• Study uncovers value of Mammogram Screening for younger women

• NRA Supports Lawsuit challenging NSA's Mass Surveillance and Collection Program

• Fed - Boating Infrastructure Grants

• Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for Sept 6

• IL - ICF Seeking Executive Director

• Mepps looking for Communications Director

• Illinois shooting range braces for new Concealed Carry Law with huge upgrade

• Trapping Permits

• Youth Deer Hunt Drawing for Coffeen Lake SFWA

• Youth Deer Hunt Drawing for JEPC due Sept 12

• Youth Deer Hunt Drawing for Coffeen Lake SFWA due Sept 17

• Johnson-Sauk Trail Youth/Women Wingshooting Clinic Sept 14

• Wingshooting Clinics

• ICF Seeking Executive Director

• Archery Deer and Turkey Permits now on sale

• New Hunting and Trapping Digest

• Hoosier Outdoor Experience Sept. 21-22

• NY Conservation Police Officer & Forest Ranger Exams November 16

• Other Breaking News

Study uncovers value of Mammogram Screening for younger women

A new analysis has found that most deaths from breast cancer occur in younger women who do not receive regular mammograms. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that regular screening before age 50 should be encouraged.

The use of mammograms to prevent breast cancer deaths has been controversial, especially after the United States Preventive Services Task Force proposed in 2009 to limit screening to women aged 50-74 years. Studies show varying benefits, and advances in treatment may have diminished the importance of early detection.

Blake Cady, MD, Professor of Surgery (emeritus) of Harvard Medical School in Boston, and his colleagues set out to provide more definitive information on the value of mammography screening through a technique called �failure analysis.� Such analyses look backward from death to discover correlations at diagnosis, rather than looking forward from the start of a study. Only one other failure analysis related to cancer has been published to date. In this analysis, invasive breast cancers diagnosed at Partners HealthCare hospitals in Boston between 1990 and 1999 were followed through 2007. Data for the study included demographics, mammography use, surgical and pathology reports, and recurrence and death dates.

Among 609 confirmed breast cancer deaths, 29 % were among women who had been screened with mammography, while 71 percent were among unscreened women.

Of all breast cancer deaths, only 13 % occurred in women aged 70 or older, but 50 % occurred in women under age 50. Among women diagnosed with breast cancer, those who died of the disease were a median of 49 years old at diagnosis; for those dying of any other cause, the median age at diagnosis was 72 years.

�The biological nature of breast cancer in young women is more aggressive, while breast cancer in older women tends to be more indolent. This suggests that less frequent screening in older women, but more frequent screening in younger women, may be more biologically based, practical, and cost effective,� said Dr. Cady.

This study also showed a dramatic shift in survival from breast cancer associated with the introduction of screening. In 1969, half of women diagnosed with breast cancer had died by 12.5 years after diagnosis. Among the women with invasive breast cancer in this review who were diagnosed between 1990 and 1999, only 9.3 percent had died. �This is a remarkable achievement, and the fact that 71 % of the women who died were women who were not participating in screening clearly supports the importance of early detection,� said co-author Daniel Kopans, MD, of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. He added that a number of research articles have inaccurately claimed that screening leads to over diagnosis.

 �None of these papers have actually looked at individual women but have used registry data, and this has led to false conclusions�This present paper examines each woman as an individual with direct data on who was screened and which women died of breast cancer. It addresses the question from a different and unique perspective."

NRA Supports Lawsuit challenging NSA's Mass Surveillance and Collection Program

NRA supports the whole Constitution, and demonstrated that support this week by weighing in on an issue that's been of concern for decades.

On Wednesday, NRA filed a "friend of the court" brief in federal district court supporting an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit challenging the National Security Agency's (NSA) phone records surveillance and collection program.  The massive NSA data-mining program collects the records of millions of Americans.

First among the "Purposes and Objectives" listed in NRA's Bylaws is "[t]o protect and defend the Constitution of the United States," and especially the right to keep and bear arms guaranteed by the Constitution. The NRA's activities in support of that purpose have long included legislative advocacy and litigation concerning the rights of the NRA and its members to associate and communicate freely under the First Amendment (also demonstrated by our opposition to so-called campaign finance "reform" legislation), and the protection of gun owners against intrusive government surveillance or recordkeeping, such as the establishment of systems to register or compile lists of firearms or the owners of firearms.

NRA also stands second to no organization in its support for legitimate law enforcement, military, and national security activities to defend our nation against terrorism. Countless NRA members, including NRA employees, have served in that fight.

At the same time, NRA historically has made clear that counter-terrorism efforts must be conducted within the bounds of the Constitution.

The NRA brief argues that NSA's mass surveillance program threatens the rights of NRA and its members because it "could allow identification of NRA members, supporters, potential members, and other persons with whom the NRA communicates, potentially chilling their willingness to communicate with NRA."  Further, the brief argues that the mass surveillance program "could allow the government to circumvent legal protections for Americans' privacy, such as laws that guard against the registration of guns or gun owners."
 

For more than 50 years, the Supreme Court has recognized that involuntary disclosure of the membership of advocacy groups inhibits the exercise of First Amendment rights by those groups. For nearly as long--since the debates leading up to enactment of the Gun Control Act of 1968--Congress has recognized that government recordkeeping on gun owners inhibits the exercise of Second Amendment rights. The NSA's mass surveillance program raises both issues, potentially providing the government not only with the means of identifying members and others who communicate with NRA and other advocacy groups, but also with the means of identifying gun owners without their knowledge or consent, contrary to longstanding congressional policy repeatedly reaffirmed and strengthened by Congresses that enacted and reauthorized the legislation at issue in this case.

As the brief notes, "�it would be absurd to think that Congress would adopt and maintain a web of statutes intended to protect against the creation of a national gun registry, while simultaneously authorizing the FBI and the NSA to gather records that could effectively create just such a registry."

The brief concludes that, "if programs like those currently justified by the government's interpretation are allowed to continue and grow unchecked, they could also--contrary to clear congressional intent--undo decades of legal protection for the privacy of Americans in general, and of gun owners in particular."

Another brief was filed Wednesday by U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.), the principal House sponsor of the Patriot Act, which contained the provision at issue. Commenting in a statement, Rep. Sensenbrenner also noted the possible effects on gun owners: "The NSA's dragnet collection of data is a violation of Americans' privacy rights and a misinterpretation of the law.  Bulk data collection has frightening implications.  The Administration believes every phone call that every American makes is relevant to terrorism investigations.  Does it also believe every gun sale is relevant?  The same flawed legal argument could be used to build a national gun database, violating our Second Amendment rights."

Fed - Boating Infrastructure Grants

Applications due by Sept 25

 SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Local governments, privately-owned marinas and boatyards have until Sept. 25, 2013 to apply for grants available to provide temporary docking facilities for large boats through the Boating Infrastructure Grant Program.  Funds for the program come from federal excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat fuels through the Sport Fishing and Boating Safety program, and can provide up to 75 percent of an approved project�s cost. 

The program is intended to enhance boating for transient, non-trailerable

recreational boats - those 26 feet long or longer. The applicant must

provide the other 25 percent of a project�s cost. Eligible facilities must accommodate boats of 26 feet or longer, must be used by transient boaters who do not stay more than 10 consecutive days and must be open to the public.  Projects could include boat slips, mooring buoys, navigational aids, safe harbors and initial dredging to provide transient boats with safe channel depths. All proposals must be submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the IDNR Federal Aid and Special Funds Section at 217-782-2602.

Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for Sept 6 

WEATHER CONDITIONS

The Great Lakes basin received moderate precipitation last weekend, with an average of 0.25 inches recorded across the region. Temperatures were near seasonal averages this past week with some warmer temperatures felt on Wednesday in most areas. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible over the weekend, with less than 0.25 inches of rainfall expected. Temperatures are expected to be around their seasonal averages by Sunday and rise back above their averages throughout the rest of the week.

LAKE LEVEL CONDITIONS

Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron water levels are 10 and 6 inches, respectively, above their levels of a year ago. Lakes St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario are 7, 9, and 13 inches, respectively, above what they were at this time last year. Over the next month, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron are each expected to fall 1 inch. The levels of Lakes St. Clair, Erie and Ontario are expected to drop 3, 5, and 6 inches, respectively, over the 30 days.

FORECASTED MONTHLY OUTFLOWS/CHANNEL CONDITIONS

Lake Superior�s outflow through the St. Marys River is projected to be above average for the month of September. Lake Huron�s outflow into the St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair�s outflow into the Detroit River are both expected to be below average throughout the month of September. Lake

Erie�s outflow through the Niagara River is predicted to be near average and the outflow of Lake Ontario into the St. Lawrence River is expected to be above average in September.

ALERTS

Official records are based on monthly average water levels and not daily water levels. 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.

IL - ICF Seeking Executive Director

The Illinois Conservation Foundation (ICF) Board of Directors is accepting applications through Sept. 30 for the position of Executive Director.  The Executive Director is a full-time position reporting directly to the Chairman of the Board and the ICF Board of Directors.  The Executive Director is responsible for fundraising and management of the organization, including strategic and policy planning, board relations, fund development and donor relations, and shares responsibilities as spokesperson for the organization with the Chairman. Since 1994, the ICF has partnered with

the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to raise financial resources designated to help protect and enhance the natural wonders of Illinois.  The ICF is a grassroots conservation effort, conceptualized by Illinois' first Conservation Congress.  More than 40,000 supporters partner with ICF to help realize those goals. The ICF is a 501 (c) (3) organization with all funds held in private accounts.  For detailed job description and application information, check the ICF website at http://www.ilcf.org/index.php/95-staff/111-ed-job-description

Mepps looking for Communications Director

Do you love the outdoors? Of course you do. Is fishing your passion? Would you like a full-time job with one of the best companies in the fishing tackle industry? Interested?

After 27 years at Sheldons', Inc. (Mepps & Mister Twister) Communications/Creative/Promotions Director Jim Martinsen is retiring,

so Sheldons' needs a Communications/Creative/Promotions Director. As you know, Sheldons' has been a leader in the fishing tackle industry for more than 75 years. They're the maker of the Mepps Aglia, the World's #1 fishing lure. In fact, Sheldons' currently manufactures more than 4-thousand different Mepps spinners and spoons.

They also own Mister Twister, maker of the original Curly Tail Grub. They need someone with the following background/skills:

• BA or BS degree in journalism, communications, public relations, or a related field

• 3/5 years experience

• Knowledge of fish and fishing a must

• Must be willing to relocate to the Antigo, Wisconsin area

• Having contacts in the outdoor industry is a plus as you will be working with outdoor communicators daily

• Ability to direct photo and video shoots. Photography and/or video experience a plus

• Knowledge of web site management (web site design a plus but not mandatory)

• Solid grasp of social media marketing... Facebook, Twitter, Google+, any others

• Experience with Adobe CS. . .

  • InDesign - catalog design and layout, advertising design, banners, brochures, pamphlets, flyers, etc.

  • PhotoShop - work in multiple layers, RGB to CMYK conversion, photo cropping, sharpening, dodging & burning

  • Illustrator - working knowledge of EPS files

• Knowledge to prepare and burn product CD's and DVD's

Sheldons' offers a competitive benefits package to include: 401k, vacation, profit sharing, health coverage for you and your family, relocation assistance, and employee discounts.

Interested? Email your resume to: [email protected]

22 States join NRA Supreme Court Fight for Second Amendment Rights of Young Adults

Twenty-one state attorneys general have co-signed an amicus brief filed by Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange in support of the National Rifle Association�s challenge against a federal law that restricts the sale of handguns to young adults aged 18 � 20. The case, National Rifle Association of America, Inc. vs Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, et al., seeks to end the federal prohibition of young adults to purchase handguns from federally licensed dealers.

�Young adults, many of whom have fought and sacrificed life and limb for

their country, should not be prohibited from fully exercising their

fundamental Right to Keep and Bear Arms,� said Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA�s Institute for Legislative Action. �The Second Amendment should receive no less respect than our other enumerated constitutional freedoms.�

The states joining Alabama in the amicus brief are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Illinois shooting range braces for new Concealed Carry Law with huge upgrade

As Illinois becomes the 50th state to allow the concealed carry of firearms, one shooting range a half hour out of Chicago is preparing for the influx of new shooters and turning heads in the process. GAT Guns of East Dundee, Ill., recently added a monumental 39 new indoor lanes to its existing 24 making it one of the largest indoor shooting ranges in the country and the go-to destination for shooters near and far.

The new ranges, which were designed and installed by Action Target, include 50 yd and 75 yd bays with 14 lanes each as well as a 50-ft long tactical training range with 11 lanes. There is also a large classroom to accommodate the thousands of concealed carry permit applicants expected to come through the doors when the new law goes into effect on January 5.

�We foresaw a need for a full service training facility in the area,� GAT Guns General Manager Randy Potter said. �There�s nobody else around here that can take care of customers from A to Z as completely as we can. We have the training classes, the firearms inventory, the accessories, and now we have one of the most advanced firearms training facilities in the country.�

With the new Illinois concealed carry law requiring 16 hours of training (including live fire training on a shooting range), GAT Guns provides the ideal venue.

The new shooting bays include steel funnel bullet traps which safely collect and contain lead debris, bullet proof shooting stalls, an advanced air filtration system and Mancom target retrievers that allow for complete control over target distance, lighting effects and 360 degree random edging from an LCD control screen in every booth.

�Customers are blown away by the quality of the ranges,� Potter said. �The technology on our ranges allows shooters to control every aspect of their training. It�s an entirely new shooting experience.�

GAT Guns, which was founded in 1979, is already known as the Illinois headquarters of all things firearms with more than 6,000 guns in stock on any given day and 2,500 unique pieces on display.

�We consistently have folks from 150 miles south of here to the Wisconsin border and even as far west as the Mississippi River,� Potter said. �I attribute that to us being as unique as we are in size and scope as well as our commitment to professional customer service.�

GAT Guns originally began in nearby Hanover Park and moved to the current location in 1989 where owner Greg A. Tropino (and thus the acronym �GAT�) bought an old restaurant and retrofitted it into the two-story gun supercenter it is today.   �Greg�s told me in the past that when he originally bought the building, he had no idea what he was going to put upstairs in the original footprint,� Potter said. �We�ve outgrown that by 10 times now.�

Bays feature target retrievers controlled from individual

LCD screen at every stall.

With 63 total lanes and shooting bays located on both floors, GAT Guns has quickly become one of the most talked about ranges in the country. It�s even attracted the attention of R. Lee �The Gunny� Ermey from Glock who spent a day there in May to promote the range and sign autographs.  �We had over 1,200 people wait to meet The Gunny that day he was here. It was a very fun event,� Potter said.

Even more than entertainment and retail, however, the mission of GAT Guns is to provide a central location for firearms education and quality training.  Training courses provided at the range currently include NRA First Steps, women only classes taught by women instructors, five phases of tactical pistol, five phases of tactical carbine, introductory handgun, practical holster and soon, Illinois concealed carry classes. The new shooting bays recently opened up to the public and are also available for law enforcement qualification as well.

Trapping Permits

A public drawing for the allocation of Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area trapping permits will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 21.  Registration will begin at 1 p.m. at the site headquarters, located approximately five miles southeast of Chandlerville.  One permit for each of the five trapping zones will be allocated through a lottery-type drawing.  All persons attempting to enter the drawing must have a current 2013

trapping license in their possession and be in attendance. DP (dog proof)

traps, live traps, and traps of similar action may be used.  Homemade dog proof traps must be designed with a foothold trap no larger than a #2 in an enclosed wood, metal, or durable plastic container, with a single access opening no larger than 1.5 inches diameter.  All body-gripping traps must be totally submerged.

Youth Deer Hunt Drawing for Coffeen Lake SFWA

The Illinois DNR will conduct a drawing on Wed., Sept. 18 for three youth to hunt deer at the Coffeen Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area Upland Management Area during the Illinois Youth Firearm Deer Season, Oct 12-14.  Participating youth must have a valid Montgomery County Youth Firearm Deer permit. To be eligible for the Sept. 18 drawing, the youth�s name, mailing address, and contact phone number must be printed on a postcard and received at the Coffeen Lake SFWA site office by close of  

business on Sept. 17. Late entries will not be accepted.

Successful applicants will have until Sept. 30 to apply for and report their Montgomery County Youth Firearm Deer permit number to the Coffeen Lake site office.  The mailing address to apply is Coffeen Lake SFWA, PO Box 517, Coffeen, IL  62017.  For more information, contact the Ramsey Lake State Park office at 618-423-2215 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Youth Deer Hunt Drawing for JEPC due Sept 12

Youth hunters interested in participating in the Youth Deer Hunt on Oct. 12-14 at Jim Edgar Panther Creek SFWA must submit a postcard to the site office by Sept. 12 to enter a drawing for 75 hunters to be allowed to hunt in the site�s two Open Units.  The drawing will occur on Sept. 14.  Interested youth should provide a postcard with their name, address, phone number, and their age.  Successful applicants will be notified, and

must purchase a Youth Deer Hunt permit for Cass County, available over the counter at IDNR license and permit vendor locations.  The JEPC Control Unit and Quail Management Unit are both closed to youth deer hunters; youth hunting will only be allowed in the two Open Units.  Applicants should address postcards to JEPC, 10149 County Highway 11, Chandlerville, IL 62627.  For additional information, phone 217-452-7741.

Youth Deer Hunt Drawing for Coffeen Lake SFWA due

Sept 17

The Illinois DNR will conduct a drawing on Wed., Sept. 18 for three youth to hunt deer at the Coffeen Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area Upland Management Area during the Illinois Youth Firearm Deer Season, Oct 12-14.  Participating youth must have a valid Montgomery County Youth Firearm Deer permit. To be eligible for the Sept. 18 drawing, the youth�s name, mailing address, and contact phone number must be printed on a postcard and received at the Coffeen Lake SFWA site office by close of

business on Sept. 17. Late entries will not be accepted.  Successful applicants will have until Sept. 30 to apply for and report their Montgomery County Youth Firearm Deer permit number to the Coffeen Lake site office.  The mailing address to apply is Coffeen Lake SFWA, PO Box 517, Coffeen, IL  62017.  For more information, contact the Ramsey Lake State Park office at 618-423-2215 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Johnson-Sauk Trail Youth/Women Wingshooting Clinic

Sept 14

Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area, the IDNR and the Rock Island and Henry County Chapters of Pheasants Forever are sponsoring a wingshooting clinic for beginning shotgunners at Johnson-Sauk Trail SRA near Kewanee, IL on Sat., Sept. 14.  The clinic is for young wingshooters (boys and girls) ages 10-15 years of age and women. Registration begins at 9 a.m. The clinic runs from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.  The professional wingshooting teachers are certified IDNR or National Sporting Clays Association wingshooting instructors.  There is a registration fee of $10.

All supplies including shotguns and ammunition are provided, as is lunch.  To make a reservation, call Bill Candler at 309-848-0080 or 563-726-3323 (space is limited to 24 students).

This clinic is hands-on and includes extensive live fire at clay targets. There will also be a short classroom session on basic firearm safety and handling, firearm nomenclature, and hunter safety, which will be presented by an IDNR Certified Volunteer Hunter Safety Instructor or a NSCA Certified Wingshooting Instructor.

Wingshooting Clinics

The IDNR and participating partners sponsor wingshooting clinics at sites throughout Illinois to help improve the shooting skills of participants. Youth/Women's clinics are designed to teach participants basic firearm safety and the fundamentals of wingshooting. Hunter clinics are designed to enhance the wingshooting skills of hunters and provide sound

wingshooting practice techniques. Upcoming clinics will be conducted on weekends through late October. For a complete schedule, check the webpage at this link: http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/programs/wingshooting/

WingshootingDates.htm

ICF Seeking Executive Director

The Illinois Conservation Foundation (ICF) Board of Directors is accepting applications through Sept. 30 for the position of Executive Director.  The Executive Director is a full-time position reporting directly to the Chairman of the Board and the ICF Board of Directors.  The Executive Director is responsible for fundraising and management of the organization, including strategic and policy planning, board relations, fund development and donor relations, and shares responsibilities as spokesperson for the organization with the Chairman. Since 1994, the ICF has partnered with

the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to raise financial resources designated to help protect and enhance the natural wonders of Illinois.  The ICF is a grassroots conservation effort, conceptualized by Illinois' first Conservation Congress.  More than 40,000 supporters partner with ICF to help realize those goals. The ICF is a 501 (c) (3) organization with all funds held in private accounts.  For detailed job description and application information, check the ICF website at www.ilcf.org/index.php/95-staff/111-ed-job-description

Archery Deer & Turkey Permits now on sale 

Resident combination archery deer permits, resident antlerless-only archery deer permits, and resident archery fall turkey hunting permits are now available over-the-counter from DNR Direct license and permit vendors.  Find a vendor near you at this link: http://dnr.illinois.gov/DNRDirectMonitor/VendorListing.aspx

IL - Non-Resident Permits

The remaining non-resident 2013 Illinois combination archery deer permits, as well as non-resident antlerless-only archery deer permits and non-resident archery fall turkey permits, are available over-the-counter (OTC) from DNR Direct license and permit vendors.  Find a vendor near you at this link: http://dnr.illinois.gov/DNRDirectMonitor/VendorListing.aspx

New Hunting and Trapping Digest

The Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2013-2014 edition is now available at many IDNR license and permit vendor locations.  The

digest is also posted online in PDF at:  www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Documents/HuntTrapDigest.pdf

(Click on title or URL to read full article)

Biofuels blunder to cost taxpayers more than $1Billion by 2017   

The government�s decision to shut down the ecoEnergy program for biofuels is long overdue but does nothing to modify and substantially reduce existing subsidies that will cost the treasury more than $1-billion by 2017.  Add to that the myriad provincial biofuel subsidies and other forms of support, and the bill to taxpayers is staggering.

More bad news for Labor Day

On the eve of Labor Day, the Bureau of Labor Statistics  reported nearly 90 million Americans were not currently in the labor force in July, with the percentage of the civilian non-institutional population not in the labor force now registered at 36 %. For men, this is the highest figure recorded since the Labor Department began collecting the data in 1948.

Lake St. Clair still best for bass

Our first drift, maybe 90 minutes over 15 feet of water with isolated patches of sand grass maybe five miles off shore, resulted in seven smallmouth bass (and a couple of rock bass). Neither fast, nor furious, but solid; the fish probably averaged a little better than two pounds.  Twenty bass in three hours; very solid.