WASHINGTON – Sportsmen today voiced their support of a closely contested U.S. House of Representatives vote aimed at combating global climate change that includes funding for federal and state management practices that would sustain fish and wildlife populations.

The American Clean Energy and Security bill is intended to limit the effects of climate change by imposing a cap on greenhouse gas emissions while investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. The bill also creates the Natural Resources Climate Change Adaptation Fund, which helps federal and state agencies safeguard fish and wildlife and charges the U.S. Department of Agriculture with implementing agriculture and forestry carbon offset projects, including conservation programs.

Members of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Climate Change Working Group, comprised of representatives of leading sportsmen’s and conservation groups, praised the inclusion in the bill of funding for fish and wildlife adaptation strategies, which would  minimize the effects of climate change on important fish and game species. At the same time, the sportsmen emphasized that additional funds must be designated and incentives set to sustain and expand habitat on farms, ranches and forest lands.

You forgot to double check your application and now you have a big game tag for the wrong area. You got the hunt of a lifetime in Montana and now you can't use your Nevada tag. The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) is happy to say "no problem" because now hunters can return most big game tags for any reason.

The best part of the deal for these hunters is that their bonus points, providing them more chances in the random big game tag draw, will be reinstated when their tags are returned by the deadline. It will be as if they had never applied.

The idea to allow return of tags for any reason was initiated by sportsmen themselves, through the Tag Allocation and Application Hunt Committee established by the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners a few years ago. Through that public input process, NDOW staff, the commission and members of the public identified various changes to big game tag allocation processes.

Event slated for Saturday, August 8th at Cabela's Dundee store encourages entire family to get outdoors

Dundee, Mich. - June 24 -

Michigan Pheasants Forever is inviting your family to a fun-filled day at Cabela's in Dundee, Michigan, on Saturday, August 8th, 2009 for PF's Free Habitat Expo and 2009 State Convention. The Free Habitat Expo will take place from 10AM – 4PM and will include habitat and dog training seminars and great youth activities, to be followed by a banquet and awards ceremony to recognize volunteers from across the state for their contributions to PF.

The Free Habitat Expo portion of the event will allow individuals to learn about wildlife habitat management from leading wildlife professionals. Youth will also be able it get in on the habitat act by trying their hand at planting window box prairies. In fact, the great lineup of youth activities make the event one the entire family can enjoy!

In addition to archery, casting and the always-popular Laser Shot, youth will be able to take part in: Mock Pheasant Hunt -Youth will learn the FUNdamentals of gun handling safety! Tracks - Discover some of Michigan's wonderful wildlife and make a plaster track mold to take home. Film Can Fishing -Youth will build and take home wilderness fishing kits that fit in the palms of their hands. PF Passport to Adventure - Complete this hunt and you'll be entered in a raffle for a great gear giveaway!

WASHINGTON – The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership today welcomed an announcement by the Utah Bureau of Land Management that valuable public-lands fish and wildlife habitat would receive additional review before being leased for oil and gas development.

The BLM initially offered more than 90,000 acres of public land on 67 parcels in its June 23 lease sale in Utah. The TRCP filed a protest of 31 parcels, comprising 46,000 acres of crucial mule deer, elk and sage grouse habitat where supplementary development conditions could lessen negative effects on wildlife populations. Administrative protests such as these are the public’s only recourse for commenting on the federal leasing process and raising concerns about impacts to resources like fish and wildlife.

“Sportsmen unreservedly support oil and gas production on America’s public lands,” said Joel Webster, TRCP associate director of campaigns, “but responsible administration of these resources demands a consistent approach to leasing and development activities in order to sustain fish and wildlife – and to provide companies wishing to extract energy from our lands and waters an increased level of certainty in their investments and planning.”

MISSOULA, Mont.—Throughout July, shoppers at Bass Pro Shops retail stores, catalogs and Web sites can learn about the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and make a $2 donation for a chance to win awesome prizes.

Bass Pro Shops will forward 100 percent of proceeds to the Elk Foundation in support of its mission to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. In addition, Bass Pro Shops will match 50 cents for every dollar raised through this promotion.

Four prizes will be awarded, including:

1. Montana 2010 rifle elk and mule deer hunt for two.
2. PBR 2009 World Finals package with event tickets, VIP passes and lodging for four.
3. $1000 Bass Pro shopping spree (gift card).
4. $500 Bass Pro shopping spree (gift card).

A drawing will be held August 15, 2009.

During RMEF Conservation Month, dedicated Elk Foundation volunteers work with Bass Pro Shops store managers to engage and educate customers about elk and conservation.

“This is the third year that Bass Pro Shops has hosted RMEF Conservation Month in July, and it has produced tens of thousands of dollars and immeasurable public awareness of our organization. We value our partnership with Bass Pro Shops and appreciate the opportunity to utilize their retail locations to support a great cause,” said Bob Swanson, who coordinates the promotion for RMEF.

Swanson said the partnership is being promoted via in-store signage, videos, posters, banners, point-of-sale cards, local chapter events and exhibits, advertisements in Elk Foundation publications, member coupons and more.

Bass Pro Shops says 51 retail stores are involved in the promotion.

For details, visit www.bassproshops.com and www.rmef.org .

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:

Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.6 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

BOGART, Ga. – The Kids’ Zone at QDMA’s Whitetail Expo will be the place to be for youth and adults alike to hear the stories of experienced hunters with different backgrounds. The Expo is part of QDMA’s 9th Annual National Convention taking place July 25-26 in Louisville, Kentucky.

With participation from one of QDMA’s own, Chairman of the Board Mark Thomas, the Kids’ Zone is receiving a touch of the wild outdoors. He will arrive with countless antlers, hides, and hooves in tow.  The audience will “travel” the globe with Thomas as he describes his innumerable personal adventures, including caribou hunting in Alaska’s mountains, moose hunting in Russia, red stag hunting in New Zealand, and elk hunting on horseback through snow in Montana. Additionally, the audience can visualize the experience with the help of projected images and trophies from his trips.

In addition to sharing about his encounters with animals around the world, Thomas also teaches the basics of camping and knife-making, displaying a number of knives that he has crafted. Throughout his presentation, he stresses the importance of physical fitness, good nutrition, and safety.  After observing Mark Thomas, attendees will be ready to pack their bags and head out on a wild adventure.

FLUSHING, MI – Gorilla® Inc. introduces its new line of hang-on, steel treestands designed to provide greater comfort and portability for hang-on stand users. With innovative features such as the XPE foam seats, HX platform design, and “D-tube” construction, these stands are built to deliver a great day in the field.

Comfort: Pro Series King Kong and King Kong Lounger

If you are looking for increased comfort in a hang-on treestand, then the award winning Pro Series King Kong with zero-G seat technology or the King Kong Lounger is sure to deliver during those all-day hunts. Both feature flip-up seat designs, extra large platforms, and the advanced XLS Extreme Leveling System for secure and easy installation.

Portability: King Kong and Kong Hang-On

If you are looking for greater portability, then focus in on the King Kong and Kong hang-on treestands. Each of these sleek, single-post designs incorporate a flip-up seat design with Seat Leveling System (SLS) to aid in a quick set-up.

SCI today filed a motion to intervene in litigation concerning the Endangered Species Act (ESA) delisting of the Western Great Lakes wolves.

SCI’s action comes in response to five animal rights groups that have challenged the delisting. The groups want wolves back on the endangered species list immediately and have filed a motion for a preliminary injunction. If the motion succeeds, wolves will be returned to federal management for the duration of the litigation. SCI is actively preparing a defense to that motion.

SCI is a leader in the hunting community in litigation concerning the ESA. It is the preeminent organization in litigation related to hunting, and has defended wolf delisting and state management in each of the cases brought to challenge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s efforts to recognize the recovered status of wolves. This recent intervention effort marks the sixth lawsuit in which SCI has participated.

SCI’s goal is to preserve management of this predator species with the individual states in which wolf populations are having an impact on other wildlife species’ numbers and behavior. SCI is also currently participating in two lawsuits to defend the delisting of the grizzly bear population in the Yellowstone area.

SCI President Merle Shepard stated: “The science is clear. The wolves of the Western Great Lakes have merited delisting for years and the states are more than ready to assume management authority of the wolves within their boundaries. In 2007 and 2008, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin demonstrated their ability to manage and conserve their own wolves. SCI will show the court that the states are the best managers for their own recovered wildlife populations.”

In this effort, SCI is again collaborating with the National Rifle Association of America to provide a powerful voice for the hunting community. 

(Columbus) – Legislation making it easier for sportsmen to pass their hunting heritage to the next generation cleared another hurdle today as the Wisconsin State Assembly passed it by a voice vote.  Voice votes are usually used on measures deemed uncontroversial. 

Senate Bill 167, sponsored by Sen. Jim Holperin (D-Conover), will allow people 10-year of age and older to hunt with an experienced mentor.  The bill passed the Senate on June 9 by a 27-6 vote.  The measure now awaits the signature of Governor Jim Doyle to become law.

“This is a tremendous step forward for sportsmen in Wisconsin,” stated U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance president and CEO, Bud Pidgeon.  “Wisconsin sportsmen should applaud the efforts of Representative Ann Hraychuck who authored an identical bill in the Assembly and shepherded this one through her chamber.  We also owe thanks to Representative Scott Gunderson, a champion of this legislation for several years, and, of course, Sen. Holperin and Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker who made this issue a priority.”

River Falls, Wis. - June 19 -With the help of Pheasants Forever and other partners, the Wisconsin Build a Wildlife Area campaign announces its first land acquisition, a 204-acre parcel of restored wetlands and adjacent upland grasslands in St. Croix County, Wisconsin. The area may be open for public hunting and outdoor recreational activities as early as this autumn.

The Build a Wildlife Area campaign was created in 2003 by Pheasants Forever, Outdoor News, and Game Fair as a wide-reaching effort to engage individual donors, corporations, non-profits and government organizations in the creation of permanent public wildlife areas. Since its creation, Gander Mountain has been the campaign's leading financial donor. Through the campaign, each one dollar donation turns into three dollars through matching grants from local, state, and federal sources. Once lands are acquired, they are turned over to the state for management and opened to the public for recreation, including hunting.

With the help of the Build a Wildlife Area campaign and the Kinnickinnic, Indianhead, and Racine Chapters of Pheasants Forever, the Kinnickinnic River Land Trust, Inc. (KRLT), the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's North American Wetlands Conservation Council, and Ducks Unlimited, the private parcel was sold to the KRLT at a bargain price by the Vern and Becky Nagel family. The unique property contains more than 16 acres of wetlands and 183 acres of adjacent restored prairie grasslands, and will provide habitat for a wide range of wildlife species and additional acreage for public recreation. KRLT intends to donate the property to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for inclusion in the Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area as the Nagel Wildlife Management Area. KRLT will present this property to the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board later this year.