MI Hunters Rights Preserved in Huron-Manistee Forest Lawsuit

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- A single citizen’s five-year legal battle to end gun hunting and snowmobiling in portions of Michigan’s Huron-Manistee National Forests —an effort that very well could have jeopardized hunting in all national forests— reached its likely end last week, when the U.S. Forest Service announced that both activities will be allowed to continue.

That decision stems from a 2010 ruling by the 6^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the Forest Service failed to comply with several of its own regulations and a federal statute during revision of the 2006 Land and Resource Management Plan for the Huron-Manistee National Forests.

Kurt Meister, a forest user who owns a cabin in nearby Cadillac, Mich., filed suit in 2007 alleging that the management plan for Huron-Manistee favored gun hunting and snowmobile riding over “quiet” recreational activities. He sought to have approximately 66,500 acres of semi-primitive, non-motorized areas set aside for quiet uses.

His complaint was originally thrown out by a federal district judge in Detroit, but Meister won on appeal.

Specifically, the court found that the Forest Service (1) did not coordinate its planning with the state of Michigan, as required, to reduce duplication of recreational activities with respect to firearm hunting and snowmobiling, and (2) violated the National Environmental Policy Act when it failed to consider closing 13 semi-primitive, non-motorized areas and the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area to gun hunting and snowmobiles.

In response to that lawsuit, Huron-Manistee officials amended the management plan, offering four alternatives ranging from taking no action —which would have flown in the face of the court’s ruling— to ending gun hunting and snowmobiling on 14 different areas of the forest.

The agency instead opted to reclassify 13 of those 14 areas to management designations that imply more noise but still allow for “more secluded” and “less roaded” recreation relative to the rest of the forests’ nearly 1 million acres.

This preferred alternative (Alternative 4 in the draft plan) allows gun hunting and snowmobile use to continue and was supported by NRA and more than 30 other pro-hunting organizations via a letter submitted to the Forest Service in October. The Record of Decision implementing the preferred alternative, signed on Jan. 27 by Regional Forester Charles L. Myers, says the Forest Service will:

• –  Continue to allow gun hunting in the previously designated semi-primitive, non-motorized and primitive areas of the Huron-Manistee National Forests in accordance with regulations of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and
• – Continue to allow snowmobiling on designated trails within the Huron-Manistee National Forests.

Hunters should take note, however, that the plan still must clear several hurdles before it becomes final.

For starters, forest spokesperson Ken Arbogast said the Department of Justice will submit the Record of Decision on the Forest Service’s behalf to the U.S. District Court in Detroit, which will determine if the plan complies with the Sixth Circuit’s ruling.

The decision will also be open to a 45-day public appeal period.

Despite these pitfalls, it looks as if a precedent-setting ban on gun hunting has been averted, at least for the time being.

“The Forest Service made the right decision to keep secluded areas open to gun hunting, but in changing the land designations, the agency creates the impression that gun hunting should be excluded from semi-primitive and primitive areas,” said Susan Recce, NRA Director of Conservation, Wildlife and Natural Resources.

“The only way to protect gun hunting on national forests, regardless of individual land designations, and to stop these frivolous lawsuits, is for Congress to enact H.R. 2834.”

Supported by NRA, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, Safari Club International, Congressional Sportsmen Foundation, and the American Sportfishing Association, among other conservation groups, H.R. 2834, the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act, safeguards hunting, fishing and recreational shooting from arbitrary closure on federal lands.

The bill states that lands under Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service jurisdiction, including lands designated as wilderness, or administratively classified as wilderness eligible or suitable, and primitive or semi-primitive areas, shall be open for fishing, hunting and shooting unless the managing agency acts to close lands to such activity.

The closures or restrictions must be necessary and reasonable and supported by facts and evidence.

H.R. 2834 also corrects another problem that the ruling created with respect to duplication of activities. The court’s ruling suggested that the Forest Service, by its own planning rule, had to look outside the boundaries of the Huron-Manistee to see if hunting was allowed on non-forest lands, implying that the agency should close forest lands to hunting if other nearby state or federal lands were also open to hunting.

An analysis completed by Huron-Manistee officials and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources found that there was no opportunity to reduce duplication because of public demand for hunting and snowmobiling opportunities in more secluded areas.

However, H.R. 2834 removes any obligation for federal land managers to consider sportsmen’s activities on other lands when planning for public use on its own lands.

H.R. 2834 is expected to reach the House floor in March, and a Senate version of the bill was introduced by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) on Thursday, Feb. 2.

For additional information on H.R. 2834, please read: NRA Fights to Secure Access to Federal Lands

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Riflescope

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- During the month of February, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org for a chance to win a brand new Legend Ultra HD riflescope from Bushnell.

Although not due out on store shelves until April 2012, Bushnell has generously agreed to donate an advance sample from this new line exclusively for the February Gift Giveaway on www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

The model up for grabs is the 3-9x 40mm featuring the exclusive DOA 600 reticle—one of nine configurations in the Legend Ultra HD line. Featuring fully multi-coated optics, Legend Ultra HD riflescopes deliver 91 percent light transmission for a clear, crisp sight picture. The DOA 600 reticle provides aiming points from 100 to 600 yards in 100-yard increments and is compatible with most popular deer-hunting bullet/load combinations.

Each scope in the series is 100 percent waterproof, fog proof and shockproof, and the glass is protected with Bushnell’s patented RainGuard HD coating. This permanent, water-resistant finish causes moisture to bead up and scatter less light, allowing the scope to perform even in inclement weather.

Other features include a sleek new one-piece tube design with low profile turret caps; a slim line power-change ring; and side focus adjustment. Free to one lucky entrant, this scope will retail for $249.99. For more information on all of the quality optics offered by Bushnell Outdoor Products, visit www.bushnell.com.

To enter the February Gift Giveaway, simply visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org and scroll down to the yellow box titled “TO ENTER GIFT GIVEAWAY” on the right-hand side of the page. Just send an e-mail to the address provided and write “Gift Giveaway” in the subject line. Entries will be accepted now through Feb. 29, and a winner will be announced March 1 on www.NRAhuntersrights.org. (One entry per person, please.)

For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Leupold RX-1000i TBR Compact Digital Rangfinder

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- If your 2011 hunting season went awry because you misjudged the distance to your target, you won’t want to miss this month’s gift giveaway on www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

During the month of January, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org for a chance to win a brand new Leupold RX-1000i TBR Compact Digital Rangfinder with DNA, courtesy of Leupold & Stevens.

The palm-size RX-1000i is powered by Leupold’s new Digitally eNhanced Accuracy (DNA) technology, which not only increases ranging speed, but makes the RX-1000i accurate to 1/10 of a yard. The RX-1000i can automatically calculate the shot angle and provide the True Ballistic Range (TBR) rather than the straight-line distance to the target, allowing for more accurate shot placement.

The RX-1000i measures only 3.8 inches long and weighs just 7.8 ounces. Its multicoated lens system produces a bright, pristine image, helping to transmit 80 percent of available light to the eye—three times greater than the light transmission of traditional LCD rangefinders. Actual 6x magnification and a vivid red Organic LED display also make it easier to spot and range game, even through dark timber and in low-light conditions.

The RX-1000i offers continuous scanning to help stay on target when tracking movement or scanning an area, and the unit can range from six to 1,000 yards in rifle mode and up to 125 yards in bow mode.

All RX-1000i units are weatherproof and rugged, with tough aluminum casing and rubber armor. Each rangefinder comes with a Cordura holster, lanyard, and CR2 lithium camera battery. Free to one lucky entrant, this rangefinder normally retails for $399.99. For more information on all of Leupold’s quality hunting and shooting optics, visit www.leupold.com.

To enter the January Gift Giveaway, simply visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org and scroll down to the yellow box, “TO ENTER GIFT GIVEAWAY” on the right-hand side of the page. Just send an e-mail to the address provided and write “Gift Giveaway” in the subject line. No other information is needed. Entries will be accepted now through Jan. 31, and a winner will be announced Feb. 1 on www.NRAhuntersrights.org. (One entry person, please.)

For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Win a Ruger M77 Hawkeye Rifle and a Hawke Panorama 3-9x40 Scope

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- In the spirit of the holidays, www.NRAhuntersrights.org is holding a very special DOUBLE gift giveaway well-suited for late season hunting conditions.

For the month of December we’re giving away a complete big-game hunting package featuring a Ruger M77 Hawkeye rifle and a Hawke Panorama 3-9×40 scope.

Free to one lucky entrant, the combined value of this package is more than $1,000.

Marrying function with classic style, the Ruger M77 Hawkeye is chambered in 7mm-08 Rem.

It incorporates a 22-inch, high-luster blued barrel; four-round magazine; and upgraded American black walnut stock. Each stock comes with a checkered cut grip and wrap-around checkered fore-end. Other features include integral scope mounts, a three-position safety and the LC6 (“light-crisp”) trigger. Overall weight is just seven pounds; length is 42 inches.

Normally available only at Friends of NRA* events, this limited-edition rifle also features the NRA logo in 24k gold with the number 0NRA-0503 of 1125 on the floor plate.

Regular retail value of this rifle is $843. Learn more about Ruger’s fine line of firearms at www.ruger.com.

No hunting rifle is complete without a quality scope. The Panorama EV 3-9×40 is waterproof, fogproof, shockproof and comes with Hawke’s worldwide warranty. Other features include a red/blue illuminated 1/2 Mil Dot ballistic reticle; fully multi-coated optics for edge-to-edge clarity; 1/4 MOA finger tip turrets; all-weather zoom ring; and Hawke’s Extreme View (EV) optical system, which provides a 20 percent wider field of view over standard riflescopes. The scope normally retails for $189.99.

This scope is also fully compatible with Hawke’s free online Ballistic Reticle Calculator (BRC). For more information on Hawke’s full line of Panorama riflescopes, as well as the company’s other fine hunting and shooting optics, visit www.hawkeoptics.com.

To enter the December Gift Giveaway, simply visit www.nrahuntersrights.org, and scroll down to the yellow box, “TO ENTER GIFT GIVEAWAY” on the right. Just send an e-mail to the address provided and write “Gift Giveaway” in the subject line. No other information is needed. Entries will be accepted now through Dec. 31, and a winner will be announced Jan. 1 on www.NRAhuntersrights.org. (One entry person, please.)

For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

*Friends of NRA (www.friendsofnra.org) banquets boil down to one goal—fundraising for the future of the shooting sports. Since its inception in 1992, Friends of NRA has held over 13,500 events, reached over two million attendees and raised over $170 million for The NRA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Each year, The NRA Foundation allocates half of all net proceeds to fund projects within the state in which the money was raised and uses the other half to fund similar projects with a national scope.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

NRA Benjamin Discovery Air Rifle

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- During the month of November, enter for a chance to win a .22 caliber Benjamin Discovery air rifle and accessories at www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Donated by the Crosman Corporation, this rifle is proudly engraved with the official NRA logo on the stock.

While shooters continue to love air guns for recreational shooting, training, pest control and competition, more and more hunters are looking at them as viable choices, too. Quiet, accurate and powerful, air guns are serious game-getters in the right hands.

The bolt-action, single-shot Discovery uses a PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) power plant generating pellet velocity up to 900 fps. It’s fully capable of taking fox-size game at up to 30 yards.

This Discovery comes with a hand-selected American walnut stock—custom-designed by Frank Vallone of Sycamore Hill Designs and laser-engraved with the NRA logo. Other features include a two-stage adjustable trigger, rifled steel barrel, fiber optic sights (rear adjustable), a built-in pressure gauge, quick disconnect fittings, and cross bolt safety. The Discovery’s Dual Fuel feature also allows it to easily convert from compressed air to CO2 power (tank and converter not included).

The package comes with a high-pressure hand pump, a tin of 500 Benjamin Premier ultra magnum pellets, and a Benjamin camouflage hat.

Suggested retail price of this package would be $960.

To enter the November Gift Giveaway, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org, scroll down to “Gift Giveaway” on the right side of the homepage, and follow the simple entry instructions. There is no cost to enter. Entries will be accepted now through Nov. 30, 2011, and a winner will be announced Dec. 1 on www.NRAhuntersrights.org. One entry per person, please.

NRA Benjamin Discovery Air Rifle Detail

For more on Crosman, Benjamin, CenterPoint Hunting and Outdoor Precision Optics, or Game Face Airsoft products, visit www.crosman.com, www.centerpointhunting.com, www.gamefaceairsoft.com, or e-mail Laura Evans, Marketing Coordinator, Crosman Corporation, at levans@crosman.com.

Send Your Hunting Photos to NRAhuntersrights.org

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- FAIRFAX, Va.—Most of us share our hunting photos with family, friends, or even co-workers, but how about sharing them with the world?

NRAhuntersrights.org maintains an online photo gallery where hunters can proudly put their trophies on display for everyone to see.

With hunting seasons already underway around the country, all hunters are welcome to send in their photos, and what constitutes a trophy is completely up to you!

Simply e-mail your photo to huntersrights@nrahq.org and put “Trophy Gallery” in the subject line.

All photos should be sharp, tasteful, and display safe gun handling practices.

Include the following information with your submission:

• Your name and hometown
• Date and location of the hunt
• Firearm or bow used
• Type of species
• Any special details about the hunt

To view photos other hunters have already submitted, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org and click on the “Trophy Gallery” tab at the top of the page. The gallery will be updated all season, so stop back often to see the latest trophies—not to mention the latest news that impacts your right to hunt.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- During the month of October, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org for a chance to win a Leupold RCX-1 Trail Camera System.

Leupold’s new RCX-1 Trail Camera System features an innovative hand-held USB controller/viewer, which plugs directly into the camera and allows hunters to download and view images on the spot, eliminating the need to remove photo cards and check them elsewhere.

With the controller/viewer, the user can also get real-time alignment of the camera’s view and instant access to all program settings, without opening the camera or removing it from the mount.

The eight-megapixel RCX can use up to a 32 GB SDHC card, will operate continuously for months with eight AA Lithium batteries, and can capture images at intervals of less than two seconds—far faster than conventional cameras that can take up to 15 seconds to recover from shot to shot.

Leupold RCX-1 Trail Camera System

A wide-angle lens and trigger speed of less than one second up your chances of seeing full racks rather than partial head shots. A video option is included along with still imagery (in high resolution color mode for day and infrared at night).

The RCX-1 System Kit includes the camera, controller/viewer, 12-volt cable, car adapter, home adapter, USB cable, AA battery pack cartridge tray (batteries not included), lithium-ion battery (for the controller/viewer), six hex standoffs for mounting, and mounting strap.

Free to one lucky entrant, Leupold’s RCX-1 Trail Camera System retails for $279.99. For more information on Leupold’s new line of RCX trail cameras, visit www.leupold.com/rcx.

To enter the October Gift Giveaway, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org, scroll down to “Gift Giveaway” on the right-hand side of the homepage, and follow the simple entry instructions. There is no cost to enter. Entries will be accepted Oct. 1 through Oct. 31, and a winner will be announced Nov. 1 on www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- A great many people in the outdoor industry are trying to get kids into hunting.

National organizations with distinguished boards are holding summits, creating websites, raising funds, forming task forces, studying demographic surveys and writing mission statements.

Then there are guys like Bill Crutchfield, a fireman from Charles County, Maryland. He wants to do the same thing all those groups want, but he does it a different way.

He finds kids and takes them hunting. He doesn’t have a budget. Or a staff. Or a website.

What he has is fervor to make sure kids get a chance to hunt.

Crutchfield is well known for taking the biggest nontypical whitetail ever killed on the East Coast – a Boone and Crockett-certified, 268-1/8-inch behemoth he shot in 2006.

“Shooting a buck like that changes your life, makes you want to give something back to the outdoors,” Crutchfield said.

To give something back, he came up with the idea of the Young Guns Hunt Club—an all-volunteer nucleus of friends, family and local landowners working together to create opportunities for local kids to hunt. He pulled this team together in September 2010, and they all started to secure land access, screen guides and plan logistics.

Finding the kids was pretty easy. Crutchfield and friends went to local hunter education classes and asked if anybody needed a place to hunt. They found 25 kids very quickly.

Maryland has a youth deer hunting day—November 12 in 2010, so Crutchfield scheduled the hunt for that date. With a guide lined up for each youngster, and hunting permission granted on local lands, he got the nearby Izaak Walton League club to host a “Meet and Greet” a week before the hunt, so the kids could get to know the guides, practice on the range and do a little pre-hunt scouting. He got NRA to contribute gift bags full of NRA fraternal items, safety literature and a bow to raffle off.

Crutchfield is well known for taking the biggest nontypical whitetail ever killed on the East Coast – a Boone and Crockett-certified, 268-1/8-inch behemoth he shot in 2006

A week later, he and his wife hosted a 5:00 a.m. breakfast for everyone concerned and sent the hunters out to their stands. At mid-morning, everyone returned to the farm that served as “hunting camp.” Hananah O’Neil, a high school sophomore, brought in an eight- point buck, her first deer ever. The midday break kept the kids busy with a barbecue served up by the local 4-H, a fox trapping demonstration, an archery and BB gun range, and a retriever demonstration.

By the end of the afternoon hunt, several other kids brought in deer and everyone, successful or not, was telling stories, laughing, hugging and high-fiving each other.

Before everyone broke up, all the kids were given gift bags and a shed antler with “Young Guns 2010” engraved on the main beam. Crutchfield was then surprised when he and his wife, Terri were presented with a plaque bearing a photo signed by all the kids.

“The crowed cheered and everyone thanked us for putting on the event,” Crutchfield said. “It was hard to keep my emotions under control, and I almost completely lost it. The event was successful, not because of me and Terri, but because so many great people volunteered for a common cause and to make a difference, one shot at a time, for hunting and for these kids.”

It’s important to note that a lot of those national groups are making great headway in getting kids outdoors and into deer stands. NRA is proud to be one of them, especially with well-established programs like the Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC).

And substantial progress is being made in knocking down barriers to youth hunting, through youth mentored hunting laws that NRA and other groups are fighting for.

NRA is helping out with the 2011 Young Guns hunt by donating merchandise for door prizes and raffles, plus NRA Board member Dave Butz will be on hand to talk with the kids. Give a nod, too, to the National Wildlife Turkey Federation, which is providing insurance for the event.

But it’s particularly important to highlight individuals like Bill Crutchfield—not only for his tireless personal efforts, but because there are other people like him who would do something similar, with a little guidance. Bill’s dream is to get a “Young Guns” effort launched on a major scale, and he has established a “model” that could be followed almost anywhere. Yes, it is time-consuming and requires commitment.

If you want to help Crutchfield reach even more kids this coming season—he’s trying for 50–there are plenty of ways that you could contribute.

If you are interested in getting his advice to start something similar in your state, he’d be glad to talk to you. Either way, contact him at: bcrutchjr@aol.com.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is facing the loss of up to $20 million from its share of federal Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson funding as the result of a budget proposal that would allow New York’s Department of Budget (DOB) to tap into the state’s conservation fund.

The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Acts levy an excise tax on the sale of firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels, and this money is returned to the states each year via grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

State fish and wildlife agencies in turn use these funds to manage fish and wildlife populations, acquire and improve habitat, fund hunter education, provide public hunting, fishing and boating access, and build and maintain public shooting ranges, among others. Hunters and anglers have contributed an astounding $13.7 billion in these excise taxes since 1937.

But in order to receive this valuable federal funding, which is allotted based on a formula that accounts for a state’s land area and total number of paid hunting and fishing license holders, states must agree not to spend license money and other dedicated wildlife funding on purposes outside of wildlife conservation. If they do, they risk losing their federal apportionments.

Such is the case in New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2011-2012 budget allows the DOB to use money from the conservation fund to balance the state’s budget, a proposal that has put the USFWS on notice.

“Even if the DOB has no intent on using conservation fund money for other reasons than its intent, the fact that the budget allows for them to do so is enough for the USFWS to withhold P-R (Pittman-Robertson) and other funding,” DEC Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources Assistant Director Doug Stang said July 5 in the Register-Star. “The conservation fund would be in deep trouble without it.”

New York originally had until July 15 to address concerns raised by the USFWS about the diversion of wildlife funds, but the state was given a 30-day extension to amend its budget or risk losing the federal money.

“The Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson programs provide crucial funding to manage the nation’s wildlife and fisheries,” said Hannibal Bolton, Assistant Director of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. “The Fish and Wildlife Service closely monitors situations such as this one in New York and stands ready to take the necessary action.”

For fiscal year 2011, New York was apportioned $9,133,327 in Dingell-Johnson and $11,215,150 in Pittman-Robertson grant funding—for a grand total of $20,348,477.

New York could now be in jeopardy of losing some or all of that money.

“This issue needs to get fixed and fixed faster than the federal government wants to pull our funding,” said New York Sportfishing Federation Director Bob Danielson. “In this fiscal climate we need every dollar we can get.”

This isn’t the first time a state has proposed to divert wildlife funds. Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, New Jersey and South Dakota have all been guilty in the past of trying to use hunters’ dollars to boost their bottom lines.

It’s also not the first time a New York governor has raided —or proposed to raid— the conservation fund. Former Gov. Mario Cuomo, Andrew’s father, raided the fund to the tune of $20 million in 1990, although $15 million was later returned.

Now, 21 years later, history stands to repeat itself, unless New York rescinds the language in its budget that allows for conservation fund dollars to be used for something other than their intended purpose.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Friends Of NRA Ruger M77 Hawkeye Rifle

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- During the month of August, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org for a chance to win a Ruger M77 Hawkeye—embellished with the NRA logo in 24k gold.

Marrying function with classic style, this Ruger M77 Hawkeye in 7mm-08 Rem. incorporates a 22-inch, high-luster blued barrel; four-round magazine; and upgraded American black walnut stock.

Each stock comes with a checkered cut grip and wrap-around checkered fore-end. Other features include integral scope mounts, a three-position safety and the LC6 (“light-crisp”) trigger. Overall weight is just seven pounds; length is 42 inches.

Normally available only at Friends of NRA events, this individually-numbered rifle also features the NRA 24k gold logo on the floor plate. Free to one lucky entrant, Ruger’s M77 Hawkeye regularly retails for $843.

Friends of NRA (www.friendsofnra.org) banquets boil down to one goal—fund-raising for the future of the shooting sports. Since its inception in 1992, Friends of NRA has held over 13,500 events, reached over two million attendees and raised over $170 million for The NRA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Each year, The NRA Foundation allocates half of all net proceeds to fund projects within the state in which the money was raised and uses the other half to fund similar projects with a national scope.

Learn more about Ruger’s fine line of firearms at www.ruger.com.

To enter the August Gift Giveaway, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org, scroll down to “Gift Giveaway” on the right-hand side of the homepage, and follow the simple entry instructions. There is no cost to enter. Entries will be accepted now through Aug. 31, and a winner will be announced Sept. 1, 2011, on www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Hunting Suddenly Banned in Los Padres National Forest

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- The July 15th, 2011 online announcement was about as curt and non-explanatory as you could imagine:

“Los Padres National Forest officials announced that hunting will not be allowed within the Lower Santa Ynez Recreation Area of the Santa Barbara Ranger District. The Forest Order was issued to provide for public safety and will remain in effect through February 29, 2012.”

And there was this, too: “Violators are subject to a $5,000 fine for an individual or $10,000 for an organization or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.”

At the bottom there was a big blue link to the actual order, but clicking on it took me to a “Page not found” message.

Other than the unexplained “public safety” issue, there was not one word about why hunting was suddenly banned on national forest land, whether the public had any chance to comment on the decision, how the ban might affect wildlife management in the area, or whether maps of the closed area were available.

Forest Service spokesperson Andrew Madsen gave us some more background. Although he did not know the total number of acres now closed to hunters, he described it this way: “There’s a road in the hills above Santa Barbara here (Paradise Road) and it goes from Highway 154 to the first river crossing—about six or seven miles, maybe a little more.”

Considering there is a potential $5,000 fine and jail sentence here for stepping one foot in the wrong place, let’s hope hunters have more precise information available. Madsen says there is.

“The District has a lot of extensive maps in that office, which is along the road, and folks are well aware they can go in there with questions. The front desk staff will help them.”

Although day-use recreation sites and residential areas are established along the road, the area has been used by hunters for generations. The District Ranger closed it because of “numerous complaints” from residents about hunters going into people’s yards.

“Jackrabbit hunters, for example,” said Madsen, “in pursuit of their prey are following them into areas where we can’t have them. Guns and folks don’t mix in those areas. It presents a safety problem.”

However, Madsen was not aware of any shooting accidents or injuries that came about as a result of hunting in the area. “I haven’t heard that it reached that point,” he said.

Asked how well the private land boundaries in the area are marked, Madsen said, “I don’t know whether there are any postings up there or not, but hunters have been using it for years. They are all pretty well aware of where they can hunt and where they should not be hunting.”

While trespassing complaints should be taken seriously, verifying that clear signage marking private land exists, or encouraging residents to call local law enforcement, would have been a much better option than a sudden, virtually unexplained closure of a traditional hunting area. Hunters try very hard to respect boundaries, but anyone who has hunted public land knows how inadequate signage can lead to a totally inadvertent step onto private property.

Moreover, this hunting ban was apparently put in place purely at the discretion of the Santa Barbara District Ranger. Asked if the public had any chance to comment on the decision before the ban was implemented, Madsen said, “Not that I’m aware of. I don’t believe there is a stipulation that we need to involve the public in closure orders.”

Whether there is a stipulation or not, a certain group of citizens about to be banned from using public land deserves to be included in the process. To exclude them is nothing short of arrogance.

Had he been given the chance to comment, here’s what Bob Tench, who has lived in the area for 16 years, would have said:

“In a good year I may hunt the area 5-10 times. This decision will remove my only known spot to hunt band-tailed pigeons. It was the closest place to my home to hunt dove and quail. The next closest place I know is about a 75-mile drive. I will note that the closed zone is only ½ mile from the road with plenty of forest outside that zone, but the terrain beyond that is generally so rugged that it is inaccessible for hunting.

“I have lived in the area for 16 years and receive the local newspaper, watch the local TV stations, and read local Internet news sites. To my recollection, I have not heard of any hunting-related accidents or chronic problems in the area. As a point of comparison, the local news talks every summer about people being hurt swimming or hiking in the same area. There are also frequent stories of hikers getting lost and requiring rescue. Therefore, there is news coverage for what goes on there.

“I called the forest service office to get more clarification on the location and was given a vague description of the area. I asked if the area’s specifics would be posted on the Web and the answer was unknown. The person on the phone then just told me to avoid a one-mile strip of land in the area.

“I will mention again that I try to keep up with the local media and I did not see any notification about this closure prior to the announcement itself.”

While nobody advocates trespass (even one hunter who commits it makes us all look bad), no hard figures were offered as to how many complaints were filed, or if they were all confirmed violations. Beyond that, the relevant agency cannot give out “vague descriptions” to hunters trying their best to obey the law. And while a government agency may be obligated to address residents’ complaints, the process needs to involve all affected parties. A sudden, blanket closure of public land to hunting is a rash, knee-jerk reaction.

Finally, with a $5,000 fine and possible imprisonment for violations, a better effort needs to be made to inform people about the decision than a tersely-worded announcement on the Los Padres web site.

The February 29, 2012 end date for the order, “could have been shorter,” Madsen said, but the basic idea was to make sure the ban applied to all possible hunting seasons. It’s unclear whether hunting will be closed beyond that date, although rest assured NRA will take steps to find a better solution than the ban. In the meantime, California hunters are urged to call the Santa Barbara Ranger District office at 805-967-3481 and express how they feel about being thrown off public land without a chance to voice their concerns.

The Los Padre National Forest encompasses 1.75 million acres along California’s central coast between San Jose and Los Angeles.

Link to the original Forest Service Announcement: http://tiny.cc/w5w36

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- During the month of July, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org for a chance to win a Bushnell BackTrack D-TOUR GPS courtesy of Bushnell Outdoor Products.

New for 2011, Bushnell’s BackTrack D-TOUR personal GPS device makes it easy to find your way from point A to point B and back again with the simple click of a button.

The BackTrack D-TOUR allows users to mark up to five locations, while providing simple distance and direction to each location.

This makes marking and locating deer stands, downed game, or a fishing spot quick and easy. In addition to a self-calibrating, digital compass, the device provides time, temperature, altitude, and current latitude/longitude coordinates.

After the trip is over, users can easily upload and save up to 48 hours of data to a PC or MAC using the free D-TOUR software application.

Bushnell BackTrack D-TOUR GPS

By overlaying saved routes on a topographic map, users can view routes from hunting or scouting trips, and quickly evaluate the course to determine if there is a better route to take next time. The device also captures key stats from each trip, including length of the trip, average speed, elevation and temperature. This data can easily be saved for future use or uploaded and shared via e-mail or social media.

The BackTrack D-TOUR is the perfect navigation device for just about any outdoor pursuit, including hunting, fishing, hiking, camping or boating. Free to one lucky entrant, this easy-to-use GPS retails for $119.99.

To enter the July Gift Giveaway, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org, scroll down to “Gift Giveaway” on the right-hand side of the homepage, and follow the simple entry instructions. There is no cost to enter. Entries will be accepted now through July 31, and a winner will be announced Aug. 1 on www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

To learn more about Bushnell’s all-new BackTrack D-TOUR GPS, including features, technical specs and informational videos, visit www.backtrackgps.com.

For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Hawke Varmint SF 6-24x44 1/2 Mil Dot Riflescope

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- During the month of June, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org for a chance to win a Hawke Varmint SF 6-24×44 1/2 Mil Dot riflescope—the perfect optic for long-range hunting and shooting.

To achieve the extreme accuracy required by varmint hunters and long-range shooters, Hawke’s Varmint SF scopes feature a precise, smooth-operating side focus wheel, ensuring a crisp, parallax-free sight picture at all distances.

The reticle is a newly developed ½ Mil Dot design (compatible with Hawke’s free online Ballistic Reticle Calculator) with additional aim points between every dot for increased precision.

Hawke’s ½ Mil Dot reticle is designed to be exact at 10X magnification and features multiple aim points for hold-over or hold-under, allowing compensation for long- and close-range shots.

The all-new optical system features fully multi-coated lenses with a 44mm objective lens, enhancing brightness, clarity and low-light performance. In addition, low, non-intrusive, BDC (bullet drop compensating) turrets (1/4 MOA) allow ‘dialing’ for long-range shots, and a streamlined fast focus ocular makes the scope easy to mount on rifles with large bolts.

Other features include Hawke’s waterproof, shockproof and fog proof design; all-weather grips; zoom thumb bump; and Hawke’s worldwide warranty. Free to one lucky entrant, this scope retails for $199.

For more information on Hawke’s Varmint SF riflescopes, as well as the company’s full line of hunting and shooting optics, visit www.hawkeoptics.com.

TO ENTER the June Gift Giveaway, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org, scroll down to “Gift Giveaway” on the right side of the homepage, and follow the simple entry instructions. There is no cost to enter. Entries will be accepted now through June 30, and a winner will be announced July 1 on www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Crosman NRA Marauder Air Rifle

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- FAIRFAX, Va.—During the month of April, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org for a chance to win a .25 caliber Benjamin Marauder PCP air rifle and accessories.

Donated by the Crosman Corporation, this rifle is specially engraved with the NRA logo to help celebrate our Annual Meetings, April 29-May 1, 2011, in Pittsburgh, Pa.

If you think air guns are only appropriate for the smallest game at the shortest distances, the Benjamin Marauder will awaken you to new hunting possibilities. With its PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) power plant generating pellets up to 900 feet per second, it’s fully capable in skilled hands of taking prairie dog- to fox-size game at or beyond 100 yards.

Designed to be used with a scope, the bolt-action Marauder features an eight-round, auto-indexing magazine, a two-stage, adjustable match trigger and a choked barrel to enhance accuracy. The hardwood stock has an ambidextrous raised comb and a ventilated rubber butt pad.

While all air guns are quiet, an internal barrel shroud on the Marauder keeps noise virtually stealth-like. Crosman’s Laura Evans commented, “When you pull the two-stage match trigger on a Benjamin Marauder PCP hunting air rifle, the loudest sound you hear is the pellet hitting your quarry.”

The Marauder operates using either compressed air or the CO2 Dual Fuel option. Hand pumps or scuba tanks may be used to supply power—up to 3,000 psi. (An easy-to-read gauge inset into the rifle’s fore-end indicates the fill pressure.)

This NRA/Crosman Giveaway comes with the rifle, a 3-12×44 scope and mounts, air tank, hand pump and pellets—everything you need to power up and get shooting immediately.

The suggested retail price of the rifle, scope and accessories is $955.00.

TO ENTER the Benjamin Marauder Gift Giveaway, go to www.nrahuntersrights.org, scroll down to “Gift Giveaway” on the right side of the page, and follow the simple instructions. All you do is send an e-mail to the address provided, and type “Gift Giveaway” in the subject line. There is no cost to enter. Entries will be accepted between April 1 and April 30, 2011, and a winner will be announced May 1, 2011. Learn more about Crosman’s other fine air guns and accessories at www.crosman.com.

If you are going to the NRA Annual Meetings in Pittsburgh, don’t miss our first-ever special session on what NRA does for hunters. The session will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 30 in Room 326 of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. For more information, visit www.nraam.org/events/seminars.html.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Hawke Panorama EV 3-9x50mm Riflescope

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- During the month of March, be sure to visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org for a chance to win a brand new Panorama EV 3-9x50mm riflescope courtesy of Hawke Sport Optics.

The Panorama EV 3-9×50 is a great all-around scope for your favorite hunting rifle. With a very affordable price tag of just $195 and Hawke’s worldwide warranty, this waterproof, fogproof and shockproof scope will give you years of worry-free performance in any weather.

Other features include a red/blue illuminated 1/2 Mil Dot ballistic reticle; 1/4 MOA finger tip turrets; fast focus eyebell; all-weather zoom ring; and Hawke’s Extreme View (EV) optical system, which provides a 20 percent wider field of view over standard riflescopes.

This scope is also fully compatible with Hawke’s free online Ballistic Reticle Calculator (BRC) and comes complete with clear flip-up covers.

For more information on Hawke’s full line of Panorama riflescopes, as well as the company’s other fine hunting and shooting optics, visit www.hawkeoptics.com.

TO ENTER the March Gift Giveaway, simply visit www.nrahuntersrights.org, scroll down to “Gift Giveaway” on the right side of the homepage, and follow the simple instructions. All you do is send an e-mail to the address provided, with “Gift Giveaway” in the subject line.

There is no cost to enter. Entries will be accepted now through March 31.

For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Hunters’ Rights Special Session at NRA Annual Meetings

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- A Special Session devoted to hunters’ rights issues will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 30, 2011, at the NRA’s 140th Annual Meetings in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Threats to hunter’s rights are escalating—and diversifying.

This session will bring you up to date on the most serious threats to hunters’ rights and NRA’s actions to protect them.

Whether the challenge is an attempt to ban hunting ammunition, difficulty accessing public hunting land, a shooting range in jeopardy, or anti-hunters’ legal maneuvering, NRA is at work on every front to ensure your continued right to hunt.

The session will present five key NRA staffers who fight daily for hunters’ rights. Moderated by J.R. Robbins, Managing Editor of www.nrahuntersrights.org, the session speakers will include:

• Kayne Robinson, Executive Director, NRA General Operations
• Susan Recce, Director, Conservation, Wildlife and Natural Resources, NRA-ILA
• Darren La Sorte, Manager, Hunting Policy, NRA-ILA
• John Joines, Range Services Specialist
• Bob Davis, Manager, Hunter Services

Commenting on the ways hunting is being attacked, Kayne Robinson, former NRA President, now Executive Director of NRA General Operations, said, “Shrinking lands, dwindling numbers of hunters and other factors are combining to threaten our hunting heritage. Stifling regulations are overly complex and too often have nothing to do with game management.

Anti-hunting groups with well-financed coffers and celebrity spokespersons have the media on their side. The average hunter has trouble finding a place to hunt or even a range to sight-in. Only NRA has the power to protect the rights of the hunter from these threats and stop the downward spiral in hunter numbers.”

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

Leupold 3-9x40mm Ultimate Slam Muzzleloader Shotgun scope

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- One fortunate hunter will receive two great prizes in a special double gift giveaway this month on NRAhuntersrights.org: a brand new Leupold 3-9x40mm Ultimate Slam muzzleloader/shotgun scope and an NRA Gunsmithing Tool Set.

Leupold’s UltimateSlam scope is finished in Mossy Oak treestand camo and features the company’s Sabot Ballistics Reticle, which provides precise hold points for 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 yards. Simply set the Ultimate Slam’s power selector to the icon matching the load you’re shooting, and you’ve got precise aim points from 50 to 300 yards. Other features include ¼-MOA windage and elevation adjustments and Leopold’s standard multicoated lens system. This model typically retails for $319.99. For more information, visit www.leupold.com.

Our second gift, the NRA Gunsmithing Tool Set, comes with screwdrivers, solid brass pin punches, and a solid brass hammer, all kept in a durable soft case. The eight screwdrivers are hand assembled and custom hollow-ground to fit scope, plug, guard, floor plate and sight screws. The screwdrivers feature square-shanked blades that are hardened and tempered and guaranteed not to twist or chip, while the handles are composed of Maine hardwood and feature the NRA letters. The eight brass pin punches are sized from 1/16” to 5/16,” and each punch has “NRA USA” engraved on the side. The hammer is made from solid hand-polished brass with a hickory handle that showcases the NRA logo. The entire set is made in the USA and retails for $99.95. For more information, visit www.NRAstore.com.

TO ENTER the February Gift Giveaway, simply visit www.nrahuntersrights.org, scroll down to “Gift Giveaway” on the right side and follow the simple instructions. All you do is send an e-mail to the address provided, with “Gift Giveaway” in the subject line. There is no cost to enter. One winner will be selected for both gifts. Entries will be accepted now through Feb. 28.

For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Win an NRA Bowie Knife at NRAhuntersrights.org

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- If you are a diehard fan of all things NRA, you won’t want to miss this month’s gift giveaway on www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

For the month of January, we’re giving away an NRA Pacific Bowie stag handle knife adorned with an NRA medallion and featuring a handmade leather sheath bearing the NRA logo.

The Bowie knife figures prominently in U.S. history and folklore. Popularized and refined by 19th century frontiersman Jim Bowie, it’s a style of knife that is truly American.

The NRA Pacific Bowie stag handle knife is no different, made in the Pacific Northwest by the craftsmen at Silver Stag.

The knife’s 8 ¼-inch blade is constructed from D2 steel, a modern, state-of-the-art material known for superior edge-holding and ease-of-maintenance—a marked improvement over Bowie’s original high-carbon steel blades.

This blade is heat treated to a 52-54 Rockwell hardness, then attached to a one-of-a kind shed antler handle embedded with a burnished NRA medallion for an overall length of 14 inches. The knife also comes with a hand-crafted leather sheath bearing the NRA logo. Free to one reader, this knife retails for $164.95.

To enter, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org and scroll down to “Gift Giveaway” for simple entry instructions. Entries will be accepted now until Jan. 31, and a winner will be announced on our homepage Feb. 1.

To see the full line of hunting, shooting and NRA-related merchandise available through the NRA Store, visit www.NRAstore.com.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- It’s November, and depending on what you hunt and where you hunt it, your hunting season is either winding down or just kicking into high gear.

The whitetail rut is peaking, elk season is well into its third month in many states, and kids nationwide are cutting their hunting teeth on all kinds of small game.

If your hunting season has been especially good this year, then it’s time to show us what you’ve got. NRAhuntersrights.org is seeking photos for its online Trophy Gallery, and we want to see the best bucks, bulls and birds from around the country.

All hunters are welcome to share their photos, and what constitutes a trophy is completely up to you!

Simply e-mail your photo to huntersrights@nrahq.org and put “Trophy Gallery” in the subject line.

All photos should be sharp, tasteful, and display safe gun handling practices. Include the following information with your submission:

• Your name and hometown
• Date and location of the hunt
• Firearm or bow used
• Type of species

If your photo makes the cut, we’ll tack it up in our Trophy Gallery at www.NRAhuntersrights.org for your fellow hunters to see. The gallery will be updated all season, so stop back often to see the latest trophies—not to mention the latest news that impacts your right to hunt.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Hawke SideWinder 30 Tactical Series riflescope

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- Visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org during the month of October to enter a special double gift giveaway courtesy of Hawke Sport Optics.

The first gift, a Hawke SideWinder 30 Tactical Series riflescope, provides powerful versatility needed for moderate to long-range shooting.

This 6.5-20×42 scope features an illuminated, glass-etched reticle with ½ Mil dot design for more accurate aiming points, as well as free reticle calibration through the company’s online Ballistic Reticle Calculator.

The illuminated red/green reticle has five brightness levels for each color and can be switched to black in the off position, while the scope’s fully multi-coated optical system is designed to give a brighter, clearer image in low-light hunting and shooting conditions.

Other features include large turrets with ¼ MOA clicks, adjustable ocular focus with anti-recoil lock ring, non-slip zoom ring with secure thumb bump, 2-inch side focus wheel, 30mm matte black body, 4-inch sunshade, and a protective storage case. Free to one lucky entrant, this scope retails for a suggested price of $449.

The second gift, Hawke’s Frontier ED binoculars, feature an open-hinge cutaway design that reduces overall weight (they weigh only 26.2 oz), making them easier to hold for long periods. The 8×43 pair we’re giving away has a field of view of 466 feet at 1,000 yards, features precise center focusing, and Hawke’s ED glass ensures images are bright and colors remain true. These fogproof and waterproof binoculars also come with twist-up eye pieces, stay-on lens caps, neck strap, and hard protective case. Suggest retail price is $389.

To learn more about Hawke’s full line of fine hunting and shooting optics, visit www.hawkeoptics.com.

To submit your name for the October giveaway, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org and scroll down to “Gift Giveaway” for simple entry instructions. Entries will be accepted Oct. 1 through Oct. 31, and a winner will be announced Nov. 1. One winner will be randomly drawn to receive both gifts.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Win a Trijicon AccuPoint Scope at NRAhuntersrights.org

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- If you’ve ever been frustrated by your current riflescope’s inability to perform well in low-light conditions, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org during the month of September for a chance to win a Trijicon AccuPoint 3-9×40 riflescope.

Trijicon’s AccuPoint line features a battery-free, self-illuminating reticle for a vivid aiming point in any light, be it dusk, dawn, or sometime in between.

The AccuPoint is the only variable-power riflescope that combines both fiber optics and a built-in self-luminous Tritium Phosphor Lamp, meaning the aiming point automatically glows in low-light conditions—without the need for batteries. The model we’re giving away comes with a standard crosshair and green dot aiming point.

Other great features include easy-focus eyepieces, multi-coated lenses that gather loads of light with zero distortion, long eye-relief, and a manual brightness override that allows you to easily adjust the brightness of your aiming point. An aircraft-grade aluminum body and matte-black finish ensures this scope is durable and perfectly suited for any hunting situation. A set of lens caps, Trijicon LensPen cleaning tool, and Trijicon’s lifetime warranty are included.

Free to one entrant, this scope retails for $815. For more information on Trijicon’s AccuPoint line of riflescopes, visit www.trijicon.com.

To submit your name for the Trijicon giveaway, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org and scroll down to “Gift Giveaway” for simple entry instructions. Entries will be accepted Sept. 1 through Sept. 30, and a winner will be announced on Oct. 1.

For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Dedicated to the mission of the NRA, Trijicon has donated many of its shooting optics, including its

AccuPoint riflescopes, ACOG shooting scopes, and red dot sights for pistols, to help NRA instructors teach kids the fundamentals of shooting at the NRA Whittington Center Adventure Camp.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Final Approach Waterfowl Hunter’s Backpack

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- With waterfowl season just around the corner, you won’t want to miss this month’s DOUBLE gift giveaway on www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

For the month of August we’re giving away a set of NRA Fold Up Decoys (FUDs) and Final Approach’s new waterfowl hunter’s backpack, quite possibly the roomiest hunting backpack you’ll ever own.

The NRA FUD is the official decoy of the NRA. FUDs fold flat and can be carried into the field hands-free, making bulky decoy bags a thing of the past. These decoys take up very little space in a boat or pickup, and when you’re done they store easily on a hook. Once in the field, it takes just seconds to fold them into lifelike, three-dimensional, full-bodied decoys. The set of six Canadas we’re giving away retails for $90 and comes with anchors, anchor lines, a carry hook, and a manual on decoying tips and tactics.

As the NRA is a shareholder in NRA FUD, Inc., proceeds from the sale of these decoys helps NRA defend hunting rights. Visit www.nrafud.com today for an informational video. NRA FUD Inc. is actively seeking dealers to help sell the NRA FUD product line. Any interested party can contact Tom Kanalas, VP of Sales & Marketing, at (517) 569-3164 for more information.

Final Approach

The second gift, Final Approach’s new waterfowl hunter’s backpack, has the space waterfowlers need to keep their gear organized and easily accessible. The main compartment on this well-built, multi-purpose bag measures 18”H x 15”W x 5”D, and the pack has secondary compartments as well.

The backpack, done in Advantage Max-4 camo, also has a cell phone compartment, organizer pocket, computer compartment, two outside water bottle pockets, and an exterior elastic cord for securing bulky items. It’s comfortable, too, with ergonomically designed padded shoulder straps, a padded back and padded waist belt. Free to one lucky reader, Final Approach’s waterfowl hunter’s backpack retails for $79.95. For more information, visit www.fabrand.com.

To enter the August giveaway, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org and scroll down to “Gift Giveaway” for simple entry instructions. Entries will be accepted Aug. 1 to Aug. 31, and a winner will be announced on Sept. 1. One winner will receive both gifts.

For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

NRAHuntingrights.org

On May 6, a cow calf was found dead on private property in Wallowa County, Ore., and staff from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services determined the death to be a wolf kill based on bite marks on the carcass and wolf tracks at the scene.

A second calf was found dead in the upper Wallowa Valley on May 21, followed by a third on May 28, two on May 29, and another on June 4. All six deaths were confirmed as wolf kills.

After non-lethal means of controlling the problem wolves failed, ODFW authorized USDA Wildlife Services to kill two uncollared wolves from the Imnaha Pack, which has frequented the upper Wallowa Valley since the beginning of the year. Oregon’s 2005 Wolf Conservation and Management Plan, which is up for its five-year review this year, allows for the removal of wolves responsible for “chronic” livestock kills.

As of right now, no wolves have been killed, and it will stay that way until July 30 at the earliest because of a lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Hells Canyon Preservation Council, Oregon Wild, and Cascadia Wildlands against USDA Wildlife Services for the planned kill.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has not been sued.

An Oregon Wolf

It’s important to note that the federal government does not consider wolves in eastern Oregon to be endangered. Gray wolves in eastern Oregon were removed from the federal Endangered Species List on May 4, 2009, at the same time wolves were de-listed in Montana, Idaho and eastern Washington. Upon delisting, management of eastern Oregon’s wolves was turned over to the state, while wolves in the rest of Oregon remained under federal protection. Even after delisting, ODFW has continued to protect wolves in eastern Oregon under the state’s own Endangered Species Act.

According to ODFW, there are 18 confirmed wolves in Oregon in two established packs, with additional individual wolves dispersing through the state. There are currently 13 or 14 wolves in the Imnaha wolf pack, including four new pups born in April and a GPS-collared alpha male that has not been detected since May 31. A second established pack, the Wenaha Pack, has at least four members.

In addition to the six calves killed in Wallowa County since May, Oregon confirmed 29 total livestock losses to wolves in 2009.

Oregon’s wolf management plan and associated Oregon Administrative Rules guide ODFW’s response to wolf-related livestock losses. If non-lethal measures to control wolves fail after repeated livestock kills, ODFW can issue permits to landowners to kill wolves caught in the act of biting, wounding or killing livestock (it has issued seven such permits to date). The department may also authorize its own personnel or Wildlife Services to kill problem wolves, as it has been forced to do in the case of the Imnaha Pack.

Livestock producers in the upper Wallowa Valley, ODFW, and USDA Wildlife Services tried a variety of non-lethal measures to avoid wolf-caused losses, as prescribed by policy, including the removal of livestock carcasses that can attract wolves; radio telemetry monitoring of wolves; use of radio-activated guard boxes; aerial hazing of wolves; the hiring of a wolf technician to haze wolves and monitor wolf activity nightly; and increased presence around livestock. All were unable to prevent further calf deaths.

According to ODFW, the lethal action is aimed at killing wolves that are showing an interest in livestock, not wolves simply in the area. Under the terms of the plan, the wolves can only be killed on private land currently inhabited by livestock that is near the locations of the previous attacks.

Through these specific terms, ODFW is trying to protect the pack’s breeding pair and den site, where the alpha female is caring for the four new pups. The alpha male and female are both collared, as are two other members of the Imnaha pack, and Wildlife Services cannot kill collared wolves.

Despite these precautions, the antis jumped on the fact that ODFW extended the expiration date for the wolves’ removal from June 11 to Aug. 31, saying in their suit that the depredation had to be presently occurring in order for the wolves to be removed. They also claimed ODFW failed to document how the non-lethal means of solving the depredation proved ineffective, even though five calves were killed after ODFW began working with landowners and the Oregon Cattleman’s Association on non-lethal means of dealing with wolves following the first attack on May 6.

All of this for two wolves. Thousands of dollars in public funds will be wasted fighting these environmental groups in court. More ranchers and farmers will run the risk of losing their livelihood to depredation. And groups like the Center for Biological Diversity will continue to armchair quarterback the decisions of biologists who should be the final authorities on managing Oregon’s wildlife.

Keeping wildlife management issues tied up in legal red tape indefinitely is exactly what these radical groups want, which begs the question: What is the motive of the Center for Biological Diversity and its allies in suing to save two wolves? Could it be opposition to hunting (and hunting of wolves)? Could it be using wolves as an iconic symbol for fundraising purposes? Perhaps both? It can’t be “protecting the species” when all of the professional wolf biologists have supported the wolf delisting decisions that have been made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

What the current issue in Oregon shows is that groups claiming to be pro-environment and pro-wildlife will stop at nothing to thumb their noses at the decisions of professional wildlife managers, all in the name of advancing their own agendas.

From time to time, I hear it said that the Sierra Club is pro-hunting, not in New Jersey...

NRAHuntersRights.org

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- From time to time, I hear it said that the Sierra Club is pro-hunting.

For the record, here is what the Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter had to say in reaction to an announcement—long awaited by hunters—that New Jersey has finally approved a bear management plan that includes a hunting season.

“This management plan is just a charade. Even though the plan says it is a management plan, there is no management,” Tittel said.

“New Jersey has cut all funds for bear management and alternatives to hunts. The state has eliminated funds for education, programs that deal with garbage, bear aversion therapy, bear wardens, conservation officers, and other non-lethal methods of management.”

The Sierra Club opposes the bear hunt and will continue to fight for a strong bear management plan that actually works. The public agrees. The public comments against the hunt were overwhelmingly against it. ” [Note: though unconfirmed AmmoLand has been told that support for hunting was over whelming compared to the small vocal minority of animal rights supporters]

The full press release is here. http://newjersey.sierraclub.org/PressReleases/0171.asp

Call me crazy but that does not sound pro-hunting. And I do not think that educational information about bear-proofing your garbage needs any significant funding. Such advice is all over the Internet, or you could even pick up the phone and call the game and fish department.

And the conservation officers New Jersey already has don’t have time to be conservation officers because they—and the police—are too busy answering bear nuisance complaints, coaxing bears off porches and away from school bus stops, and dragging road-killed bears off the highways.

As for management plans “that actually work,” Sierra Club NJ might do well look at nearby states like New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia – all of which have bear hunting seasons– and compare the rate of bear nuisance complaints, not to mention the overall health of the bear populations in those states.

Hunting in those states has kept bears within their carrying capacity, whereas in New Jersey, bears are fast outpacing theirs.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

NC Wildlife Staff Receives NRA RSO Training

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- Staff from NRA’s Training Department traveled to Crossnore, N.C., at the end of June to conduct NRA Range Safety Officer (RSO) and Chief Range Safety Officer (CRSO) training for 28 wildlife enforcement officers and hunter education specialists from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC).

The training, held June 22-24 at the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources’ B.H. Corpening Training Facility, was arranged by Travis Casper, NCWRC assistant hunter safety coordinator, at the suggestion of Morris Aguilar, program coordinator in NRA’s Hunter Services Department.

Casper also serves as director of the wildlife identification event at NRA’s International Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC), which will take place July 26-30 in Mansfield, Pa.

“We just recognized the need for more training for our staff,” said Casper.

“We do a lot of live-fire activities through our hunter education program, and you can never have too much training. We wanted to further the knowledge base of our volunteer staff, so we put our hunter education specialists and some of our wildlife officers through it to have a base for training volunteer hunter ed instructors.”

Aguilar and Casper thought the training would benefit staff conducting North Carolina’s state YHEC event, but the NCWRC identified the need for all of their personnel involved in firearm instruction to be certified as Range Safety Officers. The three-day session covered the NRA Range Safety Officer course, basic instructor training, and the Chief Range Safety Officer course. By having a core group of certified Chief Range Safety Officers, the NCWRC can conduct training and certify their own RSOs as needed.

Casper said the training brought in new ideas and reinforced old ones that the department could put into practice on its ranges for hunter education and YHEC.

“The training gave us a new outlook on some things,” Casper said. “We were pretty proficient before, but it was beneficial from the standpoint of having somebody else come in that deals with the shooting sports from another end and who brought in some new ideas that we honestly hadn’t even thought about.”

NRA Range Safety Officer

The NRA Range Safety Officer Program was developed in response to the demand for a nationally-recognized range safety officer certification. NRA Range Safety Officers possess the knowledge and skills that are needed for organizing, conducting and supervising safe range operations.

NRA RSO training is available to any group that supervises and runs live-fire activities, including YHEC volunteers, hunter education instructors, and local shooting clubs.

The Range Safety Officer course consists of Range Safety Officer’s roles and responsibilities, range standard operating procedures, range inspection and range rules, firearm stoppages and malfunctions, and range safety briefings, which include emergency procedures.

“I enjoyed the recently completed NRA training,” said Kevin R. Crabtree, District 4 hunter education specialist for the NCWRC.

“The instructors were passionate and knowledgeable about the material. The stress placed on range and firearm safety was evident, as expected. The NRA lesson plans allow students to be involved in the courses and put into practice what is learned. The need to formulate an emergency plan was demonstrated well and is what I got most from the course.”

Range Safety Officer training is conducted by NRA-certified Chief Range Safety Officers and consists of practical range exercises and nine hours of classroom time. In addition to the classroom and range-based training, candidates must also receive a score of 90 percent or better on the course’s written exam to receive their RSO credentials.

“Training is a key component in reiterating ideas that have not been employed for some time, as well as learning new and innovative ideas,” said Lt. Rob Fullbright of the NCWRC Division of Enforcement.

“Serving 23 years as a North Carolina wildlife law enforcement officer and with 19 years as a general instructor and specialized instructor with the North Carolina Justice Academy, I came away from the NRA’s RSO and CRSO training with key components that will benefit me in many aspects as a training instructor.”

The Chief Range Safety Officers who conducted the training for NCWRC staff were Steve Hoback, NRA senior training program coordinator, and Mark Richardson, NRA’s Training Counselor program coordinator.

“Mark and I thoroughly enjoyed the training, and the professionals who attended were very impressive,” said Hoback.

“Travis indicated that the NCWRC would not have finalized the training without assurance that the training was conducted by NRA staff.”

While NRA has certified 12,465 Range Safety Officers to date, this is the first time a state game department has organized an RSO training course for its staff. Other game departments seeking RSO training for range staff, hunter education instructors, and YHEC volunteers/staff are encouraged to contact John Howard in the NRA Training Department at 703-267-1423 or jhoward@nrahq.org.

Prospective students can sign-up for any NRA firearm training course online by visiting www.NRAinstructors.org.

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Henry Golden Boy Rifle

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA--(Ammoland.com)- During the month of July, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org for a chance to win a truly elegant yet dependable firearm that will stand up to years of use—a Henry Golden Boy.

The excellent fit, finish and overall design elegance of Henry’s Golden Boy make it a testament to fine gunsmithing. The Golden Boy’s 20-inch blued octagonal barrel, American walnut stock, adjustable buckhorn-type rear sight, brass buttplate, and gleaming Brasslite receiver transport you back to the days of America’s Old West, when company founder Benjamin Tyler Henry designed the original Henry lever action rifle.

The Golden Boy offered for the giveaway is a .22 S/L/LR and will handle 16 .22 LRs. It’s also available in .22 Magnum and .17 HMR. Small game hunters and plinkers will appreciate the excellent balance afforded by the Golden Boy and its comfortable 6 ¾-pound weight; the Henry’s famously smooth lever action opens and shuts with effortless slickness. As Henry says, this rifle is made in America and priced right, retailing for $515.

To enter, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org and scroll down to “Gift Giveaway” for simple entry instructions. Entries will be accepted July 1 to July 31, and a winner will be announced on Aug. 1st 2010.

In addition to entering our giveaway, we invite all hunters to submit their hunting photos for our Trophy Gallery. Simply e-mail your photo to huntersrights@nrahq.org and put “Trophy Gallery” in the subject line. All photos should be sharp, tasteful, and display safe gun handling practices.

Include the following information with your submission:

• Your name and hometown
• Date and location of the hunt
• Firearm used
• Type of species

For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org. To learn more about Henry Repeating Arms Co., or to get a copy of Henry’s free color catalog, visit www.henryrifles.com.

Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40mm CDS Riflescope

NRAHuntersRights.org

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- The June Gift Giveaway on NRAhuntersrights.org features one of the most advanced pieces of shooting gear we’ve offered yet-a Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x40mm CDS riflescope.

The VX-3 features Leupold’s Xtended Twilight Lens System for increased brightness in low light; DiamondCoat 2 scratch-resistant lens coating; blackened lens edges for reduced light diffusion; an internally threaded, lockable, fast-focus eyepiece; and Leupold’s famous Argon/Krypton gas waterproofing technology. Windage and elevation can be fine-tuned with cryogenically treated, ¼-MOA, finger-click adjustments.

This scope also comes with Leupold’s Custom Dial System (CDS)-you contact Leupold with your ballistics data, and they’ll send you a dial custom built to match the caliber and load you’re using. Sighting-in at different ranges will be quick and easy.

The scope has a matte black finish and duplex reticle, comes with scope caps, and is backed by Leupold’s full lifetime guarantee. As a final touch, each VX-3 scope is mounted with a 24k gold-plated ring and medallion. Free to one lucky winner, this scope retails for $499.99.

To enter, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org and scroll down to “Gift Giveaway” for simple entry instructions. Entries will be accepted June 1 through June 30, and a winner will be announced on July 1. (Entries must be made each month to be eligible for a Gift Giveaway. Entries made prior to June 1 will not qualify for the June giveaway.)

In addition to entering our giveaway, we invite all hunters to submit their hunting photos for our Trophy Gallery. If you shot a great buck last fall, or if you bag a boss gobbler this spring, we want to see it. Simply e-mail your photo to huntersrights@nrahq.org and put “Trophy Gallery” in the subject line. All photos should be sharp, tasteful, and display safe gun handling practices.

Include the following information with your submission:

• Your name and hometown
• Date and location of the hunt
• Firearm used
• Type of species

For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org. For more on Leupold’s other high-quality products, visit www.leupold.com.

NRAHuntersRights.org

Washington, DC - -(Ammoland.com)- The United States Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests held a hearing on April 28 concerning a bill that would simplify the permit and fee structure for filming and photographing federal lands for commercial use.

Federal law requires that photographers and videographers, such as the ones who film hunting television shows and shoot photographs for hunting magazines, acquire expensive permits and adhere to cumbersome rules to film on federal lands.

Senate Bill 1241, sponsored by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and co-sponsored by Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.), would eliminate the red tape and greatly reduce the costs associated with obtaining these permits for small film crews comprised of five people or less.

Last year, Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.), an NRA Board Member, introduced similar legislation (House Resolution 2031) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Currently, permits can cost hundreds of dollars per day, even for small crews, and a proposal has been floated to make the fees even higher. That’s not a show stopper—literally—for mega commercial productions like Ken Burns’ recent series on the national parks, but for small-scale production companies that film hunting and fishing shows, exorbitant fees can make them think twice about visiting federal lands.

Rocky Mountain Television one of those effected by Big Government Bureaucracy

Imagine having to apply for a filming permit two weeks or more in advance, paying a $100 non-refundable application fee, plus an minimum of $100 for each day of filming, and being required to carry $1 million worth of liability insurance that explicitly indemnifies the National Park Service from liability. That’s what it takes for Rocky Mountain Television Network, based in Gunnison, Colo., just to film at the National Park Service’s Blue Mesa Reservoir, which is the largest lake in Colorado.

“The problem is the National Park Service really digs their feet in about having to have a permit,” said Andy Lightbody, owner of Rocky Mountain Television Network, which produces syndicated outdoor television programs, including ones that focus on hunting and fishing.

“All of us here in the Gunnison area think that, number one, it’s counter productive. If you don’t encourage people to come out and say, ‘Gee, I enjoyed your story,’ or ‘Wow, I watched your video,’ how are they going to know what Blue Mesa has to offer?”

For small-scale projects where profit margins are already tight, excessive fees can become a disincentive for filming on federal lands and educating the public about the recreational opportunities they have to offer. Lightbody said 85 percent of the land in the Gunnison area is owned by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management. Many of the stories of interest to hunters and anglers in his area take place on federal lands, so each time he wants to report on a story it costs his company money in permit fees.

“When you’re a local television station, and you’ve got all of these different seasons and things that are going on, and you want to tell people that the ice is off (the reservoir), that’s a one-day story,” he said. “You’ve got to plan in advance so you know exactly when the ice-off is going to happen so you can apply for your permit. If you want to tell people that the mackinaw are starting to bite, that’s another day and another fee.”

That’s where Inhofe and Boren’s bills come into play. S. 1241 and H.R. 2031 would still require permits to film on federal lands, but they address the inequities found in the current law, eliminate red tape, simplify the process, and set a greatly reduced annual fee for small-scale productions. Specifically, these bills would require that small film crews of five people or less pay a $200 annual fee for a permit to film on all federal lands for a 12-month period. A single permit and a single $200 fee would give these crews access to all public areas on all federal lands and waterways for a full year, and the bills would prohibit any additional fees or restrictions from being assessed during that time.

“If you’re going out on that lake [to film] either hunting or fishing—and hunting and fishing are both allowed on the Blue Mesa—you’ve got to first buy a Colorado state boat permit,” Lightbody said.

“Number two, you have to buy a Blue Mesa boat permit. Then you have to buy the fishing and hunting licenses. On top of that, they want more fees just to grant you access. They can also tack on what they call a location fee, which means that if they think you’re going to be disruptive to other users, they can charge you to have a ranger with you.”

In one extreme example of the fees that can be incurred by a small production company, Lightbody said he spoke with one producer who paid $2,500 to film a five-day hunt on federal land in Wyoming. In addition, if a company or individual is caught filming for commercial use without a permit, the fines can be in the neighborhood of $300 to $500, Lightbody said.

“They look for the big cameras, and of course they know us,” said Lightbody. “We’re marked men.” Lightbody said he was even stopped by rangers for filming for personal use—not for broadcast—in Black Canyon National Park last summer.

His videographer was detained for a short period and, even after he explained that he didn’t need a video permit to shoot for personal use, the rangers reported the incident to the head of law enforcement for the area, who opened an investigation into the incident. The matter was later dropped.

The sticking point for many journalists is the patchwork of rules and fees that change from one federal property to another. The administration of each property is free to make its own rules, and individual rangers are left to interpret the law—thus Lightbody’s encounter with the overzealous rangers in Black Canyon. Sadly, it’s a situation that’s not unique.

“These location-specific fees are killing everybody,” Lightbody said.

“What if I wanted to go to another location in the Park System? It’s the same thing. Every time I go these people are saying you’ve got to have the $1 million policy, you’ve got to let them know two weeks in advance, you’ve got to pay this, you’ve got to pay that. They’re going to put us out of business.”

The NRA sent a letter to Sen. Inhofe on April 23 expressing support for S. 1241, and on April 26 NRA joined 32 other hunting and conservation organizations in sending a letter to the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests to communicate the outdoor community’s support for reform. Both letters can be read below in their entirety.

• NRA Letter to Sen. Inhofe
• Joint Letter to Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests

For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Henry Lever Action Youth Model Rifle

NRAHuntersRights.org

FAIRFAX, Va. --(AmmoLand.com)- For the month of May, NRAhuntersrights.org is holding a double gift giveaway, and one lucky winner will take home a Henry Lever Action Youth Model .22 and a fly rod from Temple Fork Outfitters.

The Henry youth .22 is a lightweight, compact version of Henry’s famous lever action rifle.

This rifle weighs just 4 1/2 pounds with an overall length of 33 inches and a 13-inch length of pull, making it ideal for young hunters or adults who desire a compact rifle in the field. The gun also features an American walnut stock, fully adjustable rear sight, 12-round capacity, and the famously smooth Henry action. The rifle is already grooved for a scope and comes with a gun case.

Suggested retail price is $325. To learn more about Henry Repeating Arms Co., a major supporter of NRA Youth Programs, or to get a free copy of Henry’s color catalog, visit www.henryrifles.com.

If your summer outdoor plans have you headed for a trout stream, our second gift, a 5 weight, 9-foot fly rod from Temple Fork Outfitters, will get you set for rainbows in the Appalachians or cutthroat in the Rockies. The fly rod is part of Temple Fork Outfitters’ Fly Rod Chronicles (FRC) Series and was designed by Curtis Fleming, host of Fly Rod Chronicles on The Sportsman Channel. FRC rods are designed for pin-point accuracy for the technical angler, yet have a forgiving tip to help beginners improve their casting ability. The rod’s translucent moss green blank is complemented by matching graphite inserts, gold up-locking reel seats, and gold accents. This rod, which comes with a hard triangular rod case, retails for $199.95. For more information about Temple Fork Outfitters, visit www.templeforkflyrods.com.

Thank you to Jim Slinsky of the Outdoor Talk Network for his help in securing this first-rate fly rod.

To enter, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org and scroll down to “Gift Giveaway” for simple entry instructions. Entries will be accepted now through May 31, and a winner will be announced on June 1. Only one winner will be selected to win both gifts.

In addition to entering our giveaway, we invite all hunters to submit their hunting photos for our Trophy Gallery. If you shot a great buck last fall, or if you bagged a boss gobbler this spring, we want to see it. Simply e-mail your photo to huntersrights@nrahq.org and put “Trophy Gallery” in the subject line. All photos should be sharp, tasteful, and display safe gun handling practices.

Include the following information with your submission:

• Your name and hometown
• Date and location of the hunt
• Firearm used
• Type of species

Haven’t visited NRAhuntersrights.org lately? Here are a few stories you missed:

• The Hunt For Reason
• Montana’s Game Camera Ban
• California Tables Plans to Expand Black Bear Hunt
• Hunting Magazines and Shows to Remain Legal
• Alaska Responds to NPS Hunting Closures

For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

California Black Bears

NRAHuntersRights.org

Sacramento, CA --(AmmoLand.com)- The California Fish and Game Commission opted to delay plans to expand the state’s black bear hunting season after the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) submitted a letter to the commission on Tuesday asking that the proposal be withdrawn.

The department had originally requested that the season be expanded in order to better manage the state’s growing black bear population, but it received more than 10,000 comments about the amended regulations and did not have time to address them all in writing, as is required by state law.

“For this reason, coupled with the importance of moving forward with the balance of the mammal hunting regulation package generally, the department recommends that the commission make no changes at this time to the existing regulations governing bear hunting in California,” said John McCamman, DFG director, in a letter to commission Executive Director John Carlson.

The commission responded by voting 5-0 to give the department more time to manage the concerns expressed by anti-hunting groups, county officials and state lawmakers. The commission directed department staff to schedule an agenda item to begin a new package for bear hunting regulations at its May 5 meeting.

State wildlife officials had wanted to allow black bear hunting in San Luis Obispo County for the first time and expand bear hunting in Lassen and Modoc counties. According to DFG research, San Luis Obispo’s bear population stands at 1,067 and is biologically large enough sustain a hunt. Officials also wanted to remove the current season quota of 1,700 bears and allow the hunt to run until its official end in late December, as well as allow hunters to use dogs with GPS devices and tip switches—which indicate when a dog has treed a bear.

“We recommended the dropping of the 1,700 cap limit on bear harvest because bear populations have expanded, and we normally reach the 1,700 limit late in the season, just prior to the end date,” said Harry Morse, DFG public information officer.

Overall, California’s bear population has increased from approximately 10,000 bears in the 1980s to 38,000 bears today. Hunters and the dollars they have poured into wildlife management and habitat are largely responsible for that jump. For comparison, California’s human population has grown from about 24 million in 1981 to almost 37 million in 2009. More bears and more people have resulted in shrinking bear habitat and increased conflicts.

The fact that California has a healthy, growing bear population is a major reason why the 1,700-bear quota is no longer necessary. State biologists have said that removing the quota would have a negligible effect on the overall population. Cost is another factor.

According to the California Hunting Digest, when the quota is reached, “the DFG is required to send a notification letter to each bear tag holder. This has occurred only twice in the past six years. The DFG has proposed to the Fish and Game Commission that the in-season closure quota be eliminated because it provides no significant benefit to the bear population. As a result, the cost of notifying all hunters by mail is an unnecessary expense.”

In spite of the scientific justification for expanded bear hunting, a coalition of anti-hunting groups, including the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), has actively opposed any expansion of the hunt—a factor the commissioners alarmingly took into consideration at their meeting Wednesday.

“I have some problems with suggesting we expand the bear hunt at a time when a lot of constituency groups are questioning bear hunting at all,” Fish and Game Commissioner Richard Rogers told the Los Angeles Times after the vote.

“I don’t think there’s any question, if we rile up the anti-bear hunting community, we’re one initiative away from a ban on all carnivores like mountain lions and bears,” added Commissioner Michael Sutton.

Anti-hunting groups have used misinformation to their advantage in their campaign to thwart expanded bear hunting, such as distorting what the changes will mean to California’s actual bear kill.

GPS Tracking of Valuable Hunting Dogs

“The proposals could increase the number of bears killed each year by up to 50 percent, and allow the use of unsportsmanlike GPS devices and ‘tip switches’ to make it easier for hound hunters to shoot helpless, treed bears at point-blank range,” said Jennifer Fearing, California senior state director for HSUS.

In truth, DFG biologists have said any regulatory changes would result in an annual harvest of 2,150 bears, roughly a 20 percent increase over the current quota. The “unsportsmanlike” devices that HSUS demonizes do not make bear hunting easier or any less humane, but help hunters to keep track of their dogs, especially in rough terrain.

San Luis Obispo County supervisors passed a resolution of their own in March opposing bear hunting in their county, and 17 California legislators urged the commission to reject the amended bear hunting regulations on the grounds that they lacked “reasonable scientific justification.”

While it is disturbing enough that a game commissioner is worried about the opinions of anti-hunting groups that have an interest in seeing all bear hunting end, ignoring science in favor of emotion is no way to manage wildlife. It is clear that DFG’s proposal to expand bear hunting was backed by sufficient biological justification. The only reason wildlife officials requested that the proposal be withdrawn is because they were deluged with public comments that they could not address before a vote was held on the issue—not because it lacked scientific merit.

Thus, the scientific recommendation of state biologists should carry the greatest weight as the commission considers what direction bear management will take in the future.

It is possible that the commission could vote on this issue again as soon as this summer. Science should guide that process, not emotional, uninformed rhetoric from laypersons, lawmakers and, especially, anti-hunting groups with an agenda to end all hunting.

For additional information:

California DFG Corrects HSUS’ Misstatements

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For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

National Rifle Association

Fairfax, Va. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Today the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal animal cruelty law so broadly written that it would criminalize the distribution of hunting videos and magazines under many circumstances.

The 8-1 ruling in U.S. v Stevens is a big win for the National Rifle Association and hunters across America. A brief submitted by the NRA was cited in the majority’s opinion.

“The NRA condemns animal cruelty. However, hunting and depictions of hunting are not animal cruelty. This excessive law would have imposed felony penalties for creating, possessing or selling mainstream hunting images. Therefore, we are pleased that the Supreme Court ruled against this overbroad law,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action.

“Indeed, NRA publications like American Hunter, the largest-circulation all-hunting magazine in the world, could have been in jeopardy if this law was upheld.”

Anti-hunting extremist organizations like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) were the primary advocates for the deliberately overreaching language in Congress and its defenders in Court. HSUS’s intentions should have been apparent from the beginning. Before becoming president of the organization, Wayne Pacelle said, “The definition of obscenity on the newsstands should be extended to many hunting magazines.” And, this is precisely what the law did.

“American hunters and sportsmen are our country’s true conservationists. It is offensive that those who work hardest for the preservation efforts of wildlife in this country are grouped with those who commit actual animal cruelty,” concluded Cox.

“Fortunately, the Supreme Court chose the First Amendment over Pacelle’s radical agenda, and the overruling of this law prevents the unwarranted punishment of ethical hunters and outdoor media in the United States.”

Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues to uphold the Second Amendment and advocates enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the armed services.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park Elk Herd Doing Too Well? Photo: Gary Zahm/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

NRAHuntersRights.org

North Dakota --(AmmoLand.com)- Wildlife biologists believe that Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) in western North Dakota can support between 200 and 400 elk without serious damage to park vegetation.

But the current elk population is 950.

So, after seven years of study (at an expense to the taxpayer we can only guess at) the National Park Service (NPS) has decided that “skilled public volunteers” can be used to cull the elk herd “through the use of firearms.”

The volunteers will have to demonstrate their marksmanship skills, prove their physical fitness, and use non-lead ammunition only. They will hunt in teams, under close supervision of NPS staff, and the team leaders may even decide which animals should be taken. There are several possibilities as to disposition of the meat. Assuming tests for chronic wasting disease are negative, it may be donated to state agencies, tribes, or approved charities. Or it could go to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, which could turn it over to charities and food banks, or even to the individual hunters who were involved.

While it may seem like a lot of hoops for a volunteer to jump through--and the non-lead ammo rule has no scientific basis--the plan is obviously far better than using public funds to hire “sharpshooters.”

“And it supports NRA’s longstanding position that NPS has and should use its authority to bring in volunteers to assist with culling,” commented Susan Recce, NRA’s Director of Conservation, Wildlife and Natural Resources.

“NRA is opposed to the ban on the use of lead ammunition,” Recce continued. “NPS has no evidence to suggest that the use of lead ammunition in hunting is a threat to the health of humans or wildlife in national parks. To my knowledge there have not been any studies on effects of hunters using lead ammunition in national parks where hunting is allowed.”

NRA fully expects the volunteers to come from the hunting community, and called for this during the public comment period, writing: The elk management plan “does not explain what kind of a system the Park will develop to identify skilled volunteers. We highly recommend that the Park work closely with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDGF) in identifying volunteers within the hunting community.”

The NPS agreed, saying, “Under the preferred alternative, the Park intends to work with NDGF in order to recruit qualified volunteers and develop a reduction program that ultimately benefits both agencies.”

The many requirements imposed on volunteer hunters must be at least in part, a defense
against animal rights’ groups such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) which predictably opposed the decision.

In 2008, when Rocky Mountain National Park became the first to end the use of paid sharpshooters and instead work with volunteer hunters for badly-needed elk culling, HSUS campaigned that “trophy hunters” would be turning national parks into their “personal playgrounds.” Regarding the TRNP plan, HSUS has characterized it as “an attempt to allow private sport hunters to target elk.”

Since HSUS condemns and wants to end all forms of hunting, they use terms like “sport hunters” and “trophy hunters” as if there is something evil about us, and they get mileage out of the press with those terms. By exerting a level of control, NPS may reduce the potential for such terms to be used against them.

Read More about HSUS Anti Hunting agenda:  www.action.humanesociety.org/site/PageNavigator/Change_Agenda_for_Animals

Of course, what is happening in TRNP is neither “sport hunting” nor “trophy hunting,” anyway. It is a cull–lethal reduction absolutely necessary to keep elk from destroying the Park’s resources. An elk can eat 20 pounds of food a day, easily. Elk caused extensive damage in Rocky Mountain National Park after many non-lethal reduction attempts failed.

TRNP officials have the responsibility of managing more than 70,000 acres of habitat—for dozens of wildlife species, plant communities and a half-million human visitors a year. Elk have a very important and viable place in TRNP—a place that a managed culling operation will help ensure.

For more on the final Theodore Roosevelt Elk Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, click here www.parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?parkId=167&projectId=10833

For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

NRAHuntersRights.org

FAIRFAX, Va --(AmmoLand.com)- More great hunting gear is up for grabs in April at NRAhuntersrights.org.

Courtesy of Alpen Optics, we’re giving away an Apex Model 4044 riflescope, a 4x-16x variable that will give you the versatility for deer in the hardwoods or long-range varmint hunting in wide-open terrain.

To enter, just visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org and scroll down to “Gift Giveaway” for simple instructions. Entries for the scope will be accepted April 1 through April 30, and a winner will be announced on May 3^rd. (Through the month of March you can also enter to win the current Gift Giveaway—a turkey hunting package from Hunter’s Specialties.)

Alpen Optics 4044 Rifle Scope

Apex riflescopes have a matte black, non-reflective finish and are waterproof, fogproof and shockproof, making them reliable in all conditions. Included with the scope is a sunshade, lens cloth and lens cap. Free to one lucky winner, this scope retails for $385.

In addition to entering our giveaway, we invite all hunters to submit their hunting photos for our Trophy Gallery. If you shot a great buck last fall, or if you bag a boss gobbler this spring, we want to see it. Simply e-mail your photo to huntersrights@nrahq.org and put “Trophy Gallery” in the subject line. All photos should be sharp, tasteful, and display safe gun handling practices.

Include the following information with your submission:

• Your name and hometown
• Date and location of the hunt
• Firearm used
• Type of species

For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

Haven’t visited NRAhuntersrights.org lately? Here are a few stories you missed:

• New Jersey a Step Closer to Resuming Bear Hunt
• Budget Cuts Threaten National Wildlife Refuges
• S-O-L Means “Survive Outdoors Longer”
• Animal Rightists Misrepresent Elk Data
• Should This Target be Illegal?
• Going Hunting? Don’t Forget the Paperwork!
• Hunting Gets NASCAR Legend’s Motor Running

Visit: NRAHuntersRights.org

National Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, VA --(AmmoLand.com)- The National Rifle Association’s connection to the military goes back well over a century. Indeed, it was military men who founded the organization.

Dismayed by the lack of marksmanship shown by their troops, Union veterans Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate formed the National Rifle Association in 1871. The primary goal of the association was to “promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis,” according to a magazine editorial written by Church.

Military veterans have played a role in NRA ever since. They make up a significant part of NRA’s membership and Board of Directors. They shoot in NRA’s competitive matches and often become NRA-Certified Instructors to teach gun safety and basic marksmanship.

Because NRA deeply appreciates the sacrifices you make while serving our country, we are honored to offer you a complimentary one-year membership in the NRA as a token of our gratitude and respect. Click here for more information on benefits of membership and to take advantage of the offer: http://www.nra.org/supportourtroops/.

Soldiers who hunt—and have difficulty finding a place to hunt because of frequent relocation—should visit www.nrahuntersrights.org. While this site focuses primarily on NRA’s battles to protect hunters’ rights, several links on the site make it easy to find a place to hunt, including: a state-by-state index to public hunting lands, a guide to hunting on national wildlife refuges, and a state listing of guides and outfitters.

NRA is also proud to support a number of Wounded Warriors hunts Read about one here.
( http://www.nrahunterrights.org/Article.aspx?id=1792 )

NRA conducts many more programs and services of interest to the military, from tactical competitions (http://www.nrahq.org/law/competitions/tpc/index.asp) to tuition-free armorer schools (http://www.nrahq.org/law/training/armorerschools.asp). The NRA HQ Range (http://www.nrahq.org/shootingrange/nrahqrange/) in Fairfax, VA, has hosted a free Veteran’s Day shoot for several years. Visit www.NRA.org for details on the programs of the NRA.

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military.

NRAHuntersRights.org

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, Virginia - -(AmmoLand.com)- AmmoLand.com’s featured Gun Blog of the Month of February 2010, is NRAHuntersRights.org.

The right to keep and bear arms if closely linked to the right to hunt. Yet many hunters fail to appreciate the danger of losing their rights to hunt because of a pending gun law.

The reverse is true of many gun owners that are quick to leap to the defense of their RTKABA but take a wait and see posture when hunters rights come into question.

To take it one steps further the ability to manage and conserve our natural wildlife is ultimately dependent on the ability of hunters to remove game and keep animal populations in balance. Simply put without Hunters we have no conservation only the flawed science of preservation.

One blog at the fore front of this fight to protect hunters rights is NRAHuntersRights.org . Take a moment and get to know the folks fighting for your rights.

NRAHuntersRights.org Blog Interview:

Q: What is your Blog’s Official Name?
A: The name is “Hunter’s Blog” and it appears as part of the website: www.nrahuntersrights.org. We also have a “Discussion Forum” where we introduce a topic, stand back and let hunters weigh in on it.

Q: How many people work on the NRA Hunters Rights Blog or what is the organizational structure?
A: There are two main bloggers, and occasionally we allow a “guest blog.”

Q: What are the names of the writers or contributors to the NRA Hunters Rights Blog?
A: I (J.R. Robbins) am Managing Editor and I am helped by Assistant Editor Justin McDaniel. I have been with NRA for 26 years, including stints on American Hunter Magazine, InSights (NRA’s junior magazine) and as Manager of Communications for NRA Programs. After years of writing how-tos and where-tos, I realized how much threats to hunting are escalating in this country and devoted myself to speaking out against these threats, and promoting what NRA does for hunters. I mostly hunt deer, antelope, black bears, ducks, geese, pheasants, grouse, quail and woodcock.

Justin has been with NRA for four years, the last two of which have been spent working on www.nrahuntersrights.org. Before joining my staff, Justin also spent two years in our Communications Department helping to promote NRA Programs. He is a lifelong hunter and NRA Member and returns to his home state of Pennsylvania as often as possible to hunt deer, turkeys, and a variety of small game.

Q: Does each person have a specialty or area of interest that they focus on?
A: We blog about anything that affects hunters’ rights. This could include ridiculous media statements about hunting or smacking down false information communicated by anti-hunting groups. We expose the bureaucracy that inhibits hunters’ access to public lands and makes hunting too expensive and too burdened with paperwork and blizzards of red tape. The number of hunters in this country is declining. We need to make hunting more accessible and less complicated, especially for newcomers, to reverse that trend.

Q: Where is the NRA Hunters Rights Blog located? A: The exact url is: http://www.nrahuntersrights.org/blog/Default.aspx. To find the Discussion Forum, go to www.nrahuntersrights.org, and scroll down about halfway. The forum is on the left side.

Q: What is the point of view or purpose of your blog?
A: Through the Hunters’ Blog and the Discussion Forum we make hunters aware of escalating threats to hunting, what NRA is doing about them, and we stimulate discussion from hunters on these topics. It is imperative that hunters become more informed and vocal about these issues. We need more hunters showing up at public hearings and taking part in public comment periods on issues that affect hunting. You can bet the anti-hunters are showing up at these meetings and sending in comments on many hunting issues.

Q: How long has your Blog been active?
A: Both the Hunters Blog and the Discussion Forum have been up since November 2008.

Q: Do you have a specific agenda or goal of the NRA Hunters Rights Blog?
A: While defending the Second Amendment will always be NRA’s first priority, 80 percent of our members hunt, and every issue that’s important to hunters is important to us-especially access to hunting lands and retention/expansion of hunters’ gun rights.

One goal of the blog is to make people more aware of what NRA does for hunters-we have nationally known youth and women’s hunting programs and we are involved in legislation that affects hunters at every level of government. NRA-backed Open Fields and No-Net-Loss legislation work to get hunters access to private and public hunting lands.

We work with several federal agencies to expand access to federal lands and to keep public shooting ranges open. We’ve helped pass “Right to Hunt” Constitutional amendments in 10 states. We’ve supported youth-mentored hunting laws and fought attempts to ban hunting for doves, bears, wolves, prairie dogs and other species. There’s a lot more, but you get the idea.

Q: Do you have any other digital sites?
A: The Hunters’ Blog is part of www.nrahuntersrights.org. We launched this site late in 2007. This site offers links to outside headlines, gear write-ups, a monthly Gift Giveaway, links to other hunting resources, and several ways to find state/federal public hunting lands and even a state list of guides and outfitters.

There is also a Trophy Gallery where we post photos of hunters and their downed game.

Q: What is the biggest issue facing hunters today that most concerns you?
A: It has become too difficult for the average guy to find a place to hunt, or even to find a range where he can sight-in, practice marksmanship, or teach his kids to shoot. Fighting to keep ranges open, and to protect and expand hunter access to private and public lands is our most important-and most difficult-challenge. Access to hunting land is directly connected to the number of hunters. If the number of hunters continues to spiral downward, it threatens the very existence of the tradition of hunting.

Plus, it means even more revenue lost for wildlife conservation. It’s hunters who pay for wildlife management in this country.

Q: What is one thing that you want AmmoLand Shooting Sports News readers to know about the NRA Hunters Rights Blog?
A: The Hunters’ Blog and the Discussion Forum are two very visible places where your opinion can be heard! We want your voice on this site!

Q: What was the best thing done on the NRA Hunters Rights Blog that got the most reaction from your readers?
A: In November, a California high school student was expelled for having two unloaded shotguns locked in his off-campus truck. He had the guns because he had gone bird hunting before school. People were outraged.

Q: What was the worst thing you did on your blog that go the most reaction from your readers?
A: No one thing comes to mind, but it is true that some hunting issues can be divisive. Even so, we want to hear from all hunters and make sure we understand their point of view.

Q: What do you think the outlook is for the future of gun rights or in you case hunter rights in America?
A: We have battles ahead and hunters must be informed and active in those battles. Restrictions on traditional [lead] ammunition are being pushed hard by anti-hunting groups. As America continues to become more urbanized, more hunting lands are lost, and more restrictions on guns are called for by new residents of areas previously open to shooting and hunting. And it’s not just fringe anti-hunting groups we face today, either.

It’s well-funded, radical environmental groups that would block hunters’ access to public lands, and sympathetic media who trumpet their cause.

Q: Of the topics you cover what do you enjoy writing about the most?
A: Hunting is in my blood, and to have slowly evolved from writing “Ten Hot Spots for a Tree Stand” to “Abysmal Harvest Angers Wisconsin Hunters” has been an enjoyable, and meaningful, process.

Q: What things would you like to do or expand on in the NRA Hunters Rights Blog in the future?
A: I would like to open up the Hunters’ Blog to more typical hunters who have an informed opinion on a hunting issue they would like to share.

Q: What would you like to say to those that are anti hunting or maybe just unsure of the purpose of hunting and guns in our society today?
A: Hunting is an essential wildlife management tool. Decisions about hunting should be based on solid science researched by qualified wildlife biologists.

Hunting decisions cannot be made based on emotion, politics or personal agendas. Hunters are the original conservationists, and without us, many species would never have come back from near-extinction at the beginning of this century.

Q: What parting remarks or comments you would like to make or promote?
A: Hunters tend not to get riled up and active until hunting is threatened in their own favorite spot. At that point, it’s often too late. Stay informed about issues anywhere that could affect a hunter’s rights, and get active in opposing them.

Visit: NRAHuntersRights.org

The NRA Blog

NRAblog.com

Fairfax, Virginia -(AmmoLand.com)- AmmoLand.com’s featured Gun Blog of the Month, for December 2009, is the The NRA Blog at www.nrablog.com .

The NRABlog is the official blog for the National Rifle Association and is a joint effort by all the different branches of the NRA organization and is a great source for for an intimate look inside the events and programs of the NRA.

As diverse as the NRA membership the NRAblog covers many topics from Firearms Collecting to Women OnTarget Hunts to the National Police Shooting Championships. The Nra Blog is well worth taking time to explore.

NRABlog Blog Interview:

Q: What is your Blog’s Official Name?
A: NRAblog

Q: How many people work on the NRA Blog or what is the organizational structure?
A: NRAblog is a combined effort of the NRA’s Media Relations division and each of the divisions of NRA General Operations: National Firearms Museum, Competitive Shooting, Education + Training, Field Operations, and Law Enforcement Activities.

Q: What are the names of the writers or contributors to the NRA Blog?
A: Blog contributors from Media Relations include Lars Dalseide, Kyle Jillson, Danielle Sturgis, Kerrin Brinkman.

You’ll also hear from the staff of the NRA National Firearms Museum — Jim Supica, Phil Schreier, Doug Wicklund and Matt Sharpe – and assorted folk from across the NRA.

Q: Does each person have a specialty that they focus on?
A: Typically, Danielle blogs about our women’s programs, along with events happening at the NRA HQ Range and the National Firearms Museum; Kerrin covers most of the Education & Training division, including our busy youth program division and all NRA Certified Instructors; Lars takes care of Law Enforcement and disabled shooting; Kyle blogs about a variety of competitions and Friends of NRA events.

With 184 programs and a busy calendar of events, though, we share opportunities and areas in order to cover as much as possible.

Q: Where are is the NRA Blog located?
A: Wherever the programs of the NRA take us! Granted, most of our writing is done from NRA HQ here in Fairfax, Virginia, but in 2009 we have blogged “on location” from the following events:

• National Rifle and Pistol Matches at Camp Perry, OH
• NRA Annual Meetings in Phoenix, AZ
• National Police Shooting Championships in Albuquerque, NM
• SHOT Show in Orlando, FL
• Women’s Wilderness Escape at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, NM
• Friends of NRA banquet in Fountain City, WI
• Wanenmacher Gun Show in Tulsa, OK
• Club University workshops in Albany, NY; Sacramentio, CA; and Nashville, TN
• Collegiate championships in TX

Q: What is the point of view or purpose of your blog?
A: We aim to spread awareness of the programs of the NRA – whether through pictures, video, first-person accounts, or interviews. NRA members and nonmembers alike are welcome to use NRAblog as a resource.

Q: How long has your Blog been active?
A: After a re-design, NRAblog went live in December of 2008. We’re turning one this month!

Q: What are the main sections or categories of the NRA blog and what do they cover?
A: The following tabs at the top of the site offer easy navigation of our main areas:

• Hunting: Covers the hunters’ services department of the NRA; our sister site www.NRAhuntersrights.org ; and more.
  
• The National Firearms Museum: Includes info on gun collecting, gun shows, the curators and their media appearances.
  
• Competitions: Contains live coverage of the NRA National Rifle and Pistol Matches and information about all disciplines of competition.
  
• Law Enforcement: Covers all areas of Law Enforcement competition, including the National Police Shooting Championships and Tactical Police Competition; also Law Enforcement Officer of the Year and law enforcement training.
  
• Training: Encompasses all NRA Certified Instructor disciplines.
  
• Youth Programs:  Includes information about Youth Hunter Education Challenge, the Winchester Marksmanship program, and more.
  
• Women’s Programs:  Covers our popular Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics; Refuse To Be A Victim seminars; the Women’s Wilderness Escape; and women-only hunts.
  
• Community Outreach:  Contains information about upcoming Friends of NRA events; biographies of NRA Field Representatives; NRA Business Alliance; NRA Clubs & Associations; NRA volunteers; events and opportunities for veterans; and grants in action pieces.

Q: Do you have any other digital sites?
A: Of course! We invite blog readers to make use of the following resources:

• www.NRA.org
• www.NRAnews.com
• www.NationalFirearmsMuseum.org
• www.NRAILA.org

Also, for those interested in social media, check out NRAblog on the following network sites:

• Twitter: http://twitter.com/NRAblog
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40573473288&ref=ts
• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/GOnraMedia
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=89220&trk=hb_side_g

Q: What is one thing that you want AmmoLand Shooting Sports News readers to know about the NRA Blog?
A: We’re your one-stop resource for the programs of the NRA! If you’re looking to learn more about the Youth Hunter Education Challenge, the NRA Bianchi Cup, or the NRA Business Alliance, check us out. We offer a variety of website links to other parts of the NRA, including the NRA-Institute on Legislative Action.

Q: What things would you like to do or expand on in the NRA blog to in the future?
A: We’re always working to find new ways to connect with our readers. Now that we are on Twitter and YouTube and Facebook and LinkedIn, we’d like to start a monthly or weekly newsletter feature. NRAblog readers could opt to receive the newsletter via email to stay up-to-date with the programs of the NRA and to learn about exclusive offers and more.

Q: What parting remarks or comments you would like to make or promote?
A: We’re thrilled to be included on your site! Thanks for all you do to get the word out about firearms groups, events, and merchandise. See you at the NRA Annual Meetings, May 13-18 in Charlotte, NC.

AmmoLand is thrilled to be the first to wish the NRA Blog a Happy 1st Birthday! So be sure and stop by the NRA Blog on Facebook and wish them Happy Birthday on their wall.

Visit: www.NRAblog.com

National Rifle Association of America

Share Your Hunting Photos, Stories with NRA

NRAhuntersrights.org

FAIRFAX, Va.—-(AmmoLand.com)-If you have a picture of a young hunter grinning ear to ear with his first deer, or if you took that buck of a lifetime and want the whole world to know about it, send the photo to www.NRAhuntersrights.org for posting on the site’s Trophy Gallery. All hunters are welcome to share their photos, and what constitutes a trophy is completely up to you!

Simply e-mail your picture to huntersrights@nrahq.org and put “Trophy Gallery” in the subject line. All photos should be sharp, tasteful, and display safe gun handling practices. Include the following information with your submission:

• • Your name and hometown
• • Date and location of the hunt
• • Firearm used
• • Type of game species
• • Any special details (first buck, record book animal, etc.)

In addition to hunting photos, www.NRAhuntersrights.org is also accepting stories about recent hunts for its “Members’ Hunt Reports” section. Stories can be reviews of guided trips or narratives from do-it-yourself hunts. Please include information on the type of hunting methods used, how the hunt unfolded, details and contact information for guides/outfitters where applicable, and recommendations or tips for other hunters.

Send all stories and accompanying photos to huntersrights@nrahq.org for consideration and include “Hunt Report” in the subject line. Regrettably, payment cannot be offered for any submissions.

For the most up-to-date information about your hunting rights there’s just one source: www.NRAhuntersrights.org.

About:
The National Rifle Association is the premier firearms education association in the world. With nearly four million members nationwide and over 120,000 members in Virginia, the association is widely recognized as a major political force and America’s foremost defender of Second Amendment rights.

NRA awarded $25,000 for a new range at West Virginia’s Kumbrabow State Forest. (l. to r. NRA’s John Joines; Curtis Taylor, Chief of the Wildlife Resources Section of the West Virginia DNR; and Brian Hyder, NRA Eastern Regional Director)

NRAHuntersRights.org

Fairfax, VA - -(AmmoLand.com)- One of the greatest challenges facing hunters today is finding a public shooting range where they can sight-in their rifles and sharpen their shooting skills without driving long distances or paying excessive fees. And if a hunter is lucky enough to have a free public range near his or her home, long lines can often be expected due to the high demand for these facilities.

Such is the case at the Indian Creek Rifle Range in the Sumter National Forest near Whitmire, S.C., where crowds of shooters have been known to gather on Saturdays for a crack at one of the range’s six covered shooting tables.

But a $25,000 grant from NRA’s Public Range Fund will soon give shooters in upstate South Carolina a new range option. With that money, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is going to build a brand new rifle and pistol range 30 minutes from Indian Creek at Belfast Wildlife Management Area (WMA), a 4,664-acre former plantation situated on the Newberry/Laurens county line, which was acquired by the DNR last October. That grant is part of $150,000 awarded by NRA this year for range projects in South Carolina, West Virginia and Georgia.

“Probably three or four years ago the decision was made that we need to help build more unmanned public ranges where people can shoot,” said Kyle Weaver, managing director of NRA’s Field Operations Division, which awarded the grants. “We knew we had friends in the state DNRs that could make that happen. And this is just the beginning. You’re going to see more of these types of range projects throughout South Carolina and other states in the future.”

The range at Belfast WMA is actually one of three new public ranges the South Carolina DNR has in store, thanks to two additional $25,000 NRA grants. One of those grants will be used to build a 50- and 100-yard rifle and pistol range at Woodbury WMA in Marion County, with the possibility of extending the range to 200 yards. The other grant will be used to build three new trap and skeet fields for youth programs at Marsh WMA, also in Marion County, although adults can also use the fields if they make prior arrangements with the DNR.

Brian Hyder (front), NRA Eastern Regional Director, shoots at the future Belfast WMA range site, while John Joines from NRA Range Services measures the sound pressure. (Photo by Justin McDaniel)

In all, NRA awarded $75,000 to South Carolina—funds that unlocked an additional $225,000 from the DNR’s share of federal Pittman-Robertson funds. The Pittman-Robertson Act, which levies an excise tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition and then returns that money to the states each year for habitat and range projects, requires matching funds at a 3:1 ratio. Thus, each $25,000 grant from NRA will be matched in kind with $75,000 from South Carolina’s Pittman-Robertson appropriations, for a total of $100,000 per range project, or $300,000 in all.

“I’m excited about this partnership we have with NRA and look forward to a very long partnership together,” said Emily Cope, assistant director for special projects for the South Carolina DNR, who is overseeing the construction of the three ranges.

Of the new ranges South Carolina is building, the one at Belfast WMA will be the first. The Belfast range will be open to the public free of charge Monday through Saturday from daylight to dark and, out of courtesy to nearby churches, on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Although the range will be an unmanned facility, it will be monitored by DNR officers as part of their normal patrols. Shooters should note that the range will feature covered firing points for both 50- and 100-yard targets, but the DNR is leaving open the possibility of eventually expanding the range to accommodate longer distances.

“We’re initially going to have a 50-yard range and a 100-yard range, but it will be designed so that later on in the future, if we see a need and there’s an interest, we have the opportunity to add on and expand to 200 yards,” Cope said.

John Joines from NRA Range Services provided a preliminary layout for the new Belfast range and discussed range design options and suggestions with the state engineers. Joines also conducted a sound test to identify how the range will impact surrounding neighbors. The test involved visiting different sites within a mile radius of the range to measure ambient, or normal, sound pressure and comparing those readings to the sound of a .30-06 being fired at the range site. The results of the test showed that neighbors will notice little, if any, noise when the range is fully operational.

“The ambient pressure reading was actually louder than the gunshot,” said Joines. “All around the property we recorded a one-tenth of 1 percent noise change or none at all. Compared to ambient sound, the sound from the shooting range will be negligible.”

One of those neighbors is Frankie Gresham of Kinards, whose home is located just down the road from the range’s future location on South Carolina Highway 560. A hunter and shooter, Gresham said his family will make good use of the new range.

“I lived in Joanna all my life, and I had to go to Philson Crossroads, it’s a rifle range probably 15 miles from Joanna. Since I moved out here to the country, I just use my yard [to shoot],” said Gresham. “I’m sure we’ll bring the kids and use the archery and the rifle ranges.”

As Gresham noted, the new rifle range isn’t all that the South Carolina DNR has in store for the Belfast property. The property will be managed for hunting, with draw hunts for deer and turkey already in the works, along with some special hunts for youth and mobility-impaired individuals. The DNR will also be offering hunter education classes at Belfast WMA. A hunter education classroom will be established on site, and students will have access to the rifle range, as well as a planned archery course. The archery range will feature two field ranges, a kids range, two walk-through courses, and an archery tower, which will simulate shooting from an elevated stand.

“It’s a public recreational use facility,” said Al Hammond, Southern Regional director for the NRA Field Operations Division. “You’re going to get people from cities driving out here using these ranges who would normally never take advantage of these public lands otherwise, and that’s going to create awareness that the state has these public lands available for hunting and shooting.”

One of the individuals who was very supportive of the DNR’s efforts to acquire the Belfast tract was state Sen. Ronnie Cromer (R-Dist. 18), who serves as chairman of the Fish, Game and Forestry Committee in the South Carolina Senate. Cromer was on hand for a check presentation from NRA to the DNR at Belfast Plantation on July 9 and spoke of the state’s need for public shooting facilities.

“The ones who live in the city have to have somewhere they can go to sight-in their rifles and do a little target practice with their handguns,” said Cromer, whose senatorial district encompasses much of Belfast WMA. “We greatly appreciate NRA making the effort to come down and make the quality of life here, especially in upstate South Carolina, a little bit better.”

In West Virginia, NRA provided two $25,000 grants for new public, unmanned rifle and pistol ranges at Kumbrabow State Forest in Randolph County and Chief Logan Wildlife Management Area in Logan County. Both ranges will be available free of charge. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is matching each grant with $25,000 from state funds for a total of $50,000 per range.

NRA also awarded $25,000 for a public range in Georgia.

“This new range grant program moved incredibly fast,” Weaver said. “We went in a year and a half from having nothing to putting checks in people’s hands. Without South Carolina, Georgia and West Virginia, we wouldn’t have any of it. These states really did help to pioneer this program for us.”

For more information on NRA’s Public Range Fund and how your state can apply for a future grant, contact John Joines in the NRA Range Services Department at 703-267-1278 or jjoines@nrahq.org.

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military.

NRAhuntersrights.org

Fairfax, VA - -(AmmoLand.com)- NRAhuntersrights.org is accepting brief reports and photos from members who want to tell others about their recent hunting experiences. We’re looking for information that could help your fellow hunters plan an exciting experience afield, with a great outfitter and guide, as well as sort through any confusing regulations you may have encountered or travel issues along the way. Don’t think of it as writing an article – think of it as telling your hunting buddies what the trip was like.

All we’re looking for is about 500 words, but you can go longer if you need to. We have to have a good, sharp photo from the hunt, contact information for the guide and outfitter, plus any other information about the hunt you want to give us.

How to Submit a Report: It’s easy. Just write it up in your own words and send it to huntersrights@nrahq.org. Write “Hunt Report” in the subject line. We’ll consider it, and if it meets our criteria we’ll post it and let you know when it’s up.

Submission of a Member Hunt Report does not guarantee it will be posted, and there is no payment.

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military.

NRAhuntersrights.org

FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA - -(OutDoorWire.com)- If you’ve ever searched in vain for a hunting law in a state you want to hunt, or if lies from anti-hunters have you confused about what’s fact and what’s fiction when it comes to lead ammunition, www.NRAhuntersrights.org has added two new features to give hunters quick and easy access to both sets of information.

The first new feature is an interactive map of the United States providing direct links to the hunting laws in all 50 states. Just click on the tab “State Hunting Laws” at the top of the Hunters’ Rights homepage and then click on the state you want to hunt to find current rules and regulations.

Also new to the site is a list of answers to the most frequently asked questions about the health concerns associated with consuming game harvested with traditional lead ammunition. This FAQ, located in the top right corner of the homepage, will set the record straight on the lead issue and help to dispel any myths about lead ammunition being espoused by anti-hunting groups. This section will be updated often as new research and information on lead ammunition becomes available.

While you’re visiting these new sections, don’t forget to send photos of game you harvested this season for our “Trophy Gallery” section, and be sure to check out the updated Hunters’ Blog and recently-launched Open Season discussion forum.

Developed by NRA in response to escalating threats to hunting, www.NRAhuntersrights.org is a one-stop source for the most up-to-date information about hunters’ rights and what NRA is doing to protect them. Whether it’s a proposed ban on hunting ammunition, the closure of public hunting lands, or regulations that are actually driving people out of the sport, NRA is at work on every front to ensure your continued right to hunt.

For the latest information about what NRA is doing to protect the future of hunting, visit www.NRAhuntersrights.org.