Viewing Category

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- For many hunters, that 300-mile drive to deer camp may be put on hold this year. Unwilling -- or unable -- to spend more on gasoline than licenses and lodging, many hunters are checking out their options closer to home.

A variety of resources are available at www.nhfday.org for media members covering National Hunting and Fishing Day, the Congressionally appointed annual commemoration of hunters, anglers and conservation.  This year's celebration is set for Sept. 27.

The S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Commission finalized the state goose hunting seasons at its August meeting amid reports that goose populations remain robust. "There will be a strong population of migrant birds," Wildlife Division Assistant Director George Vandel told commissioners. "Snow geese numbers should still be quite good as well."

The Wisconsin Sports Fest attracts more than 30,000 attendees each year, and the sixth edition, at the Sunnyview Exposition Center in Oshkosh, should be another crowd-pleasing festival. In addition to live musical entertainment, outdoor personalities will be on hand to speak and sign autographs.

As the National Wild Turkey Federation celebrates its 35th year of promoting wildlife conservation and the preservation of North America's hunting heritage, the organization is reflecting on its rich history and honoring the man who started it all.  Tom Rodgers, of Edgefield, S.C., founder of the NWTF, received a one-of-a-kind Founder's Award during a ceremony at NWTF headquarters, Saturday, Aug. 9.

Michael Waddell, the outdoor industry's charismatic television show host, has agreed to become the official spokesman for the National Wild Turkey Federation.  In this new role, Waddell will represent the NWTF as host of its television series, "Turkey Call," which airs on Outdoor Channel. In addition, Waddell will assume emcee duties at the organization's national convention, which will be held Feb. 19 to 22, 2009, in Nashville, Tenn. Members also will be treated to personal appearances by Waddell at many other NWTF events.

Grand slams are usually reserved for the baseball diamond, but this week on Pheasants Forever Television, you'll see how wildlife artist John House stroked one out of the park. The episode airs on Outdoor Channel on Thursday, Aug. 7th at 10PM CDT / 11PM EDT. The episode will also air on Friday, Aug. 8th at 10AM CDT / 11AM EDT and again on Saturday, Aug. 9th at 5:30PM CDT / 6:30PM EDT.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has launched a public awareness campaign to inform Washington, D.C., residents—particularly those now considering purchasing a handgun—about the many educational resources it makes available to firearms owners. The campaign follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision (Washington, D.C., et. al. vs. Heller) reaffirming the Second Amendment as an individual right and ruling the district’s ban on handguns unconstitutional.

In addition to their regular business, Game, Fish and Parks Commissioners will get a history lesson when they conduct their August meeting at Fort Sisseton Historic State Park. The commission's agenda for the one-day meeting on Aug. 7 includes a tour of the park, located 10 miles southwest of Lake City. 

Shooters from throughout the industry stepped to the firing line at the 6th Annual Shooting Industry Masters July 26 to blast clays and ring steel, all in support of NSSF’s Step Outside program.  More than 150 shooters, including company CEOs, sales reps and factory craftsman, competed in the three-gun competition at the Hartford Gun Club in East Granby, Conn. Produced by FMG Publications, the event’s raffle raised $16,500 for the Step Outside program, which introduces newcomers to shooting.

The National Wild Turkey Federation's recently renewed agreement with Bank of America will help more than 500,000 NWTF volunteers and staff to continue to improve wildlife habitat and preserve our nation's hunting traditions.

On Aug. 15 and 16, the Steel Challenge World Speedshooting Championships will be offering first-time shooters a free introduction to shooting and firearm safety.  Several First Shots® seminars will be held each day starting at 9 a.m. Visitors to the range in Piru will have an opportunity to learn from professional instructors firearm safety and the basics of how to get started in handgun shooting. Afterward, seminar participants will be able to walk the competition course and see some of the world's fastest shooters as they compete for the world speed shooting title.

In a continuing effort to protect the environment, Anheuser-Busch has committed to contribute $2 million to support Duck’s Unlimited’s wetland habitat conservation mission.  As part of this ongoing commitment, the Budweiser brand is working with Anheuser-Busch wholesalers around the country to obtain the funds, which will be directed toward Ducks Unlimited’s “Wetlands for Tomorrow” campaign.

National 4-H Headquarters recognized Bill Stevens, retired Conservation Manager, Federal Cartridge Corporation, for his lifelong dedication to the 4-H Shooting Sports Program during the 2008 National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational in June.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer said today there would be no early releases of acres from the popular Conservation Reserve Program to be put into production without repayment. He cited robust corn and soybean yields and less-than-expected crop damage as the reasons to keep the program’s regulations unchanged. “This was a very tough decision for Sec. Schafer and USDA,” said Don Young, executive vice president of Ducks Unlimited, concerning the announcement.

Austin-area firearms dealers may have the Democrats to thank for brisk sales this summer. The prospect that the next presidential administration might favor new gun-control laws has gun enthusiasts bringing dollars and concerns to local firearms stores ahead of the November election.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking public comments on its forest classification and motor vehicle route designation proposal for six state forests in an eight-county planning area in east-central Minnesota. The east-central forests include Land O' Lakes in Cass/Crow Wing counties; Hill River, Savanna, and Waukenabo in Aitkin County, Snake River in Kanabec County, and DAR in Pine County. The proposal also designates roads and trails on scattered DNR lands in Anoka, Aitkin, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, southern Cass, and Washington counties.

With Governor Paterson signing New York's Junior Hunting bill July 23, the total number of states adopting legislation to reduce barriers to new hunters has climbed to 27 since the Families Afield program began in 2004. New data shows that across the United States, this program has opened doors to more than 131,000 youth and adults new to hunting.  New York state's Assembly Bill 11033 is expected to do the same as it lowers the age for mentored big game hunting to 14. Before this legislation was passed, New Yorkers had to be 16 years old, which was the oldest minimum age for big game hunting in the nation.

As the Olympics prepare to showcase shooters among the world's athletic elite, America's "Little League of Shooting Sports" is celebrating record participation as well as its influence on the Games in Beijing.  The U.S. Shooting Team has just eight spots for shotgun shooters. In trial competitions, 25 percent of those spots were won by alumni of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP), a national youth shooting league that's become a phenomenon across the country.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) reports that there were 19 hunting accidents in 2007, with one fatality. This is an increase of two accidents over the previous year but still a very small number considering that approximately 271,000 hunters spent more than 3 million days afield in 2006 (the latest year for which figures are available), agency staff report.