MISSOULA, Mont.-Whether they work individually or as part of a group, volunteers are essential to conservation today-even more so tomorrow.

That's the consensus of conservation professionals who predict that fish, wildlife and habitat, as well as the future of America's sporting traditions, will depend more and more on devoted souls whose only paycheck is the personal reward of preserving traditional values and passing on a cherished way of life.

Volunteerism spans from teaching a neighbor kid to cast at a nearby pond to serving on a board that directs policy for international wildlife habitat initiatives.

A conservation organization can be an effective channel for many volunteer passions.

The adventure started Wednesday October 21, 2009. My dad, sister and I woke up that morning around 4:30 to finish packing our clothes and hunting gear into our truck. There was excitement in the room as my dad said "ok let's get in the truck and go" we said goodbye to Mom and she wished us luck. We climbed into the truck and headed to our friends house, Wayne to meet up with him because he would be joining us on the Maryland hunt also. We got to his house around 7:30 and he loaded up his truck and I jumped in with him and we hit the road with our GPS's set for Bridgetown Manor Henderson, Maryland.

This November and December, 14 wounded warriors will enjoy excellent deer hunting in Alabama thanks to the Semper Fi Community Task Force and outdoor companies such as Alpen Optics. Alpen Optics, which has developed top quality binoculars, spotting scopes, rifle scopes and accessories, will show their appreciation for these heroes by donating waterproof monoculars to each hunter. "The small, but bright monoculars are ideal for spotting game and are lightweight and easy to carry," said Vickie Gardner, Alpen Optics' vice president of stuff. In addition, Alpen has provided hats, key chain lights and more for the gift bags that will be presented to the Marines and soldiers participating in the hunts. Hunters will be guided by expert deer guides on premier private property. In addition, they will use blinds designed for those with special needs. "We want these very special heroes to know how much their fellow citizens appreciate what they have done for their country and to know we have not forgotten them," said J. Wayne Fears, outdoor writer and Wounded Warrior planning committee member. "There is a peace to be found when hunting with good friends, and we hope to help these wounded warriors find that peace, and the healing that comes with being in the outdoors."

To learn more about Alpen Optics visit their website at www.alpenoutdoor.com or www.alpenoptics.com , or by calling 877-987-8370.

For more information about the Wounded Warrior Project, visit their website at http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

MISSOULA, Mont.-New grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will fund conservation and education projects in eight Michigan counties, and swell total RMEF support for the state's Pigeon River Habitat Initiative to more than $190,000.

The 2009 RMEF grants will affect Cheboygan, Delta, Montmorency, Muskegon, Oakland, Otsego, Ottawa and Presque Isle counties.

"Our volunteers in Michigan devoted themselves to the 2008 fundraisers that made these grants possible. This is where Elk Foundation banquets, auctions and other events transform into on-the-ground conservation work, and it's part of the payday for all of our supporters who are passionate about giving something back to the outdoors," said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.

RMEF has been a major supporter of the Pigeon River Habitat Initiative in each of the past four years and in 2003. Contributions have helped secure conservation easements, develop forest stewardship management plans, provide technical assistance for landowners, offer cost-share programs to help with wildlife plantings, and more.

Collectively, these efforts have impacted hundreds of acres for elk and other wildlife.

NEWTOWN, Conn.˜Fall is a time of year parents and their children enjoy doing things together˜attending soccer matches, carving scary jack-o'-lanterns, raking leaves (OK, maybe that one's not so much fun) and gathering around the table for Thanksgiving dinner. It's also a great time of year to introduce a young person to hunting.

Hunting seasons are open across the country. From deer to upland birds, waterfowl, wild turkey, squirrel and rabbits, hunters have their choice of game to pursue. When the time is right for an adult mentor to introduce a youth to hunting, the National Shooting Sports Foundation's STEP OUTSIDE program helps make that introduction fun.

You can start by sending your son or daughter an electronic postcard with a colorful photo of the game animal or hunting scene of your choice. This helps youth visualize the experience, and it's a nice surprise when the e-postcard pops up in their inbox.

I love supporting hard working Americans and Mike at Best Cresting is just such an American.  Mike has been cresting arrows for himself and friends for the last several years and started his own business to pursue his passions of archery.  I met Mike on Facebook and took a look at his work.  His arrows are exceptional and beautifully done.

I don't shoot competitively at the current time and to be honest I have never even shot a competitive archery course in my whole life.  I have shot a couple of good targets and most of my shooting is into the block or while out hunting.  Practice and shooting grouse and squirrels had really taken its toll on the last 3 dozen arrows that I had purchased over the last several years.  When I collected my gear for Manitoba, I had a total of 9 arrows and they were from 3 different manufacturers.

It was time to upgrade so i called Mike, bought a dozen arrows and gave him free reign to produce a dozen arrows for me and to come up with any design he felt would work.  My only stipulation was that I wanted 2 white vanes and a pink vane.  I was thinking Hot Pink for visibility and a color we do not really see much in nature...Well, I got Girly Pink!  It absolutely was not Mike's fault, I had never said Hot Pink and never even thought twice...

Either way, the arrows rock, the cresting is beautiful and I could not be happier...We put a small helical on these arrows and holy cow do they shoot straight.  If your looking for some new arrows and you would like something that matches your set up, give Mike a call, his work is exceptional.

Bestcresting Arrow Cresting

Boise, Idaho - Safari Club International's Treasure Valley Chapter is set to receive a piece of hunting history as the Idaho Fish & Game Commission authorized the award of two Gray Wolf conservation tags commemorating the first public wolf hunt in state history.

Ten commemorative tags, bearing serial numbers 1 through 10, which will allow hunters to harvest one wolf, are being used to help promote gray wolf conservation and management in the state. The tags will be auctioned or raffled by six different conservation organizations with the proceeds going towards continued wolf conservation and management efforts based on sound-science in the state to help ensure that that hunters in Idaho can continue hunting wolves under state regulated seasons.

Winners of the tags will receive a tag for hunting and a framed commemorative tag from Idaho Fish and Game. Winners must also be eligible to hunt in Idaho and have a 2009 resident or non-resident Idaho hunting license.

"We commend the Idaho Fish and Game Commission for giving Safari Club International's Treasure Valley Chapter the opportunity to contribute to Idaho's important conservation effort," said Jack Lupien, Treasure Valley Chapter President. "We know that Idaho's hunting and conservation community will be excited about future seasons for years to come."

Before I give my evaluation, I must start with two important background facts…
First, my husband, Don, calls me the ‘princess and the pea’ with my feet and comfort issues, so I had high expectations and apprehensions for these ‘ordered’ boots. I am a try on before I buy kind of person.

Second, I started this evaluation with an ‘attitude.’ 
Like many major hunting and outdoor businesses, Wolverine caters to men.  My husband had pages and page of all types of boots to choose from.  We picked a perfect pair, and he knew it as soon as he slipped them on his feet.  For me, I had a choice of one pair in women’s.  I got the Ridgeline model w05639 , I was looking for comfort, something durable yet soft-sided for major walking.  I’ve been through too many other shoes and boots, and uncomfortable hunting trips, so I know how important this is.Now they don’t have the features of my husband’s boots (and his look really cool too), but my feet, with good hiking socks, are VERY comfortable in my Wolverines.  I had no toe problems, no ball of feet problems.  The ankles, however, were a bit of a challenge.  I tried lacing the boots tight, I tried lacing them loose.  They rubbed, chaffed, and caused bruising.  Before the trip, I tried to break them in on 2 ½ mile walks.  Some days were great, some good, and some not.  It was a very inconsistent feel on the ankles, but the feet were great.

The real test, what I got them for, was hunting.  They were great.  We slopped through water on the way to bear blinds (for my husbands’ bear), sat in tree stands and ground tent blinds for 8 hours at a time.  My feet were dry, warm, comfortable, and when we had to track the bear at dusk into the night, I was thankful for that ankle support as we stumbled around rocks and stumps.

Bottom line - I’d get them again.  They are very comfortable; the cut outs for the Achilles heal in the back help a lot.  They are much better than my older work boots that I was using for hunting.  I give them a B+, because I’m holding out that some day, women can have the camo type boots that men can get.

Ginny Powell

HuntingLife ProStaffer 

Wolverine Boots

I’ve developed my own new motto for Hunter’s Specialties, No Scent Left Behind.  These guys are amazing.  They seem to have thought of everything, especially in their Scent-A-Way scent elimination kit.  When I opened the box, I was surprised and delighted at all they had packed into one neat little package.

I’m so excited, I’m not sure where to start.  Do I start with the Scent-A-Way Laundry Detergent or the Body Soap and Shampoo?  Well, I’ll start with the detergent because you’ll want your hunting clothes scent-free when you put them on after showering with the Scent-A-Way soap and shampoo.

The laundry detergent is a color-safe, ultra-concentrated formula that eliminates odor, but doesn’t fade out your camo clothing.  Once the scent elimination detergent is used, H.S. has included in the kit a Scent-Safe Storage Bag.  The storage bag is about 36” by 28”, so it’ll easily store your de-scented hunting clothes.  It’s designed with a ziplock top to ensure your gear remains scent-free.

In today's hunting world, it is easy to get caught up in the "new and improved" equipment that will get you that big buck of the lifetime. Sure all of this stuff is great, and chances are if you use it correctly, it will be to your advantage in the woods. A few specific items that have taken over the industry are scent control clothing and accessories.

It is a well-known fact that deer, along with most of the big game animals that hunters target every year, have an outstanding sense of smell. Take the whitetail deer for example; an animal of prey by nature's law, the deer has evolved an arsenal of abilities and behaviors to avoid predators. Deer have the ability to pick up the slightest movement, they can hear what seems to be dead silence, and they can pinpoint a sounds location with the flick of an ear. The deer's most impressive weapon by far is its nose. The deer's nose has about 40 times more receptors than does a human olfactory system. Researchers also believe that deer are approximately 4,000 times as sensitive to odors than people are. Taking those facts into consideration, it is no wonder why you see scent elimination supplies filling up the isles at your local outdoor store.