A tribute to my Dad, Thank you for all the early morning wake ups and the patience of a saint.
“Founder  of Crazy Horse Outfitter and Guides”

Springtime, the air is brisk as the sky begins filling with white puffy clouds.  Turkey season opens in two days and the weather forecast is for snow opening day.

Each year the mountains offer many different challenges to the hunters. This spring was to be no different.  The weather has been the usual warm up after the long winter; the snow has receded to the front range of high mountains and shady areas not yet touched by the sun or warm air to melt it. It has been a long winter here in the mountains and the urge to get out into the forest is strong.

The first season of the year is the spring turkey season; it is always an exciting time of year. After many months of winter and large snow falls that restrains one’s ability to get out into the forest, spring turkey season is a welcome gloom breaker.

GRAND ISLAND, NE, March 30, 2010 - The skies along the Platte River of Nebraska have been grayer the past month. It’s not a strange weather phenomenon; it’s the annual migration of waterfowl and other birds heading back to northern nesting grounds. Millions of them funnel through this oasis in a semi-arid area, looking for a place to rest and refuel before the important job of producing the next generation of birds. A new $725,000 grant from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act will mean DU and its partners can provide more habitat for this huge annual gathering.

“Platte River habitat has suffered from extensive man-made changes, like flood control dams and irrigation diversions. The river is also chocked by invasive plant species that have degraded the system,” said Steve Donovan, Ducks Unlimited manager of conservation programs for Nebraska. “It is imperative today that we protect key intact habitat along the river and begin to restore places where the habitat has been lost. The longer we wait, the more we’ll lose.”

With the NAWCA grant funds, DU and its partners will protect, restore and enhance 4,141 acres of wetlands and grass next to the Platte River in western Nebraska. Work during Phase II of the Platte River Confluence effort will expand the river’s capacity to provide the proper food and shelter needed for soon-to-be-nesting birds.

Cranston, Rhode Island - SWAROVSKI OPTIK announces the new SLC 42 HD. The high-performance HD Binocular has fluoride containing HD lenses to ensure bright images with maximum color fidelity and will minimize the color fringing that is unavoidable with conventional types of glass. As a result, the new SLC 42 HD provides high contrast images in natural colors with razor-sharp outlines and exceptionally high quality crystal-clear viewing. The new SLC 42 HD is also suitable for close-range

observations at distances of down to 6 feet.

The enhanced coatings of the lenses and prisms, (SWARODUR, SWAROTOP, SWAROBRIGHT) support the overall effect of the HD lenses especially

in twilight or difficult lighting conditions. The SWAROCLEAN coating on the outer surface of the lens provides an anti-stick effect, making it easier to clean away dirt such as water marks, insect repellents or tree resin. The SLC 42 HD stands out in comparison to other binoculars due to its longer eye relief.

If any of you are like me, you bring more than enough to the woods during turkey season. While it is always good to be prepared, sometimes the overabundance of supplies can be overwhelming. Luckily I have found a nice turkey vest that allows me to bring all my goodies to the woods, the field and stream premium turkey vest. This vest has 15 pockets, some specified for strikers, box calls, one for decoys, two slate call pockets, a shotshell band, and a few more for pretty much whatever you want. The vest also comes with an extra comfy snap on dual foam cushion seat that flips down with the snap of a buckle.

The Virginia State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation is proud to introduce their new Special License Plate. This revenue-sharing license plate can be a huge source of revenue every year for our State Chapter, but we need your help!

In order to submit our application for this new plate, we must have 350 pre-paid applications in-hand to submit with our application by June 30th. Once we have 350 pre-paid completed applications, we will submit our request to DMV for final approval. While we have followed all of the plate design guidelines, there may be some minor changes to the plate by DMV. Once we receive DMV approval, the plate will be designed, manufactured, and placed on display at DMV. As soon as 1,000 plates are sold, the Virginia State Chapter will receive $15 for every plate sold over 1,000. These are funds that we will use for habitat, outreach and other projects right here in Virginia. As you can see, this will be a great source of revenue for us, but we can’t do it without your help!

The cost of this new NWTF plate is $25 annually. If you want to get a personalized plate, or transfer an existing personalized plate, there is an additional $10 charge. If you are interested in helping get this NWTF Special License Plate started, please visit our website, www.vanwtf.com. There is an article on the front page giving you links to the forms, and information on how to handle your completed application.. More information can also be found on the DMV web site at http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/citizen/vehicles/plate_search.asp . Just be sure to enter National Wild Turkey Federation beside the box “Special interest”.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Robin Clark at weeeelz@aol.com

Editors Note:  We are very excited to announce the following press release from Prois Hunting and CampWildGirls.com for several reasons.  The First reason is that we just had the opportunity to interview Kirstie Pike at Prois about her fantastic technical clothing made for women and we really liked what we saw.  Quality clothing for women to keep them warm, dry and quiet in the woods keeps them out in the field longer and keeps them interested in the hunt which is a win/win for everyone.  The second reason we are excited to run this press release is this our opportunity to say GOOD LUCK to one of our own.  Terri Lee Pocernich has been a tremendous asset to our team here at HuntingLife.com and the success of her own site and her own company is exponential and we could not be any more happier to see one of our own fly from the roost and grow in the industry.  We had a tremendous amount of fun watching Terri Lee and her son Kale grow this year as Team HuntingLife on the Battle of the Bow.  We have always enjoyed her conversations, emails and her viewpoint and I personally have learned from it.  We will be watching her grow and we will strive to keep our readers informed on the good things going on with Prois Hunting and CampWildgirls.com!  Terri Lee...Thank you for being a part of Team HuntingLife and we truly wish you the best!!!!

After much anticipation, Prois Hunting & Field Apparel and Camp Wild Girls announce the launch of the Camp Wild Girls Home Hunting Party- featuring Prois Hunting Apparel.   Camp Wild Girls CEO, Terri Lee Pocernich and Prois Hunting & Field Apparel CEO, Kirstie Pike have burned the midnight oil bringing this program to fruition.  “This was an idea that quickly snowballed into a fantastic sales and marketing possibility.” states Terri Lee Pocernich,

The Camp Wild Girls Hunting Party is a home-based party plan with rewards for the hostess.   Home Hunting Parties are scheduled through approved Hunting Party Representatives in the homes of interested hostesses.  Friends, family, neighbors and any other hunting and outdoor enthusiasts are invited to an afternoon or evening of fun.  All Prois Hunting Apparel and Camp Wild Girls gear are available to discuss, view and try on.  Hostesses are eligible for great discounts on gear.  Hunting Party Representatives receive party commission incentives and income which is a great bonus in this hurting economy.  Best of all, women with similar interests are able to gather with comfort and comraderie to discuss what they love best.hunting and the outdoors!  “We are very excited to work together to bring these great products right into the homes of our customers while working hard within the hunting community to spark signs of life in the economy.” explains Pike.  The idea is catching on fast.  “We already have a large number of Hunting Party Representative applications, and we are just going live with the program,” mentions Pocernich, “We are thrilled about the response!”.

For more information about the Camp Wild Girls Hunting Party- featuring Prois Hunting & Field Apparel, email inquiries to party@campwildgirls.com.  As well, you may log onto www.campwildgirls.com and click on “Hunting Party”.

Most of us are ready to hit the woods in search of the Wild Turkey. Some of us may not take into account some of the dangers that need to be addressed. When you gain access to a tract of land, make sure you know who is going to be hunting that day and the location they are setting up. When you have discussed where each other is going to set up, make sure that you are protected from the backside. This will not only protect your back from shot but also provide cover if the turkey comes in behind you.

Next is to make sure you identify your target before pulling the trigger. The majority of shooting accidents have occurred from 11 to 50 yards when the hunter has failed to identify what they were shooting at.

WASHINGTON – A consortium of sportsmen’s groups including the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership this week released a new report, “Beyond Season’s End,” that addresses how the negative effects of climate change on America’s fish and wildlife populations can be mitigated through practical adaptive management strategies. The report stresses that funding for state fish and wildlife agencies via passage of national legislation is key to implementation of such on-the-ground approaches.

“American sportsmen have been among the first to experience the destructive impacts of climate change on our fish and game populations – and are soldiers on the front lines combating these impacts,” said William Geer, director of the TRCP Center for Western Lands. “The common-sense recommendations outlined in ‘Beyond Season’s End’ are science-based, field-tested strategies that can enable us to adapt to the effects of a shifting climate. But adequate funding must be made available through strong national legislation so that state agencies can take action in accomplishing what needs to be done.”

Climate change can alter the geographic ranges of numerous species and their habitats. Big-game populations must adapt to changes in their forage base and shift migration patterns to accommodate the changing weather. Variations in water quality and quantity are transforming both saltwater and freshwater ecosystems and fisheries. Wetland loss in the prairie pothole region will severely reduce waterfowl productivity in North America’s duck-breeding “factory.” Invasive species, parasites and disease-causing organisms may flourish in warmer temperatures, profoundly affecting habitat and challenging the survival of upland gamebirds.

Victor, N.Y., – It’s an inevitable, and very frustrating issue for any gun owner, collector or enthusiast: rust and corrosion on your firearms and ammunition. Heritage Packaging, of Victor, N.Y., set out to tackle this problem, and create a solution for those who want to meticulously maintain or preserve their valuable assets, even during long term storage. Their solution is their line of Z-CORR Firearm Storage & Preservation (FSP) bags, and they’re causing quite a stir in firearm communities nationwide.

“The Z-CORR FSP bag is the only product on the market that offers total corrosion protection, over multiple years, for a properly stored firearm,” explains Bill Smith, President of Heritage Packaging. “Competitive products don’t even come close to providing this same level of protection for the length of time that a ZCORRFSP bag does.”

Using the bags is simple; slide a clean rifle, pistol, tactical weapon or ammunition into the puncture resistant, non-abrasive interior of a Z-CORR FSP bag and close the Velcro seal. Retrieve your firearm up to ten years later, and it’s ready to use without a need for cleaning or re-oiling, just like the day it was stored. Zero maintenance, zero rust and zero corrosion – that’s the power of ZCORR Products.

MISSOULA, Mont.—Wildlife conservation projects in 14 Colorado counties have been selected to receive grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in 2010.

The new RMEF funding, totaling $146,250, will affect Archuleta, Chaffee, Delta, Fremont, Garfield, Grand, Gunnison, Las Animas, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray, Park, Rio Blanco and San Miguel counties.

“These grants are possible because of the successful banquets and fundraisers staged over the past year by our Colorado volunteers—most of whom are elk hunters as well as devoted conservationists,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Since 1984, our annual grants have helped complete 502 different projects in Colorado with a combined value of more than $115 million.”