Weekly News Archives

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       New Product  Archives

Weaver unveils Buck Commander Optics
Weaver adds new optics to its rugged and affordable Buck Commander� series. These new scopes and binoculars all but ensure the next big buck won�t get away and are engineered under stringent Weaver standards and endorsed by Buck Commander Willie Robertson and his crew. These are available in stores now.

Accuracy, From a Distance
New Buck Commander series binoculars are waterproof, shockproof, fogproof and feature fully multi-coated, scratch-resistant lenses. Rigorous testing confirms consistent performance and a rugged, rubber-armored finish ensures performance in the harshest of conditions.

Quality Optics for Shotgunners
Buck Commander shotgun scopes boast either Dual-X or Command-X reticles�perfect for spotting big bucks. Scopes feature 1-inch, one-piece tube construction for excellent toughness. With 4-times magnification range and fully multi-coated lenses, these scopes take hunters to the next level of accuracy.

�Our new Buck Commander series additions are sure to make an impact with hunters this season,� said Product Marketing Manager, Tom Knudtson. �Willie and the Buck Commanders know how to hunt hard�and we�ve got a full line of optics they can trust in the field. These scopes and binoculars won�t break the bank�but will give you the performance you demand.�

www.WeaverOptics.com/Optics/BuckCommander/

New Bill will improve, increase public land opportunities

�Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act�

Hunting and fishing opportunities will become a priority on 440 million acres of federal public lands under the newly proposed �Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act� introduced September 1^st, by Reps. Dan Benishek (R-MI) and Dan Boren (D-OK).

Cosponsors of the bill include Reps. Don Young (R-AK) and Mike Kelly (R-PA).  The bill is also supported by other key members of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, members of the Congressional Sportsmen�s Caucus, and the U.S. Sportsmen�s Alliance. 

This vast acreage is managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), is found from coast to coast, and is used � and relied on � by many public land hunters, trappers, shooters and anglers.  This bill, championed by the U.S. Sportsmen�s Alliance (USSA) and other leading angling and hunting organizations, establishes in law that recreational fishing, hunting (which includes trapping) and shooting are important and traditional activities to be continued on these public lands and that fish and wildlife conservation is improved by protecting these activities.  Joining USSA in this landmark effort are the American Sportfishing Association, National Rifle Association, Safari Club International, and the Congressional Sportsmen Foundation.

�The USSA has strongly encouraged such legislation for over a decade to spell out in law that fishing and hunting on federal public lands must be protected from the rising animal rights lobby,� said Bill Horn, USSA director of federal affairs.  �This bill will provide needed protection for years to come.�

This landmark measure recognizes that recreational anglers, hunters and shooters have been, and continue to be, the foremost supporters of sound fish and wildlife management and conservation in the United States.  The bill further highlights that hunting, fishing and recreational shooting occurs on Federal public lands and waters, without adverse impacts or effects on other uses or users.  These features are similar to the designation of fishing and hunting as priority public uses on refuge lands in the 1997 National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act. USSA played a key role in enacting the 1997 Act and has been working since then to expand these concepts to USFS and BLM lands. The Refuge Act has curtailed attempts by anti-hunting groups to stop hunting on some public lands where hunting has traditionally occurred.

Animal rights activists, however, continue to press for fishing and hunting closures on public lands. These assaults against hunters take several routes. Some courts require the land�s managing agencies to actively consider wholesale hunting and shooting closures to appease this fringe group. In other cases, fishing, and hunting get treated as �new� activities which cannot be authorized (and continued) until numerous lengthy and costly environmental reviews and land plans are completed.  This new bill will block these threats.

�We have been very pleased to work with Reps. Benishek and Boren and the House Natural Resources Committee to develop this important legislation,� Horn continued.  �USSA stands ready to assure enactment of the bill into law to ensure that our hunting and fishing heritage on federal 

public lands is protected.� Today�s introduction of the bill begins this important process.

When enacted, the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act would specify that federal public land management officials shall exercise their authority under existing law, including provisions regarding land-use planning, to facilitate use of and access to federal public lands and waters for fishing, hunting, and recreational shooting.  Going forward, all management plans would include provisions for those popular practices.

The affected lands that will be open include:  lands under the jurisdiction of the BLM and the USFS, including lands designated Wilderness or administratively classified as Wilderness eligible or suitable, and primitive or semi-primitive areas. National parks, however, are excluded from the Act as are Wildlife Refuges (already governed by the 1997 Act).

The Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act will also recognize the work of conservation organizations and their assistance to fish and wildlife managers, plus enforcement officers, at the federal, state and local government levels. Hunters and anglers volunteer countless hours to fish and wildlife conservation projects across America that have also benefitted all public lands and citizens in general.  Additionally, associated outdoor industries have generated billions of dollars of critical funding for fish and wildlife conservation, research, and management through revenues from purchases of fish and hunting licenses and permits.  Many other projects undertaken on BLM and USFS lands are funded by excise taxes on fishing, hunting, and shooting equipment.  Those billions of dollars are critical funding for fish and wildlife conservation, research, and management and are unequalled by any group or program in our nation.

It�s important to note that the new bill recognizes that recreational shooting is also an important and traditional activity in which millions of Americans participate, and establishes that safe recreational shooting is a valid use of federal public lands.  Participation in recreational shooting helps recruit and retain hunters and contributes to wildlife conservation through taxes and assorted programs.

Opportunities to recreationally fish, hunt, trap, and shoot are declining, which depresses participation in these traditional activities.  As a result, less participation adversely impacts fish and wildlife conservation and funding for important projects by reducing or limiting monies available.  The term �recreational shooting� means any form of sport, training, competition or pastime, whether formal or informal, that involves the discharge of a rifle, handgun, or shotgun, or the use of a bow and arrow.  The public interest would be better served, and our citizens� fish and wildlife resources benefitted, by action to ensure that opportunities are facilitated to engage in fishing and hunting on Federal public lands.

Another key provision finds that fishing and hunting are �necessary� to fulfill wilderness purposes on lands designated or managed as Wilderness. This ensures that recent anti-hunting, anti-wildlife management decisions by the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco cannot be used to bar fishing, hunting or wildlife conservation efforts in Wilderness areas.

 �When passed, this legislation will have a profound beneficial impact on anglers, hunters and shooters far into the future,� said Horn.

Great Lakes Alewives healthy

Lake Michigan Coho and Chinook salmon apparently have lots to eat and the alewives they eat are apparently healthy. Tests have shown that the alewives that washed

up by the millions on shore this summer did not have the VHS virus. The die-off was then, presumably, natural and the large die-off on the beaches suggests even more baitfish are alive and kicking in the big lake.

Great Lakes Water Levels for Sept 2, 2011 

WEATHER CONDITIONS

Quiet, dry weather and seasonal temperatures were experienced across the Great Lakes this past week. Looking ahead to the holiday weekend; showers and potentially severe thunderstorms will be moving through the basin. As a lower pressure system moves across the Great Lakes region, a majority of precipitation will fall on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. The remainder of the work week will be mostly sunny but with cooler seasonal temperatures.

LAKE LEVEL CONDITIONS

Lake Superior is nearly 2 inches higher than it was last year.  Currently, Lake Michigan-Huron is at about the same level it was a year ago. While Lakes St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario are 5, 9, and 2 inches, respectively, higher than they were at this time last year. Over the next thirty days, Lake Superior is projected stay near its current level, and Lake Michigan-Huron is expected to fall 2 inches.  The water levels of Lakes St. Clair, Erie and Ontario are forecasted to decline 7, 6, and 4 inches, respectively, over the next month.  See our Daily Levels web page for more water level information.

FORECASTED MONTHLY OUTFLOWS/CHANNEL CONDITIONS

Lake Superior's outflow through the St. Mary's River is projected to be below average for the month of September.  The outflows from Lake Huron into the St. Clair River, and

from Lake St. Clair into the Detroit River, are expected to be below average throughout the month of September.  Lake Erie's outflow through the Niagara River is predicted to be above average and the outflow of Lake Ontario into the St. Lawrence River is predicted to be above average.

ALERTS

Users of the Great Lakes, connecting channels and St. Lawrence River should keep informed of current conditions before undertaking any activities that could be affected by changing water levels.  Mariners should utilize navigation charts and refer to current water level readings.

New Law Gives More Rights to Property Owners

�Purple Paint Law� gives landowners option of marking trees or posts to prevent trespassing

SPRINGFIELD, IL � A new law signed this week by Governor Pat Quinn allows Illinois landowners or lessees the option of using purple paint markings on trees or posts on their property as a �no trespassing� notice.  The �Purple Paint Law� is designed as an alternative which Illinois landowners can use to protect their property from trespassing.

The new law � Senate Bill 1914 � was signed by Governor Quinn on Aug. 22 and took effect immediately.

While the new �Purple Paint Law� gives Illinois landowners or lessees the option of marking their property with a series of defined purple paint markings on trees or posts, additional notice is still required through 2012.   Until January 1, 2013 those landowners using purple marks must continue to issue a �no trespassing� notice either by oral or written notice to individuals or by posting appropriate signage at the main entrance to the property in question.

Provisions of the new law require that the purple paint marks used to designate �no trespassing� notice must be either:

1. A vertical line of at least 8 inches in length.  The bottom of the mark shall be between 3 feet and 5 feet high.  Each mark shall be no more than 100 feet from another such

mark and be readily visible to any person approaching the property.

Or

2. A post capped or otherwise marked on at least its top 2 inches.  The bottom of the cap or mark shall be between 3 feet and 5 feet 6 inches high.  Posts so marked shall be no more than 36 feet apart and be readily visible to any person approaching the property.  Prior to applying a cap or mark that is visible from both sides of a fence shared by different property owners or lessees, all such owners or lessees must agree to the decision to post their own property.

Trespassing on property marked for �no trespassing� is a Class B misdemeanor, except when a person trespasses using a motor vehicle if the marked area is an orchard; an enclosed area containing livestock; a barn or other agricultural building containing livestock; or a field that is used or capable of being used for growing crops.  Such trespassing constitutes a Class A misdemeanor. 

No landowner or lessee is authorized to post purple marks if doing so would violate any applicable law, rule, ordinance, order, covenant, bylaw, declaration, regulation, restriction, contract, or other instrument.

The new �Purple Paint Law� does not apply to real property located in a municipality of over 2,000,000 inhabitants.

For more details on the new law, please visit www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Pages/PublicAct97-0477.aspx

Boaters, anglers be on the lookout for underwater hazards on Lake Michigan

MADISON �Boaters and anglers enjoying those late season outings on Lake Michigan are urged to be on the lookout for underwater hazards, including commercial fishing trap nets, state recreation safety officials say.

Summer restrictions end after Labor Day on where commercial fishing trap nets can be placed in the Sheboygan and Manitowoc/Two Rivers area, so the nets could be anywhere shallower than 150 feet and farther than one-quarter mile from shore in that general area. And this summer, wardens have had reports of boaters getting tangled in other buoys and underwater obstructions.

�We want to make sure that people are on the lookout for the flags and buoys that mark the nets and avoid them, wherever they are," says Warden Supervisor Chris Groth, who leads DNR's unit of marine wardens. "We also want to make sure that people understand there are other underwater hazards to be aware of and avoid."

Groth encourages all boaters on the Great Lakes to carry wire cutters onboard to free their boat should they get entangled in nets or other underwater obstructions; having such cutters on board and immediately accessible is required for people trolling with downriggers on lakes Michigan and Superior.

"Avoiding underwater obstructions in the first place is the best practice, but if you do find yourself in a bad situation, having the wire cutters on board can be a lifesaver," Groth says.

Trap nets are large underwater nets used by commercial fishers to catch whitefish in the Great Lakes. They are preferred to gillnets and trawls because sport fish that are accidentally caught in the nets can be released alive, however, the nets can pose a potential risk to boaters and anglers because boat downriggers, fishing lines, and propellers can get caught in the nets or anchor ropes.

The nets are marked by orange flags attached to a staff buoy at about 4 feet above the water surface. Flags are about 18 by 9 inches. Boaters should be aware that during rough water or heavy currents, these flags may tip down or be hidden by high waves. Orange buoys may also mark the ends of the nets.

Commercial fishers do not set trap nets near Port Washington, Milwaukee, Racine or Kenosha harbors, but the nets have historically been set in other parts of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior from late spring into the fall, Groth says.

In Zone 3, the area south of Sturgeon Bay, from June 29th through Labor Day, commercial trap nets are limited to two small areas: one south of Sheboygan harbor and one between Manitowoc and Two Rivers harbors. After Labor Day, trap nets may be found anywhere in that area. Commercial fishers can increase the number of nets they set from three each to 12 each after the time, but historically have decreased their fishing effort after Labor Day.

State requires ballast exchange/treatment standards

Wisconsin's permitting requirements, which started in February 2010 and were modified earlier this year, require ballast water exchange or flushing in the open water, and phase-in numerical treatment standards, according to Laura Madsen, who coordinates the ballast water permit program.

New oceangoing vessels will need to meet numerical treatment standards starting Jan. 1, 2012, and existing oceangoing vessels will need to meet them two years later. So far, Wisconsin has issued permits to 241 vessels, approximately 143 oceangoing vessels and 98 "lakers," ships that travel between Great Lakes ports, Madsen says.

DNR has two inspectors -- one for Lake Superior and one for Lake Michigan. The inspectors have been boarding vessels, asking for and reviewing documents describing their management of ballast water and sediment, and making recommendations for improvements, Madsen says.

"What the inspectors are finding is that the shipping companies are doing a good job so far," Madsen says. "The industry is highly regulated internationally, and overall, there's a high compliance rate. They know they're being scrutinized and are, for the most part, already doing what they're supposed to be doing."

More information on ballast water discharge general permit is available in a media kit on the DNR website.

Black bear hunting season opens Sept 7

MADISON � Prospects are good for the 2011 Wisconsin black bear hunting season that opens September 7, according to state wildlife biologists who say bears are thriving and continuing to explore new territories in Wisconsin. A total of 9,005 permits were issued for the 2011, which runs through October 11, and the statewide harvest quota is 5,235 bear, the same as in 2010.

This year hunters using dogs will have the first week of the bear season to themselves in management zones that allow the use of dogs for hunting bear (Zones A, B, and D). In Zone C, where dogs are not permitted for bear hunting, all legal bear hunting methods not utilizing dogs may be used throughout the entire bear season.

Successful hunters will be required to submit a bear tooth and a 2-inch piece of bear rib at the time of registration as part of an on-going two-year bear population study. The results of this study will add to the results of a similar study conducted from 2006-2008 that provided the

scientific basis required to increase bear harvest permits. Scientific bear population studies help to ensure we are establishing an appropriate harvest quota and managing the bear.

�Excitement is high among the bear hunters I have spoken with,� said Linda Olver, bear biologist with the Department of Natural Resources. �Many have submitted trail camera photos of bear visiting their baiting sites and there are some pretty impressive bear out there. Whether or not we have a season like 2010 when a new bear harvest record was set and at least three 700 pound bears were registered remains to be seen but the potential is there.

�Most of all, I want to wish hunters good luck, good hunting and remember to be safe.�  Additional information including district and bear zone forecasts can be found in the 2011 Fall Hunting Forecast (PDF, 6.5 MB, 48 pages). The 2011 Wisconsin Bear Hunting Regulations are available on the DNR website.