Ohio issued a record 56,691 concealed handgun licenses in 2009, exceeding the previous high of 45,497 set in 2004, the first year CCW permits were issued in The Buckeye State. It also marked a 67 percent increase from the 33,864 licenses issued in 2008. Via AP.
Pheasants Forever's National Pheasant Fest, a three-day event expected to draw 30,000 visitors and exhibitors to Des Moines, Iowa this weekend, began yesterday with the annual Bird Dog Parade, featuring about 70 bird dogs representing about 35 sporting breeds. “The relationship a bird hunter has with that dog, it doesn't exist in deer hunting or fishing," said PF's Bob St. Pierre. “It's the partnership between man and a canine that is almost completely unique to bird hunting." The Omaha World-Herald.
Ed Zieralski, the fine outdoors writer for the San Diego Union Tribune, has an insightful blog post about the recent Sea World Orlando tragedy in which a veteran trainer died after being dragged and thrashed by a captive killer whale. "...Once we start giving proper names to our sea mammals and land mammals, stuffing them in aquariums or cages, the game changes," Zieralski writes. Read Ed's complete post here.
In the current issue of Business Week, assistant managing editor Paul Barrett writes about the emergence of the modern sporting rifle as an increasingly popular hunting and sporting arm. "This is the one the younger generation wants," said Ruger spokesman Ken Jorgensen. "It's not their dad's gun or their granddad's gun." In Rambo Rifles for Weekend Hunters, Barrett cites Jim Zumbo's infamous "black gun" blog that appeared three years ago this month. Memo to Barrett: It's old news.
Both houses of the Oregon state legislature this week voted unanimously to a wording change in a law enacted in 2009 that toughened penalties for hunting and fishing violations. The law read judges "shall" suspend licenses for fish and wildlife convictions convictions, but was changed to "may," so sentences may more adequately reflect the severity of the individual violation. Mark Freeman in the Medford Mail-Tribune.
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE-RGR) reports net sales of $271.0 million and earnings of $1.44 per share for 2009, compared with sales of $181.5 million and earnings of 43¢ per share for the previous year. Further, the Board of Directors has declared a dividend of 6c per share for the fourth quarter. Press release.
An amendment giving constitutional protection to Arizonans' right to hunt and fish passed the state House Committee on Military Affairs and Public Safety on Wednesday and now moves to the full House for action. The amendment, which is supported by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, would have to be approved by voters in November. Arizona Daily Star.
Citizens in the country with the world's most extreme animal protection laws will go to the polls March 7 to decide if attorneys should be appointed by the state to defend animals in alleged abuse cases. Swiss Animal Protection landed the issue on the ballot by gathering the necessary 100,000 petition signatures for a nationwide vote. In 2008, Switzerland banned catch and release fishing on the premise it was inhumane. More at my Slugs & Plugs blog.
Police in Denville, NJ shot and killed a 400-pound black bear Sunday after it ripped through a home's screened porch, grabbed a young girl's pet rabbit and proceeded to eat the bunny in the backyard. Homeowner Joe McCabe said he didn’t realize the animal had eaten his 11-year-old daughter’s rabbit until he saw a large hole in the porch screen and tufts of fur. The Star-Ledger.
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho hunter Brett Pitcher has been hunting wolves with his dad, Bob, in the St. Joe National Forest since the season started, and Monday he caught up with his first one. The 180-pound male fell to a single shot from Pitcher's 7mm Remington. Are the hunters concerned about receiving harassing e-mails and phone calls from Idaho wolf advocates? "We take those as compliments," said Bob. The Coeur d'Alene Press.
A measure allowing Tennessee handgun permit holders to carry pistols while bowhunting passed the state House this week by a vote of 85-3 and now heads to the Senate. Bill sponsor Mike Turner (D-Nashville) said he drafted the measure after a constituent told him about being robbed in a parking lot after archery deer hunting. If passed, HB0770 would become effective July 1, 2010. AP.
The New York Times Sports Section offers a look at the obsessive sport of field trialing, and specifically the 111th National Championship recently concluding at the historic Ames Plantation in Grand Junction, Tenn. “I told the old gentleman who started me in this sport 40 years ago that it probably would have been better to give me a gram of cocaine because then I could have done my time in prison,” said field trialer Larry Garner.
A Washoe County (Nev.) Sheriff's deputy who was assisting a Nevada Department of Wildlife biologist in attempting to tranquilize a 600-pound black bear and remove it from condominium complex crawl space in Incline Village, Nev. shot and killed the animal when it charged him, according to a department press release. The Sierra Sun.
A measure that would prevent hunting license records from being made public was approved by the Idaho House Resources and Conservation Committee today, despite testimony from a lobbyist for Idaho Allied Daily Newspapers who said the bill was like going after a “gnat with a sledgehammer.” The bill was in response to last month's posting of the names of successful Idaho wolf hunters on a wolf advocate's Web site, which reportedly led to the harassment of some hunters. Via AP and the Spokesman-Review.
A Nampa, Idaho man faces felony poaches charges and possible jail time for shooting and killing a bighorn ewe on Sunday. Jake Fouts, 20, was arrested by Owyhee County Sheriff's deputies after a man who happened to be watching the bighorn herd saw the shooting and reported the vehicle's license number to fish and game authorities. The Idaho Statesman.
