For the sixth straight year the California Deer Association (CDA) is sponsoring its Sharing the Tradition Junior Deer Hunt. Twenty-five junior deer hunters will have a chance to go on a free, fully-guided antlerless deer hunt on the famous Tejon Ranch. CDA is sponsoring these hunts in cooperation with Tejon Ranch, which at 270,000 acres is the largest privately owned ranch in California. Juniors and their accompanying adult will stay in one of Tejon Ranch’s lodges.   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Junior hunters will be selected in a free, random drawing open to any junior hunter with a 2009 California junior hunting license and an unfilled deer tag. In addition, the following sponsors will supply the 25 lucky juniors with ammunition from Federal Premium Ammunition and Barnes Bullets, binoculars from Alpen Optics, and hunting gear from Hunter’s Specialties and Birchwood Casey.

A total of 90 juniors have already participated in the prior year hunts. Over 90% of them had never taken a deer before. Their success rate for these hunts has been an unbelievable 98.8%.
 
Entry applications must be received by October 14, 2009. Hunts will take place in the second half of December.
 
The 2009 Sharing the Tradition hunt applications and rules can be found at the following two websites:
California Deer Association:   http://www.caldeer.com/tejon-hunts.htm
California Fish & Game:   http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/docs/SharingtheTradition.pdf
 
Also, attached in PDF form, are the application, rules and additional information concerning the hunts.
 
About CDA: The California Deer Association was founded in 1996, with its principal goal to improve California deer herds and other wildlife through direct financial support for habitat improvement and research projects. Since its inception, CDA has raised more than $3,000,000 to fund over 300 projects in California. CDA currently has 23 chapters with over 6,000 members. For more information on the California Deer Association, telephone toll free (888) 499-DEER or check our website at www.CalDeer.org <http://www.CalDeer.org> .

Washington, D.C. - Hunters across the country were honored by yesterday's passage of congressional resolution H. Res 270 to recognize the establishment of Hunters for the Hungry programs across the United States and the contributions of those efforts to decrease hunger and help feed those in need.

Thanks to caring sportsmen and sportswomen, millions of meals are served annually each year to those in need across the country. Safari Club International Foundation's (SCIF) program, Sportsmen Against Hunger (SAH) had record breaking meat donations last year with 412,254 lbs of meat, representing 1,649,016 protein-rich meals. In these difficult economic times, hunters are more aware than ever of the difference they can make in their communities through programs like SAH.

Through Safari Club International Foundation's many humanitarian programs like SAH, SCI chapters and individual members demonstrate the highest levels of philanthropy by directly reaching out to people in need throughout the world. Whether it involves feeding millions of hungry each year, offering free healthcare and supplies to impoverished communities, introducing children to the wonders of wildlife or helping the disabled fulfill lifelong hunting wishes, SCIF is committed to the charitable tenets of giving.

MISSOULA, Mont.—A new credit card program allows conservationists to support wildlife habitat with each purchase. The special Visa card offers a competitive rate and no annual fee, with 1 percent of all charged purchases donated by Capital One(R) to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

In addition, the Elk Foundation will receive $25 when cardholders make their first purchase, regardless of the amount charged.

The card comes in three designs featuring images of elk, habitat and/or the RMEF logo.

For more information, visit www.rmef.org/visa .

“This is a way to support wildlife and habitat conservation with no additional money out of pocket. Whether you use the card for fuel, meals, big-ticket items or daily essentials, 1 percent will come back to the Elk Foundation,” said Rod Triepke, chief operations officer for RMEF.

Triepke said the new credit card program could mean significant dollars for the Elk Foundation mission to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. To date, the organization has protected or enhanced more than 5.6 million acres.

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.

MISSOULA, Mont.-Wilderness elk hunting is an athletic endeavor but you don't need to kill yourself getting in shape. Cameron Hanes, fitness and bowhunting authority as well as TV show host and columnist for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, says moderation in exercise is a key for most hunters.

"You don't have to be a world-class athlete to build up amazing endurance, but you do have to get started with some sort of workout regimen. Every day you spend in inactivity, you get weaker. Every day that elk move through high country, they get stronger. And the longer you wait to exercise, the wider the gap grows," said Hanes.

BISMARCK, N.D., -Ducks Unlimited commends House and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairmen Collin Peterson and Tom Harkin for their leadership to remove incentives from farm policy that encourage destruction of native grasslands. DU says this is a positive step to ensure grass remains on the landscape not only for waterfowl but also for ranching and combating global climate change.

“Changes to the federal crop insurance programs that incentivize grassland conversion are overdue,” said Scott McLeod, DU government affairs representative on agriculture policy. “A prudent crop insurance program will not only help decrease the loss of native grassland, but also save tax payer money by not insuring lands where unwise cropping decisions are made.”   

In a letter from Rep. Peterson and Sen. Harkin to Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack they noted that “native grassland loss is exacerbated by the crop insurance system.” They also urged that “federal crop insurance must not shield the producer from losses if the land is simply unsuited to crop production.”

Hunter's Specialties is proud to introduce the Bad Medicine short reed Canada goose calls.  Many months of design work and field testing by our Pro Staff members were spent in the development of this high performance goose call.  The Bad Medicine is hand tuned to produce pure goose sounds with minimal effort and is capable of duplicating every vocalization of the Canada goose.  This balance of easy operation and advanced performance makes the Bad Medicine a solid choice for the beginning goose caller and an exciting new weapon for the veteran of the goose pit or the contest stage.  
 
There are three models available to fit any hunter's budget.
 
The Custom model is turned from black/ivory and reinforced with a polished stainless steel band, making it look as good as it sounds.  The laser engraved logo on the barrel is an eye-catching addition that further enhances the appearance of the call.  
 
The Flamed Hedge version features a polycarbonate insert with a Bois d'arc wood barrel. The call is also handmade and hand-tuned.  
 
The Hitman call features all polycarbonate construction for a great value.  
 
A solid metal band accents both the Flamed Hedge and Hitman versions of these contest quality calls.  
 
"From soft moans and ground talk, to crisp clucks and ultra fast double clucks, to pleading spit notes, the Bad Medicine truly is one goose call that can do it all," said Hunter's Specialties Pro Staff member Nick Brichacek. "It should be part of every serious goose hunter's arsenal."
 
Suggested retail is $139.99 for the Custom Bad Medicine, $79.95 for the Flamed Hedge, and $31.99 for the Hitman.

For more information, log onto the Hunter's Specialties website at www.hunterspec.com , or write  to 6000 Huntington Court NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402,  or  call  a  Consumer Service Specialist at 319-395-0321. 

FORSYTH, Ga. Hundreds of shooters from across the country are preparing for a weekend of intense sporting clays action, fellowship and great prizes at the National Wild Turkey Federation's 16th annual Turkey Shoot, to be held Aug. 14 to Aug. 16, 2009 at The Meadows National Gun Club in Forsyth, Ga.

Sporting clays is a form of clay pigeon shooting in which clay targets are thrown to simulate hunting scenarios. Some enthusiasts have referred to the challenging sport as "golf with a shotgun." Turkey Shoot participants will compete for $100,000 in cash and prizes. Shooting events include the 200-Target Sporting Clays Championship with prizes for Concurrent divisions such as Ladies, Juniors, Subjuniors and Veterans, the 100-target Browning preliminary event, and the 50-bird Briley Squaded Sub-gauge competition, which is nearly sold out.

Rhett Simmons, NWTF director of special events, noted that the Turkey Shoot offers a competitive but friendly environment for shooters of all skill levels. Proceeds from the NWTF Turkey Shoot will benefit Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF, an outreach program that provides opportunities for men and women with disabilities to enjoy outdoor recreation activities.

Serious women hunters live for the hunt - and can be found in the coldest weather conditions even their prey find hard to bear. That's why Próis® Hunting Apparel is proud to announce its latest innovation in helping female hunters pursue their hunts harder, no matter the season or harsh weather they encounter, with the new Próis Sherpa Vest™.

Like all pieces in the Próis line, the Próis Sherpa Vest is built with the serious female hunter in mind, providing a perfect fit for the female form, while utilizing the latest technology for ultimate performance when in the field. This versatile vest can be worn over a Próis Ultra Long or Short Sleeve shirt should the sun peek out during the day, or layered underneath any Próis jacket should you be stuck in a tree-stand for long chilly hours.

Hunting is one sport where you really never lose. Depending on what you want to achieve, it can be the most challenging endeavor you could ever try, the most rewarding, the most fun, and at times, the most frustrating.

There’s an unspoken brotherhood and/or sisterhood among hunters. Friendships made during a week or two of hunting camp can give you a lifetime of great memories.Anybody can hunt; people from all walks of life.  Men, women, children; farmers, executives, teachers, factory workers, doctors.

A few words of warning though, you will need to be prepared for thoughts of past hunting experiences, upcoming hunting seasons, and planning hunting trips to seep into your mind while you’re right in the middle of a hard day’s work.

Hunting is one of the most versatile sports. You can hunt as a family outing. If you’re needing your space, you can hunt alone. You can hunt with friends, and you can hunt with your pet companions. You can hunt big game, small game, birds, fish and moments.

I consider hunting as training for the future. Survival. After all, isn’t that a common goal for all? The saying is “Only the strong survive.” Hunting can give you strength. It builds your endurance, senses, character and compassion.

I love hunting. It consumes me. I want to pass that passion on to my children and grandchildren. You really owe it to yourself, if you believe in it, to pass it on to someone.

My sister and I were asked to come participate in a shooting clays competition, for Hunters for the hungry.  We both were very excited we use to shoot clays in the 4H club and with friends.  It had been a while since we both had shot and we were both nervous, but we knew it was for a good cause and didn’t worry that much when we arrived.  When we parked the truck and walk over to the sign in table we noticed that a lot of the people there, we knew and were friends with, they had the meeting with all the shooters to go over the course and talk about the safety rules.  Finally it came time to start. They split us into groups and I got put with the little kids but I didn’t mind. I volunteered to shoot first because a lot of the kids in the group had never shoot before. I knew the instructor that was in our group and he asked me to help the kids shoot and get lined up, and how to watch and lead the clays.  This was also my first time shooting a course like this, I was use to shooting from a high and low house, but I was up for the challenge.