Week of September 12, 2011 |
Words to ponder |
Misc New Fishing-Boating Products |
Hunting & Shooting Products/Issues |
National |
Michigan |
New York |
Ohio |
Wisconsin |
Other Breaking News Items |
or |
Words to ponder
"You are a Muslim or an Infidel, there is no middle ground" |
Misc New Fishing-Boating Products
Mustad State & World Record Contest Million Dollar Promotion for State and World Record Fish Auburn, NY�Mustad is hoping its new �Hook a Million� promotion will deliver $1.4 million in cash to lucky anglers who set new world and state records.
In announcing the promotion, Mustad General Manager Tom Kurtz said the company was looking for a fun way to involve anglers across the country. �With over 50 new state records set in the last year or so and several world records pending certification, we felt the time was right for a program that rewards these accomplishments. We all know that the next cast could be the new record, and this promotion makes it easy�anglers fish on their schedule and their waters.�
The �Hook a Million� promotion, which kicks off this October and runs 12 months, targets 10 of the country�s most popular fresh and saltwater fish. These include Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, White Crappie, Coho Salmon, Striped Bass, Kelp Bass (Calico Bass), Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout (Speckled Trout) and Yellowfin Tuna. It�s open to US residents 18 and |
older. To participate, anglers must use a Mustad hook and register only once at least 24 hours in advance of fishing during the contest period.
Cash awards for the promotion total $1,400,000 and recognize both fresh and saltwater all-tackle state records and new IGFA certified all-tackle world records. �Our goal is to make sure anglers from coast to coast have the opportunity to participate and the chance to win,� noted Mr. Kurtz. �It doesn�t matter what state you live in, you�re still likely to have five chances for a big cash award.� Anglers who establish the first TWO new freshwater or first TWO new saltwater state records for the covered species receive $100,000 each, for a total of $400,000 in cash prizes. The first new IGFA certified all-tackle world record for any of the listed species nets the lucky angler $1,000,000*.
To make sure they qualify for big cash awards, anglers must register in advance and catch the new record on a Mustad hook. �We make thousands of premium hooks for all the species in the promotion and we�re encouraging anybody who fishes to register,� added Mr. Kurtz. �It�s free and you never know when that next record is going to bite.�
The promotion runs from October 1, 2011 thru September 30, 2012. Click here for full details |
Hunting & Shooting Products/Issues
Bushnell adds new models to Elite Spotting Scope Line Bushnell has added two new models to the Elite Spotting Scope line. Featuring ED Prime Extra-Low Dispersion glass, fully multi-coated lenses and premium BAK-4 prisms, the new spotting scopes deliver amazing color resolution and contrast while providing exceptional edge-to-edge detail.
#784580
With a rugged armored housing and fully waterproof and fogproof construction, this scope is built to withstand the elements. Bushnell provides extra all-weather insurance with its patented RainGuard HD water-repellant coating - a permanent lens coating that causes moisture to bead up and scatter less light - providing clear, crisp views in the unclearest of conditions.
#780008 |
Both spotting scopes are available in a versatile 20-60x magnification range with either a 45-degree or straight eyepiece. The scope's 80mm objective lens helps capture as much light as possible for optimal performance in low light conditions. For added comfort during extended periods of glassing, Bushnell has enhanced the scope with a twist-up, adjustable eye piece.
The new Elite spotting scope includes a protective case and retractable sunshade. Bushnell also offers several accessories for the spotting scope, including an SLR camera adaptor and several tripods and window mounts. The new models complement the existing Elite 15-45x 60mm spotting scope.
#784580 Spotting Scope (45� eyepiece): about $1554.00 Spotting Scope: About $1508.00
800-423-3537
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Bushnell acquires Night Optics USA Overland Park, Kan. �Bushnell has acquired Night Optics USA, Inc, of Huntington Beach, Calif. Founded by brothers Ilya and Israel Reyngold, who have more than 18 years of experience in the night vision industry, Night Optics USA is widely recognized as an innovative industry leader and provider of professional quality night vision and thermal technologies for commercial, law enforcement and military applications.
�Bringing Night Optics USA into the Bushnell family of |
brands is a continuation of our goal to grow the company through strategic acquisitions. Bushnell and Night Optics USA share a reputation for quality, service and innovation with their industry partners and customers,� said David Basto, MidOcean Partners Managing Director.
800-306-4448
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Trijicon RMR RM06 3.25 MOA Adjustable LED
Wixom, MI - Developed to improve precision and accuracy
with any style or caliber
of weapon, the Trijicon RMR (Ruggedized Miniature Reflex) is designed to be
as durable as the legendary ACOG. The RM06 is an LED sight powered by a
standard CR2032 battery. Housed in rugged forged aluminum, the RMR is
extremely tough yet lightweight. New easy-to-use adjusters with audible
clicks allow for quick windage and elevation adjustments. |
manually
adjusted by pressing the plus or minus buttons on either side of the unit.
To switch to auto adjust mode
The new
Trijicon RMR is tougher than any alternative and suitable for military, law
enforcement and hunting applications.
(248) 960-7700
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National
USFWS expands Hunting and Fishing Opportunitieson 10 Refuges Across the Nation The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Sept 9th announced the opening of Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota to big game hunting of deer and upland game hunting of turkey for the first time, while expanding hunting and fishing activities at nine other refuges. Notice of the final 2011-2012 Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations published in the Federal Register on September 9, 2011.
More than 250 comments were received during the 30-day public comment period on the proposed expansion. Only 18 comments opposed the amended regulations.
Among the changes are:
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While definitions of hunting categories vary by refuge and state, migratory bird hunting generally includes ducks and geese. Upland game hunting may cover such animals as game birds, rabbit, squirrel, opossum and coyote. Big game hunting may include such animals as wild turkey, deer and feral hogs.
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 directs the Service to permit hunting and fishing along with four other types of wildlife-dependent recreation where they are compatible with refuge purpose and mission. Hunting, within specified limits, is offered on more than 300 national wildlife refuges. Fishing is offered on more than 270 national wildlife refuges. Other wildlife-dependent recreation on national wildlife refuges includes wildlife photography, environmental education, wildlife observation and interpretation.
Hunting programs offered in the National Wildlife Refuge System, : www.fws.gov/refuges/hunting/. Final regs in the Federal Register: www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-09-09/pdf/2011-22752.pdf
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Regional
Great Lakes Water Levels for Sept 9, 2011 WEATHER CONDITIONS High pressure led to very nice weather across much of the Great Lakes basin this week. The exception was the southeastern portion of the basin, where a slow moving low pressure center brought rain and thunderstorms on Wednesday and Thursday. The remnants of tropical storm Lee also brought heavy rain to the Lake Ontario basin this week. The low will slowly push off to the east for the weekend and allow mostly sunny skies and seasonable temperatures to prevail. To date in September, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron have seen dryer than average conditions, while Lake Erie and Lake Ontario have seen above average rainfall. LAKE LEVEL CONDITIONS Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron are currently near their water levels of a year ago. Lakes St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario are 9, 12, and 2 inches, respectively, higher than they were at this time last year. Over the next thirty days, Lake Superior is projected remain 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 10, 6, and 6 inches, respectively, over the next month. 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
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General
Michigan
DNR hosts Open House on Kalamazoo River Dam Removal Feasibility Study The Department of Natural Resources will host an open house about the progress of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative-funded Kalamazoo River Dam Removal Feasibility Study. The open house will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at the Otsego City Hall Commission Chambers, 117 E. Orleans St. in Otsego.
The open house will provide visitors with information about the designs for the removal of the Otsego City Dam and restoration options for the Kalamazoo River through the existing impoundment. The design is being completed by |
URS Corporation, a professional engineering firm contracted by the DNR to guide the design process, along with multiple stakeholders.
Stakeholder groups include the DNR Wildlife and Fisheries divisions, Department of Environmental Quality, City of Otsego, Kalamazoo River Watershed Council and the Environmental Protection Agency�s Superfund and Great Lakes Legacy Act programs. The goal of the project is to provide dam removal and river restoration designs for inclusion in PCB remediation activities being conducted along the Kalamazoo River by the EPA and responsible parties.
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New York
EHD Disease confirmed as cause of death in Rockland County Deer The New York State DEC has confirmed that approximately 100 white-tailed deer found dead in the Town of Clarkstown, Rockland County, over the last two weeks were killed by Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). EHD is a viral disease of white-tailed deer that is transmitted by the biting midge in the family Culicoides. The EHD virus does not infect humans and humans are not at risk by being bitten by the infected midge also known as a no-see-um or punkie.
DEC wildlife biologists collected a sampling of deer carcasses in Rockland County and submitted them to the Fish and Wildlife Health Unit for necropsy. Tissue samples were then sent to the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University and the National Veterinary Services Laboratory where the diagnosis of EHD was identified.
The EHD virus was last confirmed in New York in 2007 in Albany and Niagara Counties. EHD outbreaks are most common in the late summer and early fall when the midges are abundant. The symptoms of EHD include fever, small hemorrhages or bruises in the mouth and nose, |
swelling of the head, neck, tongue and lips. A deer infected with EHD may appear lame or dehydrated. Frequently, infected deer will seek out water sources and many succumb near a water source. An infected deer may die within 1-3 days after being bitten by the midge or the disease may progress more slowly over weeks or months. There is no treatment and no means of prevention for EHD. The dead deer do not serve as a source of infection for other animals.
EHD outbreaks do not have a significant impact on deer populations. Generally, EHD outbreaks occur in a specific geographic area and about half of the EHD infected deer may die in an outbreak. In the North, the first hard frost kills the midges that transmit the disease and the EHD outbreak ends.
Hunters should not handle or eat any deer that appears sick or acts strangely. DEC will continue to monitor the situation. Sightings of sick or dying deer should be reported to the nearest DEC Regional Office or to an Environmental Conservation Officer. For more information on EHD and helpful related links, visit the DEC website directly at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/39767.html. |
Ohio
Lake Erie Commission to
Hold Annual Meeting
TOLEDO, OH - The Ohio
Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) will hold its annual meeting at 10 a.m. on
Thursday, September 15, at the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, 28728
Wolf Road, Bay Village, OH. |
vote on the latest round of Lake Erie Protection Fund small grant proposals. Executive Director Gail Hesse will discuss the 2011 Coastweeks program that will take place during the month of September and provide a report on the Lake Erie Balanced Growth Program.
All meetings of the Ohio Lake Erie Commission are open to the public and include a public comment period. Organizations and citizens are encouraged to attend this meeting and provide input on issues of concern. |
Wisconsin
2011 archery deer season to be longest in state historyEAU CLAIRE � The 2011 Wisconsin�s archery deer hunt that opens September 17 will be the longest bow deer hunt in state history. For the first time, bow hunting will be allowed during the regular nine-day gun deer hunt in November. As before, there will be no deer hunting on the Friday preceding the gun deer hunt. This single day will now separate the early and late bow deer seasons. The 2011 archery deer season runs from Saturday, Sept. 17, through Thursday, Nov. 17 and then from Saturday, Nov. 19, the start of the gun season, through Jan. 8, a Sunday.
During the gun deer season, bow hunters will be required to follow the same blaze orange clothing regulations as gun hunters. Another piece of welcome news this year for many bow hunters is the absence of any October gun deer hunts outside the Chronic Wasting Disease management zone in south central Wisconsin. The four-day, antlerless only gun deer hunt occurs Oct. 13-16 this year in the disease management zone.
With warm temperatures and insect activity in mid September, many archers are less enthusiastic about opening day and the season begins with much less fanfare than the annual gun deer hunt. But as summer fades into fall, the number of bow hunters in the field will grow dramatically.
In 1966 about 85,000 licensed archery hunters took just under 6,000 deer. In 2010, the number of bow hunters had swelled to 260,000, and they harvested 87,000 deer, 36 percent as many deer as taken by gun hunters in the previous year. The 2010 bow buck harvest was the third highest on record. Pope and Young record book entries show Wisconsin as the leading stat for large-antlered whitetails. Other changes of interest to bow hunters this year:
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Regular season Canada goose hunt opens Sept.16Early Canada goose season closes Sept. 15MADISON � Wisconsin�s regular Canada goose hunting season in the Exterior and Horicon zones opens Friday Sept. 16. That weekend also includes the two-day youth waterfowl hunt on Sept 17 and 18. The regular Canada goose season targets migratory geese that move through Wisconsin. An early Canada goose season that targets locally breeding giant Canada geese closes on Sept. 15. This is the final year of a 5 year trial period in which the Exterior Canada goose zone will have a stable season length of 85 days and a two bird daily bag limit. Hunters should also note that the former Collins zone has been eliminated as a result of shifts in Canada goose migration and hunting pressure and is now part of the Exterior Zone. Exterior Zone Canada goose seasons
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The goose season is closed during the duck season split in the south zone (Oct. 10-14) and Mississippi River subzone (Oct 3- 14). Horicon zone Canada goose seasons The Horicon zone Canada goose season has two time periods.
Hunters who applied for the Horicon zone will receive 6 harvest tags. The daily bag limit is two Canada geese.
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Youth waterfowl hunt Sept 17-18This year�s Youth Waterfowl hunt will be held Sept. 17-18. Regular season bag limits and hunting hours apply. This special hunt offers youth age 12-15 (or those 10 or over hunting under the new mentored hunting law) the opportunity to learn skills from an adult without the pressure encountered during the regular season.
Participants are reminded that they need to be HIP registered (free of charge) and that for hunting geese they |
must possess a goose tag for the zone in which they wish to hunt. In Wisconsin, 82 percent of waterfowl hunters have introduced someone new to the sport and are encouraged to continue mentoring with this great opportunity to introduce a son, daughter, relative, or neighbor to the tradition of waterfowl hunting.
Additional information on waterfowl in Wisconsin, special youth hunts and mentored hunting is available on the DNR website. |
Fall wild turkey and ruffed grouse seasons open September 17Hunter safety should be a top priorityMADISON � The 2011 fall wild turkey and ruffed grouse seasons are set to open at the start of shooting hours on Sept. 17, and state wildlife officials say that hunter prospects are good for both seasons. Overall, Wisconsin�s statewide wild turkey population remains strong and wildlife officials have maintained the number of fall turkey permits at 95,700, the same number that was offered during last year�s fall turkey season.
�After 30 years of sustained population growth and expansion across the state, turkeys are now found statewide, and local populations will likely nudge upward or downward from year to year as weather determines annual |
levels of survival and reproduction,� says Scott Walter, upland game ecologist for the Department of Natural Resources.
Watson says the spring 2011 Wisconsin turkey harvest was down 16 percent, reflecting a series of relatively hard winters, wet springs, and snow, wind, and rain early in the 2011 spring season that limited hunter access to birds. �Harvest during the fall season does not play a significant role in turkey population dynamics, and hunters venturing into the fall woods should expect a hunt similar to that of 2010,� he said.
Hunters may use dogs statewide to hunt wild turkey this fall.
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Dupont tree
replacement & salmon pollution
USGS christens two new Great Lakes research vessels Officials on Wednesday christened two new ships commissioned by the USGS. They were built under an $8.2 million contract
Personal cormorant
cull costs man $6,000
DNR permit restricts use of Grafton dam fish passage Grafton -- The Village Board will decide whether to construct a fish passage around the Bridge St. dam on the Milwaukee River now that state officials have placed so many restrictions on its operation that it could not be used for at least several years. A permit authorizes construction of a passage around the east end of the dam but requires the village to trap all fish and sort them
Solution to Asian
carp problem may be in kitchen
Not quite 5 miles long, Jerome Creek winds through farmland and Pleasant Prairie, Wis., about 35 miles south of Milwaukee. In some places, it's narrow enough to jump across. Its fish population consists mostly of minnows. Yet this unremarkable stream could be an ecological time bomb, for it's a crucial link in |
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