GRITR Sports, a Texas firearms retailer, has expanded its hunting lineup with the Beretta Daybreak Upland Collection. The Italian-designed apparel features technical fabrics for upland hunting, including softshell jackets and vests available in multiple colors at GRITRSports.com.
NOMAD Outdoor, a division of Marolina Outdoors, introduces the Mirage Camo Hoodie, a lightweight, breathable concealment layer designed for hot-weather hunting. Featuring a full mesh back panel, UPF 50+ protection, and quick-drying 100% polyester fabric, the hoodie provides hunters with enhanced mobility and comfort during early-season whitetail hunts.
Hornady Manufacturing Company has been voted "Best Place to Work" and "Best Customer Service" in the Grand Island Independent's Best of Grand Island competition. The family-owned company, headquartered in Grand Island, Nebraska, has earned "Best Place to Work" honors consecutively since 2021.
Team Beretta athletes earned seven top-three finishes at the 2026 Federal Diamond Classic in Texas, with Joseph Fanizzi capturing his fifth Main Event High Overall Championship title. Fellow Team Beretta competitors Meagan Grossi, Desirae Edmunds, and Dominic Grossi also secured multiple podium finishes across various competitions using Beretta's SO5, 694, and A400 L Sporting shotguns.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will remove approximately 31 acres of floating tussock from Lake Weir in Marion County beginning September 25, 2026. The project will improve aquatic habitat, support native plant growth, and enhance navigation near the Weir Canal, with completion expected by December 18, 2026.
Wildlife Forever announces the 2026-27 Art of Conservation® Bird Art Contest™ and Fish Art Contest™, supported by Title Sponsor Bass Pro Shops. The free, global programs inspire K-12 students to connect with nature through art, writing, and science, with deadlines of November 30, 2026 for Bird Art and February 28, 2027 for Fish Art.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks game wardens are investigating an out-of-season deer shooting on private property near Billings on September 20. Witnesses reported seeing two occupants in a white flatbed truck shoot at least one deer off Hillcrest Road. The public is urged to contact game warden Diego O'Brien with information, with rewards up to $1,000 available.
Georgia's Coastal Resources Division extended the oyster harvest closure in territorial waters beyond the normal September end date due to coastal water temperatures remaining above 81 degrees. The closure protects public health by meeting National Shellfish Sanitation Program requirements and controlling Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria. Clam harvesting remains open as clams are typically cooked at high temperatures.
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has closed a small portion of Hatchery Cove on Lake Champlain from October 1 through November 30 to protect landlocked Atlantic salmon migrating to spawn in Hatchery Brook. Fish biologist Bernie Pientka stated the closure aims to reduce fishing pressure that disrupts salmon passage.
Michigan will implement a firewood quarantine effective January 1, 2027, prohibiting untreated firewood from outside the state. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Michigan Invasive Species Program announced the measure to prevent invasive pests and plant diseases, while launching an Invasive-Free Firewood Certification Program.
Montana hunters must prepare for grizzly bear encounters in western mountainous areas by carrying bear spray, passing bear identification tests, and properly hanging meat. FWP recommends trip planning, awareness of bear signs, and securing camps to prevent conflicts in grizzly country.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is offering a hunter education field day for online students in Bainville on October 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bainville Fire Hall. Participants will receive hands-on instruction in firearm safety, hunting ethics, and other skills using inert firearms.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife is expanding its Field to Food Bank program, asking hunters to donate extra deer during the 2026 hunting season. Partnering with Ohio Penal Industries and the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, the program processed 182 deer into 36,400 venison servings in its first year, addressing both wildlife management and food insecurity.
Benelli USA mourns the passing of Steve Otway, former CEO and founding figure who passed away August 23rd following a battle with Parkinson's disease. Otway was instrumental in developing the Super Black Eagle shotgun and Benelli's Direct-To-Dealer model, establishing the brand as a dominant force in U.S. hunting and shooting markets.
Sonny Varnell, 87, a former Arkansas Game and Fish Commission member appointed by Gov. Mike Huckabee from 2003-2008, passed away September 21. His tenure highlighted the Youth Shooting Sports Program, Moro Big Pine Natural Area WMA establishment, and four nature centers construction.
Taxidermy & Trophy Shipping (TTS) offers hunters a streamlined, cost-effective approach to trophy handling, taxidermy, and shipping from Africa. TTS provides three service options—dipping & packing, tanning, and complete taxidermy—coordinating the entire process from collection through delivery to reduce overall costs and expedite hunters' return to African safaris.
Fusion Thermal, LLC announced the launch of ETHOS, an affordable thermal hunting scope featuring intuitive controls, integrated DeadEye Laser rangefinder with 1,300-yard range, and Auto Ballistics compensation. The scope includes a 44 mm XWAVE Lens, MicroTherm 18 Sensor, and offers over 10 hours of battery runtime backed by WAVE Infrared's 5T Warranty.
KJI announces the Pathfinder 30mm Ball Head, the company's first camera-first ball head designed for photographers, optics users, and rimfire shooters. The versatile head pairs with tripods and monopods, offering faster deployment and smoother movement for hunting, spotting, and competitive shooting applications.
BlackPoint Tactical, a High Speed Gear Products Group brand, reports widespread adoption of its duty holsters among law enforcement and military agencies globally. The BlackPoint Duty Series, featuring the Enhanced Duty Holster, Slick Duty Holster, Concealed Duty Holster, and Taser 10 Ark-Lock, combines reliable retention with fast, consistent draw performance through its patented Master Grip Concept.
MDT is expanding its ACC Elite competition chassis lineup to accommodate the Ruger American short action, offering PRS and NRL competitors a factory action platform with the same features as custom builds. The system includes an 18-inch forend with RRS dovetail and ARCA compatibility, adjustable buttstock, and internal weight tuning, available September 25, 2026.
The Michigan DNR's Accessibility Advisory Council is seeking to fill two vacancies representing the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and Michigan's Indigenous community. Brenda Henige, AAC executive sponsor, encourages applications from those passionate about advancing accessibility and inclusion across the state.
Michigan's Department of Natural Resources is hosting multiple October meetings across various advisory councils and committees, including the Forest Management Advisory Committee, Michigan Natural Resources Commission, and State Parks Advisory Committee. The Accessibility Advisory Council is seeking to fill vacancies representing veterans and Indigenous communities.
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana Department of Transportation, and Indiana State Police urge motorists to exercise caution during harvest season when encountering slow-moving farm equipment. From 2020-2024, 22 occupants were involved in crashes with farm equipment in Indiana, resulting in seven deaths.
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners approved changes to antlerless deer license sales procedures, providing greater flexibility in determining availability. The board also approved multiple land donations, acquisitions, and exchanges involving organizations including the Department of Environmental Protection, Northern Allegheny Conservation Association, and JKLM Energy, LLC, while tabling oil and gas rights agreements.
Outdoor Channel premieres an investigative special hosted by biologist Chris Dorsey examining whether polar bear policy is driven by science or climate advocacy. The documentary investigates the 2008 U.S. listing of polar bears as threatened and features perspectives from Inuit hunter Ryan St. John, Brian Nesvik of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other wildlife experts.
The High Road with Keith Warren premieres a new episode featuring Legends Ranch in Bitely, Michigan, showcasing whitetail hunting experiences and The Wildlife Center at Legends Ranch. Host Keith Warren highlights the facility's conservation efforts, Ladies Week hunts, and a young fan's dream hunt with monster buck harvests.
Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel are offering a free preview from September 28 through October 31 to approximately 10 million households through major cable and satellite providers including DISH, SLING, and Armstrong. The preview features programming from personalities like Michael Waddell, Jim Shockey, Bill Dance, and Steven Rinella.
Award-winning television producer Chris Dorsey appeared on NewsNation's Katie Pavlich Tonight to discuss President Trump's executive order expanding hunting and fishing opportunities. The segment highlighted the conservation contributions of hunters and anglers, noting that federal wildlife programs have distributed over $31 billion since 1937 through excise taxes on sporting equipment.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) provides guidance on assisting sea turtles during storm season. If you find stranded hatchlings or injured turtles, contact the FWC's Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) rather than handling them directly.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host an information session on mule deer in Miles City on September 29 at Miles Community College. The meeting will cover population surveys, hunting season outlook, and chronic wasting disease efforts, with wildlife health biologist Bevin McCormick presenting on CWD in Montana.
Several years ago, during a conversation about the need for more shooting ranges, Jim Shepherd threw out the idea of “100 new ranges—two per state.”
It was a simple concept, an easy goal to understand and, in some cases, an achievable one.
Sure, there are states where building a new shooting range presents major hurdles. Rhode Island doesn’t have much room, and starting any business in California is a punishing process. Opening a shooting range there probably makes Sisyphus’s job look easy.
But other states offer great opportunities for new ranges.
And there has been progress. A spring 2026 update from the federal Office of Conservation Investment lists 123 new public ranges built under the 2019 Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act. Those include 47 firearms ranges, 27 archery ranges and 49 combination facilities. So the idea of building another 100 ranges isn’t particularly outlandish. The question is where the next 100 should go.
In that column, I lamented the missed opportunities that followed “the major court and legislative victories on the ‘let’s sue gunmakers for the actions of criminals’ front.”
I wrote, “Instead of standing on top of the political heap, planting our flag and daring anybody to try and knock the king of the hill off, we should have been building our softer side. We should have been cultivating our outreach effort to women.”
Providing more locations for people to enjoy shooting is an important part of that equation. Firearms ownership and recreational shooting become more mainstream as more people—particularly those we might think of as nontraditional participants—start shooting and buying guns.
But those opportunities need to be where people can use them. In a 2023 NSSF survey of state wildlife agencies, respondents identified urban and suburban ranges as having the greatest public demand—and as the most difficult to provide. Finding places to build was their biggest expansion obstacle.
Which brings us back to the present.
Today, we continue to win legal victories—on what seems a daily basis—thanks to the work of the Second Amendment Foundation, NRA, Firearms Policy Coalition and Gun Owners of America, along with financial backing from NSSF and its member companies.
We are nearly invincible—at least it feels that way—when it comes to fighting in the courts.
The problem with that sentiment is the dark political cloud on the horizon.
That cloud looks darker as we approach the midterm elections, with polls showing Trump’s approval below 40% and disapproval above 60%.
In modern politics, that 40% approval threshold is important because it’s where the candidate becomes so toxic that even their core base begins to fracture. Those are the kinds of numbers a Lee Atwater-style, all-out negative ad campaign aims to produce.
It’s a different story altogether when a president’s own actions appear to be driving the decline. His most committed supporters will dispute that assessment. But when vulnerable incumbents openly break with the president on certain issues to protect their reelection prospects, the ice is getting thin.
Losing the House, the Senate or both in the midterms would be a warning sign heading into 2028. And if Democrats emerge from that election controlling Congress and the White House, the judiciary could face renewed pressure for change.
The prospect of expanding the Supreme Court to shift its ideological balance is a legitimate concern. For the firearms industry, the stakes include the future of favorable court rulings and the prospect of stricter gun control and punitive regulation.
Which gives us a little over two years to make as much progress as possible before the political landscape could change substantially.
The court battles will continue under the Supreme Court’s current makeup, backed by firearms organizations and the industry.
But building that softer side means giving more people places to shoot. We need to fund and start building more ranges now—public, private and commercial.
NSSF and Southwick Associates produced state reports showing where existing ranges are located and where shooters live. Those reports help states identify promising locations for new public ranges built with Wildlife Restoration funds.
And the federal share can cover up to 90% of an eligible public-range land acquisition, construction or expansion project. On a qualifying $1 million project, that leaves a $100,000 nonfederal share. That’s a meaningful incentive to start turning a range proposal into an actual place to shoot.
Partner with a Payer also identifies potential sources of matching support, including grant programs from the MidwayUSA Foundation, NRA, The 1791 Foundation and Easton Foundations. Eligibility depends on the project and program.
On the commercial side, Range USA opened its first location in 2012. It now has 52 locations nationwide offering more than 1,100 indoor shooting lanes.
Opening another 100 ranges in the next two years is a high hurdle. Securing funding, navigating local regulations, meeting building codes and completing construction all take time.
But we can’t count on the political climate staying in our favor, so there’s no time like the present to get more ranges underway. Otherwise, we’ll look back at this period and ask the same question I asked in 2013: Why didn’t we do more with the momentum we had?
– Paul Erhardt, Managing Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network
