Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — As part of the National Wild Turkey Federation’s groundbreaking Habitat for the Hatch Initiative, the Missouri NWTF State Chapter is championing innovative conservation efforts by aiding in funding the development of a Turkey Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) model. This project represents a pivotal step toward reversing wild turkey population declines and improving forest and field health across the Southeast.

Unveiled in 2023, the Habitat for the Hatch Initiative aims to enhance over 1 million acres of wild turkey nesting and brood-rearing habitat across the Southeast by 2033. The initiative focuses on proactive habitat management, with the end goal of building more resilient turkey populations and ecosystems on a landscape scale.  

To help bring this vision to life, the Missouri NWTF State Chapter is investing in the development of a spatial decision-making tool that will revolutionize how land managers approach habitat improvement. The Turkey HSI model will identify areas where habitat restoration would have the greatest positive impact on wild turkey populations. This effort is a collaboration among the NWTF, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the University of Missouri. 

“Identifying where we do and do not have nesting and brooding cover will aid land managers — both public and private — in prioritizing where to put habitat on the ground,” said Nick Oakley, MDC wild turkey biologist. “It may also open some eyes to the scarcity of high-quality nesting and, particularly, brooding cover on the landscape.” 

The project will also leverage Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to map understory vegetation structure, a key factor in determining habitat quality for turkeys. Traditional imagery has often fallen short in capturing ground-level conditions necessary for brooding and nesting success. LiDAR, however, enables researchers to map canopy cover and understory vegetation height with precision, producing detailed landscape models. 

Sheridan, WY – May 7th, 2025. Weatherby, Inc. is proud to announce the latest addition to the  Vanguard line: the Vanguard Black Hills. Inspired by the rugged terrain and untamed spirit of the  Black Hills, this rifle is designed to perform in the harshest environments and deliver precision  when it matters most. 

With a SUB-MOA guarantee from the cold hammer-forged barrel, the Black Hills edition offers  consistent accuracy straight out of the box. Each rifle is built on the time-tested Vanguard action  and includes a match-grade two-stage trigger, 3-position safety, and an integral recoil lug for a  rifle that will last a lifetime. 

The ergonomically shaped Monte Carlo synthetic stock is hand-painted in Sheridan, Wyoming.  Its weather-resistant construction ensures reliable operation no matter the terrain or forecast. 

For added versatility, the Black Hills is equipped with Peak 44’s Picatinny JRAIL mounted on the  action for your favorite optic, and a Peak 44 Arca/Pic Adapter on the foreend, giving consumers  flexible options for bipods, tripods, or other attachments. A threaded barrel and included  Accubrake® ST round out a rifle platform designed.

Key Features Include: 

Proper rifle storage and maintenance are fundamental practices for any responsible firearm owner. Utilizing a soft rifle case is a convenient, lightweight, and protective solution — but it demands a precise approach to ensure both the rifle and the case remain in optimal condition over time. In this guide, we will cover how to store a rifle in a soft case, including cleaning, preparation, maintenance, and long-term storage practices.

Choosing the Right Soft Rifle Case for Storage

Selecting a high-quality soft rifle case is the first step in protecting your firearm. Look for these essential features:

Ensure the case fits your specific rifle model snugly but without compressing critical components such as the barrel, optics, or stock.

How to Prepare Your Rifle for Storage in a Soft Case

Before placing your firearm in a soft case, it must be properly prepared to prevent damage, corrosion, and operational degradation.

Unload and Inspect the Rifle

Always unload the rifle completely before storage. Verify that the chamber is empty, the magazine is removed, and the safety is engaged. Perform a full inspection to check for:

US federal public lands are home to [most of] the bighorn, desert bighorn, and Dall’s sheep in the country. The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) cannot sacrifice these lands any more than we could sacrifice these wild sheep that are our life’s mission.  We are committed equally to the entirety of the public land estate beyond the ranges of wild sheep.  The many values of these lands held in trust exceed the value of any other use or tenure.
 
Proposals to dispose of these lands emerge occasionally.  While no specific proposal has yet advanced in this Congress and administration, we are affirming our opposition to any proposal that would diminish public lands in size or quality.
 
No past proposal to dispose of public lands has succeeded. This testifies that the value of public lands in public hands has prevailed against the best and worst conceptions of disposal.  Those notions are again being voiced, so we are speaking against ill-consideration and for thoughtful commitment to gaining the best value from public lands now and in the future.
 
Instead of liquidating the value of public lands, we support multiplying their value.  This is what true conservation does.  Conservation – now misunderstood by too many – is use and care.  Uses produce values for people now, and care sustains those values for people in the future.  Care is both restraint in what we use today and active management and restoration for what we can use later.  Use includes both what people take away from the land and what we enjoy and leave in place.  Properly conserved, our public land asset will produce wildlife and wood, minerals and memories, excitement, and energy, and many other products, either with economic prices or priceless ecological value.
 
WSF supports two approaches to achieve the sustainable multiplication of public land values.
 
Public land policies must reactivate conservation from a 50-year-old lapse.  The prohibitive policies of recent decades turned the wisdom of a precautious “hard look” before acting into the folly of an endless stare of idleness.  Projects of all purposes take years to devise, more years to litigate, and still more to carry out.  Nature moves faster than that, and we need to catch up.
 
Also, existing public land policies governing transfers, swaps, acquisitions, and boundary consolidation must be applied more effectively to improve the overall value of public lands.  Any tract of public land sold for a good reason – such as its condition, isolation, or inaccessibility – should fund the improvement and acquisition of public lands retained for good reason.
 
As any landowning family knows, the estate is a valuable asset for what it produces and provides more than what it brings at sale.  When it’s time to sell, another family knows the same thing.  The United States as a family has no other to succeed it in the use and care of the public land estate.  Our lands are not for sale, they are forever.

Please consider sharing or emailing us your thoughts at [email protected].

BELLEVUE, Wash. — April 21, 2025 — In a case that could potentially have far-reaching implications for similar lawsuits across the nation, the U.S. Supreme Court has denied Minnesota’s Petition for Writ of Certiorari in Jacobson v. Worth, the Second Amendment Foundation’s (SAF) challenge to the 18-20-year-old carry ban in the state.

Minnesota asked the Supreme Court to take the case after SAF was granted an injunction at the district court and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed. The high court’s refusal to hear the case means the Eighth Circuit’s ruling stands as a final judgment, confirming SAF’s win. 

“We are encouraged with today’s ruling, that the Supreme Court was happy to let the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision that 18-20-year-olds are part of “the People” who have the right to carry a handgun for self-defense, stand,” said SAF Director of Legal Operations Bill Sack. “This ruling will have reverberations nationwide, where SAF is involved in multiple similar suits, seeking to restore the rights of young adults who face similarly unconstitutional laws in their home states.” 

Originally filed in June 2021 as Worth v. Harrington, SAF is joined by the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, Firearms Policy Coalition, and three private citizens, Kristin Worth, for whom the case is named, Austin Dye, and Axel Anderson. They are represented by attorneys David H. Thompson, Peter A. Patterson, John D. Ohlendorf and William V. Bergstrom at Cooper & Kirk in Washington, D.C. 

“Today’s cert denial confirms what we’ve said all along – the Second Amendment is not limited to those 21-years-old and above,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “We are cautiously optimistic the denial will have a positive impact in SAF’s challenges to similar bans in other states. Our goal is to remove any impediments for adults – no matter their age – to exercise their Second Amendment rights wherever they live.” 

SEVR announces a limited-time offer: receive a free three-pack of Match Grade SEVR Field Points with a purchase of $90 or more. *To receive free field points, simply add any three-pack to your cart, ensure your cart value is at least $90, and discount will automatically apply at checkout.

SEVR Match Grade points feature an elongated tangent ogive shape, inspired by high ballistic coefficient bullets, providing superior long-range accuracy and easier extraction from practice targets. Match Grade field points are precision machines from SEVR’s hardened Robusto stainless steel, with a slick, dark nickel coating for a mirror-like surface finish.

This offer is available for a limited time only. Visit www.sevrbroadheads.com to take advantage of this promotion, while supplies last.

BELLEVUE, WA – April 1, 2025 – The Second Amendment Foundation has filed a lawsuit in Denver County District Court challenging Colorado’s Proposition KK as an unconstitutional tax on the exercise of a fundamental constitutional right.

Joining SAF in Langston v. Humphreys are the National Rifle Association, Firearms Policy Coalition, Magnum Shooting Center of Colorado Springs, the Colorado State Shooting Association, and a private citizen, Zachary Langston. They are represented by attorneys David H. Thompson, Peter A. Patterson, William V. Bergstrom, Athanasia O. Livas, Julian R. Ellis, Jr. and Michael Francisco.

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Named as defendants are Heidi Humphreys, executive director of the state Department of Revenue and Michael J. Allen, district attorney of El Paso County, in their official capacities.

SAF and its partners contend that the state’s 6.5% excise tax on the retail sale of any firearm, firearm precursor part, or ammunition is unconstitutional in that it impermissibly singles out the exercise of a constitutional right for special taxation. There have been several rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court prohibiting such a tax scheme.

Pearl, MS (March 31, 2025) – For an enjoyable and successful day on the water crappie fishing, having easy-to-use, reliable, and versatile pole mounts are essential. Great mounting systems keep lines tight and tangle-free while providing easy access to rods. The Millennium Marine® Spyderlok Series is the go-to choice for ardent crappie anglers.

The Spyderlok Series features three products for any crappie fishing needs: The R-100 Spyderlok Gen 2, the R-200 Single Spyderlok, and the R-500 Pontoon Boat Rod Holder. The entire series is constructed with premium anodized aluminum for ultimate durability in the harshest conditions. The patented Spyderlok technology uses sure-lock “teeth” to ensure tight-locking angles and smooth, easy pole adjustments. 

Designed explicitly for spider rigging, the R-100 Spyderlok Gen 2 easily accommodates four rods on its 20-inch crossbar. The 360-degree rotation of the crossbar and the rod holders allows for ultimate versatility and water coverage from a single unit. With easy two-knob removal, exclusive height adjustments ranging from 20 to 29 inches, anglers can deploy multiple rods for slow-troll spider rigging applications. 

For competitive crappie fishing scenarios or where anglers are limited to just one line, the R-200 Single Spyderlok provides the perfect combination of precision and rod access. With the same adjustment features and flush mounting plates, the R-200 ensures angles that their rod is easily adjustable and just as versatile without worry.

The R-500 Pontoon Holder enables crappie anglers to mount rods securely in virtually any desired position. The R-500 mounts to either ¾-inch to 1-½-inch round or square tube rails and provides a full 360-degrees of coverage. Savvy anglers can deploy a dozen of the R-500 mounts to fully cover the water and present a variety of lure and bait options.

DENVER (March 31, 2025)— Outdoor Sportsman Group Networks (Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, and MyOutdoorTV) continue delivering the perfect mix of adventure-packed entertainment and educational content in their Q2 programming, inspiring viewers to connect with the great outdoors wherever they are and however they choose to watch. With original premieres and new episodes from returning series across all networks, viewers can expect the most original outdoor programming focused on their passions beginning on Monday, March 31.

Outdoor Channel connects passionate hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and adventure seekers through its best-in-class outdoor programming. Find inspiration with the following recommendations.

Monday nights see the continuation of the popular “Taste of the Wild” block beginning at 7 p.m. ET, featuring the return of Life of Fire (May 5, 9 p.m. ET) following legendary pit master Pat Martin, and season five of The Fishmonger (May 5, 9:30 p.m.) with fourth-generation commercial fisherman, Tommy “The Fishmonger” Gomes. Also, catch American adventure stories every Friday night in the “American Wild” block featuring Nick’s Wild Ride with Nick Hoffman (7:30 p.m. ET), The Gunfather: Restorations (8 p.m. ET), Renovation Hunters (8:30 p.m. ET), plus Wardens and Wardens: Case Files (9 and 9:30 p.m. ET, respectively). Plus, don’t miss the return of the popular series Wild Upland (April 1, 7 p.m. ET) with Gun Dog Editor-In-Chief Kali Parmley.

Sportsman Channel continues to reflect the heart and soul of millions of outdoorsmen and women through its Q2 programming lineup.  Tune in for new episodes of Realtree Roadtrips (new time Tuesdays, 7 p.m. ET), Fur Life (new time Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. ET), Hook the Future (Sundays, 3 p.m. ET) and Reel Animals (Sundays, 8:30 a.m. ET), to name a few.

Get hooked on the fishing experts and personalities casting their lines across World Fishing Network (WFN). From “Reel Bass Mondays” focused solely on bass fishing, to “Reel in Canada Fridays,” featuring Canadian waters – World Fishing Network has something for every angler, every species, and every cast. Don’t miss new seasons of Major League Fishing General Tire Team Series (Mondays, 8 p.m. ET) and Major League Fishing All Angles (Mondays, 10 p.m. ET), as well as new series Wild at Heart (Thursdays, 9:30 p.m. ET) and The Wild Grill (Fridays, 7:30 p.m. ET).