CANNON FALLS, MN - When temperatures plunge, our 4WD™ Glacier® spotlights on one simple function:  warming your core without added bulk.  The 4WD™ Glacier® Vest provides astonishing warmth with low-bulk, hydrophobic, highly compressible Thermore® insulation, which traps heat with remarkable efficiency.
 
The outer shell of this garment has been peached, giving it a non-glistening, matte finish that is soft and quiet, unlike many other down or synthetic garments, which are slippery, shiny and noisy.  The outer shell is treated with DWR, Durable Water Repellency, which forces water to bead up on the outer shell while our 4WD™ technology protects you from four of nature's ruthless elements; wind, rain, sleet and snow utilizing our integrated RainBlocker® waterproof membrane.  Scent Shield's 4WD™ Glacier® Vest was developed to coincide with multiple garments throughout the System Layers.  The 4WD™ Glacier® Vest is a component of System Layer 2 for increased warmth and protection against the elements.

WASHINGTON – The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership today praised a decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to release funding for the “Open Fields” Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, a new effort to encourage owners and operators of privately held farm, ranch and forest lands to provide public access to their lands for wildlife-dependent activities such as hunting and fishing.

Open Fields was authorized by Congress for the first time in the 2008 Farm Bill following tenacious support by members of a TRCP-sponsored coalition. The sportsmen-conservation group has been frustrated by delays in the USDA finalizing the regulations but is optimistic that the program now can be implemented expeditiously so sportsmen and landowners can benefit beginning this year.

Saint Cloud, Minn. – -Thanks to a local effort led by Pheasants Forever and the Stearns Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), Minnesota's Stearns County has surpassed 20,000 acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) since starting a Farm Bill initiative in 2003.
 
Stearns County's conservation efforts are spearheaded by Pheasants Forever’s Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist Jason Selvog and SWCD Technician Vince Manderfeld. They explain the benefits of the conservation programs, and provide the one-on-one technical assistance for  program implementation. To reach this 20,000 acre milestone, this initiative involved more than 5,300 landowner contacts and approximately 13,000 hours working directly with landowners. Pheasants Forever's efforts are part of an overriding Minnesota Farm Bill Initiative that includes the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) and the Stearns County SWCD.

WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION (WSF) WORLD HEADQUARTERS-Cody, Wyoming USA –  After a two-plus year delay, and despite a self-imposed deadline of June 16, 2010 by the chief judge to issue decisions on post trail motions in the GSC/O vs. FNAWS and ISHA lawsuit, there has been no ruling from the judge as of today.

 On April 16, 2010 a status hearing was held in Birmingham, Alabama before Chief Judge Blackburn who replaced the trial judge, Judge Hopkins. Hopkins had recused herself several months after rendering her initial February, 2008 decision for unknown and undisclosed reasons. At the April status hearing, FNAWS, ISHA and GSC/O counsel argued their post trial motions before Chief Judge Blackburn who appeared very well read and versed on the trial proceedings and the post trial motions.

 Chief Judge Blackburn noted at the conclusion of the April 16th status hearing that she would render decisions “with two months.” On June 16th, plaintiff’s and defendant’s counsel were informed by the court clerk that Judge Blackburn would miss her self-imposed deadline as she was out of town but would rule Monday the 21st. By the afternoon of the 21st the parties were informed she would rule by the end of the week. Late June 25th WSF President Gray Thornton was advised by FNAWS and ISHA counsel that there would be no decision (on June 25) and no new date was offered. No ruling or new deadline date has been received to date.

MISSOULA, Mont.—For the second year in a row, America’s premier charity watchdog has given its highest marks to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Only 21 percent of all U.S. charities have attained Charity Navigator’s coveted 4-star rating for two or more consecutive years. The achievement denotes RMEF’s exceptional ability to manage and grow finances—a key factor for donors selecting top-performing conservation organizations for philanthropic gifts.

Ratings data show RMEF spends just 6.7 percent on administrative costs, and 3 percent on fundraising costs. Therefore, more than 90 cents of every dollar that RMEF spends goes directly to its mission of ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat.

Charity Navigator President and CEO Ken Berger wrote, “Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way, and outperforms most other charities in America. This ‘exceptional’ designation from Charity Navigator differentiates Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust.”

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) has announced that in 2010 there were 129 State Auction and Raffle Hunting Tags sold for a record $1.84 million. The tags were sold at MDF’s National Convention (Western Hunting and Conservation Expo) in Salt Lake City, Utah, in February and at several local banquet events. These tags are highly prized by big game hunters throughout North America. No other conservation organization has matched MDF’s record in dollars or diversity of tags sold in 2010. The previous record was 175 tags which sold for $1.66 million in 2008.

MDF, in partnership with eleven different state wildlife agencies and the Jicarilla Tribe, sells big game hunting tags to provide much needed funds for the management of mule deer, black-tailed deer, elk, bison, antelope, turkey and other game species. Over 93 percent of the money either goes back to the state wildlife agency for management programs or is spent on habitat projects.

DALLAS-Dallas Safari Club (DSC) and The Hunting Report have launched a new partnership to build cumulative visibility, informational networks and conservation impacts.

The Hunting Report is a monthly printed newsletter, Web site and electronic news service catering to hunters who travel. The focus is reviewing specific hunting areas, critiquing outfitters and reporting on poor governmental treatment of hunters at home and abroad. The Hunting Report also alerts hunters about developments affecting every aspect of their hunting travel.

DSC is a leader in international wildlife conservation, public education and hunter advocacy.

After seeing the commercials for Wildgame Innovations scouting cameras numerous times, I thought I would give them a try. I am using the IR4 model camera, which is 4.0 megapixels and has inferred flash along with still picture and 30 second video capability. The camera has 64MB of onboard memory and can accommodate up to an 8GB SD card. This camera is extremely easy to use, with a large LCD display it does not take much to get the settings that you want. The thing I liked about the camera is that right out of the box it is already set to the settings most people prefer, 24 hour rotation, 30 second delays, the only thing I had to do was set the clock and date, then set it up in the woods. I would recommend this camera to everyone. It is simple to use and the quality of the pictures is amazing along with a very reasonable price, under 100 dollars. If you do not want the 4.0MP, there are 3 other Wildgame Innovations cameras that are under 100 dollars also. Take a look at these cameras, and see the quality and savings you can get from a great product.

The new TightSpot Quiver is the first bow quiver designed to help archers shoot better while keeping their bow quiver attached to their bow. The TightSpot Quiver fits tight to your bow, minimizing torque and improving accuracy. The first bow quiver to complement, not compromise, the performance of your hunting bow.” This is stated on their website, and it backed this statement up in every sense!

TightSpot allows hunters to fine tune the balance of their bow. This is achieved by moving the quiver in or out, up or down, back or forward, to where it there is zero accuracy-affecting torque.

It has an aluminum frame that makes for a light quiver. The quiver’s low profile allows me to keep it on my bow, so that I don't even have to remove it when to store it in my bow case.

Nathan Troyan has spent the summer in the field in Colorado providing hands on research on our waterfowl and migratory birds.  We asked him to share with our readers a bit about the work he is doing in the field to give hunters an in depth look at the field work he is doing.

Brief Background

Monitoring wildlife’s movements and patterns by means of tagging is by far one of the most often used methods in gaining an in depth understanding of a particular species habits and patterns. Once the particular species of interest is tagged by whichever means that may be, animals day to day activities can be tracked, monitored and thereafter studied. Upon being analyzed, a detailed picture into the actual ecology and behavior of the species can be determined. Tracking movements can offer information such as feeding habits, ranges, and migration patterns. From this type of particular research biologist and field technicians such as myself can set forth and suggest new and improved management practices based on conclusions drawn from the data collected.