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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

- EDITOR'S NOTE -
In observance of the Labor Day holiday there will be no wires on Monday, September 6. Our schedule resumes with our normal Tuesday, September 7 wires. Non-dated releases received after 4:30 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, September 2 will be included in our Tuesday, September 7 editions.
- CAMPING -
The Labor Day weekend is an excellent time to squeeze in an end-of-summer camping trip before kids head back to school and the bustling fall begins. While packing for your trip, considering adding a few items to make sure your campsite doesn’t accidently attract bears or other curious wildlife.
- COMPETITION -
1st Lt. James Minturn, 29, of the U.S. Marine Corps shooting team claimed both the Three-Gun and Four-Gun Aggregate competitions during the Games portion of the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s National Rifle Matches.
- FISHING TOURNAMENTS -
Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Ontario brought a five-bass limit to the scale Saturday weighing 27 pounds, 6 ounces to win the three-day Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at the St. Lawrence River in Massena, New York.
- GEAR -
Part of Galco's Concealed Carry Lite line, the Stow-N-Go inside the waistband holster merges Galco’s quality, comfort, and performance with extreme affordability as an option for daily CCW needs.

- GRANTS -
Michigan’s Invasive Species Grant Program is now accepting proposals for the 2021 funding cycle, with an anticipated $3.6 million available to applicants.
- HUNTING -
The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s two-month public survey on wild turkey sightings has ended, but participants are encouraged to report their July and August sightings through Monday, Sept. 6.
- INDUSTRY -
Darren Jacobson returns full time to the firearms industry as Midwest Sales Director for Legacy Sports. He will be covering Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa and Illinois.
Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. reported their first quarter Fiscal Year 2022 financial results. They reported record gross margin of 47.3%, record Q1 net sales of $274.6 million and two-year compounded sales growth of nearly 170%.

- NEW PRODUCTS -
Bond Arms introduces the Girl Mini and Mama Bear – with a feminine flair. Consider them the ultimate everyday accessory, one that’s small and lightweight yet packs a potent punch.
Manufactured to meet the needs of inshore to offshore saltwater anglers, the new Daiwa Eliminator spinning reel brings a host of features and superb performance.
Hawke® Optics has added a new series to its line of Airmax Air Riflescopes – the new Airmax 30WA SF.
The new and improved Fanatic Outdoors Low Down Hunting Seat in Realtree EDGE Camo provides unparalleled comfort and maneuverability in the field.

FN America, LLC announced the release of the FN 303 Tactical Less Lethal Launcher. FN answered requests from law enforcement officers and agencies to make key improvements to ergonomics and adaptability while extending service life.
O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc. is expanding their MVP Patrol bolt-action rifle series with a 300 AAC Blackout offering. This series of multi-purpose MVP rifles is a great choice for target shooting, hunting, home defense and plinking; all with the convenience of AR-magazine compatibility.
Mossberg expands the 940 family with the 940 Pro Field auto shotgun in 12 ga. Sporting a 28-inch vent rib barrel with front fiber optic sight, the barrel is also threaded for Mossberg’s AccuChoke system and includes Full, Modified and Improved Cylinder choke tubes.
Holosun introduces the new AEMS optic – the Advanced Enclosed Micro Sight. It weighs 3.9 oz. and is 11% shorter in length than the standard 20mm micro-style optics while offering twice the lens surface area.

Mossberg is bringing their high-performance 12-gauge autoloading shotgun platform to the hunting market with the introduction of two waterfowl-dedicated shotguns – the 940 Pro Waterfowl and the 940 Pro Snow Goose, featuring Cerakote metal surfaces, chrome-lined barrels, HIVIZ TriComp sights and camo-finished stocks and forends.
- ONLINE -
Berger Production Engineer, Garett Stoddard, visits the Australian Hunting Podcast to talk Berger bullets and ammunition, ballistics, terminal performance, and more in the hour-long episode.
- ORGANIZATIONS -
“Just in time for the rapidly approaching hunting seasons, this expansion of public lands for recreational access is welcome news for hunters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts,” said Ducks Unlimited CEO Adam Putnam.
Choosing Ducks Unlimited (DU) Regional Director and Director of Development of the Year is always challenging. After careful deliberation, Jarrett Lafferty and James Roberts were honored for their fundraising efforts. Also recognized this year for outstanding achievement is Senior Director of Fundraising and Stewardship, Tammy Parisotto.

- PARTENRSHIPS -
Big Frig will showcase its partnership with the National Wild Turkey Federation by donating a spot on the hood of the No. 47 NASCAR Xfinity Series Big Frig Chevrolet featuring the NWTF's new logo.
- PARTNERSHIPS -
The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) has entered an official agreement with Groove Life Corp., maker of unique products designed especially for anyone who pursues an active, physical lifestyle.
- PROMOTIONS -
Primary Arms has announced the launch of their ‘SMS Club’, which offers limited-time sales and special offers. On September 15th, members who signed up will receive their first message with an exclusive promotion.
- PUBLISHING -
Outdoor Indiana magazine’s September/October issue features a cover article on duck species that can be found around the Hoosier state, highlighted by the cover photo of a colorful wood duck.

- RADIO -
Houston Safari Club Foundation (HSCF) and “Hunting Matters” welcomes Bryan Koontz, founder and CEO of Guidefitter.
This week, Outdoors Radio features Vorsheer owner Steve McCloud and company chief growth officer Mark Mauzy, big-game hunters Matty McHugh and Chris Benzing, charter captain “Dumper Dan” Welsch, and Pappas Trading Post’s archery expert, JC Chamberlin.
- RECREATION -
Many state-designated trails across northern Lower Michigan – specifically in Lake and Wexford counties – were impacted by strong storms this past weekend. Many trees and branches broke and fell onto trails, creating hazardous obstacles.
- RETAIL -
As the 2021 big game hunting season begins to ramp up, CenterPoint Archery announces their new Wrath™ 430 is now available for crossbow enthusiasts.

- STATES -
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) invites the public to attend a virtual public meeting focusing on managing hydrilla in Lake Apopka on Thursday, Sept. 16, 6-8 p.m.
Eight applicants are approved for funding from Indiana's Community Hunting Access Program (CHAP), which creates deer hunting opportunities at nine different locations.

 

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) State Lands Division has announced the youth deer and duck hunt schedules for the M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area (FWFTA) in Hale County.

 

The Family Aquatic Center at Nebraska’s Eugene T. Mahoney State Park will be closed on Labor Day, September 6, because of a lifeguard shortage.

The Upland Game Bird Council will meet in Missoula on September 13 and 14 to review habitat enhancement activities that occurred during the 2021 field season.
- TELEVISION -
This week on MOJO TV, there is nothing better to warm up for waterfowl season than a good pigeon hunt.
 

This is our final edition before the Labor Day weekend gets underway. But this year doesn’t really seem much like a holiday, more like a pause before the craziness resumes.

I’ve never enjoyed writing “holiday” columns, but one’s especially tough. We’re 20 years and eight days from a date that is inescapably etched into my memory. Since September 11, 2001, my entire global view has been changed. Areas I once dreamed of visiting aren’t even on my bucket list anymore.

Of course, travel these days isn’t as hassle-free as it once was. Yesterday, I received my pre-flight instructions from our airline. It looked more like the checklist for a visit to a viral research facility than a welcome from a major public carrier.

Between the post-9/11 security measures and the covid-19 requirements, there’s precious little joy in travel.

But if you’re traveling, be aware of a few facts:

  1. Fuel will undoubtedly be more expensive
  2. People won’t like that, consequently,
  3. They will be even more irritable than the new normal.

Be smart about your travel and remember, if you’re away from home, you’re the guest, not the host. Be a good guest instead of a crabby host.

New NICS numbers out yesterday seem to confirm the fact that outside the administration, there’s not much appetite for limiting the flow of domestic firearms. The newly-adjusted NSSF NICS numbers show a slight decline (2.1%) over 2020, but it’s still a very big number: 1,328,518.

All totaled, the adjusted numbers from January 2021-August 2021 reflects a 10.3% decrease over last year’s record-setting results. August’s numbers, FYI, were the second strongest on record, surpassed only by August of last year.

So what? Well, the 12.4 million background checks for the sale of firearms does a pretty solid job of destroying any narrative that “Americans are crying out for gun control.” When you factor in that women - including a growing number of black and brown women- are in those new numbers, you realize that people aren’t “crying out for gun control” they’re crying out for crime control.

As the NSSF’s Mark Oliva explains it, “the Biden administration is pushing to achieve their radical gun control agenda.” Adding, “Americans are choosing a different path.”

The path? “Americans acted upon their God-given right to keep and bear arms over 1.3 million times in August,” Oliva explains, “That sends a clear signal that Americans are choosing their gun rights over the Biden administration’s gun control.”

Speaking of not fitting the “accepted media narrative” my friend Frank Miniter has written another cracking-good adventure novel, The Deep State Revolution. Frank’s created an action hero out of a very “against-type” computer hacker, but stereotyping is seldom an accurate reflection of real life. Frank’s a stickler for details, and he gets the geeky-side of computers and guns right. That’s a big improvement compared to many authors.

The Deep State Revolution is fiction- today. But it’s disturbingly close to what could happen if we don’t wake up and pay attention.

It’s also more than realistic for a guy with Sid McDaniels “skills” to move -easily- between the worlds of corporate espionage, DC power politics and high-level personal security.

It is, simply stated, a terrific yarn.

That having been said, it’s also deeply concerning to someone who’s spent most of his adult life in journalism.

That’s because the leap from today’s headlines to Frank’s plot line isn’t nearly so far as most people would like to believe. It’s not dystopian fiction, but in light of the current trajectory of the country, it is a highly cautionary tale.

Here’s the Amazon link. If you’re looking for a piece of entertaining fiction that may have you squirming about our future, this is it. It has earned permanent spot on my bookshelf.

One day closer to the weekend…but we’ll keep you posted.

— Jim Shepherd

 
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