Kill it and grill it

Copies of the 2008 Michigan Bear Hunting Guide will be available at all DNR offices, license dealers, and on the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr prior to May 1. Online customers can also access a Frequently Asked Questions database to receive immediate answers to questions regarding the preference point drawing system, how to apply as a party or other important details.
Drawing results will be posted on the DNR Web site on Monday, June 30, 2008. Notification of the drawing results will be mailed June 30 to all applicants, except those who applied online. cont.

Anti Attempts to Infiltrate America’s Pastime
http://www.ussportsmen.org/Read.cfm?ID=2264

In what could be termed as more of a publicity stunt than a legitimate offer, an animal rights and anti-hunting group has suggested that a professional baseball team give its new stadium a pro-vegetarian name.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) announced that the group sent a letter to Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals asking it to temporarily rent the right to name the stadium to PETA, while looking for a permanent sponsor.
PETA wants the name to be “GoVeg.com Field” in reference to the website for the group’s campaign encouraging people to become vegetarians.
PETA, in its letter to the Washington Nationals, said the club should consider the offer because the ballpark already has several vegetarian food options and the Nationals worked to lessen the environmental impact of the stadium during planning and construction phases.

U.S. House of Representatives Votes to Protect Access to Hunting and Fishing Lands
http://www.nraila.org/News/Read/NewsReleases.aspx?ID=10871

The U.S. House of Representatives voted on April 9th overwhelmingly in favor of a National Rifle Association (NRA) – backed amendment that will preserve hunting and fishing on public lands for the benefit of current and future generations, and protect access to sportsmen for hunting, fishing and recreational shooting on certain public lands. This amendment was adopted today by a 416-5 vote.

The amendment provides that:

· Access for hunting, fishing and recreational shooting will be assured on all appropriate National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) lands; and

· States will manage, control or regulate fish and resident wildlife under State law or regulations in any area within the System. Regulations permitting hunting or fishing of fish and resident wildlife within the System shall be, to the extent practicable, consistent with State fish and wildlife laws, regulations and management plans.

“It is important for hunters, anglers, shooters and sportsmen -- our nation’s foremost conservationists -- to continue to have ample lands and access to lands to enjoy America’s hunting heritage,” said Chris W. Cox, NRA chief lobbyist. “With the adoption of the amendment offered by Congressman Jason Altmire (D-PA), hunting, shooting and fishing on certain public lands will be protected for current and future generations.”
H.R. 2016, the “National Landscape Conservation System Act” originally did not include language to protect hunting, fishing and recreational shooting or ensure continued access for these sporting activities on NLCS lands, but thanks to an amendment submitted by Congressman Altmire, the concerns of the NRA, hunters and shooters were adequately addressed.
“Conserving America’s hunting lands is a priority for the tens of millions who enjoy hunting and shooting recreation each year,” concluded Cox. “I applaud those who have taken the steps to further preserve this extraordinary American tradition.”

Number of Female Hunters Increasing
http://www.ussportsmen.org/Read.cfm?ID=2260

According to a survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), more women, especially younger women, are participating in hunting.
The 2006 National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife-Associated Recreation produced by the FWS indicated that while the total number of hunters decreased 11 percent between 1991 and 2006, the number of women taking to the sport is actually increasing.
Women make up about nine percent of the 12.5 million hunters in the U.S., showing a slight increase, according to the survey.
More interestingly, the survey showed that 304,000 girls ages 6 to 15 hunted from 2001 through 2006, which was a 50 percent increase over the period of 1991 through 1996.
The FWS collected data for the National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife-Associated Recreation through the U.S. Census Bureau. This survey has been produced since 1955, and it is considered one of the most comprehensive and oldest of its kind.

HSUS Grooming Future Anti-Hunting Activists
http://www.ussportsmen.org/Read.cfm?ID=2274

The nation’s biggest anti-hunting organization has launched a new tool in its attempt to recruit young people.
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) recently launched a free online service learning program aimed at middle- and high-school students.
The program is called “Humane High School” and according to information from the anti, the first course is “Using the Legislative Process to Speak Up for Animals.” In the online course students are taught how to communicate with an elected official, how to research and develop a message and how government works.
The organization already has several programs in place to enlist youth into its causes, including the KIND News newspaper that spreads the group’s message to 35,000 elementary school classes nationwide.

Wal-Mart To Create Gun Buyer Database
http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=3846

Recently, Wal-Mart joined New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at a gathering of Bloomberg’s anti-gun group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, to announce a series of changes to the way in which Wal-Mart handles firearm transactions. At the press event, J.P. Suarez, chief compliance officer for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., said: “The costs are, we think, part of what it takes to be responsible.” Suarez also added, "This is not a signal that we're getting out of firearms."
Once these changes are up and running, firearm purchases at Wal-Mart will involve a video record of the sale, which the store will keep on file -- effectively creating a video database of gun purchasers. In addition, Wal-Mart announced that its employees will be given discretion to deny firearms purchases to anyone who has had a firearm traced by BATFE for any reason -- including those who have had a firearm stolen and later used in criminal activity.
Wayne LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President, said, “I view it as a public relations stunt that stigmatizes law-abiding firearms purchasers exercising their constitutional freedoms. I honestly think it's a corporation trying to curry favor with politicians as opposed to doing anything meaningful about stopping crime.”

If you’d like to let Wal-Mart know what you think about their new policy, please contact them by phone, at (800) 925-6278; or electronically, at http://www.walmartstores.com/contactus/feedback.aspx.

Wisconsin Advisory Group Votes to Urge Wolf Season
http://www.ussportsmen.org/Read.cfm?ID=2266

The Wisconsin Conservation Congress voted on April 14 to urge the state to develop a gray wolf hunt to keep population numbers within management objectives.
The wolf hunt resolution passed through the Conservation Congress by a vote of 4,848 to 772 according to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
The Wisconsin Conservation Congress is a group of delegates elected by the citizens of the state and serves as an advisory group to the Natural Resources Board and the Wisconsin DNR. The group holds meetings in each of the 77 Wisconsin counties.
The gray wolf, also known as the timber wolf, was taken off the federal endangered species list by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) early last year in the Western Great Lakes region. That region includes the states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. Wisconsin officials estimate the gray wolf population in the state is between 500 and 600.
A gray wolf hunt will need to be approved by the Wisconsin DNR. Officials say that now that the measure has passed the Conservation Congress it will go to the Natural Resources Board. cont.

Anti’s Attack School Hunting Program
http://www.ussportsmen.org/Read.cfm?ID=2267

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has chosen a Wisconsin middle school as one of the newest targets in its anti-hunting fight.
Students at Northwestern Middle School in Poplar, Wisconsin have a Hunter’s Wall, which is a spot where they can post photos of their kills, celebrating the rich hunting heritage of the region.
The photo wall is in the classroom of science teacher Russ Bailey, who also teaches an after-school hunter education course in the room.
PETA sent a letter to the principal of the school, Ken Bartelt, asking him to remove the Hunter’s Wall because the organization believes it promotes violence. The letter was also posted online and was sent to local media.
Bartelt said he feels the wall is positive for the students and the community. The Hunter’s Wall for this year features 52 photos of animals taken by the students throughout the year.
School officials say they have received letters from people supporting the wall and its message about the region’s hunting culture. The school has not received letters against the wall, except for the one from PETA.

Trailblazer Adventure Program Seeking Volunteers
http://www.ussportsmen.org/Read.cfm?ID=2268

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF) is looking for volunteers from across the country to assist in the Trailblazer Adventure Program.
Volunteering for the Trailblazer Adventure Program is your opportunity to help expose families to outdoor activities through the Trailblazer Adventure Day events.
The one-day Trailblazer Adventure Day program serves as an all-around introduction to the thrill of outdoor sports and the importance of conservation. It is typically hosted at a Boy Scout camp or similar facility. The Trailblazer Adventure Day features a variety of activities, demonstrations and orientation sessions designed to show children and their parents what the outdoor lifestyle is all about. All activities are conducted under the supervision of experienced Trail Guides with an emphasis on safety. Local Field Directors, USSAF representatives, attend each event to ensure coordination between all participating organizations.

Are you an avid turkey hunter? Do you train sporting dogs? Do you have a passion for trapping?

If so, then you are urged to share your knowledge of outdoor sports with young families who want to learn about the outdoor lifestyle by becoming a Trail Guide during a Trailblazer Adventure Day in your area.
A Trail Guide is a sportsman volunteer who acts as an instructor during the Trailblazer Adventure Day. He or she provides hands-on instruction and answers questions posed by participating families about the activities offered. The activities introduce families to safe and exciting sporting techniques.
Interested in signing up to become a Trail Guide? Events are coming up this year in Kansas, Virginia, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, Nevada, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Colorado, West Virginia, Florida, New York, Kentucky, California, Connecticut, Louisiana, North Dakota, Wyoming, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Missouri, Rhode Island, Illinois, Georgia, Maine, Arkansas, Washington, Tennessee, New Mexico, Michigan, Idaho and Indiana.

contact Derrek Shively, education director of USSAF, at (614) 888-4868, ext. 207 or dshively@ussportsmen.org for more information.

Monks Poached by Peta!
http://www.nraila.org/Issues/Articles/Read.aspx?ID=288

For more than 50 years, these monks of the Cistercian Order, who are expected to live in poverty and support themselves by working with their hands, have eked out a Spartan living by raising hens and selling their eggs.

But their idyllic way of life is coming to an ugly and abrupt end.

After launching an "undercover investigation" of the monastery’s henhouses and following it with almost a year of complaints and publicity stunts, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has succeeded in forcing Mepkin Abbey to shut down its egg operation.
PETA’s complaint? That the monks treat the chickens cruelly. How? In short, by keeping them in cages and preventing them from pecking each other to death.
In other words, by complying with every animal welfare standard established by the United Egg Producers.
Yet with its trademark overheated rhetoric, PETA calls Mepkin Abbey "hell on earth for chickens," a place where the birds suffer "nothing less than torture."
Indeed, in a letter to the monastery, PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich lectured Abbot Stanislaus Gumula that, "Chickens understand sophisticated intellectual concepts, learn from watching each other, demonstrate self-control, worry about the future and even have cultural knowledge that is passed from generation to generation."

Michigan Celebrates Sixcess!
http://www.nraila.org/Issues/Articles/Read.aspx?ID=287

Figures released in January show that during the six years since Michigan joined the American mainstream by offering citizens a shall-issue Right-to-Carry law, the number of firearm-related fatalities dropped--even though opponents predicted rampant mayhem.
More telling is the fact that criminal activity dwindled while the number of Michiganders legally licensed to carry a concealed handgun increased some six-fold.
Overall, the violent crime rate in Michigan during the years since passage of Right-to-Carry was significantly less than the rate during the six years prior to passage. At the same time, the number of firearm fatalities, including those stemming from suicide and accidents, also declined.
According to Michigan law enforcement officials, approximately one in 65 state citizens are now authorized to legally carry loaded firearms during their daily routine. This adds up to some 155,000 Michiganders, a number far exceeding the 25,000 or so authorized to carry guns before the concealed-carry system was broadened in 2001.
“I think the general consensus out there from law enforcement is that things are not as bad as we expected it could be,” said Woodhaven Police Chief Michael Martin, co-chair of the legislative committee for the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police. “What we anticipated didn’t happen, and I think we should breathe a sigh of relief.” cont.