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