ScentLok introduces Silentude, a new hunting apparel line featuring ultra-quiet fabric engineered to minimize noise during deer hunts. The jacket, bib, and pant incorporate Carbon Alloy® odor control, Precip-X™ water resistance, and articulated design for mobility, with Marketing Director Steve Allie calling it "the quietest suit we've ever developed."

Leupold & Stevens, Inc. announced its Fall 2026 Field Wear collection featuring the Kinetic Jacket, Hibernator Hooded Fleece Jacket, and Radium and Radium Pro Pants. According to Evietta Chapman, Apparel Product Line Manager, each product was developed from scratch to deliver the same performance quality as Leupold's sporting optics.

Victory Archery announces a partnership with competitive archer and outdoor creator Bella Otter. The collaboration brings together Bella's discipline and competitive mindset with Victory's carbon arrow engineering and precision technology to deliver performance when every shot matters.

Michigan DNR Conservation Officers Kris Kiel and Brad Silorey, partnering with the U.S. Coast Guard, rescued a father and son from Lake St. Clair after they became stranded when a propeller line tangled. Both men were hospitalized for hypothermia in water temperatures in the low 60s.

The 12th Annual Benelli USA Invitational at The Point at Pintail in Queenstown, Maryland, brought together 200 competitive shooters to support Freedom Hunters, a nonprofit providing outdoor adventures for veterans and their families. The event raised $115,000, bringing the total raised through the Benelli USA Invitational to over $1,215,000 since its inception.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is working with Lyme Great Lakes Timberlands on a 152,000-acre working forest conservation easement in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Public tours are scheduled for October 8 and 15 to showcase the project's diverse habitats and recreational opportunities.

Robert Hautman of Delano, Minnesota, won the 2026 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest with an acrylic painting of a Long-tailed Duck pair, marking his fourth victory. The competition, hosted by Ducks Unlimited at its Memphis headquarters, received 331 entries. The winning artwork will appear on the 2027-2028 Federal Duck Stamp, supporting wetland conservation across the United States.

Ryan Rickaby of Suamico, Wisconsin won Oklahoma's 2027-28 Waterfowl Stamp Design Contest with an acrylic painting of a white-fronted goose, earning a $1,200 purchase award. This marks the second consecutive year a Wisconsin artist has won the contest. The stamp's revenue supports the Wildlife Department's wetland habitat conservation activities.

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and National Rifle Association (NRA) filed an amicus brief in Daniel Defense v. Lowy, arguing that military-themed firearms advertising should not create manufacturer liability for third-party crimes. SAF Director Kostas Moros and Executive Director Adam Kraut contend that military themes have historically accompanied civilian arms commerce since the Founding.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will host the inaugural Legacy Lunker Awards Banquet on October 29 at the North Little Rock Event Center. One of 17 anglers will win a 21-foot Xpress boat, with professional angler Fred Roumbanis providing keynote remarks on Arkansas's new trophy bass management era.

SLG2, Inc. will bring its Shoot Like A Girl experience to the Oaklawn Outdoor Show at the 2026 Black Bass World Championship in Hot Springs, Arkansas, October 1-3. The mobile range will offer firearms, archery, and outdoor product demonstrations led by certified instructors, welcoming women, men, and families of all skill levels.

Traverse City will celebrate the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund's 50th anniversary on September 29, featuring projects including Discovery Pier, FishPass, TART Trails, and Brown Bridge Quiet Area. The event highlights community collaborations between the Michigan DNR, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, and local township officials.

The annual Airing of the Quilts Festival in Gee's Bend, Alabama on October 3 celebrates world-famous quilters including Doris Mosely and Mary Margaret Pettway. Visitors can purchase quilts directly from artisans, watch demonstrations, and enjoy live music from performers like the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church Choir, with proceeds supporting the quilting community and cultural preservation.

The Arizona Deer Association is raffling a Special Big Game Elk Tag with a Sept. 30 deadline. Tickets cost $20 with no purchase limits, and all proceeds support the Arizona Game and Fish Department and Arizona Habitat Partnership Committee's conservation efforts.

Benchrest Shooting Hall of Fame member and firearms industry executive John "Jack" Neary passed away on September 25. Neary, a Capstone Precision Group executive and Team Lapua member, set multiple world records and dedicated decades to mentoring shooters through clinics and his YouTube channel All Things Benchrest with Friends.

The Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development added six plants to the state's invasive species list and implemented a firewood quarantine effective January 1, 2027. NotMISpecies webinars featuring MDARD officials Susie Iott, Katie Grzesiak, and Amber Neils will explain the new regulations and compliance requirements for businesses and consumers.

The National Bowhunter Education Foundation appointed Aaron Nickson as Arkansas State Chairman, Richard English for California, and Alan Jones for Washington state. These State Chairmen will work with local game and fish professionals to provide IBEP/ICEP bowhunter education courses and serve as liaisons with local bowhunters.

Brad Luttrell, entrepreneur and founder of Prologue, will appear on the Houston Safari Club Foundation's Hunting Matters podcast to discuss his experience building GoWild, authentic storytelling in the outdoor industry, suburban hunting opportunities, and balancing entrepreneurship with family and outdoor pursuits.

Savage Arms introduces the AXIS 2 PRO Bottomland rifle featuring Mossy Oak Original Bottomland camouflage finish and ergonomic stock with adjustable length of pull. Available in 15 popular hunting calibers with both right- and left-hand configurations at $689 MSRP, the rifle combines proven performance features with classic camouflage for hunters.

Bear Ops, the tactical division of Bear & Son Cutlery, launches the Load Out I, a USA-made assisted-opening EDC pocketknife featuring a 3.5-inch Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel blade and lightweight aluminum handles. Available in Black & Copper and Gray & Blue colorways with an MSRP of $109.99 to $114.99.

Orchid announced its Firearm Digital Marketing service exclusively for retailers using Orchid eCommerce, addressing the advertising restrictions imposed by Google, Meta, and TikTok on firearms retailers. Led by Erik Sherman, the service focuses on search engine optimization, conversion rate optimization, email marketing, and marketplace listings, with monthly performance reporting against baseline metrics.

Galco unveils the Combat Master 2.0, a modernized pancake holster for Glock 17 with or without carry optics. The professional-grade belt holster features hand-molded construction, premium steerhide, and accommodates most carry-style optics while maintaining compatibility with iron-sighted pistols.

KDG is shipping its new BOM Series Optic Mounts in three weeks, featuring modular configurations for ACRO, Aimpoint COA, Micro T1/T2, and RMR footprints with dual heights of 1.57" and 1.93". The expandable ecosystem will include 30mm and 34mm ring configurations in Q1 2027, building on KDG's SideLok mounting system success.

WOOX, an Italian-American maker of premium outdoor gear, announces the M-LOK Leather Cartridge Quiver, handcrafted in Naples from premium Tuscan leather. The quiver holds six cartridges and securely attaches to firearms with M-LOK slots, featuring soft suede lining and compatibility with common rifle calibers.

Real Avid introduces professional-grade optic mounting tools including the Master Grade® Scope Mounting & Bore Sighting Kit, Smart-Torq® Adjustable Limiter and X3™ Driver Kit, Level-Right® Pro, and Accu-Grip™ Picks & Brushes to help shooters achieve precise rifle setup and repeatable accuracy before heading to the range.

Bleecker Street Publications launched a self-service advertising portal offering advertisers 24/7 access to digital display, native advertising, programmatic solutions, and other marketing opportunities. The platform streamlines campaign management across the company's portfolio including Athlon Untamed, RottenGunReviews.com, Ballistic, Tactical Life, and GAT Daily.

Whitewater Fishing, a performance fishing apparel maker, has joined Whitetails Unlimited as a national sponsor. WTU President Jeff Schinkten welcomed the partnership, noting that Whitewater's high-performance gear aligns with the outdoor interests of WTU's 120,000-plus members.

Michigan DNR's Upper Peninsula staffers will answer viewer questions live on WNMU-TV13's "Ask the DNR" hosted by Mike Settles on Thursday, October 1 at 8 p.m. EST. Panelists include Mike Evink, John Bauman, Brian Roell, and Tom Seablom, with the U.P. Whitetails Association of Marquette County underwriting the broadcast.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department encourages hunters to voluntarily use non-lead ammunition. Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Jason Batchelder notes that non-lead copper or copper alloy bullets are now widely manufactured and provide health benefits for wildlife and safer game meat for human consumption.

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission unanimously rejected two citizen petitions: one from Footloose Montana and Gallatin Wildlife Association requiring 24-hour trap checks on public land, and another from Patty Ames on behalf of approximately 65 NGOs requesting mandatory bear spray in grizzly habitat. The commission approved FWP staff to prepare a draft predator management policy for future consideration.

Pursuit Channel announced its Q4 programming lineup featuring popular series including Doug Koenig's Championship Season, Target Rich Environment, Viejo Creek Outdoors, The Choice hosted by Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo, MOJO Untamed with Terry Denmon, Open Season TV, and Higdon Outdoors. The network reaches over 20 million linear television homes and 120 million streaming users across multiple platforms.

I don't like anyone telling me what to do, especially the government. But sometimes I’ll make exceptions. 

Like when government messages are for my own good. 

Much of what a state agency like Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks does is to explain what is legal and not. You need to have a Conservation License to use a fishing access site. You must wear 400 square inches of blaze orange when big-game hunting. It’s not legal to shoot at waterfowl after sunset. 

That type of thing. 

But what about ethics? For the most part, thankfully, FWP keeps its nose out of your business, despite being urged by individuals and groups to promote their pet concerns. That’s smart. Some anglers want everyone to release every trout they catch, even when it’s legal to keep a few. Some hunters denounce shooting ducks on the water, even though someone like me might want to take the sure shot and not risking missing or, even worse, wounding the bird. 

The list goes on and on. What I think is unethical or unsportsmanlike, like shooting at an elk beyond 400 yards, may be just fine with you, and vice versa. FWP’s role in such matters, generally, is to make clear what is legal and not, enforce those laws, and then butt out of the rest. 

The exceptions come when certain behaviors—even though legal—can endanger people’s own lives, or the lives, property, or recreational experience of others. One example is FWP’s yearly Bear Aware campaign. Each September, the department goes into overdrive promoting things people can do—like carrying accessible bear spray and securing food  attractants—to reduce the odds they will be harmed by a bear or that a bear will need to be killed for doing something that could have been prevented, like raiding campsites scattered with accessible food. 

Another area where I’m okay with FWP cautioning me and others is when it comes to water and hypothermia safety: Don’t boat in high water. Stay off thin ice. Always wear a well-fitting life jacket (PFD) when boating—especially in fall, winter, and spring when water is dangerously cold. 

Or when the department warns against crowding others at boat ramps or while floating down a river. 

Again, none of these messages focuses on illegal activity, only behaviors that can put someone’s life at risk or ruin others’ recreational experience. 

It’s in this light that FWP has in recent years been promoting ethical hunter behavior on private property. 

“We’ve been focusing on the five main things landowners have told us some hunters do that they really find annoying—leaving closed gates open, littering, driving across fields, shooting near livestock, and knocking on doors before dawn to ask permission,” says Greg Lemon, head of the department’s Communication and Education Division. 

Lemon explains that the landowner focus is critical because so many of FWP wildlife habitat and hunting access programs are on private property. “Without the cooperation of landowners, a huge amount of habitat improvement and hunter access just wouldn’t exist,” he says. 

The FWP campaign is “Protect the Hunt. Respect Access.” (Learn more here)

“The idea is that hunting on private land is a privilege, and we all need to respect that and act accordingly,” Lemon says. “Otherwise, we could lose millions of acres of access, which would threaten hunting in Montana as we know it today.” 

In addition to the behaviors Lemon lists above, hunters also need to patrol their 
own ranks. 

“It’s not just doing the right thing yourself but making sure others do, too,” he says. “When you see someone messing up a Block Management Area, say something to that person, or take down their license number and call the local game warden.” 

That’s because they are also messing with your and my opportunities to hunt there and other private lands in the future. 

Protecting public access by improving landowner relations? That’s one private affair I’m happy to see government stick its nose into.

– Tom Dickson, Illustration by Gary Palmer

Today's feature is courtesy of Montana Outdoors Magazine, and is reprinted here with their permission. Montana Outdoors is the official magazine of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. You can subscribe to Montana Outdoors here.