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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

- ACQUISITIONS -
MCBC Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MCFT), the parent entity of MasterCraft Boat Company, LLC, and NauticStar, LLC, announces a definitive agreement to acquire Crest Marine, LLC, a leading vertically integrated manufacturer of high-quality pontoon boats in the United States, for approximately $80 million.
- BOATING -
Hurricane Florence, is expected to make landfall in the Carolinas potentially as a Category 4 storm later this week. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has issued hurricane-preparation alerts to its members in the Southeast and is urging all recreational boaters to begin making preparations to prevent damage to their vessels.
The boat ramp at Memphis Lake in Saunders County is closed temporarily because of low water.

- CONSERVATION -
Put-in-Bay Township Park District and The Conservation Fund announced Monday the conservation of 13.4 acres of critical migratory bird habitat on Ohio’s Lake Erie Islands. The protection of this land, which comprises two parcels on Middle Bass Island, will ensure that its forest and wetland ecosystems remain intact and will provide increased recreation opportunities for island visitors.
- EDUCATION -
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering a variety of wildlife education trunks for use by classroom teachers, home-school educators, naturalists, scout leaders and other instructors.
- EVENTS -
Gather some friends and join us for the Aww… Shucks Oyster Social, the Calvert Marine Museum’s annual fundraiser for the skipjack, Dee of St. Mary’s, on Saturday, October 13.
Barrett will be celebrating 100 years of the Fort Benning Expo this September 11th through September 13th. The three-day event is being held at McGinnis-Wickam Hall, headquarters for the US Army Maneuver Center of Excellence.

- FISHERIES -
Don't miss the chance to see big Great Lakes fish up close during free fall tours at the Boardman River Weir in downtown Traverse City, the Little Manistee River Weir in Manistee County and the Upper Platte River Weir in Benzie County. T
Michigan DNR staff again will use trawling and gillnetting on Saginaw Bay to survey the area's fish community, marking the 48th consecutive year the department has surveyed the bay to determine the abundance and health of fish populations including walleye and yellow perch and and those they forage.
- GEAR -
Firefield is adding to their brand with the new Shooting Stick. The ideal monopod to pair with any rifle, the Firefield Monopod Shooting Stick is a great tool to keep your firearm stable while hunting or shooting at the range.
- HUNTING -
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department says hunters are looking forward to Vermont’s upcoming October 6- November 2 and December 1-9 archery deer hunting season.

Young hunters once again will have the opportunity to get a free deer hunting license at all Meijer stores in Michigan Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14-15.
The M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area (FWFTA) in Hale County will host a series of deer hunts for hunters with physical disabilities from late November 2018 through January 2019. Registration for the hunts will open September 17.
All successful deer and elk hunters are encouraged to bring the head of their harvested animal, especially bucks and bulls, to any department office statewide between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.Monday through Friday. The preferred method for delivery is to place the head in a heavy-duty plastic trash bag, and keep it cool and out of the sun.
- INDUSTRY -
“I couldn’t be happier to have Mark Watson join our team. Mark brings a proven history of being a successful graphic designer to our team, something we have outsourced until now," says Chase Rohlfsen President RubLine Marketing.

- JOBS -
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is currently accepting applications for the position of Fishery Biologist.
Kalashinkov USA is looking for candidates for the Vice President of Sales and Marketing position. With extensive experience in the firearms industry, the successful candidate will be responsible for all aspects of marketing and branding.
- NEW PRODUCTS -
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) introduces the 10/22® Compact with the Ruger® Modular Stock System. In production for over 50 years, the new Ruger 10/22 with the Modular Stock System also features front and rear fiber optic sights, a low comb height and 12.5-inch length of pull, making it ideal for training younger shooters. 

 

McMillan Fiberglass Stocks introduces the newSENTRY stock. Based on most Remington type actions, this new stock can be custom-configured by the user to accept AR-style buttstocks and grips.

Whether you're after panfish or walleye, Frabill's new Arctic Fire Combos offer the best in sensitivity, action, and rod length to feel, set the hook, and land more fish.
The new MarXman has been designed to withstand thousands of shots. It offers six-sided shooting with various shooting sides designed to extend the target life. High-contrast graphics are easy to see, enabling you sharpen your archery skills.
The new Fatgirl 10 Bow hunting stand from Lazyman Outdoors is built for comfort and space, it will easily house two people with room to spare.
The Lucky Waterproof HDi is the first fully waterproof spinner on the market, as well as the first spinner to operate on a Lithium-ion battery. With a lithium battery the decoy can withstand any weather and provide more consistent power.

Smith & Wesson Corp. announced that it has expanded its line of popular M&P semi-automatic polymer pistols to include a M&P M2.0 Compact pistol chambered in .45 Auto. The M&P45 M2.0 Compact features a shorter, 4” barrel,10+1 round capacity, and the popular M2.0 feature set.
SureFire LLC announced the launch of the all new M600U Scout Light. Powered by two 123A batteries, the M600U is a lightweight weaponlight featuring an ultra-high-output LED that delivers 1,000 lumens of blinding white light.
- ONLINE -
The Pennsylvania Game Commission again has installed a camera on State Game Lands 311 in Elk County, in a field that typically is a hub of elk activity as the bugling season heats up.
- ORGANIZATIONS -
In recognition of National Suicide Prevention Month, the National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the trade association for the firearms industry, and Project ChildSafe, NSSF’s national firearms safety education program, are reminding gun owners that securely storing their firearms could help save the life of someone going through a difficult time.

- PUBLISHING -
Through the celebrated Outdoor News Print of the Year series, Scot Storm’s latest artistry captures an image that fills the dreams of every white-tailed deer hunter. Titled “Scrape Line Monarch,” the scene depicts a regal buck trailing two does in a quintessential late autumn setting.
The United States Concealed Carry Association is being recognized by state and national organizations for its award-winning publication, Concealed Carry Magazine.  Among many other honors, the American Society of Magazine Editors recognized Concealed Carry Magazine as a finalist in its best cover contest.  
- RADIO -
It’s a trip to Billy Clapp Reservoir, a little known Washington lake, to fish with the Northwest Fishing Reports crew’s Mike Carey and Aaron Borg as they put together an episode for their television show.
- RECOGNITION -
Monday at the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Annual Meeting, six organizations and individuals were honored by their peers as recipients of the Climate Adaptation LeadershipAward for Natural Resources.

- RETAIL -
The new Mauser M18, named ‘Great Buy’ by Outdoor Life magazine, is now available at Academy Sports + Outdoors in a limited edition 6.5 Creedmoor model featuring the Don’t Tread on Me logo.
- SPONSORSHIPS -
The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®) is pleased to announce that Brothers & Company has signed on to be a Supporting Sponsor of the organization’s 2018 CMO Summit.
- STATES -
A new Michigan DNR interactive map, available at michigan.gov/mi-outdoorrec, allows users to navigate the state to find outdoor recreation businesses, as well as explore industry research. The site also offers a signup option for those interested in receiving email updates on the work of the council and industry developments.
- SWEEPSTAKES -
Keith Warren and Pulsar Thermal and Night Vision are excited to announce a giveaway for a chance to go on an exclusive hog hunt. The lucky winner will have the privilege of scheduling nighttime hog hunt with Keith Warren using top-of-the-line Pulsar thermal devices.
- TELEVISION -
This week on Guns & Gear, Sightmark reflex sights for easy target acquisition. Plus, Barnes Bullets' VOR-TX and LRX lines, optimizing storage with Gun Storage Solutions, Kimber's stainless steel revolver, and Springfield Armory's SAINT Pistol in 300 BLK.
- TRANSPORTATION -
BRP (TSX:DOO) continues to conquer the heart of off-road enthusiasts in North America and expands the Can-Am off-road brand's footprint in the side-by-side industry by introducing an all-new Can-Am Maverick Sport MAX DPS 1000R and new innovative specialty packages.
Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. Monday announced three new Textron Off Road side-by-sides (SxS) as part of its continuing Model Year 2019 vehicle introductions. Joining the Havoc X are the Havoc and Havoc Backcountry Edition, and the Wildcat XX receives more horsepower and sees the addition of the Wildcat XX LTD to the line.
- WILDFIRES -
The Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) remotely-deployed Brian Mitchell to serve as an Infrared Interpreter for National Infrared Operations (NIROPS).Infrared Interpreters do not physically deploy to a particular wildfire incident. Instead, they work remotely to support major wildfires nationwide.
- WORKSHOPS -
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Program is offering a Beyond BOW steelhead fishing workshop for women, Oct. 26-28, 2018
- YOUTH -
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is once again partnering with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Every Kid in a Park program to provide fourth-grade children and their families free admission to national public lands and state parks.
 

Traveling through Dallas yesterday, I was reminded of how different air travel was before the 9/11 of 2001.

I didn’t need to plan on arriving “at least” an hour-and-a-half before my flight, I would have laughed at the idea of carrying toiletries in a one gallon plastic bag and howled at a restriction on the size of…a tube of toothpaste?

Today, those restrictions are in place.

And sarcastic observations aside, they weren’t created simply to irritate me. They were initiated as measures to prevent anyone else turning an airplane into a gigantic improvised explosive device.

And as inconvenient as they are, it seems to have worked.

But drastic measures don’t always work. Because rules only work if people agree to follow them.

The same people who howl for more regulations against gun ownership, ammunition sales, plastic straws and sugary soft drinks think nothing of hopping into their cars and ignoring speed limits.

Clearly, there’s far more potential for immediate tragedy driving 80 miles an hour on the interstate while texting or watching YouTube videos, but the consequences don’t reflect that.

Having traveled in parts of the world where speeding laws are enforced, and the fines regulated by the value of the automobile (a speeding ticket in a luxury car can mean minimum fine of $2,500), I know driving habits aren’t irreversible.

Consequences can influence actions.

That does not mean I’m advocating jail time for littering, caning for public intoxication or anything like that. What it does mean is that we need to consider what we’re trying to accomplish before passing regulations that sound good, but don’t accomplish anything.

As the old expression goes, make the juice worth the squeeze.

When air travel was suspended indefinitely following the 9/11 attacks, no one looked at that as a horrific inconvenience; it was a prudent measure to meet an unexpected challenge.

We didn’t complain, we adapted.

Curfews following catastrophes don’t cause uproars, because the only people inconvenienced by them are lawbreakers. Good people aren’t out rooting through disaster sites, they’re helping survivors cope or they’re home in bed.

I’m traveling this week with little thought to what could happen whenever I take to the highway, climb aboard an airliner, or walk into a hunting field with a loaded gun.

Not because I’m blithely skipping through life without any thought of what might happen- or because I believe the rules by themselves will keep me safe.

I travel because I consider my actions and believe the vast majority others do the same.

Most drivers pay attention, few pilots are suicidal, and anyone I choose to go afield with is expected understand -and follow-the basic rules of firearms safety.

It’s common things that keep us safe in all but those uncommon times.

Extraordinary measures should be reserved for extraordinary circumstances.

Unless and until average people like me prove themselves incapable of acting sensibly, let’s work to keep it that way.

Today’s a solemn anniversary, and it should be a time for reflection on what we’ve learned since the event, not just remembrance.

Evil hasn’t changed. Neither should the consequences for evildoers.

As we reflect on what happened on this date in 2001, we should never forget the innocent people who died. Neither should we ever forget the guilty who killed them.

—Jim Shepherd

OUTDOOR WIRE
Event Calendar

SEPTEMBER 14-16
NRA Carry Guard Expo

SEPTEMBER 18-19
NSSF'S CMO Summit

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl, https://www.nssf.org/event/cmo-summit/

SEPTEMBER 22-23
The 33rd annual Gun Rights Policy Conference

OCTOBER 16-19
NASGW Expo & Annual Meeting

David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA  Info: https://nasgwexpo.org

 
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