [But] I like guns, and I use guns in the bush.”
The President of Gun Control Australia, John Crook, said the song was irresponsible for portraying guns as fun and non-violent. "Guns are designed to kill. The gun control laws we have in Australia have only been obtained after thousands of people have been killed.''

Why We Do What We Do


When you're buying a piece of equipment or replacing an older piece of gear, do you ever stop to consider why you're making your purchasing choice?

If you've never considered the "why" behind your buy, don't be concerned about that. Others have spent plenty of time worrying about your buying habits. In fact, they study what you buy as if their livelihoods depended upon it.

In many cases, they do.

Wearing more than one hat, I find myself concerned about your purchasing habits, too. As a reporter/editor, I'm concerned that I let you know about the new equipment and trends in the industry. Since the support of the industry is essential to keep the wires running, I also have to be careful that we not unconsciously slant our observations on equipment. As we always try to point out, our observations are ultimately based on our personal likes and dislikes, despite the fact we try to let the facts of the matter speak for themselves.

A survey done last month Southwick Associates on behalf of HunterSurvey.com and AnglerSurvey.com proves - at least to me- that we're right to be aware of our opinions when writing about gear.

The surveys found that more than half of shooters, hunters, and anglers prefer continuing to use the same brands when buying new gear. When it comes to our gear, it seems familiarity does not bring contempt - at least when it comes to the gear we keep.

In addition, each of us has the potential to be an influencer when it comes to purchases. Survey respondents also indicated the influence of "other experienced anglers or hunters" was an important factor when deciding what product brands to purchase. Nearly 53 percent of anglers and 50 percent of hunters agreed they rely on the advice and opinions of other experienced sportsmen and women. Results suggest opinion leaders in the fishing community are more influential than their counterparts on the hunting side.

Other factors influencing purchasing decisions included magazine advertisements and TV commercials. However, only 11.8 percent of anglers and hunters cited magazine advertisements as an influencer while 5.2 percent of hunters and 6.3 percent of anglers relied on TV commercials.

According to Southwick, these results suggest sportsmen and women rely on discovering the best quality brands through word of mouth within their peer group versus being swayed by the media. I would quibble at that point, feeling that the word of mouth in their peer groups is, in many instances, swayed - heavily - by the product placements inside the outdoor television programming they watch. If you're a fan of a "name" outdoor personality, you may find yourself unconsciously drawn to the brands your outdoor favorite uses. That's the reason you see so many "branded" television programs-the manufacturers are well aware of the hero effect.

In some advertising discussions, that tendency is referred to as the NASCAR effect. With the recent problems of Tiger Woods, the PGA TOUR, Nike, Gillette and other companies are busy either disassociating themselves with Tiger, or worrying that the negative publicity doesn't rub off on their products.

Celebrity endorsements are effective- but as you see with Woods, it's a double-edged sword. For good -or bad- your brand is tied to that celebrity.

Below are the results of the simple question: "What influences your purchase of a brand?" Despite a large percentage of the influences being accounted for, a quarter, or more in the case of hunter, remains unaccounted for as "other.”


Influences in purchase of a brand Anglers Hunters
Brand loyalty 51.60% 53.80%
Magazine advertisement 11.80% 11.80%
Another experienced angler/hunter 52.70% 50.00%
TV commercials 6.30% 5.20%
Other 24.90% 28.20%

MISSOULA (AP) — Rock musician Huey Lewis and several of his Stevensville-area neighbors are feeding ducks along a slough that runs through their property, effectively closing the area to duck hunting.
It’s the latest twist in the story of the slough, which the Montana Supreme Court has ruled a public waterway, subjecting it to the state’s stream access laws. Owners along the 15-mile tributary to the Bitterroot River argued it was a man-made feature and not subject to the state’s public access law.
Lewis said he and others started placing feeders along the slough about two months ago. Mitchell Slough has had bait stations for quail and pheasants for several years.
“I’m feeding ducks all over my place — many of us neighbors are,” Lewis said. “The reason is the Supreme Court decision has changed everything here, and now we have public access. And most of us believe the Mitchell is unsuitable for duck hunting.”
Lewis said the waterway is too close to homes for safe hunting and he argues wading hunters will hurt the slough’s fish population.
The feeding stations surprised Missoula duck hunter Ron Pence, who saw Lewis’ feeders as he was wading up the slough between Victor and Stevensville on Tuesday.
“It’s attracted every duck in the area,” Pence said. “Legally, if I know where a bait pile is, I can’t hunt around there or I’ll get cited. Now you’d have to do an aerial survey before you can ever hunt around there again.”
It is legal to feed game birds and waterfowl, but it is not legal to hunt in an area where such birds are baited.
Fish, Wildlife, and Parks warden captain Jeff Darrah said the agency was aware of Lewis’ feeders.
“Federal law says you can’t hunt a field that’s been baited,” Darrah said. “That’s his way of saying you can’t hunt here.”
Another area landowner, Ed Hebner, noted that any hunters would have to get permission from landowners to retrieve a duck.
“There’s not a landowner along the Mitchell that will allow any duck hunter to retrieve a duck on his property,” Hebner said.
Other landowners along the slough include Charles Schwab, founder of the investment firm Charles Schwab Corp., and Ken Siebel, managing director of Private Wealth Partners, which provides financial planning services to wealthy clientele.

Dead deer vanishes from animal lover's land

Updated: 11/13/2009 09:34:31 PM EST

REDDING -- The dead deer decomposing beyond Lynn Gorfinkle's back deck after her husband sent away a hunter without his trophy last month has mysteriously disappeared.
Slightly more than two weeks after the bow hunter shot the buck, tracked it onto the Gorfinkles' land and knocked on the door to ask permission to collect the animal carcass, Gorfinkle went out to look for the animal's body with a television news crew and found nothing, but tufts of hair where the carcass had been.
Her husband, Michael, had turned away the hunter because the Gorfinkles are animal-rights activists, who believe that archery hunting near suburban homes is unsafe and irresponsible.
"Some days after the deer was killed, someone trespassed on our property and stole the deer, thereby obstructing further inquiry into this incident," the Fire Hill Road resident wrote in a Nov. 5 letter published by the Redding Pilot weekly newspaper.
Technically, the deer belonged to the Gorfinkles because it died on their property, said Dennis Schain, state Department of Environmental Protection representative.
The couple felt an investigation was warranted as to where the deer was shot in the first place. Surmising th e animal had been shot on a nearly 49-acre tract owned by the state Department of Transportation, the Gorfinkles were pleased with an Oct. 28 response from the DOT promising to post "no hunting" signs there.
However, there are several DEP-approved bow-hunting areas in the area, as well.
The deer carcass issue arose in the midst of a growing practice among Fairfield County towns, including Redding, that allow hunting as a way to cull overgrown deer populations. That, however, has sparked opposition from animal lovers.
Because the deer carcass was roughly 40 yards from the Gorfinkle home, in a wooded area beyond her lawn, Lynn Gorfinkle said she did not check on it regularly. Therefore, she was not sure exactly when it was swiped. The deer died on her property Oct. 2, and she later took photographs of the carcass.
"The first that I knew the deer had been taken was on the morning of Oct. 19," Gorfinkle wrote in a Thursday e-mail. "The only evidence left was a liberal scattering of white hair on the spot where he died. No other part of the animal was left. It was definitely a human who made this buck disappear, not an animal. There were no drag marks, and believe me there are no animals in my woods large enough to have moved this buck, except for human ones."
As mysterious as the Case of the Missing Dead Deer may be, police do not plan to investigate, said Redding Police Chief Douglas Fuchs.
"There's no larceny complaint with the Redding Police Department for a whole host of reasons," Fuchs said. "As to whether or not a human being would actually take that deer ... my experience is, two weeks after an animal's been deceased it's in no shape that any human being would want to go near it. This is certainly not a criminal investigation. Other wild animals come and eat the remains, that's what happens in the wild."
Schain agreed.
"Definitely a coyote would take a deer carcass like that away," he said. A single coyote, he said, would be strong enough to move it. "That happens all the time ... the coyote would likely dismember it on site and then take it away."
Schain was unsure whether there have been coyote sittings in the area near the Gorfinkle home.
If Fuchs and Schain are correct, Gorfinkle may have been granted an earlier wish.
When interviewed by the Connecticut Post in mid-October, she said, "If someone's going to eat that deer, I want it to be natural predators, not some hunter."

Dupuyer has had its share of grizzly visits this year, including the five that were caught as a group earlier this summer just outside of Dupuyer. The concern over child safety has prompted the Dupuyer School Board of Trustees to erect a fence around the school, and it is going up this week.

Grizzlies have always been thick on Dupuyer Creek, but in the last few years, they have grown bolder and have begun roaming the streets of Dupuyer, walking up on front porches and being an overall nuisance.

With the safety of children always a concern for every parent and teacher, the Dupuyer School Board of Trustees has decided the time has come for a fence around the school campus to keep the children safe and the bears out.

During the Oct. 6 regular meeting of the Dupuyer School Board, three bids for a fence were read, and a motion was made by Trina Bradley to accept the bid from Durnell Custom Fencing, with the appropriate changes in price due to a change in fencing materials. The motion was seconded by Kevin Thomas, and passed unanimously.

According to clerk Angie Munroe, the Fish and Game and Defenders of Wildlife will pay $5,000 toward the cost of the fence, and Dupuyer School is responsible for the remainder.

During the meeting, Ron Jones brought up the fact that the Fish and Game recently paid for 100 percent of the materials needed to build a deer fence around his haystack. He believes that they should also be required to pay for the entire cost of the bear fence around the school. Bradley will look into the matter, and see what she can accomplish.

Tired from a tough hike? Rescuers fear Yuppie 911

By TRACIE CONE (AP)

FRESNO, Calif. — Last month two men and their teenage sons tackled one of the world's most unforgiving summertime hikes: the Grand Canyon's parched and searing Royal Arch Loop. Along with bedrolls and freeze-dried food, the inexperienced backpackers carried a personal locator beacon — just in case.
In the span of three days, the group pushed the panic button three times, mobilizing helicopters for dangerous, lifesaving rescues inside the steep canyon walls.
What was that emergency? The water they had found to quench their thirst "tasted salty."
If they had not been toting the device that works like Onstar for hikers, "we would have never attempted this hike," one of them said after the third rescue crew forced them to board their chopper. It's a growing problem facing the men and women who risk their lives when they believe others are in danger of losing theirs.
Technology has made calling for help instantaneous even in the most remote places. Because would-be adventurers can send GPS coordinates to rescuers with the touch of a button, some are exploring terrain they do not have the experience, knowledge or endurance to tackle.
Rescue officials are deciding whether to start keeping statistics on the problem, but the incidents have become so frequent that the head of California's Search and Rescue operation has a name for the devices: Yuppie 911.
"Now you can go into the back country and take a risk you might not normally have taken," says Matt Scharper, who coordinates a rescue every day in a state with wilderness so rugged even crashed planes can take decades to find. "With the Yuppie 911, you send a message to a satellite and the government pulls your butt out of something you shouldn't have been in in the first place."
From the Sierra to the Cascades, Rockies and beyond, hikers are arming themselves with increasingly affordable technology intended to get them out of life-threatening situations.
While daring rescues are one result, very often the beacons go off unintentionally when the button is pushed in someone's backpack, or they are activated unnecessarily, as in the case of a woman who was frightened by a thunderstorm.
"There's controversy over these devices in the first place because it removes the self sufficiency that's required in the back country," Scharper says. "But we are a society of services, and every service you need you can get by calling."
The sheriff's office in San Bernardino County, the largest in the nation and home to part of the unforgiving Death Valley, hopes to reduce false alarms. So it is studying under what circumstances hikers activate the devices.
"In the past, people who got in trouble self-rescued; they got on their hands and knees and crawled out," says John Amrhein, the county's emergency coordinator. "We saw the increase in non-emergencies with cell phones: people called saying 'I'm cold and damp. Come get me out.' These take it to another level."
Personal locator beacons, which send distress signals to government satellites, became available in the early 1980s, but at a price exceeding $1,200. They have been legal for the public to use since 2003, and in the last year the price has fallen to less than $100 for devices that send alerts to a company, which then calls local law enforcement.
When rescue beacons tempt inexperienced hikers to attempt trails beyond their abilities, that can translate into unnecessary expense and a risk of lives.
Last year, the beacon for a hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail triggered accidentally in his backpack, sending helicopters scrambling. Recently, a couple from New Bruswick, British Columbia activated their beacon when they climbed a steep trail and could not get back down. A helicopter lowered them 200 feet to secure footing.
In September, a hiker from Placer County was panning for gold in New York Canyon when he became dehydrated and used his rescue beacon to call for help.
With darkness setting in on the same day, Mono County sheriff's deputies asked the National Guard for a high-altitude helicopter and a hoist for a treacherous rescue of two beacon-equipped hikers stranded at Convict Lake. The next day they hiked out on foot.
When eight climbers ran into trouble last winter during a summit attempt of Mt. Hood in Oregon, they called for help after becoming stranded on a glacier in a snowstorm.
"The question is, would they have decided to go on the trip knowing the weather was going bad if they had not been able to take the beacons," asks Rocky Henderson of Portland Mountain Rescue. "We are now entering the Twilight Zone of someone else's intentions."
The Grand Canyon's Royal Arch loop, the National Park Service warns, "has a million ways to get into serious trouble" for those lacking skill and good judgment. One evening the fathers-and-sons team activated their beacon when they ran out of water.
Rescuers, who did not know the nature of the call, could not launch the helicopter until morning. When the rescuers arrived, the group had found a stream and declined help.
That night, they activated the emergency beacon again. This time the Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter, which has night vision capabilities, launched into emergency mode.
When rescuers found them, the hikers were worried they might become dehydrated because the water they found tasted salty. They declined an evacuation, and the crew left water.
The following morning the group called for help again. This time, according to a park service report, rescuers took them out and cited the leader for "creating a hazardous condition" for the rescue teams.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Fight to the death
Two bucks drown after antlers lock
October 15, 2009

By CYNTHIA M. ELLIS
The Telegraph

WOOD RIVER - Two bucks locked horns during a battle, then fell into a lake at Belk Park Golf Course and drowned early Thursday.
Golf course personnel found the two large whitetail bucks floating in the water near Hole No. 16 about 8 a.m.
"It appears as though the bucks locked horns and tumbled off the levee and into the water, where they drowned," golf course manager Mike Brasher said.
Brasher said it happened sometime either late Wednesday night or early Thursday.
"All I know is they weren't there (Wednesday)," Brasher said.
The bucks, an 18-pointer and 10-pointer, apparently locked horns as they were facing one another and fighting.
Large whitetail bucks will spar during the breeding season to determine dominance, which gives the winner rights to breed with does in the area.
Breeding season is throughout October and November.
Brasher said the Illinois Department of Conservation was notified, so that the deer could be tagged and then removed and taken away for disposal.
Carl Gamble of the Department of Conservation Police estimated the bucks were 3 to 4 years old, each weighing about 200 pounds.

Supreme Court Set To Hear Second Amendment For Second Time

When Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the landmark Heller Decision last year, affirming the Second Amendment as an individual right, Justice Scalia deliberately did not set extremely wide precedent in the case, saying he felt that other cases would develop the eventual body of law that would establish future precedent.

Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear what many feel is the second major case in the matter of the Second Amendment. Their ruling in the case of McDonald v. City of Chicago has the potential to impact the laws of every city and state in the country.

At issue is a 27-year-old Chicago law banning handguns, requiring the annual taxation of firearms, and otherwise interfering with the right of law-abiding individuals to keep guns at home for self-defense. The case was brought on behalf of four Chicago residents, the Second Amendment Foundation, and the Illinois State Rifle Association.

McDonald focuses on the issue of "incorporation" of the Second Amendment. Simply stated, does the Second Amendment restrict state and city action- or just the actions of the federal government.

Their statement on the matter seems to indicate they are, in fact, interested in revisiting the privileges and immunity clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Should the Second Amendment be incorporated into the Due Process Clause or the Privileges or Immunities Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment so that it applies to the States, it would invalidate laws prohibiting possession of handguns in the home.

The argument, as it's been explained to me is a compelling one: given that the right to worship (or not), a right to a jury trial, the rights to counsel and against self-incrimination and other rights as defined in the U.S. Constitution apply in the City of Chicago, should the rights of individuals as defined by the Second Amendment cease at the Chicago city limits?

Response to the high court's indication of an intent to hear McDonald, is positive in the firearms community. "We are delighted that the court has agreed to take this important case," said Jim Irvine, President of Buckeye Firearms Foundation. "Rights affirmed by our Constitution should apply equally to everyone, no matter where they live."

"The freedoms we enjoy as Americans are secured to us against violation by all levels of government," noted Alan Gura, of Gura & Possessky, PLLC, lead counsel for the McDonald plaintiffs. "State and local politicians should be on notice: the Second Amendment is a normal part of the Bill of Rights, and it is coming to your town."

Otis McDonald, a Chicago resident since 1952 who led the fight to integrate his union local in the 1960s and is a plaintiff in the case, welcomed the news. "I am grateful the Supreme Court has agreed to hear this case," McDonald says. "I now pray that the Court secures me and all other law-abiding citizens the right to defend ourselves and our families."

"The Second Amendment Foundation was delighted to bring this case in cooperation with the Illinois State Rifle Association and the four local plaintiffs because a gun ban is no less onerous to civil rights in Chicago than it was in the District of Columbia," the SAF's Alan Gottlieb observed. "Such a law cannot be allowed to stand unchallenged."

This challenge to local gun bans will likely be among the most closely watched constitutional law cases of this session- if not the past few years as it will actually address two questions: the Second Amendment's securing the right to arms against state and local governents, but the extent to which the Supreme Court is willing to go to guard the citizen against a rights abridgement by state and local governments.

The case has not yet been scheduled on the Supreme Court's docket, but will likely be held later this year. If that's the case, it's reasonable to believe a ruling will be issued by June 2010.

We have already applied for our credentials to be present for this second landmark case, and as always, we'll keep you posted.

-Jim Shepherd

Hunter Perry Zumwalt called Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials Wednesday morning from the remote Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area to report that he shot a wolf.
Montana's backcountry wolf season began at the same time as the backcountry deer and elk season.
Ron Aasheim, head of communication and education for FWP, said Zumwalt shot the wolf in Hunting District 316, which is in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area, north of Yellowstone National Park.
Zumwalt didn't have to go too far to kill the wolf: HD 316 is southwest of Roberts, which is southwest of Billings.
The wolf season also opened in hunting districts 150, 151 and 280 in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area. These hunting districts are mostly in extremely remote areas. The general wolf season will open Oct. 25, along with the general deer and elk season.
FWP officials said Zumwalt reported killing his wolf shortly before noon.
Aasheim said information was limited, adding he did not know the gender of the wolf.
Hunters must call 877-FWP-WILD or 877-397-9453 to file a report within 12 hours of killing a wolf. When a wolf management unit reaches its quota, FWP will close the season there, with 24-hour notice.
Hunters can call 800-385-7826 for the latest wolf harvest status and closure information.
In addition to reporting the kill, hunters must produce the hide and skull of the wolf to a FWP agent within 10 days.
"We have been telling people that cell phones are more effective than you think," Aasheim said, offering advice on how to report a kill. "We also have wardens patrolling, and they will consider the effort a hunter makes."
The quota in the district where Zumwalt shot his wolf was 12, so it now stands at 11.
The Montana Wolf Management Plan calls for allowing hunters to kill up to 75 wolves statewide this year.
Whether or not wolves should have been removed from the Endangered Species List, allowing the hunt, remains the subject of a federal court challenge. The judge presiding over the case denied an injunction that would have halted the hunt.

It could be all that fresh mountain air. On the other hand, maybe it is the altitude, a different time zone, or even jet lag.
Otherwise, there is no excuse for what makes tourists ask the dumbest questions.
There are some real gems, and it happens all the time. Just ask the patient and good-natured folks who make a living showing tourists around Banff National Park.
Some of them will tell you that summer is the silliest season for tour operators. That is when travelers from around the globe descend on Banff National Park for their trip of a lifetime. They are ecstatic about being amid mountains and glaciers, and stoked about spotting a bear, elk, or moose. In addition, they wonder just how we live up here in the Great White North.
"We get a broader range of people (in summer)," says Daymon Miller, general manager of Discover Banff Tours. "They're coming from a broad range of urban centers with generally no concept of the wilderness."
It is not much different at Banff Adventures Unlimited, where Tanya Semos is general manager.
"People are ridiculous . . . but it makes our job fun. We're starting a book," she says, guffawing at the tales her colleagues bring back to the office.
When the speak-before-thinking zinger is uttered, tour operators try to have a little fun, Miller says, without embarrassing them.
Stu Back, director of in-resort services for Banff-Lake Louise Tourism sent a list of "unusual" questions compiled over the past few years. He underscored, that like anyone who deals with the public, it can be trying:
"The answers our professional counseling staff provided to these unusual questions are testament to the depth of knowledge and patience required to assist visitors who are often tired and confused on arrival to our destination."
From an unofficial survey of Banff tour operators, here are the top 20 outrageous questions, some with answers in case you have wondered the same thing. As for the rest, well, they stand on their own.
1. Are the animals with collars tame? (These animals have been fitted with tagged collars because they have had incidents with people. It is important to stay a safe distance away from wildlife.)
2. We are going into British Columbia. Do we need to change our money into Euros?
3. Can we drive our car onto a glacier anywhere? (Not to our knowledge, but you might enjoy a trip on the Ice Explorer across the Columbia Ice fields.)
4. Do we need snow tires or chains to drive to Lake Louise in July?
5. Where are the igloos and the Eskimos?
6. If the Columbia Ice field melts before we get there, can we do a different excursion?
7. Can you see polar bears at the Columbia Ice field?
8. Can I walk around P.E.I. in a day?
9. Can I get from Vancouver to Toronto by driving in a day?
10. At what elevation do the deer turn to elk?
11. How much does that mountain weigh?
12. Is this all natural?
13. While working at the (Banff) Gondola on a rainy day I was asked to turn the fog off at the top so they could see."
14. While working at the Gondola, I was asked when we release the animals so they can start feeding them. I had to remind them that this wasn't a petting zoo, the animals are wild and come out when they please -- and please don't feed them."
15. Where is that place where I can see the bear in the cage? Can I get a photo with him?
16. If I see a bear when I am hiking, can I just keep walking past it?
17. Can you guarantee wildlife sightings?
18. Where is the rocky mountain?
19. What is the best trail to take a bike on to see a cougar?
20. Where are the animals kept at night?
Bonus Question: Where can I find a wife?

BELGRADE, Mont. — President Barack Obama didn't let thunderstorms and unseasonably cool weather stop him from learning how to fish for Montana's famous trout during his weekend trip to the rustic West and its national parks.

"He insisted that fishermen fish in the rain, so he said, `Let's do it,'" fishing guide Dan Vermillion said. "The weather was really horrendous. We were all real cold at the end of the day."

The president took 2 1/2 hours after his health care town hall near Bozeman on Friday to make good on a campaign promise to learn fly fishing when he revisits the state. His guide said the commander in chief has become a serious student of the sport.
"I found him to be a real good listener. He really wanted to learn about the whole experience of fly fishing," said Vermillion, who runs the Sweetwater Fly Shop in Livingston.

Obama reported practicing the difficult-to-master mechanics of fly casting on retreats at Camp David, Vermillion said.

It paid off. The president did well for a first-timer by hooking half a dozen fish in an area mixed with brown and rainbow trout, but he didn't land any during the afternoon getaway on the East Gallatin River, his guide said.

No reporters or TV cameras were allowed on the trip. The president simply wanted to enjoy the learning experience rather than turn it into a media event, Vermillion said.
Obama used fishing gear he received as a birthday president from some avid fishermen on his staff. Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina, who used to work for Montana U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, helped set up the trip and fished during the Friday getaway. Press secretary Robert Gibbs joined them.

While fishing, Vermillion said he and Obama talked about everything from Montana land issues to their personal lives, and the president insisted on being called by his first name.
"We talked a lot about his family and the challenges he and Michelle face trying to keep his kids grounded in the surreal experience he lives in," he said.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer had some other advice as Obama headed off Saturday for another quintessential western experience: taking the kids to see the Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park.


"I told him to watch his kids' faces, and not the geyser, and you will never forget the expression on their faces when that thing goes off," Schweitzer said in an interview. "It truly is memorable."

The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Ducks Unlimited chief biologist Dale Humberg, testifying before the House National Resources Committee, recommended increasing the cost of a federal duck stamp from $15 to $25 to keep pace with inflation.

The duck stamp, required of all waterfowl hunters 16 and older, has cost $15 since 1991. Duck stamps funds have generated $760 million to preserve wetlands habitat since the program's inception in 1934, but Humberg said land values have skyrocketed in recent years.

The most recent congressional proposal calls for a $25 federal duck stamp by the 2010-11 hunting season. Humberg said that, if the stamp fee was increased by $10, an additional 16,000 acres could be conserved the following year.

Whale-Watching Ship Hits, Impales Whale

A diver secures ropes around the carcass of a whale stuck on the bow of a whale watching ship in Vancouver, B.C., on Saturday, July 25, 2009. It wasn't a pretty sight, but whale watchers on a cruise ship in Canada got more than they bargained for when they arrived at the port of Vancouver -- a dead whale stuck to the bow.
 
The vessel apparently struck the 70-ton fin whale in the ocean and unknowingly carried it wedged to the bow from Alaskan waters to the Canadian port. The adult whale was an estimated 70 feet (21 meters) long.
 
The Princess Cruise Lines' Sapphire Princess was docked at the Canada Place terminal Saturday with the whale stuck to it.
 
"Basically like a train coming through, it just hits them. That bow is kind of like a spear. And once they're hit by it, it probably breaks their back, kills them almost instantly," Craig Delahunt of Tymac Launch Service told AP Television News.
 
Delahunt, who has worked at Vancouver harbor for 20 years, said it was the third such ship-whale impalement he has seen. The skeleton from the last whale carcass is now displayed in a museum in Telegraph Cove, north of the city, he said.
 
Meanwhile, Princess Cruise Lines said the collision remains a mystery.
 
"It is unknown how or when this could have happened, as we have strict whale avoidance procedures in place when our ships are in the vicinity of marine life," the cruise line said in a statement. "We ... have clear guidelines for our ships on how to operate if whales are sighted nearby, which include altering course and reducing speed as required."
 
Paul Cottrell, with Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans, said Sunday that a marine mammal response team, including divers, used slings to pull the whale off the ship and tow it across Burrard Inlet, where it was loaded onto a barge and taken to the Fisheries lab in Sidney on Vancouver Island. There a necropsy was performed to determine whether the whale was dead or alive when it was hit.
 
"It will probably be a while ... to determine the cause of death and how long it had been dead," Cottrell said. When the necropsy is done and all the tissue samples are analyzed, scientists plan to dump the whale in waters off the west coast of Vancouver Island.
 
"When they die, they sink to the bottom and it's incredible the ecosystem that lives off their whale carcass. Part of it is their size. Some of them are there for years," Cottrell said.
 
Before the whale carcass was removed from the bow of the Sapphire Princess, many tourists stopped by to look to take photos of it at Canada Place, which draws thousands of passengers traveling to Alaska every summer.
 
"It looks so small compared to the boat," The Vancouver Sun quoted Ed McKeowan, 69, of Chicago, as saying.
 
"I think it's a shame, but it's inevitable. Unfortunately, we share the sea with the whales," said Ross Harlow, 70, of Whistler, Canada.

July 17 (Bloomberg) -- Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc.’s bankruptcy auction was won by Golden Gate Capital, a San Francisco-based private-equity firm, with a $286 million bid and a plan to keep most of the outdoor-clothing chain’s stores open.
Golden Gate plans to keep a “substantial majority” of the retailer’s stores and employees, Bellevue, Washington-based Eddie Bauer said in a statement today. Golden Gate’s offer will be presented for court approval July 22, the retailer said.
The retailer attracted bidders ranging from Iconix Brand Group Inc., the New York-based owner of the Rocawear clothing brand, to liquidators Hilco Consumer Capital and Gordon Brothers Group LLC, said bankruptcy attorney David Pollack. Eddie Bauer, which opened its first sporting-goods store in Seattle in 1920, has about 370 stores in the U.S. and Canada.
“Creditors in general and landlords in particular should be happy,” said Pollack, a bankruptcy attorney with Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll LLP in Philadelphia whose clients hold leases on about 100 Eddie Bauer stores. Golden Gate agreed to keep at least 300 stores open, he said.
Affiliates of CCMP Capital Advisors LLC had agreed to make the initial $202 million bid after Eddie Bauer, based in Bellevue, Washington, filed for bankruptcy last month. As the court-approved stalking horse bidder, it will receive a $5 million breakup fee from Golden Gate, Pollack said.
Golden Gate didn’t assume any of Eddie Bauer’s debt, he said. It will take responsibility for some liabilities, such as the company’s leases, Pollack said.
Going Concern Vs Liquidation
CCMP, Iconix and Golden Gate were vying to buy the chain and keep it open, Pollack said. Great American Group LLC bid against a joint offer from Hilco and Gordon Brothers to buy Eddie Bauer’s merchandise and liquidate the company, he said.
Great American worked with liquidators Tiger Capital Group LLC, Hudson Capital Partners LLC and SB Capital Group LLC, said Pollack.
Iconix is considering its legal options after the auction, said Maria Dolgetta, a spokeswoman for the company.
“We were truly disappointed by the auction process and are considering our legal alternatives,” Dolgetta said in an e-mail.
The auction was a “win-win” for term lenders and the business, Gordon Brothers President Stephen Miller said in an e- mailed statement.
Representatives of Golden Gate, CCMP, Great American and Hilco weren’t immediately available to comment.
Second Attempt
The bid marks Golden Gate’s second attempt in almost three years to acquire the retailer. A $285 million offer from Golden Gate and Sun Capital Partners to buy Eddie Bauer failed to win majority approval from shareholders in 2007 after the retailer agreed in November 2006 to be acquired by them. The private- equity firms had also offered to assume $328 million in debt.
As of June, Eddie Bauer had 7,700 U.S. employees and another 933 workers in Canada, according to court documents. The company targets customers from 30 years old to 54 years old with an average income of $77,000, according to court papers.
“There’s some real value in the stores and in the brand,” George Whalin, president of Retail Management Consultants in Carlsbad, California, said in a telephone interview before the winner was announced.
Last month, Filene’s Basement Inc. won bankruptcy-court approval to sell its assets to a joint venture of Syms Corp. and Vornado Realty Trust. Circuit City Stores Inc. and Gottschalks Inc., the electronics seller and department-store chain, are among retailers that have filed for Chapter 11 protection over the past year as consumers cut spending in the U.S. recession. Both were liquidated.
Flight Jackets, Mountaineering
Catalog retailer Spiegel Inc. bought Eddie Bauer in 1988 and expanded the retail outlets, according to court records. By 2002, the company had grown to 501 retail and outlet stores from 61.
That growth diluted the company’s reputation as a provider of mountaineering and other cold-weather gear, Chief Financial Officer Marv Toland said in court papers. The company became famous for its flight jackets in World War II and coats used by the first American team to scale Mount Everest in the 1960s. It later became known for selling casual clothing to women.
“The feeling became much more like they were trying to be like everyone else in the mall,” Patty Edwards, a retail analyst and founder of Storehouse Partners LLC in Bellevue, Washington, said in a telephone interview. “They became muddled in the mire of mediocrity. They didn’t stand out anymore.”
In 2003, the company’s predecessor Eddie Bauer Inc. filed for bankruptcy along with Speigel. After leaving court protection in 2005, Eddie Bauer twice failed to sell itself.
Eddie Bauer hasn’t made an annual profit in three years and reported a $44.5 million loss in the first quarter on sales of $180 million.
The current bankruptcy was caused mainly by the high debt taken on during the previous bankruptcy case, Toland said in court papers.
The case is In re Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc., 09-12099, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware (Wilmington).

Breeding Population Survey Released; Wet Conditions Attract Ducks to Dakotas

BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA -At first glance, the results of the 2009 duck breeding population and habitat survey are eye-popping: May ponds across the prairie breeding grounds increased 45 percent from a year ago, the total duck population was up 25 percent and mallard numbers climbed 10 percent.

Look closer, however, and some of the survey's findings explode from the pages like a Fourth of July fireworks display.

"If you would have told me 10 years ago we'd have twice as many pintails nesting on the U.S. side of the breeding grounds as Canadian prairie, I would have laughed in your face," said Dr. Frank Rohwer, Delta Waterfowl's scientific director.

Yet that's exactly what happened this year as 1.4 million pintails nested in the Dakotas and eastern Montana while only 664,000 set up housekeeping in prairie Canada. The U.S. side of the region also attracted 78 percent more blue-winged teal (4.5 million) than prairie Canada (2.5 million) and a higher percentage of mallards than any other year since the survey began in 1955.

The results of the breeding-population and habitat survey were released Thursday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service. The B-pop, as it's called, is the most extensive wildlife inventory on the continent.

The total duck breeding population rose 13 percent from 37.3 million to 42 million, and for the first time ever more ducks (14 million) settled on the U.S. side of the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) than the Canadian side (12.7 million).

"That's sobering news for prairie Canada, which continues to experience sub-par duck production, but exciting news for the U.S., where nest success has been excellent because of an abundance of grass and a scarcity of red fox," says Dr. Rohwer,

"Ducks track ponds and the Dakotas and eastern Montana are wet," says Senior Vice President John Devney. "Not only that, but thanks to heavy rains in June, our grass cover is in excellent shape and we've maintained good wetlands, which bodes well for re-nesting and brood survival.

"We ought to be making a bunch of baby ducks this year," echoed John Solberg, the USFWS pilot-biologist who flies the eastern Dakotas survey each spring. "We're very wet, and the cover response to recent rains has been incredible."

A breakdown of the numbers shows the PPR had a 45-percent year-over-year increase in May ponds to 6.4 million. Prairie Canada was 17 percent wetter than a year ago and 5 percent wetter than the long-term average while the U.S. side had a whopping 108 percent increase in wetlands and was 87 percent wetter than the LTA.

The mallard population climbed from 7.7 million to 8.5 million. The U.S. attracted a 2.96 million mallards while 3.04 million settled in prairie Canada.

Among the other most popular species, gadwall numbers were up 12 percent to 3.1 million; green-winged teal rose to an all-time record of 3.4 million; blue-winged teal rose 11 percent to 7.4 million; northern shovelers climbed 25 percent to 4.4 million; northern pintails were up 23 percent to 3.2 million; canvasbacks were up 35 percent to 662,000, and Scaup rose for the third straight year, up 12 percent to 4.2 million, the highest level since 1999.

The only species to show a drop in breeding numbers were redheads, which were down one percent to 1.0 million, and wigeon, down one percent to 2.5 million.

The PPR constitutes only 10 percent of North America's breeding habitat but annually attracts two-thirds or more of all nesting ducks. The surveyed portion of the region includes North and South Dakota and a sliver of eastern Montana in the U.S., and prairie Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba in Canada. About 75 percent of the PPR exists in Canada, which historically attracted 75 percent of the ducks that nest there.

During the wet cycle of the 1990s, duck production on the U.S. side of the border increased dramatically thanks to 5 million acres of grass nesting cover provided by the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

"Things look great right now," Devney says, "but hunters need to remember we've lost more than a million acres of CRP just since 2007 and more contracts will expire this year. On top of that, we've been losing native prairie at an alarming rate and several million more acres are at risk. If we can't find a way to preserve existing upland cover, we simply won't enjoy this kind of production in the future."

Good hunting here helped lure Rams kicker from Seattle By Kathy Etling

Rams fans are familiar with Josh Brown, the team's placekicker, and what he does on the field. But not many realize that hunting played a part in his decision to move here from Seattle

"I never got a chance to get involved in deer hunting when I was playing for Seattle," Brown said. "I was busy, and the good deer hunting (areas were located at least) 2 or 2 1/2 hours away from the city. (In St. Louis) I can be deer hunting after a drive of just 1 or 1 1/2 hours. That's great."

While he was playing for Seattle, Brown hosted his own Fox Sports Net show on television and also served as a guest and guest host on a morning radio show. His plate was full, you might say, but he continued to have hunting on his mind.

Brown, 30, was born in Foyil, Okla., and became interested in hunting during his high school years.
"My brother, Todd, who now lives in Wagoner, Okla., got me started in waterfowl hunting," he said. "We'd hunt whenever we got the chance to do so."

They continued when Brown was playing in college at Nebraska.

"I had a lot of great pheasant and waterfowl hunts when I was going to school in Nebraska," Brown said. "During one trip Todd and I shot 25 snow geese, some (Canada geese) and a number of mallards. That was the best waterfowling I've ever had."

Brown, who was drafted by Seattle in 2003, came to the Rams in 2008. He replaced Jeff Wilkins, another deer hunter, who had retired, and immediately struck up an acquaintance with long-snapper Chris Massey.

"He's the man," Brown said about Massey and Massey's hunting. "He is (avid) when it comes to his deer hunting. He keeps a deer diary and records times, temperatures and all other sorts of information for every day he's out hunting. I'm still a beginner compared to Chris. You might even say I'm riding his coattails as we go along."

Since Brown has been in St. Louis, he has hunted deer in Missouri and Illinois. He bowhunts in Illinois with Massey, and also hunts on private land near Rolla, Mo.

Brown admits to having gone deer hunting with a gun last season but says he prefers hunting with a bow.

"I really enjoy the intimacy of bowhunting," he said. "You have to get so close to the animals in order to make a good shot, and I really like the strategy that goes into bowhunting."

Brown is a Mathews man: He shoots with a DXT bow set at 55 pounds. He uses a dampener, but said, "(The bow) doesn't vibrate much at all, plus there's not much noise and no recoil."

He shoots arrows with carbon shafts, and is still testing out broadheads to see which he likes best.

"Last year, I tried out five or six different broadheads, including some fixed blades and expandables," he said. "This year, I was trying to 'find the feeling,' so my friends and I were testing a lot of different (bowhunting gear and equipment).

Brown said he cut his teeth on ducks and geese, "but my passion is turkey hunting. It's easy to see why people get so obsessed with hunting turkeys. Get close to one of those (gobblers) and it is pretty intense."

Like many of us, however, this spring Brown and his hunting buddy found themselves skunked by all-too-wary tom turkeys.

"One of my buddies bought a hunting trip at an auction, and so we went to a farm in Wentzville," Brown said. "We heard a lot of gobbling early on, saw a couple of coyotes and then went in to eat something. When I went back out I walked over to where two corners intersected and got on an old gobbler. I worked him for 3 1/2 hours, but I couldn't bring him closer than 55 yards. After all that time, he finally must have seen my gun move — or maybe he saw me blink — and it spooked him out of there."

Brown uses an old box turkey call together with a couple of slates. "I trust the box call a lot," he said. "I just can't get the diaphragm (technique) down to where I feel confident with it. Plus, people look at you funny when you're walking through an airport practicing your turkey calls (on a diaphragm caller)."

"I don't like to call too much," he added. "The amount of calling I do depends on the number of hens a gobbler has with him. I think some hunters overestimate the amount of calling needed to get the job done. I like to keep it simple, maybe a few sharp yelps and some purring."

Brown's turkey and waterfowl gun of choice is a 12-gauge Browning Gold that he has owned for "five or six years."

This past spring, Brown also went turkey hunting near Rolla with his two sons, Kemper, 7, and Kobe, 10.

"We all sat in a hunting blind and called," Brown said. "When we were through we went fishing and rode four-wheelers. We had a great time, and now Kobe wants to become more involved in hunting. I'm hoping to have him take the hunter safety course and from there maybe he can do some organized (hunting) activities, too.

"I hope Kobe will get a turkey soon and become even more interested in hunting and the outdoors," Brown said. "I'm hoping to build a good outdoors foundation with my family, and going hunting with my boys was definitely a start."

Waterfowl hunters spent $900 million on a variety of goods and services from food, transportation, guns and decoys to hunting dogs, clothing and other incidental expenses in 2006, according to a new report issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These trip and equipment-related expenditures generated more than $2.3 billion in total economic output for 2006, which resulted in $157 million in federal and state tax revenues, supported more than 27,000 jobs, and generated more than $8.5 million in employment income. 
“The financial support provided to conservation, and the economy as a whole, is significant,” said Rowan Gould, acting Director of the Service. “Waterfowlers, like many other sportsmen, have a proven track record in their contributions to the U.S. economy, and that’s certainly something to take comfort in during these tough economic times.”
The report, The Economic Impact of Waterfowl Hunting in the United States, is an addendum to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The report shows more than 1.3 million people, 16 years of age and older, hunted waterfowl in 2006. Waterfowl hunters represented 10 percent of all hunters, 7 percent of all hunting trip-related expenditures, and 6 percent of all equipment expenditures.
According to the report, waterfowl hunters tend to be younger, have higher educational achievements, and are more affluent compared to all hunters. The majority (74 percent) of waterfowl hunters live in the South and the Midwest. 
“The Service plays a key role providing outdoor recreation opportunities such as hunting,” said Gould. “And hunters are critical partners – in part through their purchase of Federal Duck Stamps and a tax a firearms and ammunition that supports habitat conservation – for our efforts to conserve wildlife and wetlands for future generations.”
The National Survey, conducted every five years, since 1955, is one of the nation's most definitive sources of information concerning wildlife-dependant recreation. The U.S. Census Bureau conducted the survey in two phases. First, a screening interview identified wildlife-related recreationists. The second phase consisted of multiple interviews to collect detailed information on participation and expenditures for U.S. residents 16 years of age and older. 
The waterfowl hunting report in addition to the detailed National Survey report, state reports, and other addenda can be downloaded at:  http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/NationalSurvey/reports2006.html
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

From The Outdoor Pressroom

The federal government's second attempt at removing endangered species protection for the gray wolf in the Northern Rockies will be published today, with environmental groups already promising a legal challenge.
"The science on this is clear," said Ed Bangs of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Helena. "Wolves are recovered."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced its latest delisting plan late last year, but the official decision will be published in the Federal Register today, which sets in motion removal of federal protections in Montana and Idaho.
Wolves will be delisted May 4, Bangs said.
For all practical purposes, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks already is managing wolves here, but the transfer of control will allow hunting seasons and more liberal defense-of-property rules.
"We're not hostile to the notion of hunting," said Louisa Willcox, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council in Livingston. "We're concerned about the overall, cumulative kill level."
Idaho's hunting season is particularly troubling, she said.
The organization is one of 12 conservation groups that announced plans Wednesday to file a lawsuit in 60 days to block the delisting plans.
Montana, Wyoming and Idaho have 1,600 wolves and 95 breeding pairs. Willcox contends the population needs to be 2,000 to 3,000 to guarantee recovery. "We're close," she said.
Under the new plan, federal protection would remain in place in Wyoming, where state law defines wolves as a predatory animal that can be shot without cause in 88 percent of the state. Wyoming wolves were part of the first delisting plan, but Bangs said its management plan would allow too many wolves to be killed.
The state of Wyoming told the Associated Press it's planning to sue the federal government for leaving wolves in that state on the endangered species list.
Lawsuits were expected and won't automatically derail delisting, Bangs said.
"I'm hoping, while the court goes through this, they will let states manage wolves," he said.
Another change in the new plan is it provides more evidence wolf subpopulations are connected, Bangs said.
Wolves were delisted the first time Feb. 28 of last year.
But conservation groups sued, challenging the adequacy of Wyoming's management and questioning the genetic connectivity between subpopulations. Rather than fight the case in court, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided to withdraw its delisting rule and come up with a new plan addressing the concerns.
Federal protections were restored July 18.
In March, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar affirmed the agency's new plan, but 12 conservation groups announced Wednesday their intent to sue again.
The groups are the NRDC, Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, the Humane Society of the United States, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, Friends of the Clearwater, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands Project, Western Watersheds Project and Wildlands Project.

At about five-thirty yesterday evening, the lengthy feature that was to have gone in today's editions of both the Outdoor and Shooting Wires was rendered unnecessary. Normally, that's not a reason for celebration. But this was no ordinary occurrence.

After having spoken with Larry Haynie of Georgia Arms regarding the Department of Defense decision to require all once-fired military brass be shredded rather than sold for repurposing to consumers and domestic agencies, it seemed the set-piece battle over gun ownership was underway.

This morning, there is no discomfort whatsoever to report that the Department of Defense has been introduced to the idea that unilateral decisions of this magnitude don't come without consequences.

The voice of reason came from the United States Senators from Montana.

More accurately, the voices of reason came from the Democratic senators from Montana.


Known for pushing ethics reform, Senator Jon Tester apparently isn't afraid to push for gun owners, too.

Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) a hand on the purse strings gets everyone's attention - even at the DOD

At approximately 4:15 p.m. Eastern yesterday afternoon, Senators Tester and Baucus of Montana faxed a cosigned letter to the Department of Defense asking DOD to reverse their new policy requiring "mutilation" of fired military cartridge brass.

At approximately 5:30 p.m. Eastern our sources tell us, Senator Tester's office received a fax back from the Defense Department saying the brass destruction policy IS reversed.

Already, websites that coordinate the sale of DOD surplus are beginning to remove the "Mutilation" requirement from their listings. This only hours after they began adding the mutilation stipulation.

In short, it seems a fax from the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and another Senator had considerable powers of persuasion.

That translates to a win for the law-abiding gun owners of the United States.

It is only appropriate that we recognize the party affiliation of both these men, because their willingness to go to bat for the ammunition industry demonstrates that, despite all the indications to the contrary, Washington is not irrevocably divided down party lines.

When it comes to firearms and Second Amendment rights, it seems party affiliations can still be disregarded.

That is reassuring.

Today, firearms owners owe these two gentlemen a vote of thanks.

They didn't wait for an opinion poll, they acted.

Still, this is still no time to relax when it comes to firearms.

DOD has seen the light, but Attorney General Holder and the Justice Department seem determined to try and convince America the problems with Mexican drug smuggling and the related violence is due to the ease with which American arms are being purchased here and smuggled into Mexico.

Fortunately, not everyone is sitting still for that argument.

Last week, Chris Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action warned a House subcommittee not to make American gun owners "scapegoats" for the Mexican crisis.

"According to some," Cox said in a prepared statement, "the violence in Mexico is not the fault of the Mexican drug cartels or their American customers, nor is it the fault of decades of Mexican government corruption. In their views, the fault lies with American gun owners."

That, Cox continued, "is an outrageous assertion."

But that assertion continues.

And last week, three Democratic lawmakers were quick to notify Attorney General Holder of their "vigorous opposition" to any new gun restrictions the Obama administration might be considering.

The three lawmakers were Alaska Senator Mark Begich and - you guessed it - Montana Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester.

Despite some ugly times that will likely lie ahead, it seems it's not too-late to hope for some non-partisan common sense to be injected into Congress.

OK, maybe that's optimistic, but we'll take this win - and all the support we can muster.

Thank you, Senators Tester and Baucus, for your unhesitating support.

Oh yeah - the following note is up on the Georgia Arms website:

"Dear Loyal Customers,

Thanks to your voice, DOD has rescinded the order to mutilate all spent cases as of 4:30 pm on 3/17/09. We appreciate the time and effort that you expended, together we all made a difference. We will be posting the email we received from DOD as well as any additional information within the next 12-16 hours. Thanks so much and lets get to work!!!"

$740 Million Going to States for Fish and Wildlife Projects

Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced yesterday that more than $740.9 million will be distributed to the fish and wildlife agencies of the 50 states, commonwealths, the District of Columbia, and territories to fund fish and wildlife conservation, boater access to public waters, and hunter and aquatic education.

Those Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Funds funds come from excise taxes and import duties on sporting firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, sportfishing equipment, electric outboard motors, and fuel taxes attributable to motorboats and small engines.

"The funds raised under the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs have helped conserve our fish and wildlife resources and provide opportunities for outdoor recreation for more than half a century. These investments, which help create jobs while protecting our nation's natural treasures, are particularly important in these tough economic times," Salazar said. "All those who pay into this program - the hunting and fishing industries, boaters, hunters, anglers, and recreational shooters - should take pride in helping to conserve our land and its fish and wildlife and provide benefits to all Americans who cherish the natural world and outdoor recreation."

The Wildlife Restoration apportionment for 2009 totals nearly $336 million, with more than $64.7 million marked for hunter education and firearm and archery range programs. The Sport Fish Restoration apportionment for 2009 totals more than $404 million.

Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act funding is available to states, commonwealths, and territories through a formula based on land area, including inland waters and the number of paid hunting license holders in each state, commonwealth, and territory. State, commonwealth, and territorial fish and wildlife agencies use the money to manage wildlife populations, conduct habitat research, acquire wildlife lands and public access, carry out surveys and inventories, administer hunter education, and construct and maintain shooting ranges.

"State fish and wildlife agencies are proud to be funded by the hunting, fishing and boating community through this American system of conservation funding, which has been a successful model for many years," said Rex Amack, President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Director of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. "This year's record Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration apportionment is vital in order for state agencies to continue their work to sustain healthy fish and wildlife populations and provide opportunities for all to connect with nature."

Sport Fish Restoration is funded by the collection of excise taxes and import duties on sport fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels, and pleasure boats. Sport Fish Restoration funds are apportioned to the states based on a formula that includes the land and water area, inland waters and the Great Lakes and marine coastal areas where applicable, and the number of paid fishing license holders. States, the District of Columbia, commonwealths, and territories use the funds to pay for stocking fish; acquiring and improving sport fish habitat; providing aquatic resource education opportunities; conducting fisheries research; maintaining public access, and the construction at boat ramps, fishing piers, and other facilities for recreational boating access.

More than 62 percent of Wildlife Restoration funds are used to buy, develop, maintain, and operate wildlife management areas. Since the program began, state, commonwealth, and territorial fish and wildlife agencies have acquired 68 million acres through fee simple, leases, or easements, and operated and maintained more than 390 million acres for hunting since the program began. In addition, agencies certified over 9 million participants in hunter education.

"This source of conservation funding is important not only measured by its dollar amount, but also by legislative safeguards preventing its diversion away from state fish and wildlife agencies," said Rowan Gould, acting Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "For states working to ensure a future for fish and wildlife - and opportunities for people to enjoy them - precious few programs offer this level of support and reliability."

Numerous species including the wild turkey, white-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope, American elk, and black bears have increased in population due to improved research and habitat management funded by Wildlife Restoration. In the program's history, fish and wildlife agencies have assisted more than 9.2 million landowners on fish and wildlife management. States, commonwealth, and territorial fish and wildlife agencies have improved more than 35 million acres of habitat and developed more than 44,000 acres of waterfowl impoundments.

Since the inception of the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act, states, commonwealth, and territorial fish and wildlife agencies have acquired 360,000 acres through fee simple, leases, or easements. They have operated and maintained more than 1.5 million acres annually and they stocked over 6.8 billion fish and restored more than 1.7 billion fish throughout the country; renovated or improved 6,400-boat access sites; and had over 11.9 million participants in the aquatic resource education program.

Gun Owners of America Opposes AG Nominee
-- Obama's Pick for Attorney General is anti-Second Amendment Activist

Springfield, Virginia -- With the selection of Eric Holder, President Barack Obama could not have picked a more anti-Second Amendment nominee for U.S. Attorney General.

Eric Holder has a long history of anti-Second Amendment activism, going back to the days when he was the go-to guy for gun control in the Clinton administration.

Holder's record includes his support of a three day waiting period for handgun purchases, handgun rationing of one gun per month, renewing the semi-automatic gun ban, gun owner registration and licensing, and much more.

Perhaps most egregiously, in 2008, Mr. Holder signed on to a brief before the Supreme Court that argued that the Second Amendment does not protect an individual's right to own a firearm. This is not the type of person who should be confirmed to a position that carries the responsibility of enforcing most of the gun control laws in this country.

Wyoming Senator John Barrasso also expressed concerns about Eric Holder. In a recently published letter, Sen. Barrasso told constituents in the Equality State:

Given Holder's career of attacks on the Second Amendment, his nomination continues to be of great concern to me. I am not convinced his philosophy on the Second Amendment is acceptable to the people of Wyoming and gun owners across the United States.

Agendas and intentions can change quickly. Our nation's highest law enforcement officer must be committed to protecting and defending our individual rights to keep and bear arms. I intend to vote no on the nomination of Eric Holder.

GOA agrees with Senator Barrasso, and urges the U.S. Senate to reject this Second Amendment activist. A more detailed look at Holder's record can be found at www.gunowners.org.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on Holder on Wednesday, January 28. The full Senate will take up the nomination shortly thereafter.

-- John Velleco
Velleco is the Director of Federal Affairs for Gun Owners of America, a national gun lobby with over 300,000 members.

Outdoor Wire Names Obama “Gun Salesman of the Year”


In recognition of the unprece­dented demand for firearms by nervous consumers, The Outdoor Wire has named President-elect Barack Obama its "Gun Salesman of the Year". For me, it was a simple fact of recognizing that without President-elect Obama's frightening consumers into action, the firearms industry might be suffering the same sort of business slumps that have befallen the automotive and housing industries.

It's credit where credit is due. Mr. Obama has consistently voted against individual rights to firearms, appointed a re-tread Clinton administration full of gun banners, and made it plain to anti-gun groups that despite what he might say to the contrary, he's on their side That history, along with the unquestioned support of anti-gun organizations has spooked consumers into a buying frenzy for firearms that could be outlawed in another Assault Weapons Ban.

Manufacturers are months behind on orders for semi-automatic pistols, AR-style rifles, and anything with so-called 'high-capacity magazines, buyers we've surveyed across the country seem to have a single explanation for their rush to purchase firearms - Obama.

The buying panic is not limited to people you might be described as aficionados or even 'gun nuts'. Recently, I was in a gun store when a gentleman came and said he'd never wanted to own a gun before, but wanted to get one while he still could."

Since the November Presidential election, firearms sales have been at unprecedented levels. For December 2008 the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) recorded a twenty-four percent increase in background checks for 2008 (1,523,426) over December 2007 (1,230,525).

This follows a forty-two percent (42%) increase in November 2008, the highest number of NICS checks in the system's history. Those FBI background checks are required under federal law for all individuals purchasing firearms from federally licensed firearms retailers. In other words, gun sales have never been better.

Sales are so good that on Tuesday, January 6, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) issued a notice to all federal firearms licensees that "an unprecedented increase in demand for ATF Form 4473 had run supplies low enough that dealers were temporarily given permission to photocopy the form until supplies caught up with demand. Completion of a form 4473 is required whenever a federal firearms licensee sells a fire­arm.

As a journalist with more than two decades of national newsgathering experience, I've never seen anything approaching what he calls the "Obama effect". In fact, gun and ammunition sales are at such frantic levels that they have surpassed the panic-buying of Y2K or anything during the Clinton years when the first Assault Weapons Ban was passed. This time, he says, concerned consumers are buying guns and ammunition in anticipation of Obama Administration actions to prohibit certain types of firearms.

In 1999, the fear was that computers would shut down, crippling the world. Those fears were unfounded. I don't think the fears of an Obama administration banning guns are unfounded. His record speaks for itself. He's never failed to support an anti-gun measure, despite saying he supports the Second Amendment.

Moves to prohibit firearms sales would drastically impact a billion-dollar industry that is not only healthy, but pours more than one hundred fifty million dollars annually into conservation programs through an eleven percent tax collected on guns and ammo.

The Pittman-Robertson Act provides the vast majority of funding for wildlife agencies at the federal, state and local levels and that money comes directly from the tax levied against gun owners. Damaging the firearms industry won't just put workers in the gun business out of work, it will severely impact wildlife and conservation efforts nationally. That damage could take decades to repair - if it can be undone."

Choosing President-elect Obama as the Gun Salesman of the Year is a lot like a good-news, bad-news joke.His election has driven gun sales into the stratosphere, but his opposition to guns and gun ownership may be the biggest threat the industry has ever faced. If he puts scoring political points with anti-gun groups ahead of economic realities, he will be deliberately putting thousands of people out of work. I don't see that as an economic stimulus plan with much of a future."

"Today, the facts are indisputable. Barack Obama has spurred gun sales in a time when the entire economy seems to be tanking. If that doesn't make him the gun salesman of the year - if not the decade - I don't know what would.

- Jim Shepherd

27-point doe story one of 08's biggest from the Outdoor Pressroom

Michael Pearce, outdoor writer for the Wichita Eagle, reports today that last month's story about Mike Smith's 27-point doe was the second-most read item on his newspaper's Web site for all of 2008. Indeed, it is also one of the most-searched postings at The Outdoor Pressroom, as well. Widely believed to be the largest antlered doe ever taken by a hunter, Pearce wrote that rumors about Smith selling the rack are unfounded.

Pay-to-Play extends from Illinois Governor Gotogotojailovich’s office to Outdoor Talk Radio in Chicago!

Chicago is now the hot bed of political corruption nothing new if you know anything about Windy City Politics. It now extends to Outdoor Talk Radio.

Let me explain, I am fortunate to talk about Montana Test and what we do all over the Country and Canada. I request an opportunity to be a guest on numerous Outdoor programs. Many of the Hosts like what we do and invite me. The vast majority are warm and friendly, upstanding folks and my kind of people. Once in a great while you run into a host that wants money or advertiser from me to be a guest on their show.

Let me make it very clear what we do at Montana Test. We do not sell advertising on the site, we do not charge for reviews and most importantly, we do not guarantee anyone a positive review. Our site exists for the consumer of outdoor product to visit and read an honest review.

We do offer visitors to Montana Test an opportunity to purchase certain products. Once we have tested and reviewed, feel completely confident that it will perform for the consumer we offer it for purchase. We do not sell samples the product purchased is new. We provide this information to each Host, before we make an appearance.

A minority in publishing, broadcast, and manufacturing loathe what we do; the Bottom Feeding Three is what we like to call them. (BFT) Product reviews and advertising go hand in hand quid pro quo. The BFT do not want us coming between these traditional historical approaches of doing business. The consumer is a victim of Pay-to-Play relationship between all three players.

Print and broadcast are in a very difficult position when a manufacturer insists that if a positive review does not show up in print, no ad dollars. Montana Test has a single purpose, inform the consumer if product is worth their hard-earned cash. We do not Pay-to-Play with anyone.

What WERE They Thinking?

They're everywhere, hawking anything from indoor grills to outdoor gear, looking you straight in the eye and assuring you that "whenever they go (your activity here), they'd never go without (product here)."

They are celebrity endorsers, and these days, it seems everyone has a "celebrity" attached to their products. The logic is simple: if someone identifies with a celebrity, they will buy the products that celebrity uses.

Joe Namath wore panty hose and sold aftershave.

Lebron James and Shaquille O'Neal star in their own mini-movies (but for the life of me I can't remember what either are selling).

Julius (Dr. J) Erving and Chelsey Grammer tell us to drink our doctor -Dr. Pepper - slowly. "Trust me," says Grammer, with the same sly smile that probably convinced Eve to try apples, "I'm a doctor."

Some marketing execs call it the "NASCAR effect" fans love a driver and buy the products on his car because they believe sponsor dollars will keep him racing. Pure marketing voodoo.

But bringing your celebrity and a product, by association, to the front-page, can be like the legendary Woody Hayes explaining his hatred of the forward pass. "One of three things happens every time you pass the football," Hayes said, "two of them are bad."

Sometimes, celebs crash and burn, turning from dubious asset to obvious liability. It can be anything from a thoughtless comment to a murder charge, but the impact is the same: the celeb commits the offense and their sponsors bear the consequences.

Sometimes the damage just a bump to the corporate pride (think John Daly being hauled out of Hooters recently). At others, however, it's the stinging outrage of consumers who vow they will never, ever, under any circumstance, buy your products, then back that up by canceling orders worth millions of dollars.

That kind of offense can turn a name from a noun to a verb, and that verb into a synonym for "toxic".

Yet the American fixation with celebrity continues, and many companies race headlong into endorsements.

That potential for disaster is always there - especially if you don't consider why someone is known.

Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, I learned that yet another company might be headed for a marketing nightmare. This time, it seems the company didn't recognize the distinction between "known" and "notorious".

H-S Precision is a South Dakota company that manufacturers rifles and rifle components. They're so confident in their products that they offer a 3-shot group that's guaranteed 1/2 MOA at 100 yards (30 caliber or smaller). Their customers range from hunters who want light, accurate rifles to military and law enforcement snipers.

It seems, however, H-S Precision has missed the mark - badly - in their choice of endorsements.

On the back cover of their latest catalog is what appears to be a rather innocuous recommendation of H-S products by a mid-level FBI bureaucrat. But the letter is evoking strong responses by some outraged shooters.

Some watershed moments in American history evoke strong emotions. 9/11 can represent either the moment of perfect evil visited on America or the resiliency of the American spirit.

Others have no positive redeeming quality. One of those is Ruby Ridge.

That unfortunate event has become what then- FBI Director Louis Freeh described as "synonymous with the exaggerated application of federal law enforcement".

For many hard-core shooters, anyone associated with the event is toxic.

The author of that seemingly innocuous letter on the H-S catalog may be the most toxic of them all.

Lon Horiuchi, the "FBI Program Manager and COTR" who wrote the H-S Precision endorsement was the sniper who fired the shot that killed Vicki Weaver during that 1992 standoff. Although charged with manslaughter, he was never prosecuted. A year later, Horiuchi was also involved in the Waco siege in 1993, sealing his linkage to two of the worst examples of excessive use of force by law enforcement in recent history.

The internet kicked off the controversy, with bloggers asking "what in the hell are they thinking" (H-S Precision).

From there, the story has spread with protests reaching companies that use H-S Precision components.

One senior executive told me his company had already received "dozens" of emails concerning the use of H-S Precision parts. As to the tone of the emails: "none of them were happy."

Reading the blogs and message boards across the shooting community, it seems some readers are hoping that this is nothing more than an unfortunate gaffe.

One comment reminded readers Horiuchi never represented himself as anything other than the FBI official tasked in the selection of new precision rifle. And, another wrote, Horiuchi may be widely reviled, he was never convicted of wrongdoing. In fact, he retired from the FBI in October 2006.

But the ripples continue to spread.

As this new week begins, it's doubtful that anyone at H-S Precision anticipated the kind of greetings awaiting them after a weekend set aside for thanksgiving.

It's pretty safe to presume one of the questions they'll be answering, repeatedly, will be: "what were you thinking?"

We'll keep you posted.

--Jim Shepherd

Have gun, will travel: economy only grazes hunting
The bears rule Wall Street, but hunters go after pheasant, turkey even if the economy is shot

NEW YORK (Associated Press) - Have gun, will travel _ even if the economy's shot.
In the heart of South Dakota's pheasant-hunting country, license sales have been strong this fall despite gasoline prices near $3 a gallon and a looming recession. Ditto for hunting license sales in New York, Utah and Colorado. The leading retailers of outdoor gear, meanwhile, say sales of shotguns, ammunition, and warm camouflage clothes aren't too bad considering the economy's headwinds.

Hunting's popularity has waned slightly in recent years, and American families are tightening their belts as a recession looms, but businesses catering to hunters say the sport's outlook remains relatively healthy during these hard economic times.

"Hunters may not get the latest product, but they're still getting the things they need and getting out there. Our sales are holding up good," said Larry Whiteley of Bass Pro Shops, a privately held company that is one of the country's biggest suppliers of outdoor gear. "It's a family tradition. You know deer camp and all that stuff."

Some publicly traded companies that sell guns and other hunting equipment, such as Cabela's Inc. and Smith & Wesson Holding Corp., are showing signs of weakness, however.

To the extent that certain regions of the U.S. are noticing a drop off in hunting and fishing activity _ Pennsylvania, Texas, and Missouri, to name a few _ industry and government officials point to other root causes, such as urban sprawl and poor weather.

Some industry officials say financial struggles might even act as a counterweight to these other forces, because the search for wild game in fields and forests can be soothing for the soul.
"Hunting is part of what you are. It's a relief from all the stresses of society," said Brent Lawrence, a representative for the National Wild Turkey Federation.

However, just like leisure travelers in general, hunters are expected to stay closer to home and keep their spending in check when it comes to frills they might have splurged on in the past.

The wily Chinese ring-necked pheasant of South Dakota lures about 200,000 hunters every year. Many people fly or drive hundreds of miles to chase them through expansive fields of mostly harvested corn, soybeans and sunflowers, overgrown weed patches, and tall-grass prairie stretching to the horizon.

O'Jay Vanegas, 59, of Scottsdale, Ariz., visited South Dakota last week to hunt pheasants, just as he's done for the past 12 years.

Nevertheless, Vanegas, an auto salesperson who expects to earn about $30,000 less this year, skipped the season's opening day because the round-trip airfare from Phoenix had more than tripled from previous years. He predicts other hunters will cut back in similar ways.
"When money gets tight, something has to go," he said. "Hunting is a luxury."

Hunting license sales are flat this year in North Dakota, and down in states such as Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri. However, officials there blame bad weather: torrential rains, flooding and hurricanes.

The economy also may be a factor in reduced sales of hunting licenses, says Jim Low of the Missouri Conservation Department.

"People may not balk at the $10 price of a resident small-game hunting permit, but $4 gasoline to get to and from hunting and fishing spots ... very likely did affect people's recreational activities," Low says.

In Pennsylvania, general hunting license sales through August were off 4 percent for residents and 16 percent for nonresidents, but Jerry Feaser at the state Game Commission says that may have little to do with the economy.

"We've been fighting a long-term decline in license sales, which has more to do with things like urban sprawl than the economy," he says. "We have a lot of development on formerly hunt able lands, and that's a major obstacle."

George Van Horn, a senior analyst for Los Angeles-based industry research firm IBIS World, says retailers that depend on hunting are holding up well in the slack economy.
A survey done every five years for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service showed last year that 12.5 million Americans hunted in 2006, spending $22.7 billion. In 2001, there were 13 million hunters, and they spent $23.4 billion.

Some companies that rely on the shopping habits of hunters are exhibiting signs of strain.
Cabela's of Sidney, Neb., which specializes in direct marketing of hunting, fishing and camping merchandise, said Oct. 7 it would reduce its work force by roughly 10 percent. The company's CEO, Dennis Highby, said at the time, "it was necessary given the macroeconomic environment we are facing."

In addition, late in September Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. cited the economic downturn when it eliminated about 80 jobs at a Rochester, N.H., plant that makes hunting rifles.
Data collected from hunting preserves and the sporting good industry by IBIS suggest people tend not to cut back much on hunting trips in tough economic times because they already have the basic gear like guns and clothing.

"Local hunting, as far as people who live in rural areas and hunt for pleasure and food, may increase just because they've already got the equipment," Van Horn said.
However, sporting goods stores, which have reported strong sales of hunting equipment for the past five years, can expect slower growth this year, because enthusiasts that tend to take "big, luxurious trips are going to be cutting back."

Bobby Wiggins, manager of Bear Creek Shooting Preserve at Preston, Ga., said some past customers have cancelled deer hunting trips this year.

"Some of my regulars say they're pinching pennies right now, although I've replaced some of the ones I've lost and it might turn out to be a good season," Wiggins says.
Stowe Samco, owner of Absolutely Pheasants hunting lodge in Tripp County, S.D., which labels itself the "Pheasant Hunting Capital of the World," said his reservations are up 13 percent from last year.

It costs about $400 daily to hunt pheasants at Samco's place. He believes the sagging economy may deter hunters who are less affluent.

"I think the people that are hurt by the economy right now, the people that won't be coming, are probably going to be your $75- to $200-a-day guys. It's tougher for them," Samco says.

Lawrence, of the National Wild Turkey Federation, says most of those who typically hunt close to home have not been deterred by the weak economy. However, he says some who have been willing to shell out big bucks for hunts may stay home this fall.
"They may not make the big trip to go elk hunting in Colorado or duck hunting in Canada," Lawrence says. "But for the most part, tried and true hunters are still getting out there."

Texas State Rifle Association Political Action
To TSRA Members: Below is an open letter from the Illinois State Rifle Association's chief lobbyist, please read!
Illinois State Rifle Association

420 E. Locust, P.O. Box 637, Chatsworth, IL 60921
Phone: (815) 635-3198 or (815) 635-3166 Fax: (815) 635-3723 Website: www.isra.org
Fellow Sportsman:

Over the past 15 years, I have served in the Illinois state capitol as the chief lobbyist for the Illinois State Rifle
Association…

I lobbied Barack Obama extensively while he was an Illinois State Senator. As a result of that
experience, I know Obama’s attitudes toward guns and gun owners better than anyone does. The truth be
told, in all my years in the Capitol I have never met a legislator who harbors more contempt for
the law-abiding firearm owner than Barack Obama.

Although Obama claims to be an advocate for the 2 nd Amendment, his voting
record in the Illinois Senate paints a very different picture. While a state senator, Obama voted
for a bill that would ban nearly every hunting rifle, shotgun and target rifle owned by Illinois citizens.
That same bill would authorize the state police to raid homes of gun owners and forcibly confiscate
banned guns. Obama supported a bill that would shut down law-abiding firearm manufacturers
including Springfield Armory, Armalite, Rock River Arms, and Les Baer. Obama also voted for a bill
that would prohibit law-abiding citizens from purchasing more than one gun per month.
Without a doubt, Barack Obama has proven himself an enemy of the law abiding firearm owner. At
the same time, Obama has proven himself a friend to the hardened criminal. While a state senator,
Obama voted 4 times against legislation that would allow a homeowner to use a firearm in defense of
home and family.

Does Barack Obama still sound to you like a “friend” of the law-abiding gun owner?
In addition, speaking of friends, you can always tell a person by the company they keep. Obama counts
among his friends the Rev. Michael Pfleger - a renegade Chicago priest who has openly called for the
murder of gun shop owners and pro-gun legislators. Then there is his buddy Richard Daley, the mayor
of Chicago who has declared that if it were up to him, nobody would be allowed to own a gun. And let’s
not forget Obama’s pal George Soros - the person who has pumped millions of dollars into the UN’s
international effort to disarm law-abiding citizens.

Obama has shown that he is more than willing to use other people’s money to fund his campaign to
take your guns away from you. While a board member of the leftist Joyce Foundation, Barack Obama wrote
checks for tens of millions of dollars to extremist gun control organizations such as the Illinois
Council Against Handgun Violence and the Violence Policy Center.

Does Barack Obama still sound to you like a “friend” of the law-abiding gun owner?
By now, I am sure that many of you have received mailings from an organization called
“American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA)” talking about what a swell fellow Obama is and
how he honors the 2 Amendment and how you will never have to worry about Obama coming to take
your guns. Let me make it perfectly clear - everything the AHSA says about Obama is pure hogwash.
The AHSA is headed by a group of left-wing elitists who subscribe to the British view of hunting and shooting.
That is, a state of affairs where hunting and shooting are reserved for the wealthy upper-crust who can afford
guided hunts on exclusive private reserves.

The AHSA is not your friend, never will be In closing, I would like to remind you that I am a person who has actually gone nose to nose with Obama on gun rights issues. The Obama I know cannot even begin to identify with this nation’s outdoor traditions. The Obama I know sees you, the law abiding gun owner, as nothing but a low-class lummox who is easily swayed by the flash of a smile and a ration of rosy rhetoric. The Obama I know is a stony-faced liar who has honed his skill at getting what he wants - so long as people are willing to give it to him.

That’s the Barack Obama I know.
Richard A. Pearson
Executive Director
Illinois State Rifle Association
Open Letter to Sportsmen: 10/10/08

Billings: Thomas P. (Patrick) Stinson has joined Brook Insurance’s Great American Outdoor Trails Radio Magazine. Host Jim Ferguson

Patrick Stinson is the owner and founder of Montana Test. He tests outdoor product from A to Z specializing on fishing, hunting, and camping equipment and the entire ancillary product that make you are hunting and fishing experience more enjoyable.

Pat gives us a heads-up on what is new, improved, or just plain bad! As a former radio commentator, he keeps his fingers to the pulse of the nation. He will also keep us informed on issues facing outdoorsmen, dates, events we need to remember, and we will get his take on the political climate leading up to the 2008 Election. We are pleased Pat has joined the Outdoor Trails Network team!

VIBRAM TO BE “SOLE SOLE” OF WADING BOOT LINE

DENVER, Colorado (Sept. 14, 2008) – Simms® president K.C. Walsh announced that Simms would stop using felt as a material for soles on its wading boots effective with the launch of the 2010 line. Walsh made the announcement at a news conference held at the FlyFishing Retailer Expo. He said Simms’ decision to do away with felt is a result of the material being implicated in the spread of aquatic nuisance species and fish-killing disease. Walsh noted that anglers have always been among the nation’s first wave of conservationists, and with options to felt now on the market, anglers had a responsibility to both the resource and the tradition of angling to cease their use of felt.

“We know felt is not the only material that has spread invasive species and disease,” Walsh said, “but felt is surely part of the problem. At Simms, we’ve decided to be part of the solution.”

Late last week, national conservation leader Trout Unlimited asked at its annual meeting that wading boot manufacturers phase out felt by 2011. Simms is eager to lead the charge.

Walsh’s announcement comes as Simms unveils the world’s first fishing specific Vibram-soled wading boots. For 2009, Simms will offer six boot models, a wading sandal and a wading shoe with soles featuring Vibram® Streamtread™ soles. Additionally, Simms boots and waders are designed with “CleanStream™ technology,” a design philosophy that uses materials and production techniques making it more difficult for microorganisms to attach and makes wading gear easier to properly clean.

Simms and Vibram have worked together to produce an ultra-grippy, super-sticky rubber sole that works as well as felt in virtually all wet and aquatic conditions. The partnership between Vibram and Simms has resulted in a boot that combines the best performance features of felt with the environmental benefits of rubber. The new soles have been field tested extensively and will perform far, far better than any rubber soled fishing footwear currently on the market.

New Zealand has placed a ban on felt boots for the upcoming 2008 season. A number of U.S. states where aquatic nuisance species are found have reportedly discussed the possibility of outlawing felt-soles.

Additionally, Simms has agreed to work with conservation organizations and other companies within the fishing industry to develop a certification process to highlight gear designed to help prevent the spread of ANS and disease.

September 2, 2008
Chicago Suburb Gives Up Gun Ban by GR Staff

According to the NRA, the Village of Morton Grove agreed August 27 to a stipulated dismissal of a National Rifle Association lawsuit challenging the village’s gun ban. A new town ordinance recognizes the right to private handgun ownership, ending NRA’s lawsuit against the village. Morton Grove, located in a suburb of Chicago, completely dismissed its ordinance banning handguns and agreed not replace it with any direct regulation other than to adopt existing state laws.
“Today’s move is further vindication of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Heller ruling upholding the Second Amendment as an inherent, individual civil right for all law-abiding Americans,” declared Chris W. Cox, NRA’s chief lobbyist. “Morton Grove’s decision upholds state law and does not involve any registration or regulation beyond that law.”
The repeal of Morton Grove’s handgun ban passed on July 15 by a 5-1 vote. NRA will continue to monitor the Village of Morton Grove regarding its ban on gun stores, as the gun store provision was not a provision in the current lawsuit.
NRA may pursue Section 1983 Civil Rights actions against other municipalities who have not been cooperative to date.
“Today is an important victory and a step in the right direction for the residents of Morton Grove and for the citizens of Illinois,” concluded Cox. “NRA will keep up the fight to make sure the Second Amendment is recognized and honored across the United States of America.”

From Gun Reports.com

DENVER—House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was briefly evacuated from her downtown Denver hotel on Saturday when a man carrying two hunting rifles and two pistols tried to check in to the hotel.

Secret Service representative Malcolm Wiley said 29-year-old Joseph Calanchini of Pinedale, Wyo., faces a charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon after police officers at the Grand Hyatt hotel noticed him carrying a rifle-type case while checking in. Calanchini did not have a concealed weapons permit, said Lance Clem, spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Public Safety.

Wiley said authorities were not releasing information about whether the weapons were loaded because the case remained under investigation. Wiley said the charge is the same whether the weapons were loaded or unloaded.

Pelosi and other guests briefly evacuated the hotel but were never in danger, Pelosi Representative Brendan Daly said. Calanchini told KUSA-TV it was bad timing.
"I didn't even know the DNC was in town. I don't watch the news," Calanchini told the station from jail before he was released on $10,000 bond. "If I had known, I would have done things differently. It was a simple mistake." Calanchini told KUSA he had the weapons because he was getting ready for a hunting trip Aug. 28.

Authorities were investigating a report that Calanchini was in town on business and had had the weapons worked upon, including mounting of site scopes, to prepare for the trip.
"The speaker was never in any danger and she appreciates the quick and professional response of the police," said Daly.

From the Denver Post

Joining the states that are rapidly removing barriers to the use of crossbows in hunting, Michigan has simplified the application process and eligibility requirements for hunters with disabilities to use crossbows. In the August meeting, the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) adopted recommendations from its crossbow disability workgroup.

For the past four months, the workgroup has been looking at regulations with members from the medical community, bow hunting the Accessibility Advisory Council, general hunters, crossbow industry members and DNR personnel on the Council working to come up with what looks to be a set of very workable qualifications for automatic certification as eligible for a crossbow permit.

Under the new criteria, physicians can automatically certify a hunter as eligible for a crossbow permit if the hunter:
has an amputation involving body extremities required for stable function to use conventional archery gear,
has a spinal cord injury resulting in permanent disability to the lower extremities leaving the applicant permanently non-ambulatory, or
has a permanent wheelchair restriction.

If a potential applicant doesn't meet any of those automatic threshold criteria, physicians can certify hunters who fail a functional draw test that equals 35 pounds of resistance an involves holding it four seconds, or a manual muscle test involving the grading of shoulder and elbow flexion and extension, or an impaired range-of-motion test involving the shoulder or elbow.

Physicians can also recommend a crossbow permit for other permanent disabilities, including neuromuscular conditions.

The new regulations go into effect immediately and we're told the new simplified application form will be available by Monday, August 25, at www.michigan.gov/dnr.

Further, the NRC is seeking authority to issue crossbow permits for hunters with "certain temporary disabilities.” As written today, there is no provision for temporary conditions to qualify a potential hunter as crossbow eligible.

Dave Robb, Director of Marketing for Ten Point Crossbow Technologies, likes what he sees as another example of a dispassionate examination of barriers to hunting. "The train's left the station," says Robb, "there have been several states that have removed barriers to crossbows for hunting."

So far this year, four other states, Louisiana, Kansas, South Carolina, and Maryland have made changes in their regulations regarding crossbows and hunting.

According to TenPoint's Robb, the reasons are driven by simple needs. "Game officials need more animals harvested," he says, "and we need to ways to help with hunter retention. Crossbows help with both."

Meanwhile, in California, one of the nation's best paralympic athletes has been told he can no longer practice his archery in his driveway. Jeff Fabry, 35, of Tulare, California, has been practicing down his driveway and across the street (for longer shots) for the past years. In fact, he tells the Tulare Advance-Register, he's even had curious police officers stop and watch him shoot.

It's no wonder. Fabry, who lost his right arm and leg in a motorcycle accident in 1988, picked up archery ten years ago. Despite the obvious challenges, he's picked up numerous national and state archery records- in able-bodied competitions. As a paralympian, he's won a pair of bronze medals (2004 Athens) as well as three Paralympic World Championships.

He's scheduled to leave Tulare August 31 for the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. From there, it's on to Beijing for the 2008 Paralympics. With that in mind, Fabry's working intently to be prepared for the competitions.

Now, however, it seems a complaint about his shooting may be messing up his plans. After the complaint, he was told that a city park ordinance forbids his shooting - and he could be arrested if he didn't comply.

As you can imagine, Tulare residents aren't happy. A visit to the Advance-Register reader comments range from supportive to outright angry at the whole deal. The small town has a history of Olympic athletes. Bob Mathias and Sim Iness were both from Tulare.

We'll keep you posted.
From the Outdoor Wire

Unlikely aroma: Man's business sells dried moose droppings as rustic-smelling incense

By PAMELA J. PODGER of the Missoulian
CONDON - Jerry Black's picky about poo.

He's tromping through waist-high grass in a Swan Valley meadow searching for moose poop. But the ungulates are uncooperative on this outing and all he's finding are deer droppings and bear scat.
Turns out, dried moose manure smells like willow, red dogwood trees and other woodsy smells.
About two months ago, Black started his fledgling business of making incense from moose manure, selling it for $8.99 a bag at the Clark Fork River Market on Saturday mornings.
Black is slightly frazzled because he's out of his poo supply. He's standing in what he considers ideal moose habitat, a secluded boggy meadow where dragon flies alight on willows and red dogwood branches.
“This is frustrating,” said Black, brushing a fly from his sweat-soaked shirt. “If I don't find any moose poop, I'm in trouble because the Hells Angels are here and I bet they'll buy a lot of moose poop.”
Moose, considered emblematic of the West, have been used as icons for marketing everything from chocolate to jewelry to beer. But Black believes his moose poop incense is a first. He's even trademarked his slogan with the state, “Moose-cense: You can't get this (crap) just anywhere.”
Moose are herbivores and the moose marbles are purely vegetative material, Black said. Unlike cow patties, moose droppings resemble deer pellets.
He sells about a dozen packets a week, mostly as novelty gifts for people who live outside of Montana. One bride gave the moose poop as gifts to her bridesmaids for a wedding in Glacier National Park, a lady in New York City purchased some for her family and several college students told Black the incense would be a great way to cover up the telltale smell of their pot-smoking habits.
He and his business partner Marian Palaia, who started this business as a lark in June, have put their energies into it marketing the stuff. Palaia, who handles the packaging, said they're likely to expand into book marks, T-shirts and canvas tote bags.
“It's not going to be Microsoft, but I think we will be busy. How busy? Who knows,” she said.
Their Montana moose poop comes in a burlap bag with a refrigerator magnet, box of matches stamped with a moose, an incense burner to hold the acorn-size nuggets, about six to eight dried poop pieces in a organza bag, and a ceramic holder, either handmade pieces of carved elk horn or “recycled” vessels from garage sales. They also include a fun moose fact.
Black, a retired Northwest Airlines pilot, first heard of the concept during a wildlife tracking course offered in February by the educational nonprofit Northwest Connections.
As they passed some moose dung while tracking a cougar, Northwest Connections owners Tom and Melanie Parker happened to mention the poop made for fragrant incense. Black took some home, dried it on his backyard deck and a business was born.
Melanie Parker helped Black search from some moose dung near the Swan River, but didn't find any either. She advised Black to look on mountain slopes at higher elevations. During the spring, the snow drives the game to the valley floors and they climb back on the slopes when the snow melts.
“In the summer, the moose particularly like the mid-elevation slopes,” Parker said.
Black said 10 percent of their net profits benefit Northwest Connections, and the rest are split between him and his partner.
“It started as a joke, but it's been a hit at the market,” Black said. “It's like Candid Camera - people go by and look, walk a little further and then come back. They don't believe its moose poop. Naturally, your first inclination is ‘this is (crap) and it will smell like (crap).' But it is like a willow, campfire smell. People are very surprised.”
He said Moose-cense has a Web site, http://moose.cense.googlepages.com/home, so people can purchase more once they've returned home.
After picking up “a couple thousand” moose nuggets, Black has become a poo connoisseur.
He avoids dark moose dung, which usually contains digested grasses and doesn't burn with a woodsy smell. He also said some moose poo crumbles after it is dried and can't be packaged and sold.
He tried drying elk and deer dung, but said it doesn't have as nice a scent as moose droppings.
“Unless I can find something else that smells as good, we'll stick with moose poop,” Black said.
Laurie Grogan, a hair stylist at Gregg's Hair Co., said she's purchased more than two dozen packets as gifts for visiting friends. “It's nice, very organic and a fun gift. The presentation is so good, Grogan said. “Montana is just a moosy place.”
She said some friends from North Carolina purchased some packets, as did her sister who brought some moose poop home to Seattle.
Several hair salon customers said they probably wouldn't buy moose poop incense, saying they weren't into incense.
But another stylist said she purchased several packets.
“My daughter gave some to her teacher as a retirement gift,” said Andi Morigeau-Hardy.
Lynsey Lambert, 26, said she gave five packets to her work colleagues and five to her bridesmaids when she got married July 5 at Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier.
“They all loved it and they burned it at our rehearsal dinner,” she said. “It smells like incense you would buy in the store, very woodsy. It doesn't smell like poop at all.”

Montana Outdoors: Ben and Jerry's gang on the loose at Red Lodge
By MARK HENCKEL

Montana Outdoors
For lack of a better name, let's call them "The Ben and Jerry's Gang." And, beware! They're still on the loose in the Red Lodge area, terrorizing homes.

The gang is made up of black bears that do not travel together, but have all discovered that there are goodies to be consumed inside houses, if only they can get inside. And the break-ins, apparently, haven't been too difficult.

"There could be three bears. There could be four bears," said Shawn Stewart, wildlife biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks at Red Lodge. "Those, of course, are only the house-entering bears. We've got a lot of other bears in town every night, too."

Stewart said there have been 15 break-ins by gang members in the past two weeks, including eight in two days spread from Rock Creek north to Fox, the West Fork of Rock Creek, the Red Lodge golf course and points in between.
"One of the favorite entries is casement windows - the crank-out windows," he said. "If people leave them open a little bit, the bears crank them open from the outside - they just grab it and give it a little tug.

"Several of the bears have just walked in the front door. If you've got a lever handle, instead of the round door handle, they're very good with those. Round handles, they can't handle," Stewart added. "We had one door the other night that just had a push-button handle. The bear was feeling his way around and hit the push-button just right. If the door's not locked, they can get in.

"And the bears have a really good time when they get inside. Refrigerators are wonderful things, and they clean them out. Cupboards are a wonderful thing, and they clean them out," he said. "One family had just been to Costco, and literally everything that was bought at Costco went down the bears. The muffins? Cleaned them up. The teriyaki chicken? Cleaned it up. The cherries? Cleaned them up.

"What the guy was most upset about was the Ben & Jerry's ice cream. He really likes Ben & Jerry's ice cream and the bear just licked it ALL up. It was all gone," Stewart said. "The man did not see the humor in it. At least, not that day."

Stewart noted that not all bears get in and not all bears are allowed to stick around and visit if the homeowners are inside.

"One bear was heard knocking rather loudly. He was pounding on the door. That was a solid-core door, and it didn't give, and he did not get in," he said. "At a number of the homes, the people have been there when the bear went into the house. They just run him back out. The bear hasn't been rewarded much.

"The bears have shown no aggression toward people. They're just in there trying to get food," he added. "And, for the most part, they go out the same way they went in. In years past, we've had them break one window going in and break another going out. But Kevin Nichols went to one house on Thursday night where the bear really trashed the house."

Stewart and Nichols, the game warden for FWP in Red Lodge, have traps in place and are trying to catch the Ben and Jerry's Gang, but so far, no gang members have been incarcerated for their crimes of breaking-and-entering-and-eating.

"We have had bear traps set north and south of town. But we have had absolutely no luck," Stewart said. "We've tried a number of different baits. We have not tried Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

"With bears that break into houses, they don't come back to the same house. They don't hit the same house twice," he said. "When you're dealing with a house-breaking bear, you're always behind him. That's always frustrating. Where is he going to hit next?"

Despite the bears' break-ins and assorted other nongang activity, Stewart doesn't feel that bear numbers are necessarily all that high: It's not a function of high bear numbers, it's bad bears FWP hasn't been able to catch up with. More development in the area outside the city limits has also increased the opportunities for bears to get into trouble and develop bad habits.

The simplest solutions are to keep your doors locked, and even though the cool night breezes may feel great, keep the windows shut and locked that are within the reach of bears. Don't keep any attractants outdoors like barbecue grills, bird feeders or dog food that might tempt bears to your yard, though in many of the gang's break-ins, none of these food items played a part.

Other solutions?

"Well, people could just wish us good luck in trapping bears that have been very difficult to catch up with. And, if you're going to buy Ben & Jerry's ice cream," Stewart noted, "you can just drop it off at the biologist's house for safe keeping."

2008 Waterfowl Survey Shows Ducks Breeding Farther North, Bypassing Dry Prairies

The preliminary estimate of total ducks from the 2008 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey was just over 37 million, which is a nine percent decline from last year's estimate, but still 11 percent greater than the 1955-2007 average. In the U.S. and Canadian prairies, population estimates of many species declined; while populations increased in the boreal forest to the north, likely reflecting in part those birds that overflew the prairies because of drier habitat conditions there.

The Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey, the largest and most comprehensive survey of its kind in the world, samples two million square miles across the north-central and northeastern United States, south-central, eastern, and northern Canada, and Alaska. The survey estimates the number of ducks on the continent's most important nesting grounds.

Overall, habitat conditions for breeding waterfowl in 2008 were generally similar to or somewhat worse than to conditions in 2007. The total pond estimate (Prairie Canada and United States combined) was 4.4 million ponds. This was 37 percent below last year's estimate of 7.0 million ponds and 10 percent below than the long-term average of 4.9 million ponds.

The annual survey guides the Service's waterfowl conservation programs under authority of the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Service works in partnership with state biologists from the four flyways - the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central and Pacific - to establish regulatory frameworks for waterfowl hunting season lengths, dates, and bag limits.


Highlights from the survey in the north-central United States, south-central and northern Canada, and Alaska (the traditional survey area) include:

. Mallard estimated population of 7.7 million birds, similar to last year's estimate of 8.3 million birds and the long-term average.

. Blue-winged teal estimated population of 6.6 million birds, similar to last year's estimate of 6.7 million birds and 45 percent above the long-term average.

. The estimated population of green-winged teal stands at 3.0 million and is similar to last year and 57 percent above the long-term average.

. The estimated population of 2.7 million gadwall was 19 percent below last year and 56 percent above the long-term average.

. The estimated number of 1.1 million redheads was similar to last year and was 66 percent above the long-term average.

. The canvasback estimate was 489,000 which is 44 percent below last year's estimate of 865,000 and 14 percent below the long-term average.

. The estimated abundance of northern shovelers (3.5 million) was 23 percent below last year and 56 percent above their long-term average.

. Scaup (lesser and greater combined), estimated at 3.7 million, were similar to last year and 27 percent below the long-term average.

. The 2.6 million estimate for northern pintails is 22 percent below last year and 36 percent below the 1955-2007 average.


Population estimates for American black ducks, ring-necked ducks, American wigeon, bufflehead, goldeneyes, and mergansers surveyed in eastern North America were similar to last year as well as their 1990-2007 averages.

This preliminary report does not include estimates from surveys conducted by State or Provincial agencies. The entire 2008 Trends in Duck Breeding Populations report can be downloaded from the Service's Web site at < www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/>http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/.


The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.
Media Contact:
Joshua Winchell (703) 358-2279 joshua_winchell@fws.gov

By a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the District of Columbia's 32-year ban on handguns. In the decision, the majority opinion says, unequivocally, that the right to keep and bear arms is an individual right. In the explanation of the decision, the majority opinion, written by Justice Antonin Scalia, the Justices say the much-debated meaning of the Second Amendment could be rephrased to read:

"Because a well regulated Militia is necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed."

In other words, logic demands that there is a link between the stated purpose and the command. Further, the Court cited the language of the First and Ninth Amendment as using very similar terminology, but "unambiguously refer to an individual's right.” That interpretation codifies, the Court says, the right beyond any ambiguous reading.

"Today's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court is a major victory for all Americans," said NSSF President Steve Sanetti. "The Heller decision reaffirms the wisdom of our founding fathers in creating the Bill of Rights to protect and preserve individual rights, the cornerstone of our democracy. Furthermore, this decision solidifies an historical fact, the commonsense understanding that governments have powers, not rights -- rights are reserved exclusively for individuals."

"Today's decision lays to rest the specious argument that the Second Amendment is not an individual right and marks the beginning of the end of repressive gun laws that have infringed upon individual liberty and done nothing to make America safer," said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel."

"Wisdom and truth have triumphed over hysteria and falsehood," says Second Amendment Foundation founder Alan M. Gottlieb. "This decision makes it clear that a right 'of the people' is a right enjoyed by, and affirmed for, all citizens. It destroys a cornerstone of anti-gun rights elitism, which has fostered - through years of deceit and political demagoguery - the erosion of this important civil right.

"This ruling also makes it abundantly clear that laws which ban the possession of firearms, or make it simply impossible through regulation for citizens to exercise their right to keep and bear arms, are unconstitutional and cannot stand," Gottlieb continued. "Today, America has taken a small but significant step toward restoring the Second Amendment to its proper place in our Bill of Rights."

Gottlieb is correct in that significant step characterization. The decision, although clear in the individual's right, is not universal in its decision. In the ruling, for example, the opinion is careful to make a distinction between an individual right and an unconditional permission to carry "any firearm at any time."

This is recognition, albeit not direct, of the fact that the United States has regulations in place, for example, strictly regulating ownership of machine guns and other devices including suppressors. That point was raised in an Amicus Curae argument put forward by United States Solicitor General Paul D. Clement. The argument, as a bit of background, was not supported by the administration, as was shown in Vice President Dick Cheney's signing an amicus brief along with more than 150 members of Congress.

The disagreement was obvious in the decision. In footnotes, for example, Justice John Paul Stevens position that the right to petition is "primarily collective in nature" is summarily dismissed as "dead wrong." In another, his argument regarding "to keep and bear" being clearly established and, therefore, not mutually guaranteed as described as a "bizarre argument.”

The meaning as stated in yesterday's opinion is clear; the "right" to keep and bear arms merely codified a pre-existing right. As a pre-existing right, it "shall not be infringed" as it is not a right granted by the Constitution, but one recognized by it.

Shortly after the decision was announced from the bench, another bit of news that had been whispered earlier in the week was announced at the National Rifle Association. A lawsuit challenging Chicago's gun ban was not only ready, but also being filed. According to the National Rifle Association's Wayne LaPierre, that lawsuit would seek to quickly move in those areas where common sense and other less confrontational approaches had failed.

Across the industry, however, it was more a celebration than a rallying cry for additional combat. From Smith & Wesson headquarters in Massachusetts, CEO Michael Golden was pleased with the decision. "It was obvious the Justices decided the case in the right way," Golden said, "It is good news to the industry and for individual rights. The citizens of the District of Columbia, San Francisco, Chicago, and other areas have been told they have the same rights as the rest of the country."

For Taurus's Bob Morrison, the decision was one that meant more to him than the ability to keep making his products. "As a West Point graduate," Morrison told me, "this decision reaffirms the oath I took to protect and defend this country."

"For me," he said, "for all of us who swore that oath, its knowledge that we did the right thing."

In short, the right of the people - all the people- to have firearms if they so choose, had been affirmed.

In the celebratory moment, however, it should be noted that no one has ever implied that the "reasonable restrictions" referred to by yesterday's decision should be tossed in all instances. Convicted felons, the mentally unstable, and others disqualified from other rights should be denied firearms. The universal agreement, however, is that the local area in which a law-abiding citizen resides should not disqualify them from exercising their right to own a firearm.

In reading his dissenting opinion from the bench yesterday, Justice Stevens made a comment that has been largely ignored by many media outlets, but has raised the concerns of observers. "There is," Stevens said in his emotional statement, "no untouchable constitutional right." He also said that "judicial restraint" would, in his opinion, have been a better decision.

We're interpreting those comments to state that Stevens believes the Supreme Court should have passed on a decision, remanding the question back to the Circuit Court- with an implied hope that a lesser level of scrutiny to be applied.

It was that Strict Level of Scrutiny applied to a case that led to Justice Breyer's dissenting opinion. In it, Breyer calls for a new classification of judicial scrutiny, setting aside Strict, Intermediate and rational basis scrutiny for what he calls a judge-empowering "interest balancing inquiry" that asks "whether the statute burdens a protected interest in any way or to an extent that is out of proportion to the statute's salutary effects upon other important governmental interests." In other words, Breyer held that because handgun violence was a problem, because the law was limited to an urban area, and because there were somewhat similar restrictions in the founding period (a fact the majority describe as "false") the interest balancing inquiry would be an appropriate level of scrutiny to apply. Fortunately, that was not a view held by the majority of the Court. The majority, correctly, noted that not only is there no basis for such an approach, it would allow the "Third Branch of Government" (the courts) to decide on a case-by-case basis if a right was really worth insisting upon.

In the long term, we believe the Court's summary says it all:

"We are aware of the problem of handgun violence in this country, and we take seriously the concerns raised by the many amici who believe that prohibition of handgun ownership is a solution. The Constitution leaves the District of Columbia a variety of tools for combating that problem, including some measures regulating handguns."

"However, the enshrinement of constitutional rights necessarily takes certain policy choices off the table. These include the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home.

Undoubtedly, some think that the Second Amendment is outmoded in a society where our standing army is the pride of our Nation, where well-trained police forces provide personal security, and where gun violence is a serious problem. That is perhaps debatable, but what is not debatable is that it is not the role of this Court to pronounce the Second Amendment extinct. We affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals. "

"This is a great moment in American history. It vindicates individual Americans all over this country who have always known that this is their freedom worth protecting," declared NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre. "Our founding fathers wrote and intended the Second Amendment to be an individual right. The Supreme Court has now acknowledged it. The Second Amendment as an individual right now becomes a real permanent part of American Constitutional law."

"Anti-gun politicians can no longer deny that the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right," said NRA chief lobbyist Chris W. Cox. "All law-abiding Americans have a fundamental, God-given right to defend themselves in their homes. Washington, D.C. must now respect that right."

LaPierre, however, made it clear that the efforts to strike down all gun bans is now underway, saying "I consider this the opening salvo in a step-by-step process of providing relief for law-abiding Americans everywhere that have been deprived of this freedom."

It appears the NRA is moving - quickly - to see that the same level of respect is given in Chicago. In addition, in Chicago's surrounding suburbs. In addition, San Francisco. Moreover, well, you get the point.

Jim Shepherd

My favorite misnomer organization, The Humane Society of The United States, is up to their usual play for headlines.

HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle, one of the masters of almost-fact and hyperbolic conclusion, used the occasion of the death of a California condor to call for a nationwide ban on lead-shot ammo, the "killer that keeps killing after it leaves the gun barrel."

This time, Pacelle says lead is like asbestos, with "no place in our modern society," it is, as he describes it "a lethal and cruel pollutant" which, when dispersed in our open spaces, "is a prescription for slow agonizing deaths of wildlife, particularly scavengers."

To me, it's ironic that Pacelle would use that example. After all, he's one of the best examples of what PBS used to call "hospice fundraising. After all, he's not incapable of sending letters to people that would, if you didn't know better, convince you that all animals are writing in agony, suffering at the needless injustices foisted upon them by their repressive owners who are holding them in bondage - all for their selfish needs to dominate something.

Just in case you're a HSUS lawyer reading this, I am - through some cruel joke played upon me by a yet undiscovered friend - a HSUS member. I get the fundraising letters and they will make your skin crawl. I even have the "Welcome Home" blanket that came -unsolicited - along with a letter telling me that "the animals" wanted me to know how much they cared for me.

So let me get this straight - it's bad for me to have a pet (despite having spent more on my animal than I did on the first year of law school). On the other hand, it's OK for HSUS to put pictures of harmless little doggies and kitties on a paper-thin "blanket" for the purpose of drawing $50 (or more "if you really care") from my bank account.

Anyway, Pacelle draws a plaintive picture of "one-fifth of the entire Southern California population of these majestic creatures" who have been "reintroduced into the wild at considerable expense and effort" have been poisoned. One, (about 2.87 percent of the population of 35) has died - apparently of lead poisoning.

Pacelle does, in fact, mention that lead shot has been banned in California, and that its usage has been banned in waterfowling since 1991. However, he says "stubborn shooters, including (HERE COMES THE BIG BAD GUY) lobbyists for the National Rifle Association (Insert involuntary gasp here), advocate lead shot on the flimsy grounds that it is 'traditional' and 'affordable'."

Here's the kernel around which the whole deal is wrapped - Pacelle is using the common liberal fear of the NRA to raise money. After all, "millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on condor recovery efforts" and it has been turned into "nothing more than campfire kindling for the fear-mongers of this radical organization."

What about his radical organization?

Oh, that's different, I forgot.

Because he wants us dining on tofu and bean sprouts (I have- and do - eat both) rather than meat, he's all for taking away the option. He can color it any way he wants, but he's been on record saying his goal is to see the vegan lifestyle become the rule, not the exception. I don't have any problem with anyone eating according to their own individual beliefs and values, but I have real problems with someone using misdirection and hate mongering to raise money.

He would like you to think that the solution to all our problems would be simple: eliminate the National Rifle Association. After all, it's just a bunch of evil bureaucrats, right? That's actually not the case. Pacelle needs the NRA just as any advocate organization (including the NRA) needs the opposite side of their issue. After all, with no battle to fight, there's no incentive to cough up "$50 -or more if you can" to help save the Condors - and keep Pacelle's expense account coming.

Jim Shepherd

Over the last 20 years, children's playtime has declined by 25 percent and unstructured outdoor activities have declined by 50 percent. Family dinners have decreased by 33 percent and family vacations have decreased by 28 percent (according to the organization Family Life First).



How can you gain back some of the family time that is lost while increasing your child's interest in the outdoors? The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) declare boating and fishing as unmatched leisure activities that help make a true connection with family, friends, and the natural environment.

Across the country, officials are encouraging people of all ages to reconnect with their families during National Fishing and Boating Week (NFBW), June 1-8, 2008.

"Outdoor recreation strengthens the family as a unit and children as individuals," says Georgia WRD Chief of Fisheries Management John Biagi. "National Fishing and Boating Week is an opportunity to remind all outdoor enthusiasts to teach their children and others the importance of natural resource conservation while introducing them to a sport that could last a lifetime."

NFBW began in 1979 as National Fishing Week and was created to recognize the tradition of fishing, to broaden the spirit of togetherness and to share the values and knowledge of today's anglers with tomorrow's anglers. In the spirit of introducing new family members or friends to the sport of angling, Georgia, for example, offers two free fishing days during NFBW - Saturday, May 31 and Saturday, June 7, 2008. Kentucky, West Virginia, and many, many other states are also offering the opportunity for folks to give fishing a try - without the hassles or expense of buying a license.

On these days, residents do not need a fishing license or a trout license in order to fish. Residents can fish on any public waters in most of the state waters, including lakes, streams, ponds, and public fishing areas.

Take Me Fishing! A recent national survey indicated that 87 percent of Americans believe fishing and boating have a positive effect on family relationships. So take your family fishing and you will always have something in common.

For more information on NFBW or the Take Me Fishing Campaign, visit the national website at www.takemefishing.org.

WILDLIFE GROUPS CELEBRATE CENTENNIAL OF CONSERVATION CONFERENCE;
SET THE STAGE FOR 2008 NORTH AMERICAN WILDLIFE POLICY CONFERENCE

Washington, DC: The leaders of the nation's top hunting and wildlife conservation organizations celebrated the visionary leadership of President Theodore Roosevelt at the Department of the Interior today while laying the groundwork for a plan to carry conservation efforts forward in the 21st Century. Together with the Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Secretaries of the Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture, the groups reflected on Roosevelt's 1908 Conference of Governors that marked a turning point in natural resource conservation in this nation. More importantly, the centennial celebration set the stage for a fall conference on wildlife policy that will establish a plan to enhance wildlife conservation and perpetuate the tradition of hunting in this nation.

"Today's centennial celebration honors the vision of our forefathers in protecting this country's precious natural resources, and highlights the work that we need to continue in order to ensure we have healthy wildlife populations and continued opportunities for hunting," stated Sporting Conservation Council Chairman and Boone and Crockett Club Chairman, Bob Model. "Hunters have long led the charge on protecting wildlife and their habitat, and it is with this perspective that we are once again laying the foundation for the future of wildlife conservation and our hunting traditions." The Sporting Conservation Council is a federal advisory committee created to advise the Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture on conservation issues of interest to the hunting community.

At the turn of the last century, the rapid industrialization of the nation was resulting in the exploitation of what had once been perceived as our inexhaustible natural resources. To stem the tide of the losses and focus on the benefits of sustainable resource use, President Theodore Roosevelt called the nation's governors, members of his Cabinet and the Supreme Court, members of Congress, scientists, industrial leaders and conservationists together in May of 1908. Never before had such a broad group of individuals been convened by a president to consider issues affecting the nation; the fact that what brought such a diverse group together was the matter of natural resource conservation shows how fundamental President Roosevelt believed the issue of conservation to be.

The North American Wildlife Policy Conference looks to take the values and lessons learned from a century of conservation efforts and stems directly from an Executive Order signed by President Bush in August 2007. The Facilitation of Hunting Heritage and Wildlife Conservation Executive Order called for the federal agencies to facilitate the expansion and enhancement of hunting opportunities and the management of game species and their habitat. Specifically, the Departments of Interior and Agriculture were tasked to evaluate the effects of their actions on trends in hunting participation, consider the economic and recreational values of hunting, manage wildlife and wildlife habitats to expand and enhance hunting opportunities, and work collaboratively with state and tribal wildlife managers to foster healthy and productive wildlife populations. In addition the executive order calls for the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the federal agencies, in collaboration with the Sporting Conservation Council, to convene a wildlife policy conference within one year that would be the foundation for a ten-year Recreational Hunting and Wildlife Resource Conservation Plan.

"We believe that the North American Wildlife Policy Conference will be as pivotal to wildlife conservation and hunting as President Roosevelt's conference was one hundred years ago," commented Dave Nomsen, Chairman of the American Wildlife Conservation Partners and Vice President of Government Affairs for Pheasants Forever. The American Wildlife Conservation Partners is a loose affiliation of hunting and wildlife conservation organizations that work together on issues of common ground.

Members of the Sporting Conservation Council, after working with the broad group of partners in the American Wildlife Conservation Partners, have set forward five primary topics that have been accepted by the Administration as the focus of the 2008 wildlife policy conference:

- Discussions on the North American Conservation Model
- State/Federal/Tribal Wildlife Management
- Habitat Conservation and Management
- Funding for Wildlife Conservation
- Perpetuating Hunter Traditions

Working groups have been established to fully flesh out these concepts and develop real, attainable policy objectives that they recommend to be included in the final ten-year plan. In early April, the working groups met at a technical meeting in Denver, CO to further develop the approaches that can be taken. The reports that stem from these working groups were presented to the Chairman of CEQ and the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior prior to the centennial celebration on May 15. Through the summer, the SCC and partners will continue to fine tune the proposals for final approval into a blueprint that will take hunting and wildlife conservation forward into the next decade and beyond.

Radical Anti-Hunting Crazies Sue over Wolves!

Anti-Hunting Groups Sue Over Wolf Delisting

Twelve organizations calling themselves conservation groups filed a federal court lawsuit April 28, challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services removal of northern Rocky Mountain gray wolves from the endangered species list earlier this year. The move may drastically delay Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming from implementing wolf management plans that are badly needed to reduce both livestock losses and predation of elk and deer.

Joshua Winchell, spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said, the gray wolf in the northern Rocky Mountains exceeded its population goals that were set quite some time ago as part of the recovery effort, and that meant they could be delisted. We worked very hard with our state partners for many, many years to establish meaningful population goals for the wolf, and the wolves really showed remarkable adaptability.

When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the delisting of wolves in February, it became by anyone’s standards one of America greatest conservation success stories. Listed as endangered in 1974, wolves were re-introduced in Yellowstone National Park and U.S. Forest Service land in 1995 and 96. The minimum recovery goal sought by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the northern Rocky Mountains was 30 successfully breeding pairs and at least 300 individual wolves. That goal was reached in 2002, and today at least 1,500 wolves and 100 breeding pairs roam the region.

When the delisting was announced, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dale Hall said, these wolves have shown an impressive ability to breed and expand they just needed an opportunity to establish themselves in the Rockies. The Service and its partners provided that opportunity, and now its time to integrate wolves in the states overall wildlife management efforts.

The animal-rightists lawsuit states that wolves should not have been delisted because they remain threatened by biased, inadequate state management plans, and lack of connections between isolated state wolf populations.

Reacting to the allegations, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department issued a statement that said, in part All three states are managing wolves under plans approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and are using the best science to maintain a recovered population of wolves. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department considers the lawsuit both unnecessary and unproductive. Wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains are doing extremely well, and the population continues to increase by an average of 24 percent annually.

Over and above the state plans, the Endangered Species Act also mandates that USFWS monitor the wolf population for five years after delisting.

The Local Viewpoint to people who live and hunt in wolf country; it is no surprise that wolves have far exceeded the recovery goal. Many of them feel that the number of wolves has already proved to be devastating to deer and elk.

Tony Mayer, Idaho resident and co-founder of www.saveourelk.com, said, its impossible for the prey base to withstand the onslaught of wolves. I’ve seen first-hand the carnage, and I don’t see how any sane person could not see that something needs to be done.

Wolves have gotten into such numbers that we’re practically into a predator pit here, I think, said Bob Balser, a hunter and retired logger from Rathdrum, Idaho. The wolves are killing nobody knows how many times more game than they eat. You’ll find elk just having the stomach ripped open, or maybe the wolves just pull the unborn calf out of a female, eat it, and walk off. In addition, it’s not just elk and deer. They’re hitting the moose very hard, too.

In addition to predation on elk, deer and moose, wolves take a serious toll on livestock. In Idaho alone, federal agents confirmed that wolves killed 52 cattle, 170 sheep, and 6 dogs just in 2007.

Who is doing the Suing
The 12 groups bringing the lawsuit read like a Who’s Who of anti-hunting. They are:

EarthJustice
Sierra Club
Defenders of Wildlife
Humane Society of the United States
Natural Resources Defense Council
Center for Biological Diversity
Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance
Friends of the Clearwater
Alliance for the Wild Rockies
Oregon Wild
Cascadia Wildlands Project
Western Watersheds Project
Wildlands Project

This lawsuit is just another example of anti-hunting groups using the courts to reverse decisions made by qualified wildlife biologists, said Susan Recce, NRA’s Director of Conservation, Natural Resources and Wildlife Management. They simply don’t care if wolves have reached recovery goals or not, and the lawsuit isn’t about conservation. It’s about hunting--these groups don’t want wolves hunted for any reason. What better way to prevent that than by keeping a species listed under the Endangered Species Act?

Recce added that NRA and Safari Club International are working together to request to intervene in the lawsuit. Check back with www.nrahuntersrights.org for updates as we get them.

J.R. Robbins

Editors Note: J.R. Robbins is Managing Editor, Hunting Communications for the National Rifle Association

Meijer Ends Promotion with HSUS

Columbus, Ohio - Midwest Retail Giant Meijer, Inc. has ended its promotion with the nation’s largest anti-hunting organization.

The leadership at Meijer, a Michigan-based regional chain of retail superstores, has responded to the concerns of the sportsman community and ended its partnership with the anti-hunting group, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), in an online pet photo contest.

Meijer initially refused a U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) request to abandon the partnership, which according to information on the Meijer website, called for the company to donate $1 for each person that entered the contest, up to a maximum of $5,000, to the HSUS Foreclosure Pets Fund.

On Friday, April 25, the USSA sent out a call to action for sportsmen to voice their concerns over these donations to the biggest anti-hunting organization in the world. Sportsmen immediately took action; flooding the retailer with phone calls, faxes, and emails. Meijer has now eliminated the portion of the contest that included a donation to HSUS.

Our program was an outgrowth of our history of supporting local humane societies. We were not aware of the concerns that exist among hunters about HSUS. As you know, we have strongly supported the hunting community over many decades said Meijer vice president of corporate communications and public affairs, Stacie Buhler. We have discontinued our donation program because of the feedback. No new funds will be collected. The funds that were collected will be used exclusively for their Foreclosure Pets Fund, which is a grants program for animal shelters, non-sheltered rescue/adoption groups and animal care and control agencies to establish, expand, or publicize services or programs that assist families caring for their pets. During the current economic crisis’s the money donated to HSUS through this promotion, while not going directly to its anti-hunting campaign, would have freed up dollars from the organizations general fund that could have been used to continue the attack on the rights of sportsmen.

This once again proves that the sportsman’s voice is not to be taken lightly said USSA senior vice president Rick Story is we hope that in the future, companies such as Meijer will consider how partnerships will be received before launching them.

Behler recognized that hunters and sportsmen are a huge customer base for Meijer and mentioned that the company had received messages and emails from concerned sportsmen that identified other sportsman-friendly national organizations that could be substituted for HSUS in helping pets.

The HSUS is Americas leading opponent of hunting, fishing and trapping’s It led the charge in a 2006 ballot campaign to ban dove hunting in Meier’s home state of Michigan, contributing $1.6 million to the effort’s It opposes hunting on National Wildlife Refuges and other public lands. In fact, the organization is a plaintiff in an ongoing federal lawsuit to ban hunting on the refuges HSUS does not operate or oversee animal shelters or have any legal controls over them.

Meijer is to be congratulated for quickly severing its ties to HSUS once it began hearing from sportsmen is although the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is satisfied with Meier’s decision; the fact that the partnership ever took place is still cause for concern.

Meijer is a seller of sporting goods and hunting and fishing licenses and indicates on its website that it operates 182 locations throughout Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.

The result of this campaign once again proves that sportsmen can make a difference’s Companies such as Iams, General Mills, Accor Hotels, Pet Safe, Sears and Ace Hardware ended relationships with HSUS after thousands of sportsmen levied strong protest.

Story from Outdoor Wire

Wal-Mart has announced it will now film its gun sales in the United States and create a computerized log of purchases. The log will also create a record and alert system that will record when a gun sold at a Wal-Mart is used in a crime. Should the purchaser of that gun later try to buy another gun at Wal-Mart, the system would alert the sales clerk who could then refuse to make another sale.

The recorded images of gun sales will also be made available to law enforcement as part of an investigation.

The company has agreed to a 10-point code with Mayors Against Illegal Guns as part of the Responsible Firearms Retail Partnership program. That organization was founded and is led by New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

As part of the 10-point code, Wal-Mart says it will develop a “first-of-its-kind” computerized crime gun trace log that will flag purchases by customers who have previously bought guns later recovered in crimes.

The company will also run background checks on any employee who handles firearms.

According to J.P. Suarez, senior vice president and chief compliance officer of Wal-Mart, the new registration system is based on the retailer’s extensive point of sale network, providing “a way for us to fine-tune the things we’re already doing and further strengthen our standards.” Suarez also says the hope is that “other retailers will join” in the Responsible Firearms Retail Partnership program as well.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) says the partnership's name gives the false impression that federally licensed firearms dealers are somehow irresponsible.

"Today's announcement reflects Mayor Bloomberg's troubling ignorance and misunderstanding of what can -- and cannot -- be gleaned from data of guns recovered by law enforcement and traced from the manufacturer to the first retailer purchaser," said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) maintain this trace data.

ATF has said repeatedly, "The appearance of [a licensed dealer] or a first unlicensed purchaser of record in association with a crime gun or in association with multiple crime guns in no way suggests that either the federal firearms licensed dealer (FFL) or the first purchaser has committed criminal acts. Rather, such information may provide a starting point for further and more detailed investigation" (Crime Gun Trace Analysis Reports, ATF, 1998).

Likewise, says Keane, the NSSF has never opposed background checks on prospective employees using the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Today, that system’s use to screen potential employees is prohibited by law.

While Keane characterizes the Wal-Mart announcement with the Bloomberg coalition as a “publicity stunt” it’s no laughing matter to those who live in areas where Wal-Mart has become the single-source for many products.

Nationwide, it’s not uncommon to hear small-town residents complaining that “Wal-Mart killed our town” – while pushing their shopping carts down the aisles of the retailer they blame for the death of independent businesses across the country.

Today, Wal-Mart only sells rifles and shotguns in its U.S. stores – with the exception of some Alaskan stores that also sell handguns.

Wal-Mart’s Suarez says the tougher standards will come at significant costs to the company, but characterizes the costs as “part of what it takes to be responsible. Everything is not pain-free.”

Retail observers say that is more frequently true for Wal-Mart customers than the retail giant. Costs associated with business changes normally filter down to the retail customer. Should the costs be assigned to the firearms categories, it will undoubtedly result in higher gun and ammunition prices. Higher prices could result in a downturn in sales for that product category.

Maybe I’m being paranoid, but this would seem to be the first step in a measured exit strategy that can be turned to the company’s political advantage while being laid at the feet of consumers who are unwilling to pay the added costs.

But that’s just me.

Meanwhile, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the New York State Association of Firearms Retailers sent out a notice yesterday encouraging all sportsmen, gun owners, and firearms enthusiasts to contact their state assembly members, asking them to vote against a number of anti-gun bills.

They ranged from mandatory childproofing devices to a ban on any firearm with a bore diameter of .50 caliber or larger (and the requirement that owners surrender them to law enforcement) and the apparently now-requisite call for “microstamping” of guns and ammo and a ban on frangible ammunition. Another measure would create new sales and reporting requirements for licensed firearms dealers –and a requirement that all dealers carry a minimum of $1,000,000 liability insurance.

They all passed.

Jim Shepherd...Outdoor Wire

Shortly after wolves taken from the federal endangered species list, Wyoming residents took at least three this weekend. According to Wyoming officials, all three of the confirmed kills came in the newly designated predator zone for wolves. Inside that zone, the animals can be shot on sight without limits, as long as the time, location and sex of the kill is reported to the Game and Fish Department within ten days.

On Friday, after the wolves were removed from the endangered species list, they fell under the control of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Under their guidelines, wolves in the state’s extreme northwest corner fall in the state’s trophy game zone and are afforded some protection. Outside that area, however, wolves are considered predators similar to coyotes.

A number of wildlife groups, including Defenders of Wildlife, have notified the federal government of their intent to sue over the wolf delisting, once a requisite sixty-day waiting period is up at the end of April. The groups have not ruled out seeking an emergency injunction under the Endangered Species Act to have the declaration voided.

Meanwhile, the Mississippi House of Representatives has passed a bill allowing hunting of deer over grain or other baits. Critics say it takes the sport out of hunting; others say it simply provides an additional way to help control the state’s growing deer population. While critics say it’s unethical, Mississippi House Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Chairman Bo Taylor offered this solution: “It’s all about ethics. If you feel it’s unethical, then don’t do it.”

Under the bill, food must be placed in feeders or spin feeders.

The Idaho Game and Fish Department is offering a simple explanation for the deaths of 200,000 Chinook salmon smolts scheduled for release into the Lochsa River last Friday. The explanation? Cold weather and human error. Water flows to an acclimation pond were interrupted when a valve on an intake pipe froze. Hatchery attendants didn’t notice the valve.

In New Jersey, Governor Jon Corzine’s proposed budget cuts are going to be closing nine state parks and cut services at three others. Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose, representing Sussex, Morris and Hunterdon, noted – correctly – that the majority of the parks set for closure are in Republican areas of the state. Corzine, as you know if you’ve read much about the continued battles between Corzine, the Department of Environmental Protection and conservationists, is a Democrat.

“It couldn’t be clearer,” McHose, says,” First he said he plans on eliminating the state’s Agriculture Department, which is one of the most efficiently run departments we have, and now he intends on closing down our state parks. How interesting that most of them are located in primarily Republican territory.

“New Jersey parks are not the cause of our state budget problems,” McHose, a member of the Assembly Budget Committee, continued, “a self-serving governor who is clearly out of touch with our residents is.”

She also called the governor a hypocrite for going after an entity that actually benefits the state’s economy. “These parks attract millions of recreational visitors and tourists each year that are a much needed boost to the state’s economy and the economies of the regions surrounding these parks,” she explained. “Mr. Corzine should spend his time battling the real problem – excessive government spending, waste and abuse – and not targeting our resources that actually benefit the state. He should take a long, hard look at the waste in so many of our school districts and the abuse in the state’s New Jersey Family Care program.”

Maybe so, but if history is any guide, Corzine will pretty much do what he wants as the director of the Environmental Protection agency has proven to be more interested in protecting her job than the environment.

The Original Winchester Name is Back


The Morgan, Utah based makers of Winchester rifles and shotguns have announced the historic return to the original name given the brand nearly 150 years ago. In 1866, Oliver Winchester named his company - and the brand of rifles he was selling - Winchester Repeating Arms. Going forward all Winchester branded sporting firearms will fall under the Winchester Repeating Arms banner.
In the mid 20th century the usage was often shortened to just "Winchester." In recent years, reference to Winchester firearms fell under the umbrella brand of Winchester Rifles and Shotguns. Today, with the launching of the 2008 product line, including the new Model 70 and the entry of the new Speed Pump shotgun, it is fitting the company to return to its roots. Other Winchester Repeating Arms products include the Super X3 autoloading shotgun (known for its extreme speed and reliability), the Super X Rifle (an autoloading centerfire rifle with impressive, bolt action-like accuracy), the Wildcat 22 bolt action, and the impressive line of Model 101 and Platinum over and under shotguns (made in Belgium).

The Winchester brand is licensed to the makers of Winchester firearms by the Olin Corporation. Olin is the owner of the legendary Winchester Ammunition brand, owns, and licenses the brand to a number of quality companies who make hunting and shooting related products. Winchester Repeating Arms and Winchester Ammunition are the anchor brands for the Winchester family of products.

Top Outdoorsman Towns Named By Outdoor Life Magazine
Mountain Home, Arkansas Takes Top Honors

New York, New York—Outdoor Life magazine ranks the top towns for hunters and anglers to live in its April 2008 issue, on newsstands March 20. The magazine used extensive data to score 200 towns on available sporting opportunities and quality-of-life. Mountain Home, Ark., population 12,215 took top honors on the magazine’s “Best Places to Live” list. The magazine also names top towns in each region of the country and top towns for whitetail hunters.
“There are a lot of outdoorsmen looking to put down roots in an area with more campsites then condos,” says Todd Smith, Editor-in-Chief of Outdoor Life. “We went straight to facts when putting this list together to make sure we got the best options. With hard data backing our rankings I know sportsmen aren’t going to be disappointed.”

Laid-back Mountain Home, Ark., located in the Ozarks Valley scored the top spot on Outdoor Life’s list. Mountain Home is the eastern most towns to break into the top ten, with a high percentage of Rocky Mountain locations dominating the list. Mountain Home’s score elevated by its close proximity to excellent warm and cold-water fishing in the White River and Bull Shoals and turkey, deer, duck and bear hunting in the nearby Ozark National Forest. According to Outdoor Life, Mountain Home also bolstered by a low cost of living, excellent schools and hospitals, and a vibrant retail economy.

Lewistown, Idaho took the No. 2 spot for steelhead fishing and terrific upland bird hunting. Wyoming took two spots in the top ten with Sheridan, Wyo., at No. 3 and Cody, Wyo., claiming No. 4. Legendary trout fishing, high-country elk, and trophy mule deer secured the No. 5 spot for Pocatello, Idaho. Lewistown, Mont., at No. 6 offers million-dollar views on a blue-collar budget and a full spectrum of hunting opportunities. More than 100 lakes are within a half-hour of Marquette, Mich., at No. 7. Dillon, Mont., at No. 8 boasts the lowest population, 4,056, of the top ten towns. Arizona’s only entry to the top ten Page, Arizona comes in at No. 9. Rounding out the top ten is Bismarck, N.D., with species for every interest and season.

Outdoor Life’s “Best Places to Live”

1. Mountain Home, Ark.
2. Lewiston, Idaho
3. Sheridan, Wyo.
4. Cody, Wyo.
5. Pocatello, Idaho
6. Lewistown, Mont.
7. Marquette, Mich.
8. Dillon, Mont.
9. Page, Ariz.
10. Bismarck, N.D.
11. Richfield, Utah
12. Logan, Utah
13. Livingston, Mont.
14. Fort Collins, Colo.
15. Cedar City, Utah
16. Helena, Mont.
17. Rifle, Colo.
18. Williston, N.D.
19. Bemidji, Minn.
20. Rogers, Ark.

While Outdoor Life’s “Best Places to Live” concentrates on overall hunting and fishing opportunities the magazine also features a special list for whitetail deer hunting fanatics. The “Top 10 Whitetail Towns” list populated by a large number of states east of the Rocky Mountains with Kirksville, Mo., taking top honors.

Outdoor Life’s Top 10 Whitetail Towns

1. Kirkville, Mo.
2. Orofino, Idaho
3. Arcadia, Wis.
4. Union City, Tenn.
5. Barre, Mass.
6. Guthrie, Texas
7. Parsons, Kan.
8. Clanton, Ala.
9. Sidney, Mont.
10. Waynesboro, Va.

Outdoor Life’s “Best Places to Live” also names top regional choices for sportsmen. In the Northeast Burlington, Vt., a vibrant college town with outstanding bass, duck and moose opportunities took top honors. Located between the Sierra Nevada and Warner mountains Susanville, Calif., came in first for the Pacific Coast. Arkansas scored another win with Rogers, Ark., coming in second behind Mountain Home in the Southern region.
Outdoor Life spent months compiling data for the “Best Places to Live” combing through every population center with more then 4,000 residents. Towns ranking based on more than 20 criteria with sporting opportunities given slightly heavier emphasis than quality-of-life of life rankings. Sporting factors considered included fishing and hunting opportunities; trophy quality of sporting opportunities; proximity to public land; restrictiveness of gun laws and whether the fishing and hunting is good year round. Quality-of-Life factors considered included: growth rate of local economy; unemployment rate; average commute time; medical facilities; crime rate; housing prices; median household income; and the variety of cultural and educational opportunities within easy driving distance.

EDITOR’s NOTE: The following comes to The Outdoor Wire from the National Shooting Sports Foundation. It’s an interesting piece in itself, but when you factor in fishing and camping, the outdoors is by far the largest piece of the athletic and sports equipment industry.

Hunting- and shooting-related equipment has out-driven golf in sales, according to data released by the National Sporting Goods Association.

New statistics show that hunting gear and firearm sales topped $3.7 billion in 2006, up 4.1 percent from the previous year. Only exercise equipment performed better, with sales of $5.22 billion, according to NSGA's most recent "Sporting Goods Market" report. Golf equipment, which claimed the No. 2 spot the previous year, fell into the third spot with $3.66 billion in sales.

"These statistics not only further demonstrate the willingness of America's 40 million hunters and shooters to spend big bucks to enjoy their lifestyles, but also show our industry's success in continuing to develop new products to meet their needs," said Doug Painter, president of the firearm industry's trade association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

"The increase in projected sales reported by NSGA corresponds to other increases we saw between 2005 and 2006 in production, excise taxes on firearms and ammunition, background checks related to the purchase of firearms and in hunting license sales," said Painter.

NSGA's sales projection for 2007 shows golf equipment and hunting and shooting equipment running neck-and-neck to claim the No. 2 spot, with exercise equipment remaining at No. 1.

Included in the hunting- and shooting-related equipment category are firearms ($2.18 billion in 2006 sales), airguns ($224.1 million), ammunition ($977.1 million), knives ($51.8 million), paintball guns/packages ($220.9 million) and reloading equipment ($52.0 million).

Below is a listing of the top 10 categories.

2006 Sales: Athletic and Sports Equipment
1. Exercise - $5.22 billion
2. Hunting and firearms - $3.71 billion
3. Golf - $3.66 billion
4. Athletic goods team sales - $2.62 billion
5. Fishing tackle - $2.22 billion
6. Camping - $1.53 billion
7. Optics - $1.01 billion
8. Snow skiing - $615.0 million
9. Billiards / indoor games - $570.9 million
10. Tennis - $419.8 million

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), formed in 1961, is the non-profit trade association for the shooting, hunting and firearms industry. NSSF directs a variety of outreach programs to promote greater participation and a better understanding of hunting and the shooting sports, emphasizing safe and responsible ownership of firearms. For more information, visit www.nssf.org.

NEWTOWN, CT – Yesterday, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) released an extensive study on the feasibility and reliability of establishing a national ballistic imaging, sometimes misleadingly referred to as ballistic "fingerprinting," database. The study concludes, "A national database containing images of ballistic markings from all new and imported guns sold in the U.S. should not be created at this time".

The contemplated national ballistic imaging system would require that a fired cartridge casing from every newly manufactured and imported firearm sold at retail in the United States be sent to a federal agency to be imaged and up-loaded into a massive government-run database. In theory this would allow law enforcement to collect ballistics evidence (i.e. fired cartridge cases) at crime scenes and search the database in hopes of finding a match that might then allow law enforcement to identify the specific firearm used in the crime.

Forensic experts at the California Department of Justice raised questions about the feasibility of such a system in a study released in 2002 when the California legislature was considering establishing a statewide system like New York and Maryland. The researchers at the California Department of Justice concluded, "Automated computer matching [ballistic imaging] systems do not provide conclusive results." Heeding that study's conclusions, the California legislature rejected the concept.

The Maryland and New York ballistic imaging programs have been in place for almost a decade but neither has produced a single arrest or prosecution despite several million dollars of taxpayer funding. The Maryland State Police Department has called for their program to be repealed and the funds redirected to other, more effective law enforcement measures.

In their study, the NAS researchers questioned the validity of the science underlying this technology. "The fundamental assumption underlying forensic firearms identification – that every gun leaves microscopic marks on bullets and cartridge cases that are unique to that weapon and remain the same over repeated firings – has not yet been fully demonstrated scientifically. More research would be needed to prove that firearms identification rests on firmer scientific footing."

"A great deal of misinformation about ballistics imaging has circulated in the media including referring to the technology as ‘ballistic fingerprinting' or ‘ballistics DNA' which is completely misleading and widely overstates the technology's capability," said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. "As the NAS study proves, this is simply not true."

Keane noted that following the California Department of Justice study, "the firearms industry called for and fully supported a national study of the feasibility of a national ballistics imaging database. Industry members cooperated with the NAS researchers by providing factory tours and answering their technical questions."

In the study released today researchers noted, "A number of problems would hinder the usefulness and accuracy of a national database. Ballistic images from millions of guns could be entered each year, and many of the images would depict toolmarks that are very similar in their gross characteristics. Research suggests that current technology for collecting and comparing images may not reliably distinguish very fine differences in large volumes of similar images, the report says. Searches would likely turn up too many possible ‘matches' to be useful. Also, the type of ammunition actually used in a crime could differ from the type used when the gun was originally test-fired – a difference that could lead to significant error in suggesting possible matches."

"The conclusions of the NAS researchers validate our industry's long-standing concerns about the feasibility of a national database," added Keane. "Our industry has always supported the use of ballistics imaging by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) as a potential law enforcement tool because that database is limited to ballistics evidence from crime scenes. The fact that the ATF system, called the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), is not cluttered with millions upon millions of images from firearms lawfully possessed and used makes the program more efficient in identifying potential matches."

Firearms Microstamping Should Be Studied

Today's study also examined a newly developed technology called "firearms microstamping." Microstamping is a patented sole source process that laser engraves the firearm's make, model and serial number on the tip of the gun's firing pin so that, in theory, it imprints the information on discharged cartridge cases.

A recent peer-reviewed study published in the professional scholarly journal for forensic firearms examiners proved that the technology of microstamping is unreliable and does not function as the patent holder claims. It can be easily defeated in mere seconds using common household tools or criminals could simply switch the engraved firing pin for readily available unmarked spare parts, thereby circumventing the technology.

Experts at the University of California at Davis, recently finished a study of the technology. The U.C. Davis researchers found the technology "flawed" and concluded that "At the current time it is not recommended that a mandate for implementation of this technology in all semi-automatic handguns in the state of California be made. Further testing, analysis and evaluation is required."

Similarly, the NAS report noted that "further studies are needed on the durability of microstamping marks under various firing conditions and their susceptibility to tampering, as well as on the their cost impact for manufacturers and consumers."

"The firearms industry opposes microstamping legislation that would mandate this questionable technology and, as we did with ballistics imaging, we support the call for further study of the technology," said Keane.

Last year California enacted legislation to require that all new models of semi-automatic pistols sold in the state be microstamped beginning January, 2010. "Microstamping will add approximately $200 to the price of each firearm," noted Keane. "Manufacturers informed California Governor Schwarzenegger they would be forced to abandon the California marketplace because the cost of incorporating the flawed and easily defeated technology was too high."

New Twist in Old Argument

As we hurtle toward the Supreme Court’s hearing arguments on D.C. versus Heller next month, the amicus briefs from both sides continue to flow to the high court. There is a variety of opinions being proffered on the interpretation of the Second Amendment as an individual or collective right to keep and bear arms, and some have opened some very interesting discussion topics on boards and chat rooms across the World Wide Web.

Perhaps the most legally intriguing argument for the Second Amendment’s individual interpretation comes from the Secretary of State and a group of legislators from Montana. In their argument, they say the U.S. has already answered the question, saying the Second Amendment rights apply to “any person.” The basis of their argument falls long before the gun control movement in the United States.

To establish their position, they point to the contract under which Montana became a state. In the resolution offered by Congressman Denny Rehberg, Montana’s legislators caution the Supreme Court that a decision to the contrary would violate their contract with the United States. They also put forth the position that the individual rights interpretation was an “accepted part of that contract.” Interpretation to the contrary would not only violate Montana’s contract, it would fly in the face of Montana’s “customs, culture, and heritage.

Says Gary Marbut, President of the Montana Shooting Sports Association, “we hope the Supreme Court will recognize and credit the contract argument, an argument unmentioned in any of the briefs submitted in the Heller case.”

The Montana contract is archived as Article I of the Montana Constitution. At the time the then-territory's "Compact with the United States" was agreed to by Congress, the Montana Constitution included the "right of 'any person' to bear arms," the group writes, "Contracts must be implemented so as to effect the intent of the parties to the contract. A collective rights decision by the court could also call into question the sanctity of contracts, considered to have been a bedrock principle of law for centuries.”

As further support of their opinion, they point to then-President Benjamin Harrison’s 1889 approval of the constitution proposal, including Montana’s specific inclusion of the right to bear arms. Other determinations, they write “offend” the contract.

That language, Montana officials say, “Cannot be ‘respun’ to somehow mean a right of state government.” The National Guard, they say, was not even formed until some years afterward.

They also pooh-pooh the idea of a “living constitution” a document with an “evolving meaning” that is changeable over time. There may be such a concept, they offer, but the idea of an evolving contract to be disregarded or revised at the whim of one party or the other is simply does not exist in law.

This latest wrinkle is one that raises interesting legal discussion – including some pretty specific legal wrangling on message boards, but it’s not the only call from legislators for action to counter a brief field by U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement that says: "Given the unquestionable threat to public safety that unrestricted private firearm possession would entail, various categories of firearm-related regulation are permitted by the Second Amendment.”

As we move toward the inevitable arguments of D.C. versus Heller before the United States Supreme Court, the importance of the foundational concept of individual ownership of firearms cannot help but be impressed upon the members of the high court. I hope that the recognition of that foundational belief – by our founders and antecedents – will not be neutralized by the largely emotional arguments offered by those who believe otherwise.

Jim Shepherd

Cabela's puts Billings store on hold as expansion slows
City 'will be getting a store,' but company won't say when

By ED KEMMICK
Of The Gazette Staff

Cabela's Inc. is scaling back its expansion plans, postponing construction of a Cabela's store that was supposed to open in Billings this year.

A spokesman for Cabela's, an outdoor outfitter based in Sidney, Neb., said the Billings project is still on the drawing board.

"The folks in Billings will be getting a store," said John Castillo, a spokesman in Minneapolis.

A press release from the company said that it would open only two stores this year, five fewer than announced earlier, and that "current plans call for two additional locations to be opened in 2009."
Asked if that meant the Billings store would open in 2009, Castillo said, "I don't know, but I assume that is the case."

Site work had begun for an 80,000-square-foot store a little east of South Billings Boulevard off Interstate 90, and Castillo said he didn't know what steps would be taken to preserve the site for future construction.

The project apparently was going well, however. John Brewer, president of the Billings Area Chamber of Commerce, said he heard from Cabela's about six weeks ago that the store opening, originally planned for June, had been moved up to late April or early May, and that the company was accelerating plans to begin hiring workers.

Company officials had previously said the Billings store, which would be the first in Montana, had plans to hire about 150 part-time and full-time employees.

The Omaha World-Herald reported Thursday that plans were on hold for stores in Billings; Greenwood, Ind.; Wheat Ridge, Colo.; and East Rutherford, N.J., and that Cabela's would not open a store planned, but never announced, in Union Gap, Wash. The company had already dropped plans for another store, in Georgia.

The newspaper said the two stores planned for 2008 would be built in Rapid City, S.D., and Scarborough, Maine. As if to underscore that commitment, Cabela's broke ground Thursday on the store in Rapid City, which is to be the same size as the one planned for Billings.

The Billings store was supposed to anchor a retail shopping center called Billings Town Square, which was being developed by Foursquare Properties of Carlsbad, Calif. Foursquare, which acted as the front company for the Cabela's Billings project, is developing similar shopping centers in Rapid City and Post Falls, Idaho, where a 125,000-square-foot Cabela's opened late in 2007.

No one with Foursquare could be reached Thursday, but Billings City Administrator Tina Volek said it was her understanding that Foursquare representatives were meeting with Cabela's officials in Nebraska on Thursday and would be apprising the city of their plans for the rest of the development soon.

Mayor Ron Tussing said the city made no financial commitments to Cabela's, and Volek said the city had not yet begun any infrastructure work - on sewer and water lines and the like - to serve the Cabela's site.

In November, the City Council did create a new tax increment-financing district in the area of the Cabela's site, but the city has no financial liability as a result of that, Volek said. The South Billings Boulevard Urban Renewal District is to receive all property taxes collected on new development with the district boundaries for the next 15 to 25 years.

The money would be spent only on public improvement projects within the district, for such things as new or improved streets, curbs, gutters and sidewalks, streetlights and sewer and water lines. The district takes in a mix of commercial and residential property, including a low-income neighborhood.

The press release from Cabela's said the company was expanding more cautiously because of "an overall challenging consumer environment." Although the company was expecting revenue to be up 13.9 percent for both the fourth quarter of 2007 and the year, it also said that same-store sales were expected to be 5.9 percent lower in the September-December quarter last year than they were in the same quarter of 2006.

In addition to its worldwide catalog business, Cabela's has 26 operating stores, including eight that opened last year.

The future of hunting and wildlife depends on an active base of hunters. Each hunter contributes approximately $92 dollars a year to conservation via licenses, excise taxes, and donations. This doesn’t sound like much, but it generates nearly $1.3 billion a year. No other source of funds comes close to conserving habitat and wildlife like hunters. Just as importantly, the 14 million-plus hunters in the U.S. through their voting power maintain our right to hunt. Clearly, the hunting tradition will continue in the U.S. if we have a strong base of hunters.

However, there is a dark side. We are seeing a gradual aging of America’s hunters. Ask your friends to compare the people they see around the weigh stations or hunt camps today compared to when they were young. Ten years ago, 38 percent of our hunters were over 45 years of age. Now, 47 percent of our hunters are over 45. Just in the last 10 years, hunter numbers have fallen 10 percent. For industry, the gradual aging of hunters and their entry into more affluent ages has offset part of this decrease. However, that benefit will only last so long. If the trend continues, sales and membership to organizations such as yours will feel the impact, if that hasn’t occurred already. We are not replacing them with young hunters.

A comment was made that that aging hunters are attributable to aging baby boomers, that the presence of the baby boom “bubble” distorts average ages due to their sheer numbers. This is not true. Baby boomers started a population increase in the U.S., but they do not represent a bubble. There are plenty of younger people filling the ranks as boomers age. However, baby boomers who hunt are not being replaced by younger generations. In the last 25 years, it appears that 25 percent of our baby boom-age hunters have dropped out (USFWS, 2007). With kids now choosing other activities besides hunting, the overall number of hunters is falling. It is time to act.

Youth literally have a million ways to spend their free time. The Kaiser Family Foundation tells us that over two-thirds of kids have a TV in their bedroom, most with a video game attached to it. The average kid spends 44.5 hours a week – more than a fulltime job – engaged with media of some sort.

Kids are aggressively marketed to video games, social web sites, wireless communications, and more. Free time for kids is highly structured: sports leagues, organized play dates, and more. With kids so well connected, it is not surprising that many activities are aggressively marketing to youth – except hunting. Certainly, there are other issues affecting hunter recruitment such as access to hunt able lands and regulations that make it tough to kids to hunt, but we – the hunting community – need to step up and recruit kids before all the other activities competing for their attention beat us to the punch. The future of hunting and wildlife depends on us.

CA Appeals Court Rules Unanimously In Favor Of SAF Lawsuit

In a unanimous decision yesterday, the California Court of Appeals ruled that the City of San Francisco's handgun ban is illegal under state law, upholding a lawsuit filed by the Second Amendment Foundation and several other groups.

'This is a great day for gun owners and civil rights in California,' said SAF Founder Alan M. Gottlieb. 'This is the second time we successfully fought a gun ban in San Francisco, and what this demonstrates is that the city's leadership is as horribly out of touch with the law as it seems to be out of touch with reality.'

SAF was joined in the lawsuit by the National Rifle Association, Law Enforcement Alliance of America, California Association of Firearms Retailers and several private citizens.

In its ruling, the court held that Proposition H, approved by voters in November 2005, is invalid as preempted by state law. Gottlieb said this was essentially the same case that SAF battled on its own 23 years ago when the city, under then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein, adopted a gun ban.

'We urged the city well in advance to drop Proposition H from the 2005 ballot, and warned them that if they pushed the measure and it passed, we would meet them in court,' Gottlieb recalled. 'We kept our word, along with our colleagues at the NRA, LEAA and our friends in the CAFR.

'This has been a horrible waste of the court's time, the city's legal resources and the taxpayers' money,' he added. 'The only reason this case went forward after the ban was struck down by the trial court is that San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and the Board of Supervisors wanted to mandate their extremist anti-gun rights philosophy as public law.

'Every judge in every court that this and the earlier case went before has sided with us,' Gottlieb stated. 'This is a battle that had to be fought, and this is a ruling that we expected from Day One of our lawsuit. This wasn't just a fight over gun rights. It was really about defeating social prejudice against gun owners; a type of bigotry made even more insidious by the fact that it was fostered and defended by a city administration whose attitude toward gun owners is anathema to American values.'

USPSA Shoots For 20,000 Members In 2008

Industry leaders step up to support membership drive.
Sedro-Woolley, Washington — The United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) is shooting for 20,000 members in 2008 and has enlisted the help of some of the firearms industry’s biggest leaders.

“Over the last two years USPSA has reached new membership milestones and finished 2007 with just over 16,500 members – an all time high. And while this is certainly good news, we are focused on expanding the sport of Practical Shooting even further in 2008,” said Dave Thomas, Executive Director of USPSA.

The bold initiative is good news for the industry as USPSA members represent a significant block of consumers. A recent survey conducted by USPSA found that in 2007 its members spent upwards of $45 million on Practical Shooting to include spending on firearms, accessories, ammunition and reloading equipment and components.

Already industry leaders Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory, Beretta USA, Rock River Arms and O.F. Mossberg & Sons have joined USPSA in the new membership drive by donating firearms for the effort. The donations will be part of a series of drawings for USPSA members that recruit new members in 2008.

“Our statistics show that an overwhelming number, 62%, of our membership learned about the sport from a friend. Based on this we worked with the industry to create an incentive program that rewards our members that actively recruit new members in 2008,” explained Thomas.

For further information on USPSA’s 2008 membership drive, or to join other industry leaders in supporting this effort, please contact USPSA at (360) 855-2245 or info@uspsa.org.


About USPSA: The United States Practical Shooting Association is a non-profit membership association affiliated with the International Practical Shooting Confederation (I.P.S.C.), which is comprised of approximately 67 nations. USPSA’s 16,500+ members and 350 affiliated clubs make it the largest and fastest growing Practical Shooting sport.

Media Contact:
Dave Thomas (360) 855-2245 or dave@uspsa.org

©2008 The Outdoor Wire. All Rights Reserved.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at Montana Test!

This last year was fantastic for the site and you the consumer. We experienced tremendous growth and 2008 will be even better as we expand into more publications with reviews and new product to test.

Thank-you for visiting the site and please return as often as you can, our growth is due to you and we cannot Thank-you enough!

Merry Christmas and God Bless You and Yours!

Pat Stinson
Owner

UNPRECEDENTED REBOUND OF WHITETAIL DEER BEGAN WITH CONSERVATION

By the time the sun is high enough to illuminate the patch of oak trees on the hill, a herd of whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus) will have been feeding in the shadows for quite some time. A group of mature does, fawns and a few bucks browsing on the acorns strewn across the ground stop feeding only long enough to glance in the direction of the faintest noise or to engage in social activities. Once the air is warmed with the sun's light, the group will disappear at its leisure into the cover of the grassy creek bottoms nearby.

However, they will be back - maybe in the evening's fading light, if not sooner. In 2007, this sight occurs every morning in thousands of places across the country. One hundred years ago, however, the return of the whitetail deer was far from certain.




By far the most popular big-game animal in North America, pursued by more sportsmen and women than any other in this country, the whitetail deer is endowed with many physical adaptations, which make it a challenging quarry. Whether valued by hunters for its table fare or for the beautiful antlers that adorn the heads of mature bucks, the deer survives day-to-day with a wealth of keen senses that few species can rival. However, no matter how keen their vision nor how powerful their hearing and senses of smell were, the whitetail deer was no match for the arrival of European settlers and the westward expansion of the United States. The whitetail was at the forefront of each of these events, with its meat and hide serving as a means of both survival and trade for a rapidly expanding population.

Though exact numbers have never been compiled, it is estimated that whitetails in North America numbered between 30 and 50 million prior to the arrival of settlers. Ranging from the deserts of Mexico to the frozen plains of many Canadian provinces, from the wooded hills of Virginia to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the whitetail inhabited all manner of ecosystems. Its adaptability has aided its rebound in the last century. The establishing of hunting seasons, bag limits and stocking have all increased the population to levels never before seen. The money collected from the sale of sporting goods and the efforts of sportsmen and women nationwide have resulted in the greatest conservation success story the continent has ever seen.

Today, wildlife watchers and hunters alike can find whitetail in the swamps, suburban developments, isolated farms, and deserts. More than just a prime example of what careful conservation practices can do to benefit both wildlife and humans, the lure of the whitetail deer draws millions of hunters into the woods every autumn, the same hunters who spend billions of dollars on licenses and equipment and help finance the future of the same game animal that they so revere.

On the fourth Saturday of every September, millions of Americans celebrate the success of the whitetail deer and many other species as part of National Hunting and Fishing Day activities that will be going on nationwide. National Hunting and Fishing Day began after a presidential proclamation in 1972 that sets aside the fourth Saturday of each September for the event. Since then, national, regional, state, and local organizations have staged thousands of open house hunting- and fishing-related events everywhere from shooting ranges to suburban frog ponds, providing millions of Americans with a chance to experience, understand, and appreciate traditional outdoor sports.

The careful whitetail deer conservation efforts of the past have given millions of people the thrill of seeing a big buck chase does in an open field and to spy fawns bedded in the thickest summer grass. Conservation groups, sportsmen and women and wildlife watchers alike are all stakeholders in the future of the whitetail deer, to ensure that the future of the whitetail deer is as bright as its present.

National Hunting and Fishing Day, formalized by Congress in 1971, was created by the National Shooting Sports Foundation to celebrate the conservation successes of hunters and anglers. National Hunting and Fishing Day is observed on the fourth Saturday of every September.

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- America's oldest outdoor tradition may be growing younger.

New data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service show that young people represent ever-larger portions of America's ebbing hunting population. The ratio of hunters age 6-15 has grown nearly 4 percent since 2001.

Of the three outdoor activities tracked by the federal conservation agency, only hunting showed an increase in the percentage of youth participation. The ratio of young anglers fell more than 5 percent while young wildlife watchers showed the largest decline at 10 percent.

The statistics are part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The survey shows that hunters age 16 and over slipped more than 3 percent to 12.5 million since the previous survey in 2001, while hunters age 6-15 held steady at 1.6 million.

The shooting, hunting and firearm industry's nonprofit trade association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), attributes the youth stability to several factors.

"These new data suggest that hunter attrition between 2001 and 2006 centered on aging hunters. Participation among youngsters has not wavered, which makes them a larger subset within the total. That's welcome news because hunters have long emphasized the recruitment of youth as critical to the future of hunting and conservation," said Chris Dolnack, senior vice president of NSSF.

Dolnack added that some of the most innovative and promising youth-hunting initiatives, such as Families Afield, are only beginning to bear fruit.

Families Afield, launched in 2004 by NSSF, National Wild Turkey Federation, and U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, urges states to eliminate unnecessary hunting age restrictions and ease hunter education mandates for first-time hunters.

Twelve states have changed laws and regulations to enhance future hunting opportunities for youths and their families. Half of those states are already reporting a significant climb in new hunters. Data from Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi and Ohio reveal that apprentice hunting license programs brought nearly 34,000 new hunters to the field (without a single hunting-related shooting incident) in just two years.

Families Afield states include:

Florida: Created a supervised hunting program that permits a newcomer to hunt with a mentor for one year before completion of a hunter education course.

Illinois: Created an apprentice-hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers age 10 and higher hunting for one year before completion of a hunter education course.

Kansas: Permits newcomers under 16 to hunt with a mentor before completion of a hunter education course.

Kentucky: Created a one-year non-renewable exemption from hunter education classes for novices hunting under the supervision of a qualified mentor. Also raised from 10 to 12 the age at which a youth must take a hunter education class prior to hunting.

Louisiana: Created an apprentice-hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers age 16 and higher hunting for one year before completion of a hunter education course.

Michigan: Lowered the minimum hunting age for small game from 12 to 10, and for big game from 14 to 12. Also created an apprentice hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers age 10 and higher hunting before completion of a hunter education course.

Minnesota: Permits new turkey hunters to hunt with a mentor before completing a hunter education course.

Mississippi: Created an apprentice-hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers hunting at any age for one year before completion of a hunter education course.

Ohio: Created an apprentice-hunting license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers hunting for no more than three years at any age before completion of a hunter education course.

Pennsylvania: Created a mentoring license that permits experienced hunters to take newcomers hunting at any age for deer, turkey, and groundhogs before completion of a hunter education course.

Tennessee: Created a program that exempts newcomer’s age 10 and higher from hunter education requirements for one year.

Utah: Eliminated the age minimum for small game hunting.

For more information, visit www.familiesafield.org.

I did not dream this one up: today is National Ammo Day. By Jim Shepherd Daily Outdoor Wire

In support of the Second Amendment, the firearms industry, and the ammunition makers (some of whom think I took an unfair shot at them recently when I said ammo was the fuel of the gun industry - and we were seeing high fuel prices) we are all being encouraged to go out and purchase 100 rounds of ammo.

It is being called a "BUYcott" - a positive twist to the idea of voting with the wallet by not buying something. It is an effective tool to let business know we are behind them.

The idea of voting for something - rather than against it - is a nice wrinkle. Normally, you hear protesters say "buy any brand but - " as they call for a boycott of something. Jesse Jackson is the master of the technique and has used it over the years to extort funds by demonstrating the power to take purchasers elsewhere.

However, a positive spin on a proven technique may be the first indication that we are capable of turning the tables on people who are always "anti-" our interests. If we all, for example, bought hunting licenses, the sudden inflow of cash to wildlife agencies would prove - beyond a reasonable doubt- that it is the sportsmen and women of America who are "toting the note" for wildlife.

Back to the topic at hand - National Ammo Day/Week. The general idea sprang from the mind of Kim du Toit, a staunch defender of the Second Amendment (a naturalized US Citizen, he appreciates our rights more than most of us) and one of the cyber-world's most entertaining bloggers. Today happens to be Kim's birthday, so organizers thought it appropriate - and it did not conflict with any other holiday.

The organizers say ammo's a better choice than guns for a couple of reasons:
First, we're all a little suspicious of anyone who wants to collect information on our guns, there's the matter of qualification to own and operate a gun, and finally, buying more ammunition is something can do that is not only positive for the industry, but adds to our personal ammo inventory.

I agree. Despite my wife's protests to the contrary, I like to keep "some" ammo on hand in every caliber I own. Otherwise, that firearm is not much use to me - unless I need expensive - but poorly designed - hammers or pry bars.

Some of my friends who go a good bit further with the idea.

One, for example, says he has enough loaded ammunition to see him through the next millennium and enough components to last until the next Ice Age. Another has enough to conduct a small war, but is always looking for more.

They think every day is National Ammo Day - or should be.

The long and the short of this idea are simple: we cannot get the media to report that "Today, 75-million gun owning households committed NO crimes" -that is not even news to our highly focused services.

However, if we can make a significant impact on ammunition supplies at retail outlets across the country, that is a business story worth reporting.

The National Ammo Day website (www.ammoday.com) says today should be just like Daylight Savings Time's association with the time to check the batteries in your smoke alarms. National Ammo Day is the day you take inventory of your ammo stores, and replenish and re-supply as necessary.

Which reminds me, I need to check the batteries in my smoke detectors, too. I can pickup batteries for them while I am out.

Hunter near Kalispell Mt. scares off attacking mountain lion

KALISPELL - A hunter suffered cuts and scratches after being attacked by a mountain lion southeast of here over the weekend, state wildlife officials said Monday.

The attack happened early Sunday in the Squeezer Creek area, said Warden Chuck Bartos of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.

Bartos said the hunter, whose name was not released, left his car, headed down a trail, and later heard what sounded like the scream of a mountain lion.

A short time later, the hunter heard a growl and turned to see the lion 10 to 15 feet away. He dropped his rifle and hurried to get behind a tree, but the lion pounced on his back, knocking him into the tree, Bartos said in a news release.

The lion then lost its grip, and the hunter was able to reach another gun and fire a shot. The spooked lion ran away.

The man fired several more shots and then headed back down the trail. He encountered several other hunters who helped him to his vehicle.

The hunter then drove himself to Kalispell and went to the hospital, where he received five stitches for cuts the lion clawed on his leg, Bartos said. The hunter also was treated for scratches on his back and shoulder, and for a few puncture wounds to the back of his head.

Bartos said the hunter's backpack was shredded and probably saved him from more serious injuries.

Wildlife conflict specialist Erik Wenum said the incident marks the first time in years that a lion attack resulting in injury has been documented in northwestern Montana.

"Given the number of people who recreate in the forests of northwest Montana, and the number of lions, there's always lots of potential for an encounter," added Jim Williams, FWP wildlife manager. "But even considering these potential, documented attacks are extremely rare."

The chances of a mountain lion encounter increase during hunting season because hunters use calls and other methods to attract deer, Wenum said. Hunters using these techniques should be especially vigilant because a lion could easily be drawn in search of prey, he said.

Wenum said that there is no response to a mountain lion that can guarantee human safety, but he provided the following tips:

• Don't run from a mountain lion; move slowly and try to back away from it.

• When hiking in lion country, make enough noise to avoid surprising a lion.

• Always keep children close and in sight.

• Never approach a mountain lion; give it a way out of a close situation.

• If you encounter a lion, stay calm. Talk to it in a confident voice.

• Do not turn your back on a mountain lion; maintain eye contact and face the animal.

• Let the lion know you are not a deer by remaining in an upright position.

• If a lion behaves aggressively, arm yourself with a large stick, rock or other object. If the lion attacks, stay standing and fight back with whatever object you have. Use pepper spray to deter an attack.

Wenum said all of northwestern Montana is lion country, and residents should report any mountain lion incidents - such as aggressive behavior toward people or pets - to Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.

He said that providing food to deer can concentrate the animals, which, in turn, attracts mountain lions and creates a dangerous situation for people.


Thanks to the Billings Gazette.

Yesterday, the Indiana Court of Appeals issued a ruling that will allow the city of Gary, Indiana's lawsuit against sixteen firearms manufacturers to proceed. The suit was originally filed in 1999 against Smith & Wesson, Colt, Browning, Sturm, Ruger and Co and Beretta, despite the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Firearms Act - a federal law that was validated by the same lawsuit the Court of Appeals is allowing to continue.

It wasn't unexpected by Indiana legal observers, but was both disappointing and infuriating to the firearms industry. Not just because it continues what was always a nuisance lawsuit, but because of the Appeals Court's complete dismissal of federal law.

"Gary's frivolous lawsuit is the poster child for the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act," says Lawrence G. Keane, senior vice president and general counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). "Gary's lawsuit seeks to blame manufacturers for the actions of criminals who misuse firearms. It is like blaming carmakers for drunken driving accidents. Congress understood that lawsuits like Gary's defy logic and common sense. During Congressional debate, the city of Gary's case was cited as an example of precisely the sort of frivolous lawsuit that the bill was intended to stop."

Keane added, "Gary's lawsuit if filed today would be barred by an Indiana state law passed in 2001 after the city of Gary's case was originally filed in 1999." Indiana is one of 36 states that have laws barring public nuisance lawsuits against gun makers and served as a catalyst for Congress' passage in 2005 of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.

"We look forward to the Indiana Supreme Court reviewing this case, so it can correct the lower court's error," Keane said.

In early 2006, firearm manufacturers had moved to have the city's lawsuit against them, originally filed in 1999, dismissed based on the federal Act. In 2006, a Lake County, Indiana, Superior Court judge ruled the federal Act does apply to Gary's lawsuit, but declared it unconstitutional.

Yesterday, the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed the lower court and ruled the statute does not apply and Gary's case could go forward. The court did not address the constitutional claims.

As if that wasn't enough headaches for the firearms industry, Arizona animal advocates are now pushing the Arizona Game and Fish Commission to issue a ban on lead ammo. The Center for Biological Diversity, now says with the California law on the books, Arizona becomes "the next step in our campaign."

Arizona officials haven't responded, and one source says they don't plan to. In response, Sandy Bahr, the Sierra Club's Grand Canyon chapter spokesperson, told the Arizona Republic the Sierra Club will formally petition the commissioner by early November if they don't get a response. Bahr also says they have not ruled out litigation.

In the meanwhile, Arizona isn't ignoring lead ammunition. The state issues coupons lead-free ammunition for those hunting in condor territory, and continues an education program to educate hunters of the threat lead poses to condors.

We'll keep you posted.

--Jim Shepherd Outdoor Wire

Governor of California Betrays Law-Abiding Gun Owners, Retailers and Hunters

Newtown, Connecticut -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) kowtowed to anti-hunting interest groups and the gun-ban lobby by signing into law legislation that will ban traditional ammunition and require firearms sold in California to include a patented, sole-sourced technology known as firearms microstamping -- a technology ballistics experts say is "flawed." The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) -- the trade association of the firearms industry -- has been the first to pushback on the governor, calling his decision to sign these two bills into law "myopic" and "reckless."

"Governor Schwarzenegger has now effectively banned more firearms than Senators Kennedy, Feinstein and Schumer combined," said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel. "The governor has proven to gun owners and sportsmen that he is just another liberal anti-gun Hollywood actor -- he just plays a moderate Republican on TV. Mr. Schwarzenegger has now exposed himself for what he really is, the most anti-gun and anti-sportsmen governor in America."

Assembly Bill 1471 mandates the technology known as firearms microstamping, the process by which a firearm's make, model, and serial number are micro-laser engraved on the tip of the firing pin so, in theory, that information would be imprinted on any cartridge casing fired in the gun. Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 1471 into law despite having full knowledge of multiple studies proving microstamping to be unreliable. Among the research that the governor ignored was a recently released state-funded study by the University of California at Davis that called firearms microstamping a "flawed" technology and concluded that, "At the current time it is not recommended that a mandate for implementation of this technology in all semiautomatic handguns in the state of California be made. Further testing, analysis, and evaluation are required." Independent research also demonstrated that criminals would be able to remove the laser engraving in mere seconds using common household tools.

By signing the microstamping legislation Governor Schwarzenegger chose to disregard warnings that major firearms manufacturers would be forced to abandon the California market altogether rather than bear the astronomical costs associated with reconfiguring the manufacturing and assembly processes necessary for microstamping.

NSSF has also pointed out that microstamping firearms would not affect criminals since, according to ATF; firearms used in crimes in California were originally sold on average almost 13 years before being recovered by the police. Firearms used in crimes are not newly sold guns, but old guns that have been in circulation on average for over a decade.

"The governor's decision to mandate this unreliable technology is clearly one of family politics, not sound public policy," said Keane, alluding to Senator Ted Kennedy, the uncle of the governor's wife, who has announced plans to introduce a federal microstamping bill.

The governor also signed into law legislation banning traditional ammunition in key hunting areas of the state. Assembly Bill 821, backed by anti-hunting extremists, was intended to save the California condor from lead poisoning despite the fact that there is no conclusive scientific evidence that the birds are getting sick from ingesting ammunition fragments. Advising the Governor on this issue was Marty Wilson, his political advisor who entered a business relationship this year with the Audubon Society - an anti-hunting organization fighting to ban lead ammunition.

"Governor Schwarzenegger's decision to ban lead ammunition has far reaching implications that extend well beyond California hunters," said Keane. "A study by the Responsive Management Company found that if a ban on lead ammunition were to become law 24 percent of hunters would hunt outside the state, hunt less or stop hunting altogether. This in-turn affects the retailers of hunting equipment, their employees and the small mom - and - pop businesses that run lodges and restaurants that hunters patronize."

A ban on lead ammunition could cost 2,230 jobs, $15 million in state and federal income tax, $3.9 million per year in hunting license costs, $131 million a year in retail sales and $624,000 in federal excise tax money normally returned to California.

"Clearly Governor Schwarzenegger is more concerned with helping the political agenda of his wife's uncle, Senator Kennedy, than in doing what's right for California," stated Keane. "To ban traditional ammunition without evidence and to mandate a flawed technology that criminals will laugh at could very well see every major firearms manufacturer abandon the California market. These are stunningly bad public policy decisions by at best a seriously ill informed or at worst a rabidly antigun politician and which will do nothing to reduce crime or help the recovery of the condor. Today is a sad day for sportsmen, gun-owners, small business owners, firearms enthusiasts and indeed wildlife in the Golden State," concluded Keane.

Formed in 1961, the National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®) is the trade association for the firearms and recreational shooting sports industry. NSSF's mission is to provide trusted leadership in addressing industry challenges and delivering programs and services to meet the identified needs of its members by measurably advancing participation in and understanding of hunting and the shooting sports. For more information, visit www.nssf.org.

Media Contact:
Ted Novin (203) 426-1320 or (202) 253-1860 (Cell) tnovin@nssf.org

Article courtesy of The Outdoor Wire

Windsor Woman Cited For Felony Marijuana Cultivation and Possession

Waterbury, Vermont- Vermont State Game Wardens executed a search warrant at 114 Hoisington Hill Road in Windsor Vermont on October 10 2007, resulting in the seizure of 2 1/2 pounds of marijuana and 32 plants located in an indoor growing room.

Warden Stephen Majeski was responding to a complaint from Martha M. Davis of Windsor regarding a dead deer on her property when he smelled and saw growing marijuana as well as recently harvested marijuana plants on the property.

Wardens Majeski and Dengler applied for and received a search warrant for the residence where they located and seized the marijuana. Windsor Police Department and a Vermont State Trooper assisted the wardens.

Martha M. Davis, 61 of Windsor was cited to answer to the charges of felony cultivation and possession of marijuana. Thanks to The Outdoor Wire for this story.

Montana Outdoors: Hunters can plan on good duck season

By MARK HENCKEL
Montana Outdoors

Trickles of teal and pintails are already streaming down from Canada, but that is just the humble beginning. There are still torrents of waterfowl yet to come for the 2007 Montana duck and goose season, which opens a half-hour before sunrise Saturday in both the Central and Pacific Flyways of Montana.

It is going to be a very good year for ducks, according to Jim Hansen, Central Flyway migratory bird coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.

"Up in prairie Canada, they've had three wet years in a row, and when they get three wet years in a row, things can still happen up there," said Hansen.

Canada's Prairie Provinces along with the Dakotas, Montana, and northern Minnesota make up the duck factory for North America. It is where the largest portion of the continental flock is born, reared and then flies south come fall.


I was up in Saskatchewan last week at a meeting," he added. "There were mallards and pintails all over the place up there. They're producing ducks this year, and we can look forward to them moving through here on the migration."

For 2007, it all began with very good spring pond conditions. "They were 49 percent above the long-term average for ponds in prairie Canada - Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, up 13 percent from last year. It's the fourth-highest ever in terms of numbers since they've been keeping records," Hansen said.

"Some of the potholes had a ring of dead aspens around them. The aspen were 15 feet tall and killed by high water. It has been that long, maybe 15 years, since water levels was that high," he said.

Those ponds translated to good production in spring and summer.

"Blue-winged teal are up 14 percent from last year and 48 percent above the long-term average. Gadwalls are 19 percent up from last year and 96 percent above the long-term average," Hansen began. "This is the highest-ever estimate for shovelers, redheads and canvasbacks. They are at record high levels this year.

"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that breeding duck numbers were up 14 percent from last year and 24 percent above the long-term average for the 10 primary species combined in the traditional survey areas," he said. "Mallards were up 14 percent from last year in the traditional survey areas and 11 percent above the long-term average."

In addition, Canada and snow goose numbers are good going into this fall.

While Canada's Prairie Provinces prospered, conditions in Montana were not quite as good.

"Montana is quite variable," Hansen said. "For duck numbers, we were still a little bit above the long-term average. Mallards, for example, were 11 percent above the long-term average for breeding.

"But it was dry early in the northeast corner of the state early," he said. "Then they got good rain in May and June. hat would have helped some of the species, but not all of them."

How the season plays out will depend a lot on where you hunt, when you hunt and how weather patterns come together. It takes a combination of shortening days and weather fronts to move ducks. However, a giant freeze can bring the migration through and gone in one big rush.

What is Hansen's advice to hunters?

"Look for a stock pond or reservoir somewhere early in the season and you'll find ducks there," he said. "Expect habitat conditions to be variable. People may need to scout a bit to check on water conditions.

"But the ducks are there," Hansen said. "All of prairie Canada north of us kicked in this year and it all produced ducks. I think we can look forward to a good season."

Complete season dates for the Central and Pacific Flyways along with duck and goose limits are available from Montana license providers or by going to fwp.mt.gov.

Mark Henckel is the outdoor editor of The Billings Gazette. He can be contacted at 633-2598 or at henckel@billings gazette.com.

Congressional report links farm payments and grassland loss

Bismarck, North Dakota - According to a Government Accounting Office report released on Tuesday, U.S. taxpayers are paying for the destruction of native prairie grasslands. The GAO report links farm program payments to the loss of prairie grasslands.

"The report further confirms our findings that native prairie destruction is rapidly increasing," said DU Executive Vice President Don Young. "Unfortunately, taxpayer funded farm program payments are fueling this ecological disaster."

Ducks Unlimited says the report justifies the need for the U.S. Senate to include a strong Sod saver provision in the next farm bill to slow grassland loss. As you can imagine, Ducks Unlimited supports a Sod saver provision in the new farm bill.

Under the proposed Sod saver provision, all federal farm support would be removed on any land without a history of cropping. In other words, farmers could till the land for crops, but would not be guaranteed support prices or other incentives. The decision would be entirely at their own risk.

Loss rates of grasslands in the Prairie Pothole Region are about four times the rate of conversion of rainforest in the Amazon region of South America. The area hatches more ducks than anywhere in the world. The GAO prepared "Impact of USDA Payments and Sodbuster on Grassland Conversions to Cropland," for Senate and House committees working on the new farm bill.

The report says farm program payments contribute to grassland loss, because ". . . they reduce producers' financial risks and, in many cases, increase producers' profits over maintaining grassland."

The study found that farm program payments are twice as high per acre in South Dakota counties with high rates of native grassland conversion.

"These are drought-prone areas," said Scott Stephens, DU's director of conservation planning for the Great Plains Regional Office. "Crop failures are the norm rather than the exception. That grass is much more valuable for ranchers, wildlife and protecting soil and water quality.

"DU's farm bill slogan is 'Farm the best, conserve the rest.' Price supports and crop insurance are necessary on high quality croplands," Stephens said. "However, most of the native grasslands left would make poor cropland. It makes no sense - and the report agrees - for taxpayers to fund growing crops on these lands."

DU research has identified the loss of native prairie grasslands as a critical issue affecting waterfowl and other wildlife. Due to that identified loss, Young says there is a clear need for the Sodsaver provision to protect the remaining native prairie in the Prairie Pothole Region. "This study claims that present grassland protection programs aren't working," Young said.

DU President Bruce Lewis says hunters and others who care about the outdoors should push for a conservation-friendly farm bill. "We are asking everyone to contact their senators, and ask that a strong Sodsaver provision be included in the new farm bill," Lewis says.

With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world's largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with almost 12 million acres conserved. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands - nature's most productive ecosystem - and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres each year.

Sitka, Inc. Retains Backbone Media for Public Relations

Napa, California- Sitka, Inc., makers of specialized hunting and outdoor wear hired Backbone Media to manage its public relations and media communications. By utilizing performance driven fabrics and construction techniques in a true layering system, Sitka excels in the most diverse and challenging range of hunting conditions. Backbone Media will team with Sitka to bring that brand message to the market.

"Sitka's attention to design detail and performance in the field will enable them to capture market share quickly," states Backbone partner Nate Simmons. "Sitka definitely ups the level of hunting apparel available on the market today and we know they will continue to push the boundaries. We look forward to introducing their 2008 line at the upcoming ATA and SHOT Shows."

Co-founder and President Jonathan Hart states, "Backbone Media's experience with performance apparel and textiles and broad reach with the media make them a natural fit for Sitka. It also certainly helps that there are avid hunters on Backbone's team. We look forward to shaking things up in the market together."

Launched in 2005 by co-owners Jonathan Hart and Jason Hairston, the concept behind Sitka's product line is a layering system that integrates designs and technologies that originated in the mountaineering industry. Sitka incorporates stretch materials into every one of its pieces, which maximizes the range of motion without adding additional panels and seams. Ultimately, this results in lighter weight, more efficient gear that is uncompromising in the widest range of weather conditions. The award winning Downpour Jacket and Pants, for example, incorporates lightweight, breathable, four-way stretch material that is soft and silent. Articulated elbows and knees provide comfort and mobility, while laser cut, fully taped seams handle the worst weather conditions.

Backbone Media is a media planning and public relations firm specializing in outdoor and specialty lifestyle markets. Based in Carbondale, Colo., Backbone Media offers companies large and small a creative approach to public relations, marketing, and advertising/media buying.

Montana Test works with Backbone Media testing and reviewing many of Backbones current client’s products.

COLEMAN PLANS ICE CREAM DELIVERY IN EXTREME HEAT OF DEATH VALLEY

135-Mile Badwater Ultramarathon Designates Coleman as Official Cooler Sponsor; Ice Cream Delivery July 23-25 Will Prove Insulating Power


WICHITA, Kan. (July 9, 2007) - From New Yorker cartoons to Hollywood westerns, the typical victim of Death Valley’s torrid heat is depicted as a tattered straggler begging for water. Starting July 23, The Coleman Company, Inc., makers of one of the world’s most insulating coolers, is betting the 90 competitors in a California desert footrace will be yearning for ice cream bars as well.

Coleman is the official cooler sponsor of the Badwater Ultramarathon, arguably the toughest footrace in the world: 135 miles uphill and down, nonstop, from North America’s lowest point in Death Valley, to the end of the road on Mount Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48.

A Coleman® 82-Quart Ultimate® Xtreme® Wheeled Cooler provided to each team for protecting water and food from the extreme Death Valley heat.

But to truly demonstrate the insulating power of these high performance coolers, Coleman will deliver hundreds of ice cream bars to competitors and their crews during the race, which begins at dawn on July 23, and ends on Mount Whitney 60 hours later, sometime July 25. It is expected that the winner of the Badwater Ultramarathon will finish in 24 to 28 hours. The average finishing time is approximately 48 hours, while the time limit to be an official Badwater finisher is 60 hours.

Coleman sent its new Exponent® performance gear to the top of Mount Everest last May to prove how well it worked, so this latest demonstration involving coolers and ice cream deliveries in Death Valley is not taken lightly. The company devoted a week of testing in their 130-degree Fahrenheit environmentally controlled test chamber at company headquarters in Wichita, Kan., to make sure it had the combination of dry ice and chocolate-covered ice cream bars just right.

Overseeing the ice cream demonstration will be first-time competitor Martin E. Franklin, chair, and CEO of Coleman’s parent company, Jarden Corporation. The 42-year-old executive from Aspen, Colo., has raised pledges worth more than $300,000 in support of the Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting the newest generation of injured service men and women (www.woundedwarriorproject.org). See separate release for more information.

Coleman officials consider Death Valley a fitting locale to demonstrate its most insulated, highest performing cooler. When word spreads that ice cream was served in the desert from Coleman Ultimate Xtreme Coolers packed days before, the company believes consumers will have no doubt it will perform for them at campsites, beaches, tailgate parties, sporting events, and any other gatherings where the company’s coolers are used.

The Coleman Company, Inc. is an international leader in the innovation and marketing of outdoor products, including its legendary lanterns, as well as stoves, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, coolers, furniture and grills. Its products are sold and used all over the world. Coleman embraces its leadership role as an advocate for the outdoors, contributing to outdoor causes and inspiring people to get outside.

Founded in 1900 and based in Wichita, Kan., Coleman is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jarden Corporation, and can be found online at www.coleman.com. Consumers can contact Coleman by phone at 800-835-3278 or by e-mail at consumerservice@coleman.com.
Note to media: Electronic images of the cooler are available upon request. Coleman also maintains a newsroom with downloadable news releases and photos at www.coleman.com/newsroom.

To request media credentials or for further race information, contact Chris Kostman, race director, at 818-597-9008 or press@adventurecorps.com. For the duration of the race, fans can follow the competition through a live Web cast produced by AdventureCORPS and hosted at www.badwater.com.

Summer trout fishing is in full swing and the fishing has been great here in Montana. The Yellowstone is fishing much better and the smaller streams are beginning to slow and clear up from mountain run-off. Janie and I have been getting out at least one a week and Chris and the other crew for Montana Test are testing a bunch of new product. We have been fishing the Vanguard Inflatable and we love it so far. Check back for reviews that are more extensive on all the new fishing and camping product for summer 2007!

My son Chris decided that it was time for his parents to raise another child and brought us a Chocolate Lad two weeks ago. We call him Buddy and he is as cute as any lab puppy.
Buddy’s coming job is to hunt with all of us, and not end up as another housedog eating me out of house and home. We have big plans for him and if cost is any factor, he should be good. We know that paying a ton for a dog does not mean a thing. The correct training and patience is imperative for any new dog and we will keep you updated of Buddy’s progress.

Wild animals are not pets, every year we hear a tale of some neophyte acquiring a wild animal for a home pet. This is a mistake, leave fawns, baby rabbits, ducklings, or other perceived abandoned motherless creatures where you find them. Many of these so-called helpless babies have a parent near by and will soon come back to them. In many cases, mothers leave their newborns alone to protect from predators, allowing the new parent to replenish energy after a stressful period of birth. If you happen upon a wild child and touch it this is not an excise to take it home. A Mothers instinct is stronger than your scent, just leave alone, and get out of the area the parent will return.

Top Ten Ways to Spot Liberal Fly Fisherman.

1. Friend of Phil Monahan.(Editor American Angler Magazine)
2. Wants to take Bill Clinton Fly Fishing to learn how to pick up 21-year-old chicks.
3. Thinks Hillary Clinton would look hot in Waders and will vote for her for President.
4. Complains about high gas prices to his friends but owns 10,000 shares of Exxon at $3.00 a share.
5. Has a bad day on the water and blames George Bush.
6. Drives $65,000 SUV and gives $40.00 a year to charity.
7. License all rigs in Montana to avoid sales tax.
8. Actually caught the fish before he didn’t catch the fish.
9. Would love to take Bill O’Reilly Fly Fishing and drown him.
10. Sports “Execute Ann Coulter” bumper sticker.


Top Ten Ways to Spot a Conservative Fly Fisherman.

1. Who is Phil Monahan?
2. Wants to take Bill Clinton Fly Fishing and drown him.
3. Have nightmares about Hillary Clinton in Waders and becoming President.
4. Does not complain about high gas prices because he owns 10,000 shares of EXXON at $3.00 a share.
5. Never has a bad day on the water.
6. Drives a $65,000 SUV and gives as much as he can to the RNC.
7. Licenses all rigs in Montana to avoid sales tax.
8. Did not catch the fish, never saw it and never hooked it.
9. Would love to take Bill O’Reilly Fly Fishing.
10. Sports “Marry Me Ann Coulter” bumper sticker.

Spring fishing here in Montana is starting to interest anglers. Water temperatures are rising and so are trout.

Leo Lapito one of our reviewers fished the Stillwater the last two weekends and reported fishing is starting to pick up as water warms. Early spring fishing is demanding, Leo reported that on 4 March, water temperature was 33 degrees; Leo fished and did not catch. This last Sunday the eleventh, water temperature hit 44 degrees fishing wasn?t impressive but preferred to the previous weekend.

Leo is a serious scholar of his environment when he hits any water and keeps an impecable diary of fish caught, water temperatures, fly used, any hatches that occur while fishing. Leo is a genuine Entomologist without having a degree in the discipline.

You need to keep a log if you don?t already; it?s a primary keepsake of fishing conditions and an excellent way to rehash fishing adventures of days past. A log is a printed history of your days on the water a guide to set you in the right direction for an outstanding day, because there is no bad day fishing.

Initial feedback to the countries newest outdoor Magazine, ?Montana Sporting Journal? has been nothing short of spectacular. All, without exception, that has had a chance to behold the countries newest bimonthly Sporting journal has commented on its high quality and groundbreaking approach to the Outdoors.

Industry insiders are still receiving the first copies but the fortuitous few that now possess a hard copy have voiced a resounding outstanding, top quality, sterling photographs, clearly written, laudable publication. Savor the Montana lifestyle through the pages of Montana Sporting Journal.

Shadow our editors every issue as they share their journey, fishing Montana?s premier trout rivers and streams. Pursue Mule Deer, White Tail, and Elk in some of the roughest country in the lower 48 and taste the campfire coffee. Stand along side waist deep in Waterfowl waters, sit with us in a Duck blind, traverse-rolling hills for Upland game, be our guest through the pages of Montana Sporting Journal.

MSJ publishes 6 times a year. You can subscribe on-line by visiting Montana Test.com home page and clicking on the Montana Sporting Journal link.

Montana Test.com is accountable for all reviews, testing, and comparisons. We look forward to bringing you an analytical view of product for Fishing, Hunting, and Camping. Our mission, make your Montana stay or wherever you enjoy the outdoors most memorable.

Jim Zumbo inserts foot in mouth!
Outdoor Life and Jim Zumbo Part Ways!
February 22, 2007

Jim Zumbo for those who do not know was the Hunting editor for OutDoor Life magazine and at the time of this writing may or may not; host his own Outdoor television show. Last Friday the 16th of February, Jim posted comments on the Magazines Web site, the subject ?Assault Rifles for Hunters??

Jim does not believe in Assault Rifles for hunting. That statement is quixotic and the presumed relationship of these two words is a canard.

Assault, defined by Dictionary.com states, ?An unlawful physical attack upon another; an attempt or offer to do violence to another, with or without battery, as by holding a stone or club in a threatening manner.? I did not find one word in that definition about an AR 15 or AK?s, not a mention of firearms.

The phrase, Assault Weapon or Rifle is repeated ad nauseum by the left to demagogue gun owners. These talking heads would not know a 22 Rifle from a pop gun, if it bit them on the butt. Assault and Rifle have no relationship.

Assault is an act of violence. The act itself earns the definition, the weapon one chooses to perform the act has no relationship, and the act on its own is an Assault. Many would have you believe the weapon perpetrates the Assault, no; the person is Assaulting not the weapon.

Have you ever heard a report of Assault Hand, Assault Stone, Assault Chair, of course you haven?t, it sounds stupid, even funny.

Jim fell into the liberal claptrap, a moniker attaching itself with two words that have no relationship with the other. They can and do have a relationship if one uses a firearm to Assault someone, but you can use anything to Assault. Pettifogging lawyers has tried to sue firearm companies with no success. Blame the firearm not the thug, is the banisters mantra.

I make no judgment on ones choice of firearm; I don?t have the right and do not care as long as they handle responsibly. Shoot what you want, hunt what you want and use your firearm of choice.

Technology and science move at a lighting rate. Firearm innovation moves faster than most of us can get our brains around. Firearms with computers buried deep inside, shooting around corners, the list goes on.

This is new school, Jim Zumbo is old school, and that is fine as long as he understands that the world is changing. A hunter or target shooter make the decision to shoot a particular firearm, they will find out soon enough if they made the right choice, regardless, it is their decision.

Jim Zumbo made a mistake, I know him and like him, but he should have understood attaching a label to a certain group of people, leave that to the loony left we can beat them, not a potentate that the left sees now as an ally.

T.Patrick Stinson

Montana Test.com proudly announces our affiliation with Montana Sporting Journal.

Montana Sporting Journal is a national magazine with extensive information on all the Big Sky Country has to offer.

Montana Sporting Journal is sui generis bringing the reader along with tales and exclusive data on hunting Elk, Deer, Antelope, Waterfowl, and Upland game. Follow us as we fish Montana waters filled with Brown, Rainbow, Cutthroat, Brook trout, Walleye, and yes even Bass, recommending the best waters and technique for catching your fish of choice.

Sit with us around the campfire under a sweeping blanket of stars. We will unveil prime camping spots and tent, sleeping bag, pad, clothing, and footwear you need to make your camping outing the most captivating and unforgettable.

Montana?s outdoor opportunities are irrefragable, live the Montana lifestyle every day with a subscription to Montana Sporting Journal, a requisite for any serious Angler, Hunter, and Camping aficionado.

MSJ publishes 6 times a year. You can subscribe on-line by visiting Montana Test.com home page and clicking on the Montana Sporting Journal link.

Montana Test.com is accountable for all reviews, testing, and comparisons. We look forward to bringing you an analytical view of product for Fishing, Hunting, and Camping. Our mission, make your Montana stay or wherever you enjoy the outdoors most memorable.

Many Fly anglers put away there fly rods for the winter months dreaming about warmer weather. Here in Montana we are fortunate to be able to fish year around on the Big Horn River. Four of us spent the day after Christmas fishing the Horn where the temperature hit 50 degrees and the fishing was good. The Big Horn can be great fishing and if we pick the right day it can be outstanding. We fished all day and saw three other boats, crowds are a distance memory, and we bring along our shotguns for some cast and blast. Don?t let cold weather keep you from some of the best fishing of the year. You probably will not catch big numbers but it beats sitting around dreaming of fish caught. If legal and the waters are open, don?t wait for 80-degree temperatures, get out, and do some winter fishing on your home waters.

December?2006

Gun Racker

The GunRacker? is so new and innovative most are seeing it for the first time. The GunRacker? is simplistic in its application. How many times have you come back to the rig and looked around for a spot to put your shotgun, rifle, or fishing rod. You want to keep your expensive firearm, or fishing rod out of harms way. The GunRacker? is the answer.

The GunRacker? is a magnet with foam treated to repel water cutouts attached. It sticks to the door, tailgate, anywhere there is a metal surface. You simply lay the barrel of your gun in the foam cutout and eat lunch, take a nap or just sit around and talk about your hunt. Your gun is out of the way and safe. The GunRacker? is great for fishing rods of all make and model.

The following is some information about the GunRacker?.

Made in America.
Magnet is 30 mil with 85 lbs of pull per square inch.
Never lean a loaded gun in the GunRacker?.
GunRacker? is not responsible for incorrect use of the product or for damage or harm that may occur during use.
Never drive off with the GunRacker? still on vehicle.
Use common sense in the application of the GunRacker?.

Cobb Premier Grill?New

November?2006

A few weeks ago, I was speaking with Ned Hutchinson from Cloudviel makers of fine fishing waders, angling and ski apparel. Cloudveil is a company that we test product for, during our conversation, Ned asked if we knew anything or had heard about the Cobb Grill. I said no and he thought we might want to find out; he was enthusiastic about what he had heard and knew us well. We are always on the lookout for new and different product to test and review. Ned emailed me the link to the site and it looked interesting.

I did a quick read and decided to call. I spoke with Chris Holloway owner of Cobb America, we spoke for a few minutes, and we both agreed that Montana Test should give it a test. We are always looking for cooking options to take into the field and let you know if they are any good.

We test gas stoves, grills, but we don?t like to take charcoal with us because it?s just more stuff you have to take and it adds weight, with the Cobb Grill you need charcoal. We use charcoal from our campfire to cook steak, chicken, etc; we rarely if ever take charcoal. I was less than enthusiastic if we need to pack a bag of dirty dusty carbon based porous block.

I received the Cobb Grill a week later conducted a backyard test, as you will find out if you read on.

Before we get to my first test, a bit of history and information you need to know about the Cobb Grill.

The Cobb Grill originated in Africa for people in rural areas using dry corncob?s as a source of heat for cooking, hence the name Cobb Grill. With some refinement, it is now a Grill for everyone.

Here are absolute rules for using the New Cobb Premier Grill.

Never use inside house, camper, RV, tent, or any confined space, charcoal emits carbon monoxide, which is deadly.

Do not use Cobb Premier Grill inside under any circumstances.

Do not use any form of liquid fuel, use fire sticks to start charcoal.

Keep area well ventilated.


Here are some general information and tips on the Cobb Premier Grill.

Cobb Premier Grill is dishwasher safe.

Weight is eight ? pounds.

Grill complete with carrying case.

Spray a good amount of no stick cooking spray inside the inner sleeve and wipe down before grill completely cools after use. This makes it much easier to clean if you wipe down before it completely cools.

The number of briquettes you use will depend on the size and weight of the food you are cooking, follow instructions, and recommended amount of charcoal.

The first time you use the grill check the food often, it cooks much faster, then you think.

Depending on the days you plan to spend in the field pack 15 to 20 briquettes and starter sticks in a zip lock bag, you don?t have to take a ten-pound bag of charcoal to make the stove work. This is very important for us because of the limited storage space in the drift boat.


TEST?Conducted on November 17th?2006

I decided to give the Cobb Premier Grill a test at home before we took it to the field to find out if it performed according to its claims. I followed all the directions, set it up on the back deck, used fire sticks for the starter fire, put ten charcoal briquettes in the fire grid and waited until they were about 40% gray.

My son Chris had delivered four ring-necks to us the night before so I decided I would put a whole pheasant breast on the grill and see what happens, twenty minutes later I found out. To put it bluntly this Grill works much faster and better than I thought it would. I imagined it would take an hour to cook the meat, I took it off after 20 minutes, and I left it on to long.

I was surprised and stunned all at once. The heat generated by ten briquettes is incredible; this may sound naive because we don?t use charcoal when we cook. As I have mentioned before we use gas stoves or charcoal from our fire to cook when we are in the field.

The Cobb Premier Grill works like a convection oven, and I can tell you it works, really works. We will continue to test and the next time it will be on a field trip.

Danner Boots?The EXPERTS Choice

October?2006

I am testing the Kestrel GTX 1000 Gram Realtree Hardwoods HD from Danner. This is a serious hunting boot. The rifle season opens this weekend and the weather will be rough, a perfect time to test the Kestrel GTX. This is a nasty looking hunting boot and I mean that in a good way. Below is technical information on the Kestrel GTX and pay close attention to the patent pending EXO? support system.

EXO? support system designed to work like a hunting boot but wear like a lightweight athletic shoe.
Waterproof.
Gore-Tex Bootie.
1000 G. Thinsulate.
Weight 62 oz.
2.0-2.2mm Full-Grain leather and 1000 D Cordura upper.
Thermo-Molded Plastic Urethane shank.

Keen Footwear Original Hybrid Footwear

September?2006

Keen footwear have introduced new waterproof and insulated boots for fall and winter of 2006. We hear at Montana Test are big fans of Keen because they make great shoes and now boots.

We are testing three new styles for this fall.

Women?s Dakota
Here are some stats on the Women?s Dakota Boot.

Insulated with Primalott?
Waterproof leather uppers.
Zipper closure with Bungee lace system.
Micro felted fleece.
Removable EVA Footbed.
Patented Toe Protection.
Non-Marking Carbon Rubber Outsole.

Sizes 5-11 (1/2) thru 11.
Colors: Tomato, Shale, Walnut, Black.

Men?s Growler

Leather, Webbing, Mesh.
eVent? waterproof barrier.
200-gram Primalott? insulation.
Carbon non-marking sole.
Quick draw lacing
Patented Toe Protection.

Sizes 7-15 (1/2) thru 12
Colors: Charcoal, Army, Black.


Men?s Winterport.

Waterproof and insulated.
200-gram Primalott? insulation.
Non-marking rubber outsole.
Patented Toe Protection.
Quick-draw cord lacing.
Micro fleece lining.

Sizes 7-14 (1/2) thru 12.
Colors: Army, Black, Bison.


All three styles are Waterproof and Insulated.

Leupold

September?2006

All of us at one time have missed Deer, Antelope, or Elk. We spend hours on the range shooting endless rounds at paper targets? making sure our confidence level is where it should be. So why do we miss in the field? There are many answers to that question and they vary. Most missed shots are due to miss-judging distance.

The new Leupold RX? Digital Laser Rangefinder may be the answer. The RX-II, RX-III and the RX-IV all have TBR, TRUE BALLISTIC RANGE. This is a combination of laser ranging, inclinometer and a computerized ballistics program. Inclinometer is an instrument for measuring angle of elevation. This is the simplest explanation I can give.

What does all this high tone information do for you? ?The result is distance measuring precise within a yard, no matter the angle at which the laser is fired.? This comes directly from Leupold. In simpler terms, it means you will get True Ballistic Range regardless of incline either up or down.

Here are other features of the RX-II Digital Laser Rangefinder.

Water Resistant.
Weatherproof.
Inclinometer.
True Ballistic Range?.
Match 13 Recticle.
Thermometer ?C and ?F.
Yards/Meters//Ft Mode.
Long Range Distance.
1st Target/Last Target Mode.
Rain Mode.
Scan Mode.
Multi-Coated Lens System.
Warranty 1 year.

We have not tested in the field yet but will in short order.

Do not forget on this day that brave men and women are in harms way protecting our freedom. We take much for granted in this country and sometimes we forget the sacrifice of others who enable us to fish, hunt, and camp whenever and wherever we choose.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Seven hundred dollar waders and cable laced wading shoes is just some of the new fly fishing gear we observed in Denver at the FlyFishing Retail show in late August.

This was our first opportunity to meet the people that we have spoken to, but never meet. Most if not all our first contact is over the phone to manufacturers to talk about testing there product.

Jane and I had no ideas what any of them looked like but many knew who we were from our numerous pictures on the site. All of the people we were finally able to meet are warm, funny, smart, and love fly-fishing.

The business climate for the industry is very positive and new product is innovative. Look for all the new 2007 fly-fishing gear in the coming weeks and months on Montana Test.

Pat and Jane Stinson

Olympus are among the very few that make a waterproof camera. I have lost multiple cameras to Montana waters and thousands of anglers experience the same thing regardless of species fished. We spend day after day on the water snapping hundreds of pictures and need a camera that won?t fry if it gets soaked. The Olympus 720 takes underwater pictures and used for a regular digital camera. The following is technical features and pictures of fish on site taken with this amazing camera.

Olympus 720 SW 7.1 Megapixel

Shockproof to 5 ft.
Waterproof to 10 ft.
Bright Capture Technology, for low light shooting.
Digital Image Stabilization keeps picture from blurring.
Video with sound.
28 pre-set shooting modes.
2.5? LCD Screen.
Instant playback for pictures just taken.
Rechargeable battery.

Hunting season is right around the corner and we are gearing up to test hunting gear and repair the duck blind. Duck numbers are up this year and we are looking forward to a great season.

We will be Deer, Antelope and Elk hunting besides keeping our lines wet. Fall fishing in Montana is outstanding and will have some days casting and blasting.

Keep coming back to view all the new hunting and fishing gear.

Habervision

July?2006

Any sunglass company that enters the Montana Test zone to test sunglasses?. BEWARE!!!

We have not been kind to any of them to date.

Most of the sunglasses we test are over priced and manufacturers don?t like us saying so.

HaberVision sells only on the Internet and the prices so far seem to be in line with what we would spend ourselves.

We will test the Nice (pronounced niece) from Habervision and like always, bring you the results.

Jim Teeny makes fly line for every occasion. Check back for reviews on their innovative fly line.

Anglers Image

July?2006

Anglers Image manufactures a unique product. The Tippet Tweaker.

See image on Test results page.

The Tippet Tweaker holds three spools of tippet and comes with a zinger and nippers.
You can wear it with or without your vest. During the dog days of summer, many of us don?t like to wear our vests or waders but want something to hold the bare minimum. We want to change flies and tippet in a hurry and the Tippet Tweaker may be the answer

Recommend?Testing

Highlight?Testing

Drawback?Testing

Rating?Testing

Tester?Pat and Jane Stinson

Maui Jim Sunglasses

July?2006

Maui Jim manufactures of Sunglasses has jumped into the fishing market with their OFFSHORE sunglass. I have been very critical of sunglass makers because of there bizarre behavior. When I received an email from Dawn Klimaszewski touting the new OFFSHORE I had to give her a call. I was waiting to hear some lame excuse but instead she was anxious to have me test their new glass for freshwater and saltwater fishing. Dawn has turned out to be incredibly warm and friendly with a confidence in Maui Jim I have not seen from others.

Here is what I know about the new OFFSHORE.

First fishing Sunglass from Maui Jim.
Wrap around style with Polycarbonate lenses.
PolarizedPlus2 patented technology.
First ever PolarizedPlus2 patented technology used on Polycarbonate.
Lightweight for all day fishing.

Recommend?Testing

Highlight?Lightweight

Drawback?Testing

Rating?Testing

Tester?Pat Stinson

Suggested Retail?$169.00

Split Shot Companion?

June 2006

The Split Show Companion? is a unique tool used for adding and removing split shot from your fishing line. The Companion is slightly over 3 ? inches and can be attached to your lanyard. One end used to attach split shot and the other end is used to remove it.

Each Split Shot Companion comes with a one-page instruction sheet complete with pictures. Steve Meiseles the owner and inventor gave me a great piece of advice, follow the instructions, and use the Companion as the instruction sheet indicates.

Recommend...Testing

Highlight?Testing

Drawback?Testing

Rating?Testing

Testers?All

JETBOIL

June?2006

We are testing the New (GCS) Group Cooking System. JETBOIL has won every kind of Award you can win, with the exception of our APEX AWARD. If you haven?t heard of JETBOIL, you are in for a real treat. The cooking system is fast, very fast and most importantly lightweight and tough. We need both with the limited space on a drift boat.

Here is some Technical Information on the Group Cooking System.

New 1.5-Liter pot, with fold out handles.
Fluxing ? heat exchanger. (Bottom of cooking pot.)
Built-in igniter.
Removable cooking pot support.
Three-legged stabilizer for Jet power fuel canister.
Neoprene cozy on cooking pot to keep food warmer longer.
Weight 19 oz.
One piece. Pack all in cooking pot and go.

Recommend?Testing.

Highlight?Lightweight.

Drawback?Testing.

Rating?Testing

Tester?All

Scott Fly Rods

June? 2006

Scott Fly Rods manufacturer in Montrose, CO. and if you are ever down that way, you can tour the shop and watch the rods construction. Scott has an endless history of innovation and first?s in Fly Rod development. Scott was the first to build a 4-piece rod, first 10 foot 4, and 5-weight rod, first to use flex rating, and first multi-piece graphite rod. This is the short list. Scott has few peers when it comes to innovation in Fly Rod development, always the pioneer.

We are testing the E2, 5 and 6 weights in fast action.

E2?5 weight 8 foot 6 inch.
E2?6 weight 9 foot.

Recommend?Testing

Highlight?Lightweight

Drawback?Testing

Rating?Testing

Tester?All

Suggested Retail?$450.00 to $475.00

Korkers Amphibian Series

June?2006

Korkers has three new styles for 2006.

Swift Sandal
Torrent River Runner
Ultra-Lite Boot

The Swift Sandal has six interchangeable performance soles. Trail, Golf, Stream, Boat Sole, River Bottom and Mossy Rocks which is a Felt-Studded Sole. The Swift Sandal is made of water resistant suede and breathable uppers.

The Torrent River Runner also includes six interchangeable soles. The Torrent made from quick drying Dri-lex? breathable air mesh.

The Ultra-Lite Boot has five interchangeable soles. The Ultra-Lite has quick drying breathable mesh locking out sand but allows boots to drain quickly.

We will be testing all three with the Felt-Studded soles, Felt bottom, and Trail.

Please see Photo Gallery.


Recommend?Testing

Highlight?Interchangeable soles.

Drawback?Testing

Rating?Testing

Tester?Pat Stinson, Chris Stinson, Ryan Stefek.


Swift Sandal?Suggested Retail $84.95

Torrent River Runner?Suggested Retail $94.95

Ultra-Lite Boot?Suggested Retail $104.95

Cloudveil
Inspired Angling Apparel

May?.2006

The 8x wader is the newest addition to an already outstanding line of product for the angler. The 8x wader from Cloudveil is a work of art and function with endless features that make it the most talked about new wader for 2006.

8x Wader features.

GORE-TEX? Immersion? fabric 3-layer body and 5-layer lower leg.
Removable adjustable tri-point suspenders.
Waterproof zippered hand warmer chest pocket, and waterproof zippered fly box/tippet pocket.
Nylon webbing wading belt, bib drawcord.
Gusseted crotch for increased range of movement.
Elastic Schoeller? Dynamic? gravel guard.
Field repair kit.
Internal GORE-TEX? dot sealing at all seam junctures.

I am a guide on the Big Horn River and the 8x wader will receive a consistent workout on consecutive days in all kinds of weather conditions.

Recommend?Yes

Highlight?GORE-TEX?

Drawback?Sizing, take all body measurements for correct fit.

Rating?High water mark?8

Tester?Chris Stinson

Suggested retail?$425.00

Char Bloom

May?2006

Char Bloom is the Queen of fly-fishing for women. Char makes fly-fishing apparel for women and promotes women anglers around the world. Jane will be testing and wearing the fishing vest, pants and shirts. Check back for all the test reviews for Char Bloom apparel for women.

Hollywood

Hollywood has arrived at Montana Test. Some years ago, I linked up a fellow who lives in Hollywood and makes his living in show business, so he says. We meet in Livingston, Montana, we were both there to shoot a made for TV movie. I still to this day have not figured out why he was there. He was not in the production and walked around for days working in riding pants looking like a director from the 1920?s.

During that time on the show, we become fast friends and he visits every spring with his family. I don?t know if the people that show up with him are really his family. He may hire them for the week to look normal. You can never trust anyone that comes from a place named Hollywood.

Last spring my friend showed up in his new 40-foot camper and announced to me that he wanted to learn to fly fish, and wanted me to teach him. This was not a good idea. I am good at many things but having the patience with someone that thinks line is string, a rod is a pole, and we all need to use bobbers would try anyone?s patience. I taught him enough to confuse him and he did catch a few fish.

He and his family are back to continue there journey into the world of fly-fishing. They have not fished once from last year. He told me he forgot how to tie his knots. I was hoping he forgot directions to my house.

Teaching anyone the finer points of fly-fishing is a road that I crash on; I don?t have the patience for it, but feel obligated to help them. My son is a guide this year on the Big Horn River, I have handed them off to him, and he will take the time to help them.

Here is a tip for you if you?re a beginner and are only going to fish once a year, you may have a difficult outing and don?t be disappointed if you don?t have much success. If everyone hit a home run every time they got up to bat, you would never need to practice but that is not how it works. If you want to be good or great at anything you have to do it as early and often as you can, and whatever you do, don?t forget your string, pole, and bobber.

Loon Outdoors

May 2006

Currently Testing.

Crown Laboratories Blue Lizard Suncream

Blue Lizard Suncream

According to the American Academy of Dermatology one out of five American?s will develop some form of skin cancer. Fly Fishers spend hours in the sun and we need to protect our skin. Blue Lizard Suncream has the ingredients you need to protect yourself from possible skin cancer.

Sunscreen that works needs to have at least 5% Zinc Oxide; this protects you from harmful skin cancer rays. SPF 30+ is the highest you need to use. If it is 30+, this is what the number means. 30+ X 20 minutes, this is the length of time you can spend in the sun. If you do the math, it totals 10 hours, which is a long day under the sun. Higher levels such as 40, 50, and 60 don?t make much sense if you do the math.

Here are some tips for all of us to follow. Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before you go outside even in cloudy and hazy weather. Use a shot glass full of sunscreen each application reapply every two hours. If you are in and out of the water apply again when you dry off. Wear sunglasses, a broad-brimmed hat. If you wear cap like we do, pay attention to the ears and neck area.

Blue Lizard contains 6% Zink Oxide, Octinoxate 7.5%, Octocrylene 2%, and Oxybenzone 3%, among other ingredients. If you have children, less than 6 months old check with the child?s Doctor before applying. Blue Lizard Suncream will help prevent skin cancer if used correctly. No one can offer a guarantee.

Recommend?Testing

Highlight?Testing

Drawbacks?Testing

Rating?Have not rated

Tester?All

Waterworks Lamson

May?2006

The Waterworks Lamson has two reels that we are currently testing. The Lite Speed 1.5 and the Force 2X LT reel.

The Lite Speed 1.5 weights all of 4 oz. We are testing the four weight for dries. The Lite Speed is an engineering marvel. It is a large arbor reel with a fully sealed drag system. This next explanation is a bit technical but important. The drag consists of a pair of precisely matched conical elements, drawn together with spring tension to produce variable rates of smooth rotational braking. The matching conical elements are able to seal the drag completely from moisture, sand, and anything else that can gum up the system. I took this information from the website because they explain it better than I can.
The real question is how does it perform in the field? That answer will have to wait until we feel comfortable to give you the results.

Waterworks Force 2X LT Reel weights 3.2 oz. We are testing six weight for nymphing. The Force 2X also incorporates the same conical drag in the Lite Speed. The large arbor reel on both is deceiving. They look shallow and the first impression, you will not get much backing or line. This is an illusion; we put plenty of backing and 100 feet of line on it. Large arbor reels prevent line memory for smoother casts and retrieve.

The Lite Speed and the Force 2X are works of art, designed and engineered for maximum performance for the Fly Fisher. We cannot find a flaw in either of these reels. We will bring you results in detail in the coming weeks.

Recommend?Yes, with little testing so far.

Highlight?Lightweight, drag system.

Drawback?None so far.

Rating?Testing

Tester?All

Back Office Friendly?High Water Mark

COLEMAN EXPONENT

April?2006

Testing?Fold ?N GO Propane InstaStart? Stove. Canyon? 15 Sleeping Bag. Inyo? Solo Tent.

Coleman continues to produce great Camping product. One of our goals this year with Camping gear is stay light; Coleman has joined us with light tents, bags, and one of the most intriguing portable stoves, the Fold ?N Go Propane InstaStart? Stove.

Please read on, the following are pre-reviews for Coleman?s 2006 camping product that we are testing.

The Fold ?N Go InstaStart? is a push button ignition stove that uses a 16.4 oz propane cylinder. It has adjustable 10,000 BTU burners, and folds together for easy transport. This is the first summer that we will be testing lightweight stoves; Coleman makes lighter stoves, but the Fold ?N Go is perfect for our needs. Montana Test will definitely give this stove a continuous workout. Check back for field test results.

Inyo? Solo Tent. The Inyo ? is a solo tent that Chris will be testing first. This is a three season lightweight shelter. The Inyo? weights 3.6 lbs, has color-coded poles with a large vestibule for storage. Center height is 37.25? allowing enough room to sit upright. This is a short list on the Inyo?, we will get deeper into the review after are testing.

Canyon? 15 Sleeping Bag weights 3 lbs. 13 oz, rated to 15 degrees. The Canyon?
Is a 24 oz Thermolite? Micro fill bag that promises warmth to weight ratio for the price. We are testing the 32?x 86? bag, over seven feet long. Many of our testers want a bag with more length and Coleman has obliged. Check back for field reviews.

Recommend?Testing

Highlight?.Lightweight

Drawback?Testing

Rating?Testing

Testers?All

DARN TOUGH VERMONT?

April?2006

Product toTest? Cushion and Full Cushion Hike-Trek boot sock, 69% Merino Wool, 27% Nylon, 4% Lycra?Spandex, with WICKITDRY Technology?.

We here at Montana Test are sock testers. Darn Tough Vermont joins the long list of socks that we test. We relentlessly abuse socks; we find every weakness, every flaw. If you plan to pass the Montana Test sock review, you had better make a hardy foot cover.

Darn Tough Vermont doesn?t make hunting or fishing socks. Very few companies make socks labeled fishing; I am not sure how you could do it anyway. We look for socks to test that will work for what we do, regardless of manufacturer?s claims. If they are built for fence post installers but work for what we do, we?ll test them. We here at Montana Test aren?t hung up on labels, if they work, they work.

All Darn Tough Vermont socks are manufactured in the USA, Northfield Vermont. Darn Tough uses a 14-gauge high-density knitting process resulting in 1,440 knit stitches per square inch on all of there socks. The socks form to your feet, do not move, no bulk, no bunching. I can attest to this, these socks fit like a glove. This is our first impression; we will be giving these socks an extensive workout.

I spoke with Roland Beliveau my contact at Darn Tough Vermont. Roland brought up an interesting observation on my review of socks. The drawback on some sock reviews is cost, the amount that you and I will pay for a quality sock. The socks we are testing for Darn Tough retail for $20.00, this is a ton of money to pay for foot covers, and some folks will never pay that much for any sock.

Here are what we me we have learned about quality and cost. I use to be a discount sock buyer, find the discount bin, and buy the cheapest I could find. I could buy two or three pair for $15.00 or $20.00 instead of one that cost that amount. This was great for my pocketbook but not my feet. We started testing socks because these discount socks did not hold up for very long. We would have to return to the store and purchase repeatedly. We do not claim to be the brightest group of people; we finally did the math and found that spending more for three pair was cheaper than buying 8 to 10 pair that broke down.

We would never tell you how to spend your money. You earn it, you can spend as little, or as much as you want on any outdoor product. When it comes to socks, we have found that paying more and getting fewer pair is a good investment. Remember, quality never goes out of style. Spending more for quality product will save you money in the end.


Recommend?Testing

Highlight?Fit your foot like a glove.

Drawback?Cost?

Rating?Testing

Tester?All

COLUMBIA WOMEN?S FLY FISHING SPORTSWEAR.

April?2006

If you have shopped for Fly Fishing sportswear for women you have found out what I did, there isn?t much of a selection. You can wear anything you want when you are on the water but when temperatures hit the high nineties, you lose your waders and slip on wading sandals and shorts. You want clothing that is comfortable and dries quickly. Columbia has the largest selection of fishing wear for women that I have found that meet these criteria.

Aruba II Pant in Sage and Fossil.

The pant is 100% nylon Tactel?, Omni-Dry? Breeze Weave ripstop. Omni-Dry developed by Columbia is a moisture management process designed to keep you comfortable and dry by drawing moisture to the fabric surface called wicking. The wicking process moves moisture quickly to the surface of the clothing to evaporate. The 100% nylon Tactel is a crinkle-finish ripstop, durable, lightweight, and quick drying. The pant also incorporates UPF 30, good UV protection from the sun.

Eddyline? Long Sleeve Shirt.

The Eddyline is designed with all the same features as the Aruba II pant.

Whidbey? Short.

This is a quick-drying short for fishing or casual wear. A 100% textured nylon Perfecta Plus?. Perfecta plus is a heavier version of the Perfecta cloth. The Whidbey is versatile worn in and out of the water.

The Ebb Tide? tank top and the Bonehead? II Polo.

Both worn for fishing or casual wear. I will be testing when the weather dictates.

Recommended?Testing

Highlights?Quick-Drying, comfortable.

Drawbacks?None so far.

Rating?Still Testing

Tester?Jane Stinson

Montana Test will be testing two reels from Lamson. The Litespeed 1.5 size 3,4,and 5 WT. We also will be testing the Force 2X LT Reel in 5 and 6 WT.

Please check back for results.

Scott Fly Rods

April 2006

We are proud to welcome SCOTT FLY RODS to the growing list of companies joining Montana Test. Scott Fly Rods handcrafted in the USA at there factory in Montrose CO. Scott Fly Rods have a long history of innovative design and craftsmanship with few peers. In the coming weeks we will be testing and reviewing their new Freshwater rods for 2006.

William Joseph
Hodgman

Early April?Big Horn and Stillwater River

Janie and I spent this last weekend fishing and testing. I tested the William Joseph Dri-Namic wader and W20 wading shoe. Janie tested the Hodgman Women?s Classic Stockingfoot Wader, and Women?s WadeTech Wading shoe. The following reviews are on the Waders.

William Joseph is proving to be one of the top manufacturers of Fly Fishing gear. There attitude is entertaining and refreshing. The sales information tags on the product are blunt and to the point, informing you the buyer exactly whom you are dealing with and exactly the quality product you may soon own.

William Joseph does not pull any punches. They will tell you they make great product for the Fly Fisher, and so far, I am not going to argue with that statement.

The Dri-Namic wader from WJ may prove to be the hit of the season. This is one fine piece of fishing product. I have worn it on consecutive days on the Big Horn and Stillwater and enjoy the fit, quality, and comfort. The boot sock fits like a glove, made of Hypalon and articulated for a perfect fit, like a street shoe. The sock fits inside the boot, as it should. Some waders have too much sock for too little boot, but not the Dri-Namic.

The Dri-Namic is 5-layer construction with a SUPPLEX outer shell. The inside of the wader is Ultra-Fresh coated for anti-mildew protection. The two front pockets of the wader are RF welded, stretchable with waterproof zippers, with built in gravel guards. It also has a large back pocket with zipper that holds a jacket, Fly box, your lunch or anything else you can get in it. The Dri-Namic also includes a repair kit and belt.

Seams on the Dri-Namic double up inside and out, providing you with confidence that they will not leak. William Joseph offers a $50.00 satisfaction guarantee. If for any reason are not satisfied with the Dri-Namic the first year, you can return them, they will send you a new pair, or not, and pay you 50 bucks for your trouble.

Cost?$339.99

Recommend?Yes, with more testing to come.

Highlight?Articulated sock, Warranty, Terrific people to work with.

Drawback?None so far, still testing

Rating?High Water Mark

Tester?Pat Stinson

Women?s Hodgman Waders and Wading shoes.

This is the first wader and wading shoe I have tested for the season. The Women?s Classic wader has plenty of room and fits perfect. The pockets on the front have double entry hand warmers. I like this feature, along with two zippered pockets and three mesh pockets. The waders come with a quick release belt allowing me to drop the suspenders on warm days and enjoy the sun. The neoprene boot sock fits perfect inside my wading shoe. The Women?s Classic has gravel guards, and 5-layer knee and seat areas. I have fallen crossing fast water and the reinforced knee area is great feature.
I will continue to test the Wader and let you know what I find out.

Cost?$223.99

Recommend?Yes...Still Testing

Highlight?Great fit?Comfortable

Drawback...None so far.

Rating?High Water Mark?So far

Tester?Jane Stinson

Check back for reviews and story.

The Strange and Bizarre world of Polarized Sunglass Importers.

Polarized Sunglasses?Testing?

You probably have noticed that we have not tested any Polarized Sunglasses. This is not for a lack of trying. I haven?t contacted all Sunglass Importers; but the ones we have spoken with are the strangest group of people we have ever dealt with. The people we spoke with are friendly enough, but the requirements to test their Sunglasses were nothing short of bizarre.

One company that will remain nameless for now wanted me to travel to Utah in July to a Retail Trade show and pick up the Sunglasses. I explained to her that July in Montana is the best time for us to test product because the runoff is finished and fishing is great. I don?t think she believed me. Another company requested my stats on visitors to the site. That was a valid request until it dawned on me that the number would never be high enough. This is the oldest dodge in the business; I just had not heard it in awhile. If someone requests stats from your site, don?t give them any unless they are going to purchase advertising.

Another person I dealt with accused me of putting the site up just for the day to fool them. Another one hated my site and sent me an email outlining the flaws, and until I got them corrected he would not allow me to test his sunglasses. I called OAKLEY sunglasses last summer; I was informed at that time that I could not speak with anyone unless I had already established a personal relationship with an employee first.

This should have been a wake up call and a warning. I was dealing with a very different group of people.

For the record and in case anyone is interested, I do not attend Trade shows. I did early in my career but found them to be waste of time. Most of these shows are for the retailer, not for people that do what I do. I do all my work on the phone and website and so far, with the exception of Sunglass Importers it has worked fine. My family owned a retail business for 75 years; I grew up in it and attended trade shows for years. If I never have to attend another one, I will be thrilled.

Here are some facts about Polarized sunglasses that we have found from our research:

Many Sunglasses advertised as Polarized are not.

Polarized sunglasses filter horizontal glare.

Polarization is a process of squeezing a polarizing film between layers of glass or carbonate.

You can test the Polarization by looking through the lens at a horizontal reflective surface; the hood of your rig will work. Rotate the glasses to the left or right, notice if the glare increases or diminishes, if you notice a significant and I mean significant decrease in glare your sunglasses are polarized.

Tint is the color of the lens; it can be Yellow, Medium/Dark Grey, and Medium/Dark Brown. You can also get Green, Rose, and Gold. What is the best tint for you? I cannot answer that but I personally will be testing Grey and Brown tinted and let you know.

CR-39 is a hard plastic resin that works well for Polarization lens

You will find plenty of Sunglass websites that sell at a discount. Make sure you can return the Sunglasses if they are advertised as Polarized but are not.

Do not buy a pair of Sunglasses because of a Celebrity Endorsement. The Celebrity has an endorsement deal and receives financial payment. This Financial arrangement has no relationship to the quality of the Sunglass.

We found two, Made in America Sunglass companies. OAKLEY and FUSION, the rest import.

Currently there are over 50 sunglass companies that claim they produce and sell Polarized sunglasses.


We continue to struggle with the unexplainable behavior of Sunglass Importers. I hear outlandish and ridiculous demands. All of them, a smoke screen; they are too strange not to be. Without exception, every Sunglass importer has been consistently kooky.

What are they trying to hide? What is the big deal about a stupid pair of Sunglasses that they don?t want me to find out? Am I paranoid? I don?t think so; all of my testers have had a good laugh at the expense of this abnormal behavior.

We will be purchasing Sunglasses to test. This has to be easier than dealing with people that remind you of your crazy Uncle.

Stearns, Hodgman Breathable Waders and Wading Shoes.

March 30, 2006? Pre-Review

Stearns sent us the 3-IN-1 Breathable Wader & Wading Vest. This is a combination wader and fishing vest. You can wear the waders and vest together or you can wear each separately. This is a breathable wader with plenty of storage, padded knees, and attached gravel guards. The vest has four outside drain pockets, two inside slash drain pockets and elastic pocket with storm flap. We look for a vigorous test of the 3-IN-1 Breathable Wader and Wading Vest.

Stearns also sent the Deluxe Sealdri Breathable Wading Jacket. The Sealdri has a long list of features that make it one of the nicest we have tested. The jacket is nylon lined, has fleece-lined pockets, two XL front pockets and waterproof neoprene wrist cuffs. The Sealdri has one feature we have not seen on other jackets of it type, two front retractors with barrel snap swivels. The jacket also offers elastic waist with inside snaps to convert to a shorter length, a warm fleece lined chin collar, and rod keeper tab. The Sealdri jacket will get a tough test.


Hodgman WadeTech Wading Shoe

The WadeTech Wading Shoe has a durable mess upper with padded collar and tongue. Speed lacing system with taslan laces and locking speed clips. The WadeTech also offers a heel pull, are very lightweight, and have removable cushioned insoles. I just gave a short technical description of the WadeTech wading shoe. I will have more when we hit the water.

Recommend?Testing

Highlight? Testing

Drawbacks? Testing

Rating?Testing

Tester?Pat Stinson


Women?s Hodgman Waders and Wading Boots

March 30, 2006?Pre-Review

The Women?s Classic Stockingfoot Wader is the first pair of waders that I will be testing. I currently wear an old pair from a company that is not in business any longer. The women?s Classic wader from Hodgman has outside handwarmer pockets; five layer knee and seat area. Waders are one piece of Fly-fishing gear I have tested and I know what I like and need. They must have plenty of room, and most importantly for me they have to be breathable and comfortable.

Hodgman Women?s WadeTech Wading Shoe.

The Women?s WadeTech Wading Shoe is a perfect fit with my wader. The wading shoes are lightweight; have a speed lacing system, and a heel pull to help me pull the boot on. I really like a wading shoe with this feature. This is a small thing but important to me. I need and want comfortable waders and wading shoes.

Recommend?Testing

Highlight?Testing

Drawback?Testing

Rating?Testing

Tester?Jane Stinson

See Photo Gallery for Pictures of all Stearns and Hodgman product.

Bite Footwear

March?2006

The TROUTSTREAM wading sandal from BITE FOOTWEAR offers the angler a chance to ditch his waders and fish in shorts. Waders are not mandatory when temperatures hit the mid ninety?s and you want a wading sandal or shoe that will protect your feet. The TROUTSTREAM is made of Durahide? lightweight leather that is very durable. A quick lacing system, neoprene lined with a large toe guard with drainage ports.

The bottom of the wading sandal is 10 mm felt, incorporates five Beehive sticky pads for extra wet surface traction. The TROUTSTREAM also has a wide sturdy base with an EVA midsole for uneven rocks because they are everywhere here in Montana waters. The TROUTSTREAM offers the necessary traits that make a great wading sandal.

We will be testing the PRIMAL FELT wading shoe. The PRIMAL FELT has a long list of characteristics needed for a wading shoe. The uppers offer a wide toe box, quick drying Durahide?, lateral and medial vents for draining. Athlete shoe construction for lightweight, flexibility, and rubberized toe guard with drainage ports.

The bottom has a 10 mm felt bottom, high sidewall mudguard for stability, and a wide sturdy base for support. The PRIMAL FELT has built-in arch supports for added comfort with a hidden shank for increased stability.

We have not tested either shoe or sandal yet; above are the technical features of both shoe and sandal. Stay tuned as we give both a serious test on Montana waters.

Recommend?.Testing

Highlight?Testing

Drawback?Testing

Rating?..Testing

Tester?.Pat and Chris Stinson

Industrial Revolution

March?2006


This coming fishing season we are taking a different approach. This year we will be going light with our gear. We fish two and three days at a time on many of our fishing trips. All of us like to camp and if we have a long drift, we?ll camp on an island. Most drift boats have limited storage and weight is critical especially for the one that does most of the rowing. Our trips consist of three anglers, sleeping bags, tents, fishing gear, not to mention food and cookware. The gear takes up a lot of room and adds weight. We want to lighten our load any way we can. Industrial Revolution is helping us do just that with some innovative products.

Outdoor Meal Kit

The Meal Kit is new for 2006. The kit is perfect for our needs, lightweight (11.3oz) and self-contained. The kit comes with six separate pieces; it includes two plates, a Spork, a spill-free cup with lid, a combined colander, cutting board, with a small waterproof cup. It is dishwasher safe, floats, and you can use it in the microwave. The Meal Kit is one of the most innovative products we will be testing this season.

The Grilliput

?What exactly is a Grilliput and how does it work?? These were just a few of the questions I had when I first laid my eyes on this strange looking grill. When I got my answers, I found the Grilliput is unique and amazing at the same time.

The Grilliput is an 11.4-inch long stainless steel tube grill. The carrying tube contains a smaller tube, 12 stainless steel rods, and 4 stainless steel legs. Everything you need to assemble the grill are contained and carried in the larger tube. It is a portable grill you put together, and then take apart when you finish with it. It weights 1.2 lb has a grilling surface of 9.1 in. by 10.2 in. We are amazed at the Grilliput; and so is everyone that picks it up. They all ask the same question, ?Is that a grill?? You will have to see the Grilliput to appreciate the engineering that when into its design and function. We will give the Grilliput a tough workout; you will want to stay tuned!

Candle Lantern

The theme of staying light continues with the Candle Lantern. The Lantern has been a favorite of backpackers for years and we want to move it to fly fishers. The candle burns for 9 hours and has a LED light located in its base. Besides the candle, you have a lightweight flash light. We will be using the Candle Lantern often and will bring you the results.

FireSteel and Spork

We will also be testing the Spork (spoon and fork combo) and the FireSteel design to create spark in high wind and wet conditions.

Recommend?..Testing

Highlight?..Testing

Drawback?..Testing

Rating?Have not rated

Tester?..All

WILLIAM JOSEPH

Mid-March?2006

We will be testing the W20 boot new for 2006. This is a unique wading boot; its appearance will have you doing a double take. The boots are grey and black with a Velcro power ankle strap, a felt bottom with toe and heel traction points. The W20 is an elegant looking wading boot, if it performs as exquisitely as it looks; we are in for a genuine treat.

The W20 is made of HYPALON. Here is the technical definition. A thermoset jacket material providing excellent abrasion and flex fatigue resistance. Technical definitions are boring and I am not a chemist. Know this; the W20 will get a serious water test from me, and others. We can hardly wait!

The BACKWATER JACKET is another innovative product from WILLIAM JOSEPH. This jacket has plenty of first ever features. Wrist Gaskets or watertight neoprene cuffs with a Velcro strap to tighten if that is not enough. A hide away hood, waterproof zippers with a built in L.E.D. zipper light for whenever you need some extra light to guide the way. The BACKWATER is waterproof, windproof, has two wide and deep lined front pockets that could hold a small boy with a puppy.

We are thrilled to have WILLIAM JOSEPH to joint the Montana Test team.

Recommend?...Testing

Highlight?Testing

Drawback?Testing

Rating?Testing

Tester?.Pat Stinson

Keen Footwear Original Hybrid Footwear

March?.2006?.Continuous Testing

During the next weeks and months, we will be testing the new Keen Footwear for 2006.

We will be testing the women?s SELWAY, men?s SELWAY, HUMBOLDT, and the men?s OCHOCO.

Here is some Technical information on each shoe.

Women- SELWAY.

Weight 10.7 oz. Very light.
Synthetic Webbing and Mesh upper. Easy to clean.
Forefoot Protection Plate. Protects your toes.
Secure Fit Lace Capture System. Pull and tighten.
Integrated Heel Stabilization. Keeps Heel secure
Carbon Non-Marking Rubber bottom.

Men- SELWAY.

Weight 12.9 oz. Very light.
Synthetic Webbing and Mesh upper. Easy to clean.
Forefoot Protection Plate. Protects your toes.
Secure Fit Lace Capture System. Pull and tighten.
Integrated Heel Stabilization. Keeps Heel secure
Carbon Non-Marking Rubber bottom.

The Men and Women?s SELWAY have identical features with the exception of weight.

See Photo Gallery for look at Men and Women?s SELWAY.

Men-OCHOCO

Weight 12.5 oz Very light.
Synthetic Mesh upper. Easy to clean.
Full Front Protection Plate. Excellent toe protection.
Free Flex Asymmetric Lace System. Quick tighten and tie.
Air Flow Micro Filament Mesh Upper. Foot stays cool.
Stability Quad Density EVA Midsole. Comfort and balance.



Men- HUMBOLDT

Weight 12.9 oz Light.
Synthetic Webbing Mesh upper. Easy to clean.
Forefoot protection Plate. Toe protection.
Secure Fit Lace Capture System. Fast pull and tighten.
Integrated Heel Stabilization. Keeps heel secure.
Stability Quad Density EVA Footbed. Full secure fit.

Recommend?..Testing

Highlight?...Testing

Drawback?..Testing

Rating?Testing

March ?...2006

The 2006 Fishing gear has arrived, please visit the Photo Gallery for a look at the new PFG (Performance Fishing Gear) from Columbia.

Bonehead ? Long Sleeve Fishing Shirt. PFG. This is a great fitting shirt with a number of features. Button tad sleeve holders, we like this feature a lot. During hot days on the water, you want to keep your sleeves rolled up and want them to stay there. The tab lock works perfect. Other features include fly box pockets, tool holder, and rod holder, fully vented to stay cool on warm days.

Booth Bay? Jacket PFG. This is one of the finest Waterproof/breathable jackets we have tested. It features critically seam seals, windproof, has front cargo hand warming pockets with a maximum visibility hood. Chris wore the jacket fishing on the Big Horn and has a real attachment to the jacket already.

Aruba? Pant PFG. This is a Fishing pant that Columbia offers with zip off pant legs. It has mesh-lined pockets to drain water away if you head into deeper water. During the hottest part of the day, we will pull off the waders; fish in only shorts and wading shoes. You need a short that drains water from pockets and dries quickly. The Aruba? Pant appears to have the right make up to perform.

Henry?s Fork III? Vest PFG. I will be testing the fishing vest and have already filled it with all my fly boxes, tippet, leader, clippers, and anything else I could fit in a pocket.
My former vest had too many pockets I could never find anything. The Henry?s Fork III? has just enough pockets to store all that I need but not enough to get me lost or frustrated looking for something.

Bahama? II Long Sleeve Shirt. PFG. The Bahama? II is a UPF 30 fishing shirt. The UPF means protection from the sun. You can get 15, 30, 40, or 50 protection, UPF 30 is considered perfect for us here in Montana. The protection comes from the weave of the material, that?s as technical as I will explain. The higher protection numbers are for climates closer to the equator. All fishing shirts need to be roomy enough to move unrestricted and cannot interfere with casting. The Bahama? II is fully vented, includes tab sleeve holders, rod holder, tool holder, and hook and loop closed fly box pockets.

Columbia Fishing Caps. Columbia makes some really fine caps. We wear head covers to minimize glare. We will be wearing the LOGO II Ball Cap, and the Mesh Ball Cap.
The Mesh cap has mesh backpanels to circulate air. The Logo II is a full-brushed twill panel cap to wear on cooler days on the water, or for everyday wear. Chris has not found a cap that fits his big fat head, the Columbia caps fit all but him. We are constantly on the hunt for a cap that fits his head.

Bite Footwear located in Redmond WA has joined Montana Test. Our testers will be trying the Troutstream Wading sandal, and the Primal Felt Wading shoe. Both Wading shoes will get a serious workout on Trout waters in Montana and the Northwest.

March 2006

Temple Fork Fly Rods

Montana Test will be testing the Jim Teeny Series Fly Rods from TFO this upcoming fishing season. The Jim Teeny rods are the latest from TFO. The new rods will get a rigorous test from the Montana Test staff.

The Jim Teeny Series are IM6 Graphite 2 rods. The rods are all 9 ft, 4pc rods in 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12 Wt. Jim Teeny rods are strong, lightweight, fast action and have a powerful lower butt section and sensitive tip.

All Temple Fork Fly Rods come with a No-Fault Warranty for the life of the original owner.

We look forward to testing the new Jim Teeny Fly Rods from TFO and know they will perform to the high standards that all TFO rods adhere too.

WOOLRICH

Montana Test is proud to announce that the WOOLRICH Company have joined our team to test the new line of fishing clothing for 2006. WOOLRICH located in Woolrich, PA has a rich 175-year history of manufacturing outstanding men and women?s casual clothing. I have owned WOOLRICH product for years and still have a WOOLRICH down parka that I bought in 1981. Woolrich is a great company and has great people to deal with.

Montana Test will be testing the Stillwater Shirt a 100% cotton sun block poplin with UPF of 30. The Stillwater incorporates a Sun block collar that rolls up to protect the neck. Two front pockets, with a vertical zippered fly-lure box pocket with drain holes. Rod holder tab, rollup sleeves, and a vented back to keep you cool in 100-degree temps.

We also are testing the VARDEN CONVERTIABLE PANT. A 70% cotton 30% nylon fishing or casual pant. The VARDEN offers zip off pant legs; two zip close cargo pockets, and articulated knees for ease of movement.

We will give both shirt and pant a workout the next two to four months. We are confident that these products will surpass the high standards that have made WOOLRICH the fine company it was 175 years ago and remains today.

Chris, Jane, and I spent a windy Sunday fishing Dupuy Spring Creek. Dupay Spring Creek is located about six miles south of Livingston Mt. in the Paradise Valley. It is a pay for play fishery. One of Chris?s fishing friends has fished it and filled our heads with big and fast fish. The Creek runs parallel to the Yellowstone River and is 3 miles of private fishing. It also offers three separate fishing huts with wood burning stoves to warm you up. Chris is the only one that caught fish, between 10 and 15. Jane, Rbi, and me fought the wind all day. Casting was very tough and fishing slow. Chris caught an 18-inch cut bow and had a larger fish on but lost it. Chris is a relentless angler and won?t quit until he catches fish.

On Dupuy?s you have to use barbless hooks, and is catch and release. We all used Temple Fork Fly Rods, 5 and 6 weight. Chris used beads, Jane and I tried a variety of nymphs, size 18 and 20. Jane did hook a fish late in the day but didn?t land. I stunk all day. I hate fishing in the wind and it showed could not get my game face on all day. DuPuy Spring Creek is a great area and some days you will catch loads of big fish. Try to pick a day that the wind isn?t blowing 30 to 40 miles an hour.