CAPE COD, Mass. — The National Park Service has approved a plan to permit a century-old hunting tradition to resume on the Cape Cod National Seashore, a popular federal hunting area in New England.

On Oct. 12, the National Park Service announced the reinstatement of pheasant stocking at the Cape Cod National Seashore for the next 17 years and pheasant hunting indefinitely.

The agency will also increase upland bird habitat and establish a spring turkey hunt. The plans are part of a court-ordered environmental assessment of the Seashore’s hunting program.

“Since the anti-hunters filed suit five years ago to stop the hunt, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation and sportsmen have encouraged the Park Service to do what it must to maintain Cape Cod’s hunting heritage, which has existed there since the early 1900s,” said Bud Pidgeon, USSA president & CEO. “The Foundation applauds the decision to maintain and augment hunting opportunities. It demonstrates that the sport is not a detriment to the Seashore.”

The issue was sparked by a federal suit that anti-hunting groups brought in 2002 to stop hunting on the Cape Cod National Seashore. The USSAF, along with the Massachusetts Sportsmen’s Council Inc., Barnstable County League of Sportsmen’s Clubs and sportsman Michael Veloza of Manomet, Massachusetts, joined the lawsuit to protect hunting on this and other federal land holdings.

The court ruled in 2003 that the pheasant program be halted while an Environmental Impact Statement was completed. The USSA urged the NPS to swiftly complete the EIS, and encouraged sportsmen to support options within the Draft Environmental Impact Statement that allowed the hunt.

Virginia sportsmen are being called to take grassroots action to protect the rights of houndsmen who need to retrieve strayed hunting dogs.
Bill Criminalizes Retrieval of Hunting Dogs from Private Property
On Jan. 10, Delegate Steven Landes, R-Waynesboro, introduced HB 2531. The bill beefs up trespass laws to make the retrieval of a hunting dog from private property without landowner permission a crime.
“House Bill 2531 makes the unjust assumption that a hunting dog on private property was intentionally released there to illegally hunt,” said Rob Sexton, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance vice president for government affairs. “Sportsmen support the strong trespass laws that the state has already established, but they should oppose this bill, which turns the recovery of a hunting dog that has strayed into a criminal offense.”
House Bill 2531 will be heard by the House Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee on Jan. 25 at 7:30 AM. The hearing will be at the State Capitol in the West Conference Room on the 8th floor. Sportsmen are encouraged to attend and demonstrate opposition to the bill.
Bills Reinforce Positive Relations between Sportsmen and Private Landowners
Two additional bills have been introduced in the Virginia General Assembly that will simplify the retrieval of strayed hunting dogs.
Senate Bill 884, introduced by Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, will require a sportsman who is retrieving a hunting dog on another’s property to identify himself if asked to do so by the landowner. The bill passed the Senate on Jan. 18 by a vote of 39-0. It now moves to the House of Delegates for committee assignment.
“A landowner has the right to know who is on his property and what brings him there,” said Sexton. “It is a way to maintain good relations with private property-owners near your hunting grounds.”
Virginia houndsmen are also encouraged to support SB 1180, which makes it a crime to remove a dog’s collar without the owner’s authority. Sen. Kenneth Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, introduced the bill that prohibits removal of tracking collars from strayed hounds. Such a collar makes it easier for a sportsman whose dog may have strayed to locate and retrieve the animal.
Take Action!
Virginia sporting dog owners are urged to attend the Jan. 25 hearing on HB 2531. The House Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee will convene at 7:30 AM in the West Conference Room, 8th Floor of the State Capitol. Sportsmen should demonstrate opposition to the bill.
Those who cannot attend should contact their delegates to oppose HB 2531. The bill violates hunting dog owners’ rights and assumes their guilt until they can prove themselves innocent. To find and contact your delegate, call 698-1500. Sportsmen may also use the Legislative Action Center at www.ussportsmen.org. The resource allows visitors to find and send messages to their lawmakers.
Virginia sporting dog owners are urged to ask their delegates and senators to support SB 884 and SB 1180. The bills enhance sportsmen’s relations with landowners, and help ensure convenient retrieval of a strayed hunting dog. To find and contact your senator or delegate, call 698-1500 or use the Legislative Action Center at www.ussportsmen.org.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Neither gunfire nor two days in a refrigerator could slay this duck.
When the wife of the hunter who shot it opened the refrigerator door, the duck lifted its head, giving her a scare.
The man’s wife “was going to check on the refrigerator because it hadn’t been working right and when she opened the door, it looked up at her,” said Laina Whipple, a receptionist at Killearn Animal Hospital. “She freaked out and told the daughter to take it to the hospital right then and there.”
The 1-pound female ring-neck ended up at Goose Creek Wildlife Sanctuary, where it has been treated since Tuesday for wounds to its wing and leg.
Sanctuary veterinarian David Hale said it has about a 75 percent chance of survival, but probably won’t ever be well enough to be released back into the wild.
He said the duck, which has a low metabolism, could have survived in a big enough refrigerator, especially if the door was opened and closed several times. And he said he understands how the hunter thought the duck was dead.
“This duck is very passive,” Hale said. “It’s not like trying to pick up a Muscovy at Lake Ella, where you put your life in your hands.”

Hunting advocacy organizations have launched new campaigns in a number of states to tear down age and other barriers that prevent people from hunting.
The effort is part of the national Families Afield campaign, established by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, National Shooting Sports Foundation and National Wild Turkey Federation to urge states to review and eliminate unnecessary hunting age restrictions and ease hunter education mandates.
Legislation addressing these concerns is being prepared and introduced in California, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin in 2007. The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its partners have been consulting with state officials and sportsmen’s leaders to craft legislation that addresses the specific needs of the five states, while removing and reducing unnecessary restrictions on hunting. The National Rifle Association is backing the bills in North and South Dakota, and is expected to join the effort in the remaining states. The groups advocate the concept that newcomers to outdoor sports should have the opportunity to experience hunting before making large investments of time and money in equipment and training.
“These states are taking bold first steps to ensure hunting traditions continue to be passed on to the next generation,” said Chris Dolnack, NSSF senior vice president. “Our Families Afield partnership with the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and National Wild Turkey Federation is squarely aimed at helping to eliminate barriers to entry and to increase opportunities for participation. It will truly make a difference for the future of hunting.”
To date, Families Afield legislation and regulations have been approved in 12 states. Two of those states, Michigan and Ohio, established apprentice hunting programs. First-year results appear extremely promising. More than 17,500 apprentice licenses were sold in Michigan, plus over 9,500 in Ohio, during 2006. These 27,000 new hunters suggest a 33 percent jump in the two states’ combined population of hunters age 15 and under.
Families Afield was developed after results of a study, called the Youth Hunting Report, showed that youngsters are less likely to take up hunting in states that have more restrictive requirements for youth participation. However, states that have removed barriers to youth hunting have a much higher youth recruitment rate.
Studies have also shown that supervised youth are the safest class of hunters.
“Hunting is a remarkably safe sport to begin with, and hunting accidents are even rarer in states where parents decide at what age their children are allowed to hunt,” said Dolnack. “Another up-side to an early introduction is the fact that youth who are permitted to try hunting at an early age are more likely to continue their involvement in the sport, which would help reverse the trend of declining sportsman numbers.”
Take Action!
Sportsmen are encouraged to support the Families Afield bills in their state legislatures. To make grassroots action easy, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance features the Legislative Action Center on its website, www.ussportsmen.org. The resource allows visitors to find and send messages to their lawmakers.
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations. It protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.

ANBY, Ore. — Confronted with a deer whose antlers were tangled in a rope swing at a rural home, two officers saw no good choices.
They weren’t about to try to free the animal themselves. It weighed several hundred pounds and was thrashing wildly.
A bullet in the skull seemed the alternative.
“They thought they were going to have to kill it out of compassion,” Lt. Jim Strovink of the Clackamas County sheriff’s office said Wednesday. “It was going to die a slow, agonizing death.”
Then Deputy Jeff Miller thought of the stun gun used to immobilize out-of-control prisoners or suspects.
Zap!
The deer stopped moving.
The officers, one a sheriff’s deputy, the other a state trooper, untangled the rope, which was dangling from a tree limb, and freed the buck.
Not long after, the deer “took off happy as a clam,” Strovink said. “That was pretty good thinking.”

Fox Sports Net, which provides regional sports programming to 85 million households, will no longer run an anti-trapping advertisement produced by the nation’s largest animal rights group, the Humane Society of the United States.
Thousands of angry sportsmen nationwide had sounded off to the network in December after the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance , the nation’s leading sportsman advocacy organization, exposed the network’s decision to air the political advertisement as a gratis public service announcement.
Fox Sports Net told USSA that the 15-second, anti-trapping commercial expired on Dec. 31 and will not run again. The advertisement featured Humane Society of the United States leader Wayne Pacelle and a second animal activist urging viewers to support trapping bans. To add to the sensationalism, the spot opened with a loud clank as a foot hold trap with teeth - a trap that has been banned throughout the country for decades - snapped shut.
“Sportsmen delivered a message to Fox Sports that they want the network to scrutinize the public service announcements it receives so that anti-trapping and anti-hunting political advertisements like this HSUS spot do not receive approval in the future,” said Rick Story, USSA senior vice president. “Based on discussions USSA has had with the network, we anticipate that in the future it will pay much closer attention to ads that reflect such political viewpoints.”
Trapping is recognized by every wildlife agency at the state and federal level as a viable and important conservation tool. It helps keep furbearer populations at healthy levels and is important in stemming the spread of wildlife diseases that threaten animals and humans.
The Humane Society of the United States opposes all animal use, including trapping, hunting and fishing. It has a multi-million dollar budget that it invests in legislative and ballot campaigns to ban trapping and hunting. It also has a legal arm to challenge sportsmen’s rights in court.
Sportsmen can subscribe to the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance E-mail Network at www.ussportsmen.org to stay informed about this and other issues that impact the future of America’s outdoor heritage.
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.

“It’s preseason football time, but not ‘officially’ football season. And like preseason football, it’s also preseason for hunting,” writes Sheboygan Press columnist Shawn Clark. Clark points out that while hunting seasons are approaching, visiting a hunting preserve is a perfect preseason warm-up.
A searchable Web site, www.wingshootingusa.org, features links to preserves throughout the country. The site was developed by NSSF to offer hunters “a place to hunt for bird hunting places.”

The World Hunting Association today announced that the organization will shift to a traditional harvest format in time for the organization’s inaugural tournament this fall. The announcement was made by World Hunting Association commissioner David Farbman.
Detroit, MI. - The World Hunting Association today announced that the organization will shift to a traditional harvest format in time for the organization’s inaugural tournament this fall. The announcement was made by World Hunting Association commissioner David Farbman.
Over the past two months, we have met one-on-one with fellow hunters, major hunters’ rights organizations, industry leaders and top outdoor journalists from all over the country to gain their perspectives. Consistently, their major concerns centered on the proposed use of non-fatal darting, said Farbman. The World Hunting Association is committed to growing the sport of hunting and increasing participation among youth, women and minority groups. We regret that the darting format upset other individuals with those same goals, said Farbman. “The The World Hunting Associationis made up of longtime hunters who are incredibly passionate about the sport. Everyone associated with The World Hunting Association wants what is best for hunting. We feel confident we are now on the right path.”
The organization has also altered the competition’s prize money structure, eliminating a bounty level system, and offering awards based on a more general point system. The first tournaments in 2006 will be held at Lost Arrow Ranch in Gladwin, Michigan. The use of the 1,000 acre preserve for the tournaments not only allows for a controlled competition, it also insures that the tournaments will not adversely impact wild game populations or infringe upon hunting opportunities on public and private land for regularly licensed hunters.
The World Hunting Association is committed to education and elevating awareness of hunting via its interactive Web site and televised tour events, offering fans an opportunity to step inside the lives of eight diverse professional hunters from across the United States. Individual hunting strategies, techniques, and skill sets will all be showcased. A key goal of the organization is to recruit and retain more youth, women, minorities and non-hunters into the sport and reverse a two decade-long decline in hunting.
The hunting tour will feature 12-day tournaments during which the pro hunters can take up to six deer — four does, one management buck and one trophy buck. Certain bucks that are featured and studied on the internet portal will not be eligible for harvest during competition, but the hunters can gain bonus points for bringing the deer into effective range and capturing the footage on camera. A bow, rifle and a muzzle loader will be used over the course of the tournament: At least one deer must be taken with each of the three throughout a competition.
In keeping with the organization’s belief of providing assistance and support to a variety of charitable organizations, a portion of the deer harvested will be donated to area homeless shelters. Food donations are just one of the many ways that the World Hunting Association expects to participate in community outreach in the future.
Set to launch in mid-September, the official interactive domain replaces the organization’s temporary website. The new online experience boasts numerous high-tech multimedia features unlike anything else offered within the hunting community — making the thrill and tradition of hunting accessible to everyone across the globe. The user-friendly site provides hours of streaming footage of the tournaments, exciting interactive games, a highly educational and fun GPS tracking tool and other innovative features.
About the World Hunting Association
The World Hunting Association™ is a global competitive sporting establishment dedicated to organizing and promoting the sport of hunting and conservation and growing youth and non-hunter participation. The World Hunting Association includes a ground-breaking, professional, competitive hunting tour, spotlighting professional tour hunters from all over the United States who will compete with cameras present at all times. WHA will incorporate several patent-pending technologies that will enhance the viewer experience. More information about the World Hunting Association is available at www.worldhunt.com.

Chronic wasting disease was not detected in samples taken from hunter-killed deer during the state’s 2005 hunting season, according to Dr. Walt Cottrell, Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife veterinarian.
As CWD has been identified in New York and West Virginia in 2005, Cottrell noted that the agency continues to increase the number of deer samples collected for testing.
In 2005, 3,834 samples were tested from hunter-killed deer, and CWD was not detected. In 2004, 3,613 hunter-killed deer samples were tested, compared to the 2,004 deer sampled in 2003, and 558 in 2002. CWD was not detected in previous year’s samples. Results showing that the CWD tests of hunter-killed elk from 2005 were all negative and were announced on Jan. 23.

Nancy Lee Laura, 50, of Hanover, Pa., chose to harass five lawful deer hunters several times last fall on her state’s regular rifle season’s opening day. In turn, a Pennsylvania judge chose to find her guilty of violating the state’s Game and Wildlife Code. Along with his decision of guilt was a fine of $500. The charges were followed up by an investigation by game commission wildlife conservation officers.
“If we are notified when these incidents occur, and our investigation finds that crime against lawful hunters or trappers was committed” said wildlife conservation officers Chad R. Eyler, “we will enforce the interference law and protect lawful hunters and trappers from this type of conduct by others.”
Several states have recently added teeth or are currently legislating even stronger hunter-harassment laws than are currently on the books, including Pennsylvania and Arizona.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — America’s two largest outdoor magazines, Field and Stream and Outdoor Life, have been publishing hunting, fishing and conservation stories for a combined 219 years.
Today both titles are communicating those stories in another way — through a new sponsorship of National Hunting and Fishing Day, set for Sept. 23, 2006.
The magazines, along with parent company Time4 Outdoors, have offered a sponsorship package to help return the 34-year-old, federally recognized holiday to its early glory as the most successful sporting campaign in American history.
It’s a movement being driven by Wonders of Wildlife, the National Fish and Wildlife Museum and Aquarium. Based in Springfield, Mo., the official home of National Hunting and Fishing Day is the only hunting- and fishing-focused facility that’s both affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution and accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.
Wonders of Wildlife’s partners include the National Shooting Sports Foundation , which founded National Hunting and Fishing Day, The Outdoor Channel, Bass Pro Shops, Realtree and Woolrich. More are expected to come on board to help unify America’s hunters and anglers into the cohesive force that hallmarked early years of the celebration.
“We are honored to welcome Outdoor Life and Field and Stream to this effort,” said Tony Schoonen, Wonders of Wildlife executive director. “These publications have played an integral role in entertaining and informing hunters and anglers for generations, and they certainly have a place in the ultimate celebration of America’s hunting and fishing traditions.”
“Our magazines are committed to growing and preserving hunting and fishing and supporting National Hunting and Fishing Day is a great opportunity to do just that,” said Eric Zinczenko, group publisher of Field and Stream and Outdoor Life magazines. “We hope the day galvanizes the millions of American outdoorsmen and women to unify in celebration of the sports they love.”
Country music star Tracy Byrd has been named honorary chairman for National Hunting and Fishing Day 2006. Byrd also served that role in 2005.
National Hunting and Fishing Day, formalized by Congress in 1971, was created by NSSF to celebrate the conservation successes of hunters and anglers. From shopping center exhibits to statewide expos, millions of citizens learned to appreciate America’s sportsman-based system of conservation funding. That system now generates more than $1.7 billion per year, benefiting all who appreciate wildlife and wild places.
National Hunting and Fishing Day is observed on the fourth Saturday of every September.
For more information, visit www.nhfday.org.
Time4 Outdoors, publishers of Field and Stream®, Outdoor Life® and SHOT Business®, is a division of Time4 Media®, the world’s leading publisher of enthusiast magazines. Time4 Media is a subsidiary of Time Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner .

Equipment sales up 8 percent in ‘04.
Hunting-related equipment sales saw the highest percentage increase of all athletic and sports equipment in 2004, according to new data from the National Sporting Goods Association . NSGA’s report “The Sporting Goods Market in 2005″ estimates sales of hunting-related equipment totaled $2.8 billion in 2004, up 8 percent from the previous year. The next-highest category was tennis-related equipment sales, which rose 5 percent. Archery increased 4 percent, camping 3 percent, golf 3 percent, bowling 3 percent, fishing 2 percent, and baseball/softball 2 percent.
Within the hunting-related equipment category, firearms saw a 9.5 percent sales increase in 2004 to $1.9 billion, according to the report.
Rifle sales showed a 16.5 percent increase, handgun sales increased 10.4 percent, shotgun sales were up 1.9 percent and air gun sales rose 3 percent. At $2.8 billion in total sales, hunting-related equipment ranked third among all athletic and sports equipment categories in 2004, with only golf and exercise equipment ranking higher.

“Why Gun Bans Don’t Work…and What to Do” is an excellent article by Dr. James Swann, posted on ESPN Outdoors Web site, that provides facts and suggestions for becoming pro-active in the gun debate.
“The End of Hunting,” by Christina Larsen, appearing in the Washington Monthly, clearly spells out how important creating access is for the hunting heritage to survive.
“Hunting for Reasons More Elusive Every Year,” in the Oregonian, mourns declining hunter numbers and asks, if not hunters, then who will pay the costs of preserving habitat and managing fish and wildlife.

Reuters reports that a three-decade-long ban on sport hunting is being considered as part of broader revamping of its wildlife policies. “The ban on hunting is one of those [policies] up for review and discussion,” said the director of the Kenya Wildlife Service.
Sport hunting has serious economic significance in Africa. Foreign hunters bring $165 million a year into South Africa’s economy. The article quotes Laurence Frank, researcher with the Wildlife Conservation Society, who says, “Hunting is the most lucrative way of utilizing wildlife, and it has the least impact.”

An online survey is helping the outdoor industry better serve its customers who hunt and shoot. The survey is free, and respondents could win one of several $100 gift certificates to be given away each month.
To participate, visit www.huntersurvey.com. Respondent information will be used in the development of new products, better services and expanded opportunities to enjoy hunting and shooting.
Huntersurvey.com was developed by Southwick Associates Inc., which tracks hunting and shooting sports trends and specializes in assessing revenue streams and business models, regularly helping state agencies and trade groups in their efforts to protect and expand hunting, shooting and other outdoor opportunities.

Every year, millions of Americans make New Year’s resolutions to enjoy a healthier lifestyle. Fortunately for all of them, nature’s original family gym and health-food store–the prime hunting grounds of America’s great outdoors–are open for business. After all, an hour spent pheasant hunting not only burns 408 calories, but it can also provide a tasty low fat, low cholesterol meal.
Through its “Just for the Health of It” campaign, NSSF’s STEP OUTSIDE® program is encouraging outdoor enthusiasts to introduce newcomers to hunting at one of America’s many bird hunting preserves–which can be found at www.wingshootingusa.org.
The concept was featured last week in the Green Bay Press-Gazette. The program is also holding a wild game and fish recipe contest through March.

Remember the concerted effort made by John Kerry and his handlers during the 2004 Presidential Campaign to make it appear as though the candidate was an avid, lifelong hunter and staunch defender of Second Amendment rights? Remember the trap range photo-op? The Ohio goose hunt?
The ridiculous quote about crawling around on his belly hunting deer with his trusty 12-guage double-barrel? Well, now Kerry has joined with animal-rights radicals in condemning a Republican Governor’s Conference quail hunt on a Georgia gamebird preserve. In The Boston Herald, Kerry worries that the birds are somehow trapped inside the preserve’s fence, which, incidentally, surrounds 45,000 acres.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has issued an order banning the importation of specific carcass parts from states and Canadian provinces where Chronic Wasting Disease has been identified in free-ranging deer, elk and other cervids.
Hunters traveling to these areas will need to abide by the new restrictions.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and The New York Times readers were enjoying a wonderfully crafted article by rock star and outdoor television host Ted Nugent, who has long been an outspoken advocate of hunting.
His Dec. 24 article describes a wickedly cold holiday-season hunt in a treestand that leads to his harvesting a buck, but the piece describes much more than that, including the values he and his family have taken from their healthy involvement in hunting and in the natural world that hunting is part of.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has published a 20-page booklet on the origin and status of Chronic Wasting Disease in Wisconsin. Titled “Controlling Chronic Wasting Disease in Wisconsin: A Progress Report and Look Toward the Future,” the booklet includes the how and why of the disease containment and eradication strategies, what the direct costs are and what the future holds.
The booklet, authored by Robert E. Rolley, is available on the DNR Web site in PDF format. It can also be obtained by calling 608-266-8204.