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FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019

- AIRGUNS -
Velocity Outdoor announced the launch of the 2nd generation Benjamin Fortitude, the latest   generation of  pre-charged pneumatic air rifles for hunters and shooters, in .177 and .22 calibers.
- AMMUNITION -
The Redding Instant Indicator Comparator Tool is now available in the 6 mm Creedmoor cartridge and the 224 Valkyrie. The tool allows for quick and precise comparison to determine headspace.
- COMPETITION -
Hornady congratulates the performance of Team Hornady shooter Robert Brantley, who didn’t shoot any sighters, and used the Hornady 4DOF solver for a clean second place finish at the King of the Two Mile in Raton, New Mexico.

The 100th Annual National Smallbore Rifle Championships are less than a week away, but there is still time to be a part of history. Wa-Ke’-De rifle range in Bristol, IN, will once again host the Championships from July 17-28.
- CONTESTS -
The State-Fish Art Contest, sponsored by Bass Pro Shops, is a great hands-on activity to teach the joys of fishing and lessons of aquatic conservation. The free program provides a structured activity guide and allows students to be challenged by creating fish art and writing about their chosen species.
- ENFORCEMENT -
Two new Utah Division of Wildlife Resources K9 conservation officers are already hard at work. Last weekend, the officers successfully assisted other agencies with searches and also caught people illegally fishing.
- EVENTS -
Indiana's Brown County State Park will be having a 75th birthday party for Smokey Bear on July 20. Events will be at the state park Nature Center beginning at 10 a.m.

Help clean Patoka Lake and earn a T-shirt and other prizes during the Patoka Lake Watershed Steering Committee’s 13th annual Patoka Lake Clean Up on Saturday, Aug. 24 at the Patoka Lake Dam beginning at 8 a.m.
- FIREARMS -
Springfield Armory announced new M-LOK compatible SAINT rifles chambered in 5.56mm NATO. These SAINT rifles now feature slim M-LOK compatible handguards from Bravo Company, with an internal aluminum heat shield.
- GEAR -
Frabill is excited to announce that their new extra-large, 30-Quart Magnum Bait Station has taken top prize at ICAST 2019 - winning this year's Best in Show for Bait Management.
Plano is excited to announce that their new line of EDGE products has taken top prize at ICAST 2019 - winning this year's Best in Show for Best Tackle Management.

- ICAST -
- INDUSTRY -
O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc. announced the appointment of Douglas Bell as company President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective immediately. As President and COO, Bell will have responsibility for all the company’s operating units, and will report directly to Chief Executive Officer, Iver Mossberg.
Garmin, and its Force™ Trolling Motor, has won “Best of Show” in the ICAST 2019 New Product Showcase.
Heckler & Koch Defense Inc. is gearing up to deliver between 5,000 and 6,000 complete rifle weapon systems to the US Amy, which plans to deploy them as M110A1 Squad Designated Marksman Rifles

Outdoor Sportsman Group and Realtree are pleased to announce an extension of the existing partnership between their two industry-leading brands.
Lapua is proud to announce their second USA Lapua Rimfire Test Center at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio. The new Lapua Rimfire Test Center will offer competitive shooters and consumers alike the opportunity to match individual lots of Lapua ammunition to their match rifles and pistols.
Can-Am Off-Road vehicles will be on display in booth #529 at the upcoming Ag in Motion Farm Expo near Langham, Saskatchewan. On display will be a variety of Can-Am Off-Road Vehicles for both work and play.
Yamaha Marine Precision Propellers (YPPI), Inc. broke ground recently on a new 54,000 square foot manufacturing facility on five of 28 acres in Greenfield, Ind.

- LEGISLATION -
The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies "strongly supports" the introduction of legislation to modernize the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act in the Senate.
Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus Member (CSC) Senator Jim Risch (ID), and CSC Senate Leaders Senators Deb Fischer (NE), Martin Heinrich (NM), John Boozman (AR), and Joe Manchin (WV) were joined by fellow CSC Members Senators Lamar Alexander (TN), Doug Jones (AL), Tom Cotton (AR), and Angus King (ME) in introducing the Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow's Needs Act.
Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Pat Roberts (R-KS), John Cornyn (R-TX) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) have introduced bipartisan legislation to address the shortage of agricultural inspectors who protect our food supply and agricultural industries at the border.
- NEW PRODUCTS -
Mammoth Coolers will be showcasing the Trekker Waterproof Dry Backpack, the Frontier Submersible Duffle and the Angler Insulated Fish Kill Bag at this year’s annual ICAST Show in Orlando, FL, July 10th through July 12th.

Clenzoil is proud to showcase the company’s new Reel Care Kit at the 2019 ICAST Show in Orlando, FL, July 9th thru 12th at Booth #2934.
- ONLINE -
Eagle Industries is celebrating its all-new eCommerce website with the launch of a new video series titled “Eagle : BEYOND.” The series focuses on four top-tier military personnel who are taking their experience and training to the next level in their post-service lives.
- ORGANIZATIONS -
The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) recently welcomed Leah Bell and Jaden Bjorklund as interns for the fall semester.
Houston Safari Club (HSC) HSC is excited to announce its support for the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act introduced in the U.S. House by Representatives Dingell (D-MI-12) and Fortenberry (R-NE-01).
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the owner of the annual trade-only Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show, is pleased to announce several changes to its sponsorship and exhibits sales team.

- PUBLIC NOTICES -
Citing an emergency need for eligible individuals of all blood types, the American Red Cross has issued a “desperate" call for donors.
- RADIO -
This week on The Revolution with Jim & Trav, the countdown is on to early season whitetail hunting. Listen in as the boys and their panel of industry experts talk scouting, trail cameras, food sources, early season tactics and more.
Orlando, Florida is the center of the sportfishing world this week as ICAST 2019 showcases the latest innovations in baits, tackle, and marine electronics. Outdoor Guys Radio will highlight some of their favorite new products and feature interviews from the convention center floor on this week’s.
Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World Radio host Rob Keck explores RV and family travel with husband and wife team Jeremy and Stephanie Puglisi. The Puglisis are co-hosts of the "RV Family Travel Atlas" podcast and authors of the "Idiots Guide to RV Vacations".
- RECREATION -
Ohio’s canoe instructor course is only the third paddling skills curriculum in the nation to earn the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators’ Verified Course mark
- RETAIL -
Honor Defense has developed a new concept in firearm retailing that provides the ultimate in differentiation. Honor Defense has developed a “Design Center” where consumers can design their own pistol in the store.
- SPONSORSHIPS -
Remington Arms and Ammunition has joined the list of sponsors for the Boone and Crockett Club’s 30th Big Game Awards, scheduled for August 1-3, 2019, in Springfield, Missouri.
The Pope and Young Club is proud to announce the support of Kenetrek Boots through the Club’s Corporate Partner Program.
- STATES -
The Ohio Wildlife Council received several new fishing proposals at its regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday. If approved, proposed regulations will take effect Jan. 1, 2020.
- TELEVISION -
Doug Koenig’s Championship Season returns to Pursuit Channel for its ninth season. With a new format allowing two guns per stage, Doug double downs and turns up the heat at the 2019 Safariland Expedition Multi-gun match at the Vegas Pro Gun Club in Las Vegas.
 

Following Wednesday’s interview with David Dell’Aquila, the leader of a movement of NRA members determined to make changes at the National Rifle Association, we had an outpouring of response from our readers. As you can imagine, not everyone agreed with his assertion that the NRA had to have radical transformation in its management to survive.

Today, the NRA’s management is back in the news after ousted President Oliver North’s legal team filed a brief responding to the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre having accused North of having attempted to stage a “coup” to oust LaPierre.

“At no time did North seek the removal of LaPierre” the filing reads, “Nonetheless, LaPierre attacked North publicly in an attempt to undermine North and his efforts to address allegations of fiscal misconduct at the NRA.”

North’s legal team says the letter from LaPierre accusing him of threatening to “smear” LaPierre if he didn’t leave his position was “false and defamatory” when, in fact, what North had demanded was outside professionals to conduct an internal review which, they add, was in his responsibilities as an NRA president and board member.

“LaPierre…demonstrated his total dictatorial control over the NRA…stopped all of North’s inquiries and prevented the NRA from looking into the concerns that North raised,” the filing continued.

The NRA’s outside counsel, William A. Brewer III, responded to the document with a statement calling the North response “a misguided attempt to deflect from reality.”

It is rumored the North legal team has also filed for a change of venue to the NRA/North case, asking that it be moved from New York to Virginia.

Without going any further into the legal wrangling, this sort of “he said-she said” back-and-forth is exactly the type of behavior David Dell’Aquila says led him to put up the website www.helpsavethenra.com and campaign with other significant NRA donors to vote with their wallets.

When I interviewed him on Tuesday, he showed me “pledges” - an unusual term for promises not to give money, but an accurate term nonetheless- from former NRA contributors that totaled just over $135 million dollars.

Yesterday, Dell’Aquila called to let me know that the interest in the website had continued to grow, along with the “pledges”. As of our conversation yesterday, he says the total of funds that will not be going to the NRA totaled just over $148 million dollars. Interestingly, it seems a large number of those funds represent contributions from lower-tiered contributors, i.e., the NRA members who don’t have excess funds to contribute.

If that’s the case, it’s yet another indication that the member unrest, roiled by a decided lack of information from the organization’s Virginia headquarters is growing, rather than receding.

With that having been said, here’s a sampling of the responses to our Wednesday feature - although I have removed names and email addresses. There are, however, no anonymous comments included below. If a comment appears, we have the name, email address and have verified the identity of the person submitting the comments.

Reader Responses to Wednesday’s feature

“Loved the NRA wire yesterday. I pulled all my advertising out of the NRA for the rest of the year due to the crap going on at NRA.”

“ I received my (seemingly weekly) NRA request for money, and I sent it back to them, hand-written across the form, “When Wayne LaPierre resigns and is totally out of the NRA, you will begin to receive my financial donations once again; but not until then. I’m a life member, so I can’t withhold annual dues, otherwise I would.”

Thanks for that written piece; it sure needed to be said.”

“From what I can glean from various media reports, I’d say that Mr. Dell’Aquila is dead on. Personally, I’d reduce the board even further and mandate a move from NY to a gun-friendly state. As a Benefactor member, I have some skin in this game. I don’t donate a lot on a yearly basis (retired now, so cash flow is an issue). I guess we know why they’re always sending me letters that the sky is falling <rueful smile>. I’m going to change that. The SAF can always use money.

Thanks for your reporting on this issue.”

—-

“Thanks for the good info on what is happening at the NRA. I quit my membership after it ran out about a year ago and now send all my donations to NAGR….I am not in favor of supporting Alaskan fishing trips unless they invite me!

—-

“I've tolerated the NRA's mailing crap forever (I'm 64 and a member since I was 18) because the organization was effective. But the appeals and bogus surveys are not becoming of the NRA and their goal of protecting the 2nd. Now that we've had a peek under the tent, the BS has to stop. Until then I'm voting with my checkbook and sending my cash to the SAF.”

“Luckily we have a (semi) friend in the White House and this upheaval couldn't have come at a better time. Let's clean house now.”

“I've served on six boards of directors during my working days (charity, law enforcement, recreation, and industry) and all were staffed with a combination of long-in-the-tooth professionals and young, hard working go-getters who would not tolerate any spending on themselves. During long sessions, it was bring your own meal or starve. I consider a fully paid for board retreat to Alaska (with fishing) or to Whittington Center (with hunting) to be graft and abuse of the members. I see now why the NRA's leadership had 76 board members. They were kept fat, dumb and happy so they would go along to get along. And it's hard to get 76 people to agree to change the direction of the ship. Divide and conquer.“

“If we lose the NRA, we are done.

As much as i would love to see change, we need an ORDERLY change.

The RADICAL change proposed by the “save the NRA” crew is waaay too much; too fast.

God help us all; the enemy is feasting on our liberty.”

“Thanks very much for the info on the NRA. They don’t have the courage to address the members directly, so it is nice to hear from a credible industry source on what is really going on. It is mine boggling that every penny that I ever contributed and more was wasted on a single trip.

No more (however small) from me till Lapierre is gone.

And to think I used to be concerned about the cost of all the junk mail. Little did I know.”

—-

“Please keep reporting... the truth!”

There are many, many more, but this is a representative sampling of the tone and tenor of the responses. NRA members, and gun owners in general, are very concerned.

One final note: in Wednesday’s feature, I reversed the responsibilities of a Board of Directors and a CEO, writing that the CEO’s job was to provide oversight to the Board of Directors. Thanks to the readers that reminded me that it is the responsibility of the Board of Directors to provide oversight of the CEO. Business school 101 mistake- and my apologies.

As always, we’ll keep you posted.

—Jim Shepherd

OUTDOOR WIRE
Event Calendar

JULY 30 - AUGUST 1
Import/Export Conference

Washington, DC (Website)

AUGUST 1-3
Boone and Crockett Club's 30th Big Game Awards

Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium, Springfield, Missouri, https://www.biggameawards.com/

 
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