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Thursday, July 3, 2008

Every Year, I am slammed with requests for which drawings and raffles to support both personally and to bring to all of you. Over the next several weeks I am going to be supporting two such raffles because I think they are good raffles and I know where the money is being sent.

The Wyoming Wildlife Federation 2008 Dream Hunt Sweepstakes is just such a raffle. For your hard earned money, you have a chance at a Commissioners Tag to hunt in Elk Area #100.  You could not get a better opportunity to win some great tags.

Link to Wyoming Wildlife Federation

POSTED BY KEVIN C PAULSON AT 11:31 AM | 0 COMMENT | LINKS TO THIS POST

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Waterbury, Vermont - Always wanted a moose hunting permit but never won one in a state lottery? Here's your chance to bid on a permit, rather than take your chances in another moose permit lottery.

Vermont's fourth annual auction for moose hunting permits is now open with a July 28 deadline to get in your written bid for a permit. Five permits will be auctioned.

Auction winners will choose to hunt in one of several wildlife management units (WMUs) open to moose hunting and choose during one of two hunting seasons -- either October 18-23 or October 25-November 2.

Hunting success rates for individual management units may be found in a report on Vermont's 2007 Moose Hunting Season available on the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department's website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com). Under "Hunting & Trapping," click on Big Game Harvest Reports.

You will be able to name a partner to hunt with you who also may carry a firearm or bow, and a third unarmed person may accompany you on your hunt.

POSTED BY KEVIN C PAULSON AT 10:58 AM | 0 COMMENT | LINKS TO THIS POST

Thursday, July 3, 2008

FT. BENNING, Georgia - Matt Emmons, Keith Sanderson, Jason Turner and Brenda Shinn, who will all be representing the U.S. on the 2008 Olympic team, each earned the National Title in their respective event today at the 2008 USA Shooting National Championships for Rifle/Pistol.

Emmons (Browns Mills, N.J.), the 2004 Olympic gold medalist, captured the national title in the Men's Prone Rifle event after shooting a score of 597 in his first match, followed by a perfect 600 in his second match and secured the win with a final of 105.1. Emmons finished with a total score of 1302.0. U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) member Eric Uptagrafft (Spokane, Wash.), a 1996 Olympian, took second place with an overall score of 1299.1, while his USAMU teammate Michael McPhail (Darlington, Wis.) finished in third place with 1297.4. Forrest Klein (Columbus, Ga.) claimed the national title in the Junior Men's Prone Rifle event after finishing with a total score of 1280.0. Cody Rutter (Palmyra, Pa.) took second place with 1279.6 and Thomas Santelli (Prosperity, Pa.) finished in third place with 1277.3.

In the Men's Rapid Fire Pistol event, 2008 U.S. Olympic team member Sanderson (San Antonio, Texas) finished in first place, claiming the national title and setting a new national record for his second match score of 590. Sanderson shot a 577 in his first match and a 198.2 in the final to finish with an overall score of 1365.2. USAMU member John Ennis (Simi Valley, Calif.) took second place with 1339.3, while USAMU member Brad Balsley (Uniontown, Pa.) finished in third place with 1338.4. Balsley also claimed the junior national title.

POSTED BY KEVIN C PAULSON AT 10:51 AM | 0 COMMENT | LINKS TO THIS POST

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

July 2008 Barnes Bullet-N

Big game seasons are a few months away, but there are still plenty of prairie dogs, rockchucks, woodchucks and jackrabbits around to keep your shooting eye sharp. Benchrest shooting is in full swing, with competitors taking precision to awesome levels.

For bigbore enthusiasts, the Fifty Caliber Shooter’s Association (FCSA) World Championship matches are being held July 1-6 at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico. Several of those attending will shoot Barnes products. In 1999, Skip Talbot used Barnes bullets to set the 1000-yard, Heavy Gun World Record that still stands today. His five–shot group measured just 2.60 inches across.

Another .50 BMG competitor, Brad Trelstad, recently sent in a 1000-yard group with four of five shots clustered into a tight 1.63-inch group. Wind turned the fifth shot into a flyer, spoiling what looked to have some great potential. Hey Brad, we’re cheering for ya in Raton, buddy!

Hunters are becoming more interested in long-distance shooting. Some are getting great results. Brian Carlson just reported shooting a 1.33-inch three-shot group at 250 yards, and a 2.84-inch group at 500 yards. He used 180-grain Triple Shocks in the .300 Winchester Magnum he hunts with. Both groups were well-centered vertically, although the 500-yard group was eight inches left of the aiming point due to the wind.

After weeks of hard walk-and-stalk hunting without the help of baits, Brian recently killed a spring bear in Oregon. He was shooting from prone at a lasered distance of 530 yards. To prepare for this kind of long-range shooting, he’d regularly been busting gallon jugs at 500 yards.

Like most hunters, I like to stalk as close as possible before firing. However, I’ve been on a number of hunts where the only opportunity was a 400- or 500-yard shot. I put in a lot of practice before attempting such long-range shooting. Simply buying expensive scopes and accurate rifles isn’t enough. You have to spend long hours at the range to gain the necessary skills. In my opinion, these skills are more important than the equipment you use.

To improve long-range marksmanship, there’s no substitute for actual practice. Or, for a great time and fun experience, attend one of the many schools that offer long range shooting courses. My daughter, Jessica, and I attended one of these training sessions some years back. You can read about the details of our experience in a story written by Ian McMurchy for the #3 Barnes Reloading Manual entitled “Take Your Best Shot.”

If you want to be a better shooter, spend more time at the range. To be a better long-distance shooter, spend even more time shooting at targets a quarter-mile or more away, and utilize the specialized resources and programs that are out there for us.

Randy Brooks

POSTED BY KEVIN C PAULSON AT 10:16 PM | 0 COMMENT | LINKS TO THIS POST

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Saint Paul, Minn. - July 1, 2008 - Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) Vice President of Government Affairs, has been reappointed to the North American Wetlands Conservation Council. Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, made the three-year appointment. Nomsen has served as a member on the Council since 1999. His new appointed term will run through March of 2011.

The Council was established by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) to review and recommend project proposals to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, which has the ultimate authority to approve funding for projects under NAWCA. Created on December 13, 1989, NAWCA is an international agreement that provides a strategy and funding for the long-term protection of wetlands and associated upland habitats needed by waterfowl and other migratory birds in North America.

"I am honored to continue serving with this distinguished group of conservation leaders," reported Nomsen. "NAWCA has truly been a success story in our efforts to protect and restore this continent's wetland habitats. I look forward to contributing to that wetland conservation legacy."

POSTED BY KEVIN C PAULSON AT 04:50 PM | 0 COMMENT | LINKS TO THIS POST

Sunday, June 29, 2008

MISSOULA, Mont.—Athlete, archer, communicator, backcountry fanatic and self-described “average guy living an elk hunter’s dream,” Cameron Hanes has been selected to host Elk Chronicles, the new television show of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Elk Chronicles premieres July 3 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Outdoor Channel. The show will air Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. and Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m., all times Eastern.

Hanes, editor of Eastmans’ Bowhunting Journal, co-host of Eastmans’ Bowhunting Journal TV, author of Bowhunting Trophy Blacktail and Backcountry Bowhunting, brings a loyal following of extreme hunters and devoted conservationists.

“For those who haven’t followed his adventures, buckle up and hold on because this guy takes elk hunting to a whole new level. When you find someone who trains for bow season by running 50-mile ultra marathons through the mountains, you know they take their hunting seriously,” said Elk Foundation President and CEO David Allen.

POSTED BY KEVIN C PAULSON AT 04:47 PM | 0 COMMENT | LINKS TO THIS POST

Sunday, June 29, 2008

In the last month I have spent the better part of 3/4 of my month away from home and traveling between home in Virginia to Pennsylvania and Ohio for business with the company that I work for CliCKS Document Management .  This travel is an important part of my role as National Director of Business Development the traveling can get old.  On a recent trip from Pittsburgh to Columbus, OH I had the pleasure of stopping in Wheeling, WV for an extended shopping trip to wait out some thunderstorms at the Cabelas Store in Wheeling.  I took several walks around the store and while in the archery section I came across a book that has consumed me for the past several weeks.  BackCountry Bowhunting, A Guide to the Wild Side by Cameron R. Hanes.

READ More... for the rest of my Review of this wonderful Book. 

POSTED BY KEVIN C PAULSON AT 04:07 PM | 0 COMMENT | LINKS TO THIS POST

Sunday, June 29, 2008

The National Geographic Society has a great article about the wildfire epidemic in the west from the Rocky Mountains to the Coast of California where wildfires are burning bigger, hotter and closer to home.  The article details why this is happening and provides some great insight into the situations throughout the west.  Having grown up in Forest Service Family, I am absolutely obsessed with wildfires and the situations in our National Forests.  As a true conservationist I want to see healthy forests and amazing wilderness areas.

Give this article a look online and/or purchase this months issue of National Geographic to read this article.

UNDER FIRE, By Neil Shea and Photographed by Mark Thiessen 

POSTED BY KEVIN C PAULSON AT 02:36 PM | 1 COMMENT | LINKS TO THIS POST

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Hunting The First State - A Guide to Delaware Hunting is a great resource for those interested in hunting the state of Delaware.  I think it might be a great resource for those looking to hunt any of the states in that Delmarva Peninsula as well like Eastern Shore Maryland and New Jersey.  Steven puts together a great resource on everything from traditional Whitetail Deer Hunting, Turkey Hunting to Small Game and Migratory Bird hunting.

This book will give you general areas to hunt with specific names of Wildlife Management areas to focus your attention on and a full wealth of knowledge on tips and tactics to use in those specific areas.  His book covers a majority of the species available to hunt and a things you need to know about hunting each species and where to hunt and locate those species.  Of course Steven isn't going to point you to his best farms to hunt but gives you generic information that with your own scouting and the knowledge gained from this book you can take to the field and have reasonable hopes of taking your choice of many different game species.

I especially enjoyed the section on Turkey hunting and I gained some valuable insight into the areas that are available to hunt Turkey on public land in Delaware and I am thinking about applying for a permit for the 2009 season.

I enjoyed the book tremendously and at a price of $19.95 I think you are gaining a real value and a great work that will surely be welcome in your home library.

POSTED BY KEVIN C PAULSON AT 01:15 PM | 0 COMMENT | LINKS TO THIS POST

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Harry was looking through his stash of photos from this springs season hunting bear and sent me some of the great pictures that he took.  We have some amazing shots and i thought I would share them all with you.  The video from my hunt is still being worked on and has been handed off to a very capable video editor and should be completed in the next month or so.  We are going to take the final footage from all of our hunts over the last couple of years and get them edited down into a DVD format.  We have two great bear hunts and two great Antelope hunts that I am working on getting put together for a pilot DVD that we are going to be selling at cost plus one dollar to go towards conservation programs.

Without Further Ado... Heres some of the great shots.

POSTED BY KEVIN C PAULSON AT 12:32 AM | 0 COMMENT | LINKS TO THIS POST