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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2020

- ARCHERY -
From a completely redesigned limb and limb cup on the 2021 V3 to all-new the Prima (women’s) and Atlas (long-draw) models, Mathews’ 2021 hunting line offers a bow for every type of hunter.
For 2021, Easton has taken the small shaft hunting arrow concept to the next level with the introduction of the NEW 4MM AXIS Long Range.
- CANCELLATIONS/POSTPONEMENTS -
The Michigan Boating Industries Association has announced the cancellation of the 63rd annual Detroit Boat Show, which was scheduled to run January 16 - 24, 2021, at The TCF Center, (formerly Cobo Center), in Detroit.
Though sleigh rides will not be offered at a popular destination east of Hyrum this winter, you will still have a chance to see hundreds of wild elk.
- COMPETITION -
Serious holiday cash is up for grabs at the Ugly Stik World’s Largest Santa Claus Bass Tournament with a guaranteed $5,000 first-place cash prize, lucrative payout structure and other prizes to be awarded.

- ENFORCEMENT -
Two Polk County, Iowa minors have been cited for intentionally hitting and killing a buck deer with their pickup truck in Big Creek State Park on the evening of Nov. 11.
- FISHERIES -
Hundreds of yellow ovals offset the brown and green coloration of each female brown trout ready to spawn at the Manchester Fish Hatchery. The splashes of color are signs that trout spawning season is in full swing.
The final rule reduces the annual catch limit from 2.42 million pounds whole weight (mp ww) to 2.24 mp ww for the 2020 fishing year, and 2.23 mp ww for 2021 and subsequent fishing years, but size and bag limits for recreational anglers remain the same.
- GEAR -
One thing that makes Millennium Outdoors tree stands so popular is how comfortable their seats are. Millennium Marine also produces the same comfortable seats for its fishing and boating customers.

From the company that brought you the industry’s first FDA-compliant, direct-to-skin scent control, ElimiShield now offers that same proprietary technology that kills 99.99 of germs, in a fresh smelling, alcohol-free, moisturizing hand sanitizer.
- GRANTS -
Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, announces funding for the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative (OAI) grant program’s third quarter, supplying essential resources to local and national outdoor recreation and land stewardship organizations working to create and protect access to public land for outdoor recreation.
- HOLIDAYS -
Customize your own nautically themed greetings and help support boating safety and clean water efforts for recreational boaters.
- HUNTING -
Blaze orange clad hunters moving through Iowa’s timber will be a common sight when the first of two shotgun deer seasons open Dec. 5.

The first of Iowa’s two shotgun deer seasons opens on Dec. 5, and while optimism for a successful hunt is the primary focus, hunters are encouraged to brush up on safe hunting practices.
The fall hunting of all mountain lions in southwestern Montana hunting districts 310, 311, 360, 361 and 362, which include portions of Gallatin, Madison, Jefferson and Broadwater counties, will close at one-half hour after sunset on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will release rooster pheasants on 16 wildlife management areas prior to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
- INDUSTRY -
Gray Loon Marketing Group is excited to announce it has partnered with Chief Upland of Manitowoc, Wisc., to market the world’s first customizable front-loading upland hunting vest and more.

The Crandall, Texas Police Department has deployed the FACT Duty Weapon-Mounted Camera for officers in the field.
SIG SAUER, Inc. announces the achievement of two significant milestones of the Modular Handgun System program; delivery of the 200,000th MHS pistol manufactured at the SIG SAUER facility in Newington, New Hampshire, and the first month to have MHS pistols simultaneously delivered to all branches of the U.S. Military.
Winchester Deadly Passion, the popular TV series hosted by Melissa Bachman, and Silencer Central, the nation’s largest silencer dealer, have formed a new multi-year partnership effective immediately.
- JOBS -
This full-time position is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and includes creating and editing content for use on multiple media platforms.

- NEW PRODUCTS -
Sightmark announces the Core HX riflescope for 350 Legend and 450 Bushmaster. This 3-9x scope features fully multi-coated lenses and a range-finding BDC reticle designed specifically for whitetail deer.
ScentLok's BE:1 Fortress Parka in Realtree EXCAPE camo checks every box when it comes to cold-weather protection, comfort and durability.
FLIR Systems’ Raymarine brand electronics have been selected by premium yacht builders Princess Yachts, PRESTIGE, and Spirit Yachts for inclusion on their 2020 new model launches.
- NOW STREAMING -
Everest.com becomes one of only two online marketplaces to offer streaming entertainment to its customers, which they call Caliber Members.

- ONLINE -
Deer season – and buck fever - is here. Open MyOutdoorTV on a favorite device and watch six episodes of the “Tag Out Again” watchlist to virtually fill a tag.
Shine United announced the launch of a new website for Krieghoff International, a 130-year-old brand best-known for their elite competition shotguns and hunting rifles.
- STATES -
California anglers can now purchase 2021 fishing licenses and related items directly through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) website or authorized license agents.
A parking lot used to access the Days River Pathway in Delta County has been closed temporarily during logging operations expected to continue through the end of the month.

All Iowa Department of Natural Resources offices will be closed on Wednesday, Nov. 25 through Friday, Nov. 27. Normal business operations will resume on Monday, Nov. 30.
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents cited four men for undersized and over the bag limit redfish violations on Nov. 15 in Plaquemines Parish.
At its bi-monthly meeting yesterday, the Indiana Natural Resources Commission (NRC) accepted preliminary adoption of amendments to 312 IAC 9 related to hunting deer and wild turkeys, and trapping beavers.
Wyoming Game and Fish has released the Platte Valley Mule Deer Migration Corridor Draft Biological Risk and Opportunity Assessment. The public is invited to review the draft and submit comments.
- TELEVISION -
For the first time, all nine Bassmaster Elite events, as well as the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk will feature live television coverage as the Elite Series moves to the FOX Sports platforms beginning in February 2021.
This week on Guns & Gear, the team is testing predator protection with Black Hills’ 45-70, .44 Magnum & .44 Special Honey Badger loads.
This week, Shooting USA is at the Hornady Precision Rifle Challenge in the hills of Utah. Also, there’s first time training for new gun owners at Royal Range in Nashville.
- WILDLIFE -
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has allocated $846,443 for research in 2020. Those funds leveraged an additional $4,771,734 in partner dollars.
Arizona Deer Association has started a 24 mile water pipeline project on the H4 Ranch in Southern Gila County. The ranch recently lost all of their water infrastructure due to the 200,000-acre Bush Fire, where 90% of the H4 allotment burned.
- YOUTH PROGRAMS -
The Scholastic Action Shooting Program has been named the National Governing Body for NCAA Pistol by the NCAA pistol coaches.
 

As we watched our late summer turn into a suddenly frosty fall, we realized there were still plenty of preparedness things we’d let slide over the summer.

Sometimes, it takes uncertainty to make us realize there are gaps in our prep work. If there’s one thing everyone will agree on, it’s that 2020 has had enough uncertainty for everyone.

Replenishment of our first aid gear and the refreshing of our battery powered devices were the two most obvious things we’d let slide through the proverbial cracks.

And a long summer of bumps, scrapes, cuts, stings and reactions have definitely depleted our household first aid kits. A replenishment was in order.

The COVID-19 lockdowns preserved the gear in our auto-based first aid kits, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check supplies in all your first aid kits.

When I checked my car kit, I’d crushed one of the “glow stick” emergency lights by carelessly tossing something on it. A glow stick that won’t glow isn’t much use. So it was replaced. Everything else was untouched.

In our household kits, however, we’d used a lot of supplies. Mostly the common items across all the kits: antiseptics, cleaning towelettes, sting relief cream, alcohol pads, wipes, band-aids (a LOT of those in a variety of sizes), cotton swabs, and antiseptic creams. They were easily replaced by a couple of bulk buys.

Here’s a hint that can keep you from tossing tubes of expired antiseptic creams: buy packages of individual doses. You may pay slightly more as opposed than larger tubes, but you’ll have significantly less waste.

Buying individualized doses of antiseptics can keep you from winding up with slightly used, but thoroughly expired, topicals.

Fortunately, we hadn’t touched the more serious dressings. Your kits will likely be the same. If you’ve used all your larger bandages, you might want to consider reviewing your safety practices while replenishing your first aid kits.

We have adequate AC/solar chargers to keep our rechargeable devices fresh, but we still have a lot of devices that use specialized batteries. From radios and flashlights to laser sights to range finding binoculars, the modern outdoor life is battery powered. And not all those are available in rechargeable.

In a long period of instability, you will quickly realize the “modern outdoorsman” is really going to be reduced to a less-modern status if/when batteries run out. And as good as batteries are today, they’re not going to last forever.

I re-learned a couple of things during my little exercise.

There’s entirely too-much variety in my battery variety. I totally get - now- why the military has put such emphasis on “shelf-ready technology”. If you need 1/3 N batteries, you’re not likely to find them in your average convenience store.

AA and AAA don’t pose big challenges, but even they can be very problematic - and expensive - in emergencies. Buy them before you need them. Keep spares, but make certain they’re performing close to their peak before installing them. Otherwise, you’re tempting fate.

Batteries bought in bulk and in advance, are considerably cheaper than those fancy little packages hanging in the retail aisles.

For “expendables” - those items you will use, then recycle, it also makes far more sense. You either have a ready supply on hand, or know to re-order.

2032 Wafers batteries in bulk don’t take up much space. 100 of them take about the same space as a paperback book. The rubber band prevents your finding out they’re not fastened into the trays.

Consider 2032 wafer-style batteries (used in many optical sights, lasers, and rangefinders). Bulk buying lots of 100 costs only slightly more than six two-packs at retail. Same deal with the CR123 batteries that power flashlights, lasers and other high-tech optics.

Buying bulk saves serious money in the long run - and enables you to initiate a scheduled maintenance/refresh program on your calendar. Yes, it’s OK to remind yourself to check batteries before you actually need the device they power.

9-volt batteries pack a significant amount of power inside. Using a rubber band or piece of electrical tape to cover the terminals prevents an eye-opening accident.

Here’s a lesson you don’t want to learn the hard way: If you’re storing 9-volts, either put a piece of electrical tape across or a rubber band over the terminals. Otherwise, you have a fire hazard.

Accidentally shorting a 9-volt battery by dropping it into a pocket with other metal (think coins, knives, ammo, tools) is an enlightening experience.

But it’s also the basis for a solid a survival tip: if you have a 9 volt battery and some steel wool, you have a dandy fire starter. Separate the steel wool into a “fuzz” then put the battery terminals of the 9 volt battery against it. It will flame up more than enough to start a fire.

Try it. It’s one of those tricks that might help you in a tight situation one day.

These are all small things, until there’s a BIG need.

—Jim Shepherd

 
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