Hunting and Fishing News & Blog Articles

GUEST BIO

Ross Melinchuk has been a member of Houston Safari Club since 2015. He is the Executive Director of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA). He is also the President and CEO of Melinchuk and Associates, LLC, an environmental and natural resource policy consulting firm based in Aiken, SC.

Ross previously served as Chief Conservation Officer for NWTF. Prior to that, he was the Director of Conservation Programs for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) where he oversaw the Land Conservation, Water Resources, Landscape Ecology, International Programs and Project Management Office. He also served as the Deputy Executive Director for Natural Resources for TPWD from 2009-2017, responsible for overseeing the department’s Wildlife, Coastal and Inland Fisheries Divisions.

Before accepting his position with TPWD, he was Director of Public Policy for Ducks Unlimited (DU), where he was responsible for providing strategic direction for public policy and state grant activities for a 15-state region in the South and Southeastern U.S. 

Prior to his 17-year career with DU, he served as North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) coordinator for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies from 1990-1992.

The Bullet HP Bluetooth, Sidewinder weapon-mounted, and Overseer game calls offer hunters superior sound at an incredible value. 

Convergent Hunting Solutions makes game calls that are the perfect combination of experience, innovation and passion. Started by professional predator hunter Byron South, Convergent game calls are made in the USA and deliver premium sound quality at an incredible value. Models include the Bullet HP Bluetooth call, Sidewinder weapon-mounted call and Overseer Predator Pro mouth call. 

Convergent’s flagship product is the Bullet HP Bluetooth game call, allowing hunters to pair a smartphone with the call up to 300 feet away. The call is Android and Apple compatible and allows for complete control of the unit via five different sound apps, including predator, deer, hog, turkey, snowgoose and crow. The unit offers loud, exceptionally clear sound and is powered by an integrated Li-ION battery with over 10 hours of run time. At just 2.9 lbs., the Bullet HP is easy to carry, features a built-in decoy and ground spike, and doubles as a Bluetooth speaker for your favorite music. 

For the best in value, Convergent offers the Bullet HP in a Complete Game Calling System that features the call, Picatinny phone mount, free mobile app with a sound library, and camo carrying bag ($439.95). The call can also be purchased separately ($389.95).  

Designed by Byron South, Convergent also offers the Sidewinder Weapon Mounted Game Call for the days when staying mobile and low profile are top priorities. The Sidewinder easily attaches to the handguard of any Picatinny rail and allows hunters to minimize movement while operating the call. The Sidewinder connects to a smartphone via USB-C cable and offers 100+ dB of crystal-clear sound. The unit is built with a Li-ION battery with 5+ hours of run time on a single charge. Not only does the Sidewinder offer premium sound, but it also allows hunters to film the kill shot from the first-person point of view. Like the Bullet HP, the Sidewinder can be easily operated via a series of smartphone apps. 

First responders may not always be visible when things are running smoothly. However, they are always around us and are an integral part of our communities as they help us when we are faced with emergencies. As we celebrate Public Service Recognition Week during the month of May, Fisher Space Pen offers their First Responders Series to honor those in the fields and express appreciation for their service.

Fisher’s First Responders Collection presents an ultimate choice for service professionals who frequently work in some of the most unusual conditions. Each pen in this collection is equipped with a medium-point pressurized PR4 black ink cartridge. This cartridge provides its user with incredible reliability even underwater or in zero gravity, regardless of the angle. Additionally, the PR4 cartridge boasts smooth performance in extreme temperatures ranging from -30° F to 250° F. The single-hand activation by cap and the 5.27” open length make these pens versatile and convenient simultaneously.

The design of the First Responders Series pens makes them an attractive gift for any service professional. Based on the M4B Military Matte Black Cap-O-Matic Space Pen, all of these pens are marked with a printed line of six assorted colors reflective of six service fields: gold (dispatchers), blue (law enforcement), red (firefighters), green (conservation), white (EMS) and orange (search and rescue). Moreover, Fisher Space Pen has been donating a portion of proceeds from each pen to support the service professionals, making the First Responders Series pens even more significant. The recipients of this support include First Responders Children’s Foundation, C.O.P.S (Concerns of Police Survivors), injured firefighters and their families, National Park Foundation, NAEMT (National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians) Foundation and National Disaster Search Dog Foundation.

Personalization options such as engraving and gift-wrapping are available at an additional cost. At $30 with a lifetime guarantee, Fisher Space Pen First Responders Series would make a superb choice, an affordable and meaningful way to honor anyone in service fields.

First Responder Matte Black Cap-O-Matic Space Pen Series Features:

The Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) is pleased to announce “Get Published!” as the headline session to kick off their Annual Business Conference on June 14-16 in Kalispell, MT. This panel session, moderated by Britney Booth, owner of Booth Media Group and editor of multiple publications in the hunting space, features editors and digital content writers from a variety of backgrounds. This panel is meant to help everyone from seasoned pros to new creators improve their craft and increase their business because of it. The panel is slated for Tuesday, June 15 at 9:10 a.m. with a round-robin, “open book” meeting time with editors afterwards. The panel consists of Jared Blohm, Managing Editor of  Concealed Carry magazine, John Radzwilla, Editor-in-Chief of Hook & Barrel magazine, Jen Ripple, Editor of DUN magazine and John Snow, Shooting Editor of Outdoor Life magazine.

“Conference attendees can network, learn, and connect with outdoor media professionals who are willing to share what they know with them, which is a unique opportunity not always provided. We’re happy to put this together especially for our POMA members,” shared Thomas MacAulay, Executive Director of POMA. “To make the most of this session, we highly recommend attendees get to know these leaders and prepare questions for them to answer during the one-on-one session time held immediately after the panel session.”

The POMA Annual Business Conference consists of three exciting days of educational and networking opportunities. Kalispell will also have suggestions for activities before and after conference to help members make the most of their time in the area. Members are encouraged to register now and book travel early to take advantage of early booking savings. 

As with every conference, attendees will enjoy:

The Red Lion Hotel in Kalispell is the host hotel for #POMA2022. They’ve offered a special rate for POMA conference attendees. All meals, networking events and sessions will be held at the hotel.

The key components of wildlife habitat are food, cover and water. Planting soft mast trees and shrubs from Chestnut Hill Outdoors offers a great way to improve the quantity and quality of the first two and in so doing, attract and hold more and healthier wildlife on the land.

By planting soft mast producers, a landowner can widen the window of time when their land provides for the creatures that live upon it, filling gaps in the nutritional calendar not covered adequately by hard mast or food plots. Furthermore, several soft mast species offer important cover so wildlife won’t have to travel far for safety between feedings. 

Mulberries and Plums

These two varieties start off the mast calendar in late spring and early summer, a period of rapid growth for both plants and wildlife. Black, white and native red varieties of Everbearing Mulberry (Morus rubra) and Black Mulberry (Morus nigra) from Chestnut Hill Outdoors are the very first soft mast shrubs to bear fruit in the spring. They begin to bear fruit as early as April and May in the deep south and early June farther north. This is a critical time; it’s when growing fawns are putting added nutritional stress on their mothers, antler growth rates in bucks are skyrocketing and young game birds are foraging voraciously. Barely have the berries been gleaned when American (Prunus americana) and Chickasaw plums (Prunus angustifolia) start dropping ripe fruit in June and July. In addition to abundant fruit, these species also grow into brushy thickets that provide nesting, brooding, bedding and security cover.

Brambles and Grapes

Modelled on the late Victorian Farquharson rifles, London gunmaker John Rigby & Co. has just launched their first 10 new limited edition Rigby Falling Block rifles. After three years in the making, the rifle is built around a true Farquharson action, identical to the original patented John Farquharson design of 1875 and a strong match to the historic Rigby-made Farquharson rifles in the company’s historic ledger books. 

Chambered in .416 Rigby No. 2, the rifle features a single trigger and top safety, with a 25-inch lightweight barrel – as per Rigby pre-war standards – with an integral rib and traditional London Best black finish. The rifle benefits from a standard front foresight with protective hood and rear sights regulated at 65 yards, with two folding leaf sights regulated at 150 and 250 yards.

Bespoke to the customer, the stock is built to client specifications and is modelled from hand-selected, grade seven deluxe Turkish walnut, finished with Rigby’s signature oil finish and a one-inch rubber recoil pad. Shaped with a classic pistol grip, with a cap box housing a spare front sight, the grip cap trap features a bespoke blue enamelled plate with serial number, created by Melissa Rigby, the great-great-great granddaughter of Rigby’s founder, John Rigby.

Finished with traditional Rigby “Rose & Scroll” pattern engravings on the action, with a case colour hardened finish as standard, customers also have the option to upgrade to bespoke engraving patterns of any design. A silver oval is also inlayed into the stock to add the client’s initials or crest.

RRP £39,950 (Export)

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) would like to introduce two new employee titles taking effect in 2022. Catherine Green, who has been with the CMP for over a decade, will be assuming the role of North Range Coordinator – overseeing all competitions and events held at the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center in Ohio. Likewise, the CMP would like to welcome newcomer Ryan Hinson, who has accepted the Junior Rifle Camp Coordinator position. Hinson will coordinate the CMP’s annual air rifle and smallbore camps, held all summer long for high school-age athletes.

The roles were filled after preceding range coordinator and camp director Chance Cover made the move to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs as a resident athlete. The CMP wishes Chance all the best as he works toward his own marksmanship ambitions.

About Catherine Green, North Range Coordinator:

Catherine Green began with the CMP as a Junior Rifle Camp counselor, working summers from 2011 to 2014, before coming on full time as a program coordinator in 2015.

As a junior, Green shot for the Newport Rifle Club in Middletown, Rhode Island, and was coached by Michele Makucevich and Dan Nagelhout. She participated and placed well in many matches, including the Camp Perry Open, U.S. Army Junior Championship and CMP/NRA/USA Shooting 3P National Championships. Green’s most notable win from her high school career was the 2010 American Legion Championship. Before graduating, she earned her Junior Distinguished Badge in air rifle. 

Scientists cataloged the migratory life histories of 1,250 North American migratory fish species to help natural resources managers make more-informed conservation decisions

EAST LANSING, Mich. — A Michigan State University-led team of scientists has assembled the North American Freshwater Migratory Fish Database, which brings together life history information on 1,250 species to inform conservation practices.

A paper chronicling the effort was published in the Journal of Biogeography.

The development of the database was led by Emily Dean, a doctoral student in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife who works in the lab of professor Dana Infante.

“Freshwater fish migrations support natural and human communities across the globe,” Dean said. “However, migratory populations are declining in response to barriers such as dams, culverts and road crossings, which reduce access to critical habitat in streams.”

On Saturday, May 14th, Pope and Young convened a Special Panel of Judges in Ogden, UT for a potential World’s Record Typical Velvet Mule Deer. Bowdy Gardner’s Typical Velvet Mule Deer scored an incredible 218 2/8” and is now the largest bow-harvested Typical Velvet Mule Deer in North America. This amazing deer was taken and entered into the records program nearly ten years ago and is now recognized as the new world’s record after the original score was upheld by a panel of measurers.

Measurers present at the Special Panel were Larry Streiff, David Nielsen, Stan Zirbel, Pope and Young’s Director of Records, Tim Rozewski, and Pope and Young’s Records Chairman, Roy Grace. With a confirmed final score of 218 2/8” Gardner’s buck is officially the new Pope and Young World Record.

“This is a tremendous mule deer that has been awaiting this moment since it was taken in Kane County, Utah in 2012. When Pope and Young changed their stance in 2021 and allowed velvet antlered animals to be eligible for world record status within their own respective categories, we were finally able to authenticate this buck,” stated Roy Grace, Pope and Young Club’s Records Chairman. “It also demonstrates how sportsmen’s dollars, coupled with oversight from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, can properly manage these incredible animals and provide opportunity for sportsmen to pursue them.”

This World Record Typical Velvet Mule Deer was originally entered into the 28th recording period which represented entries accepted into Pope and Young’s Records Program from January 1st, 2011, to December 31st, 2012. As previously stated, Pope and Young changed their policy in 2021, allowing velvet antlered species to be eligible for World’s Record status within their own velvet categories. As such, nearly ten (10) years later, this incredible buck is now crowned as the new velvet World’s Record. At the close of every biennial recording period, numerical awards and honorable mentions are awarded to the most outstanding bow-harvested animals in each species category that have been entered during this two-year recording period. New World’s Records are verified and proclaimed, and awards are presented to these outstanding animals during Pope and Young’s Biennial Convention and Awards Banquet.

ABOUT POPE & YOUNG:
Pope and Young is North America’s leading bowhunting and conservation organization. If you are a fair chase, ethical bowhunter, and you care about preserving the culture and future of bowhunting, then you should belong to Pope & Young. Join today at www.pope-young.org.

Bow Spider — the quickest and easiest hands-free bow retrieval system on the market – is proud to announce its sponsorship of the Everest Course at the Hoyt Archery Northwest Mountain Challenge, one of the most difficult target archery competitions in the world.

There are four dates and locations for the 2022 competition – Tamarack, ID, June 3-5; Hoodoo, OR, June 17-19; Helena, MT., July 8-10; and Steven’s Pass, WA., July 22-24. Open to archers and bowhunters of all ages, there are six different courses that can be attempted, including the Dead-On Kids Course, a fun 10-target kids course for all age ranges, and the Novelty/Pop-Up 3D Shoot, where participants can come shoot a variety of pay-to-play novelty shots and a pop-up course for prizes, cash and bragging rights.

The most challenging and difficult of the competition courses is the Everest Bow Spider Course. Approximately 3-5 miles in length, this physically-demanding 15 target course will test both a person’s archery skills and their stamina. Targets will be from 10-100 yards, rangefinders are allowed, and the IBO Scoring system (11, 10, 8, 5, 0) will be utilized. Competition will be shot on Saturday.

On Sunday, competitors can shoot the approximately two-mile long and very demanding Hoyt Archery Course, which features 20 targets with shots from 20-60 yards. Rangefinders are allowed, and the OPA scoring system (14, 12, 10, 8, 5, 0) employed. Participants can also shoot the Camofire.com course, approximately 2 ½-miles in length, which features 25 targets with unique shots from 20-90-plus yards, and the Phelps course, approximately 2 miles in length, featuring 20 targets with shots from 20-60 yards, with rangefinders allowed and the IBO scoring system (11, 10, 8, 5, 0) utilized.

“Few events will test a bowhunter’s skills more than the Northwest Mountain Challenge,” said Bow Spider founder David Merrill, himself an accomplished Western bowhunter. “This is a great event for the entire family, where you’ll meet other very serious archers and bowhunters, and have a great time. We’re proud to be sponsoring the Everest course, guaranteed to push all participants to their limits.”

American Provenance is a personal products company that makes clean, natural personal care products for men and women. These products are all-natural deodorants, body wash, and beard balm. American Provenance products are not made with harsh chemicals and they are aluminum free deodorants. We received a small box full of these to test out and have been using them daily for the last several weeks. The scent is light on these and not over powering which is important and they all seem to work as they should.

These products are all natural so that means no aluminum (who knew they put that in some deodorants), harsh chemicals, artificial fragrances and preservatives. It’s basically all-natural oils, coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter, arrowroot powder and natural magnesium hydroxide. Some of the products have baking soda in them.

The majority of the products are geared towards men with the beard balm and the body wash. I liked the scented products, though I am not going to use them while hunting. I could tell that the product was there when I put it on and it faded quickly, which is fine. Most importantly, at the end of the day I didn’t smell like a gym locker room even on days of heavy stress or physical activity. The beard balm smelled the best because the oil was heavier in the product and the scent lasted a little longer. The body wash was provided a nice clean smell when in use in the shower.  It lathered okay but not as well as some body washes, but it was nice knowing that chemicals are not all over my body.

We tested the deodorants, beard oil, aftershave, and body wash. The aftershave and body wash were our favorites, and the deodorant worked well. Scent combinations are wintergreen & cedar, eucalyptus & mint, sandalwood & bergomot, lemongrass & marjoram, bourbon & vetiver, bay rum & lime, oud wood & spruce, ylang ylang & clove, patchouli (YUCK) & lavender. We liked the oud wood & spruce as well as the lemongrass & marjoram the best. If you are looking for natural products and would like to skip smelling like everyone else, these are some products worth looking into. They are clean and they work. They even have an unscented version that would work for hunting. Check them out at AmericanProvenance.com.

The Roving Blue O-Pen is a tool to ensure that your water is safe to drink. The O-Pen allows you to treat your water with a cloud of ozone gas which is used by water treatment plants and water bottlers worldwide. Ozone happens to be one the strongest oxidizers available, and it leaves behind no toxicity or harsh tasting chemicals that could be a problem for your body.

The O-Pen uses electrolytic ozone which is far more powerful than chlorine and proven to be highly effective against multiple forms of bacteria, viruses, cysts and dangerous organisms. This is important because when you are traveling around the world, not all water is safe to drink. If you have not built up a local immunity to specific organisms your body can react in extremely harsh ways. I learned this first hand on a trip into South America, and I have not made the same mistake twice.

Ozone is a serious player in killing micro-organisms and parasites. These organisms cannot develop a resistance to the O-pen. The O-Pen contains a lithium battery built in, and it is safe and legal for all airlines in your carry on luggage. The unit is rechargeable and should be used on all water whether that is in your room, in camp, beside a stream and honestly even in water bottles if you doubt its source. There is no need to trust anyone; why not be protected and keep your body safe?

Using the Roving Blue O-Pen

The unit is extremely easy to use. Pull off the bottom cap, stick the actuator into the bottom of your glass, and press the button. It takes about a minute and you can clearly see the ozone rise out of the water with bubbles. Once it is done it shuts off and your water is safe to drink. The unit will work for about 50 uses per charge and it is easy to just plug in and charge. 

I use it for all water when traveling, even for brushing my teeth. I treat the water that is going into my mouth first so that no harmful organisms come into contact with my mouth in any way. 

If you liked Crocs back in the day, you will love CrossKix 2.0 especially now that they have a version in Mossy Oak Camo. Crosskix gave us a pair to test out over the winter and into spring, and they have worked out pretty well. They are super casual, and I typically wear them around the house and yard, but they work great and are comfortable.

When you do wear the Crosskix 2.0 out and about, you may garner a little attention. People will walk up to you and ask you about them. The foam material is pretty soft and they build up a bit of a molded footbed that fits your feet after some use. I like this molding because it feels good on my arches, or lack thereof. As well, I will not go anywhere – even around my house – without shoes, and the Crosskix work well for this.

Even though I generally wear mine inside, the Crosskix design is really built for outdoor use. They are great as the ultimate water and camp shoe. They are light and easy to throw into luggage because of the light weight. We picked up a set of these for a nephew, and he really likes the Crosskix for excercize because he feels like he gets a better grip on the floor with his feet for pushups and planks, etc.

CrossKix APX Specs:

If you are looking for something with a little more support, the CrossKix APX is a serious contender for a great spring and summer camp shoe and water shoe for anything outdoors. In the winter, they make a great house shoe. 

As the conflict in Ukraine enters the second month, ATN Corp. continues to stand by its commitment to support the people and troops of Ukraine. ATN has entered into a partnership with GSMSG to help provide medical relief to the war-torn areas of the besieged country.

ATN, Corp., an industry leader in innovative optics for civilians, law enforcement, and the military, remains committed to providing support to Ukraine in its fight for freedom and democracy. With the conflict now ravaging into its second month and much of the population displaced, ATN has partnered with the Global Surgical and Medical Support Group (GSMSG), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization providing medical relief to communities in conflict zones, austere environments, and disaster areas around the world.

“Every partner we engage in our commitment to support the Ukrainian people in their fight for democracy provides another bullet in our weapon to remove the Russian threat from Ukraine,” Marc Vayn, founder of ATN Corp, stated. “GSMSG is an elite global medical and surgical team that can provide the type of front-line and field-care and medical training the Ukrainian people and troops desperately need. ATN thermal products are now being used as part of GSMSG’s operational security protocol.”

“Not only does our partnership with GSMSG help Ukrainians, but GSMSG supports elite US veterans with medical experience to apply their battle-field skill-set to serve others in critical need,” James Munn, CEO of ATN and former US Army Veteran, added.

GSMSG was founded in 2015 by Dr. Aaron Epstein, MD, MA, as a means to provide high-quality care to victims of ISIS in the Iraq conflict. Starting with a handful of dedicated physicians and surgeons, GSMSG has grown to include over 1,500 US Special Operations veterans and medical professionals offering full-spectrum training and medical care to host nation partners in conflict zones and austere areas. Within hours of the Ukrainian invasion, GSMSG began mobilization of its teams and within days had a dozen team members on the ground with operational and medical experience. Team members have continued to cycle in country and to date, nearly 40 GSMSG professionals in Ukraine have included special operations veterans trained by the Army Special Forces, Naval Special Warfare, Air Force Special Operations Command, Joint Special Operations Command, and Joint Medical Augmentation Unit, along with the highest quality medical professionals and experts in their fields.

iRayUSA, a Texas-based designer, manufacturer, and distributor of premium thermal night vision devices, is proud to announce a line extension of the popular ZOOM Series with the addition of the ZH50. InfiRay Outdoor’s latest offering, the ZOOM ZH50, brings exciting innovation to the commercial thermal market; 4X variable optical zoom lens, an algorithm based shutterless non-uniformity correction feature and a 20X magnification eyepiece with full HD 1440×1080 resolution AMOLED display.

The ZH50 features InfiRay’s patented dual-field-of-view design allowing users to seamlessly switch between a wide field of view (FOV) for detection, and a narrow FOV for target identification. The ZH50 transitions optically from a base 2X magnification to 4X with an intuitive twist of the objective focus ring and maintains 100 percent of the sensor’s native 640×512 resolution. 

The ZOOM Series offers a software based non-uniformity correction (NUC) feature. Unlike standard non-uniformity correction, which uses a shutter or lens cap, the ZOOM Series features InfiRay’s shutterless NUC algorithm, which is completely silent, requires no user input and allows for unmatched battery life. 

The ZOOM Series also features an AMOLED viewing display in full HD 1440×1080 resolution to provide the most clarity possible. Additionally, images and live video can be transferred wirelessly via the ultra-fast InfiRay Outdoor app or can be recorded onboard with the ZOOM’s 32gb of internal storage.

“The ZH50 offers increased optical magnification with a larger objective lens, while still maintaining a seamless full-resolution transition from a wide field-of-view to a narrow field-of-view” stated Angelo Brewer, Director of Operations, iRayUSA. “The wide field-of-view of the ZOOM is ideal for detection and the narrow field-of-view is perfect for target identification” continued Brewer.

Easton’s new SuperDrive Micro 4mm arrow is the latest addition to the podium topping SuperDrive family of all-carbon high-performance arrows—purpose built for outdoor competition in target and 3D.  

With a wind-cheating 4mm diameter, SuperDrive Micro is engineered to provide the lightest grains-per-inch, giving archers a high-speed arrow built to raise scores and find the center of target farther downrange.  SuperDrive Micro maximizes shooting range and minimizes pin gaps by giving archers higher velocities out of the bow and tighter groups. This makes an effective shaft platform for unknown distance 3D but also producing higher scores in windy conditions on the target field. It is a do-everything setup for 3D, outdoor target, and field archery competitions.

SuperDrive Micro is available in 11 spines from 325 to 950 providing a choice for virtually every archer. Feature an extremely tight ±.002” straightness spec.  Available with a full-line of Easton 4mm glue-in target points, pin inserts, pin nocks, and direct-fit nocks.  

Visit your dealer or go to eastonarchery.com to see the full line of Easton competition-grade arrows.

Shoot Like A Girl has released its first quarter report for 2022, citing exponential growth in event attendance and consumer insights that have sparked business for the continuation of 2022 goal setting and planning. Hundreds of women and their families participated in the facilitated Shoot Like A Girl mobile range experience in eight locations across the country including industry events and private business team building. With a record breaking eight events, over 1,000 attendees and covering more than 8,400 miles, the Shoot Like A Girl team has been able to introduce women and their families to shooting sports with the goals of empowerment, love of sport and firearm safety.

“The first quarter seems like a blur. As I think about our impact in just our first eight events, I’m thankful and humbled by those who attend our events,” said Karen Butler, Founder and President of Shoot Like A Girl. “Everything we do reaches far beyond firearm safety. We hope that each guest we encounter leaves with a sense of empowerment and a newfound love of the shooting sports and outdoors. The interactions over the last thirteen years evoke feelings of joy and pride and I can’t wait to see what the rest of 2022 brings.” 

Expanding Our Reach in 2022

In the first quarter, 1,091 women participated in Shoot Like A Girl’s mobile range experience. With events in eight locations including Dallas Safari Club’s Convention in Dallas, TX; Industry Day at the Range in Boulder City, NV; National Wild Turkey Federation’s Convention in Nashville, TN; a private corporate event, and Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s stores in Fort Worth, TX; Spanish Fort, AL; and Bossier City, LA, women and their families were given the opportunity to shoot a pistol, rifle and bow under all-female guidance and instruction.

In addition to normal operations, Shoot Like A Girl hosted a life fire range event with Toyota. This “Sportswoman” event brought ten influencers to Barnsley Resort in Adairsville, GA to introduce them to outdoor sports including shooting, fishing and off-roading.

Dedicated and passionate public lands sportsmen and women recognized in BHA annual awards

MISSOULA, Mont. – Backcountry Hunters & Anglers bestowed its top honors on a suite of deserving recipients at the 11th annual BHA North American Rendezvous, held in Missoula, Montana, May 12-14. BHA’s annual awards honor unequalled commitment, tireless effort and ongoing dedication to public lands and waters, fish and wildlife and hunting and fishing.

The 2022 honorees follow:

BHA’s Sigurd F. Olson Award recognizes outstanding effort conserving rivers, lakes or wetland habitat. The 2022 Olson award was presented to Lukas Leaf and Spencer Shaver, longtime advocates for the Boundary Waters Wilderness in Minnesota.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with both Lukas and Spencer,” said BHA President and CEO Land Tawney of the honorees, who have worked for years for Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters. “It is an honor to recognize their steadfast contributions to the Boundary Waters. Their commitment, backcountry bona fides, and good nature helped carry the day for a 20-year moratorium on a mine proposed just a stone’s throw from the most visited wilderness in America. For that we are grateful.”

Irving, TX – G.P.S. Bags, a manufacturer offering specialized backpacks, range bags, and totes designed specifically for dedicated shooters, hunters, and defense professionals, introduces the Tactical Bugout Computer Backpack. This new pack safely transports most laptop computers and includes a handgun retention system and magazine storage pouches with additional room for other range gear.

The GPS Bags Tactical Bugout Computer Backpack is a functional pack that allows the user to carry their daily concealed carry firearm along with their materials for the office. The pack fits laptops up to 15-inches, safely stowing the electronic in a padded sleeve compartment. The Tactical Bugout Computer Backpack also features a lockable retention system for two pistols and includes two magazine storage pouches that are removeable and can be custom configured for changing needs.

Built tough for the range and to withstand the rigors of daily use, the bag is constructed from 600 Denier heavy duty material with DuPont™ Teflon® coating. Comfortable carry is made possible with the padded waist strap and stabilizing compression straps.

The pack securely closes and opens with oversized YKK zippers. The outside features a MOLLE webbing system for adding accessories. Currently, the Tactical Bugout Computer Backpack is available in black and tan.

Model: Black GPS-T1712BPB
Model: Tan GPS-T1712BPT
MSRP:  $99.99

NEW HAVEN, Mo. – ALPS OutdoorZ, premiere manufacturer of extreme-duty hunting packs and outdoor gear, continues its commitment to develop innovative products for hunters, outdoor enthusiasts, and daily activities with the introduction of the new Ghost 20 pack.

The Ghost 20 is a hybrid pack suitable for use as a backpack, briefcase, or messenger bag in a size that is slightly smaller than the original Ghost 30 pack.

Although built to accommodate a laptop, books, documents, and other essentials of everyday work life, the heart of the Ghost 20 is an integrated back panel pocket intended to secure a handgun for EDC/CCW practitioners. An ambidextrous, zippered pocket in the back panel is lined with a material that works with common hook-and-loop style holsters, allowing the user to securely stow their defensive handgun discretely and within easy reach. The bag’s main compartment panel is similarly lined with hook-and-loop material, providing users with an alternative location for stowing a holstered gun or spare magazines.

Constructed of 500D nylon Cordura, the Ghost 20 features PU coating, making it highly water-resistant. Built-in and adjustable shoulder straps allow the Ghost 20 to be worn as a backpack while sewn-in handles permit hand carry. A removeable shoulder strap can be used for over-the-shoulder or cross-body carry. Additional features include an organizational front panel pocket, large main compartment with a padded laptop/tablet sleeve sized to accommodate up to 16-inch laptops, side water bottle pockets, and a pass-through sleeve to attach to rolling luggage handles.

The Ghost 20 measures 19H x 12.5W x 5.5D inches and has a 1,220 cubic-inch capacity.