Hunting and Fishing Heritage Bills Introduced in Congress
the Wildlife Management Institute
Companion bills introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in early October are intended to maintain recreational fishing, hunting and shooting on federal public lands and ensure continued opportunities for these activities, reports the Wildlife Management Institute. The Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act is intended to prevent arbitrary closures of public lands administered by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The bill also formally establishes the Sporting Conservation Council and the Sportfishing and Boating Partnership Council as advisory committees for 10 years and authorizes appropriations for their efforts to recruit and retain new anglers, hunters and recreational shooters.More

Congress Passes Legislation Protecting Pocketknife Classification
the NRA-ILA
The United States Senate recently passed crucial legislation that will protect pocketknives used by tens of millions of Americans. The amendment, actively supported by the National Rifle Association, was included in the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill and will keep pocketknives from being classified as illegal switchblades. U.S. Senators John Cornyn, R-Tex., Mark Pryor, D-Ark., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, authored the amendment and were instrumental in its passage through Congress. U.S. Congressmen Bob Latta, R-Ohio, and Walt Minnick, D-Idaho, also played vital roles in the amendment’s passage in the House. More

Top 10 Buck Hideouts
American Hunter
The main thing a whitetail needs to become a trophy is longevity. Yes, genetics and food sources play important roles, but a buck must survive at least 3½ years to grow decent antlers, and 4½ to become heavy. Many places that manage specifically for mature bucks won't even shoot a buck until they are certain it’s at least 5½ years old. Outside of managed areas, whitetails that live long enough to make the record books do so by spending much of their time in "sanctuaries" where hunters don't tread. Learning to find their secret spots is a key to tagging these brutes.More

Experts: Not Many Quail Seen So Far
the Abeline Reporter-News
They were running bird dog trials Thursday and Friday at the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch in Fisher County, Texas, but for Dale Rollins and his associates, the results weren’t very encouraging. The bird dog trials are conducted each year on the 4,700-acre ranch to estimate the quail population, but Rollins says hunters in West Texas can expect a "mostly disappointing" season. "On the ranch west of Roby, I’ve been concerned since August at the number of birds I’ve seen," Rollins said. "There are some bright spots, but there are 'haves' and 'have nots,' and the 'have nots' are in the majority."More

Favorite Duck Species
The Dallas Morning News
Learn a self-professed "duck snob's" six favorite duck species to hunt for sport in the linked article, as well as tips on how to better stalk your feathered prey.More

Tipped and Bonded
Petersen's Hunting
Hunting bullets just get better and better. Hunters are partially responsible, because awareness of the importance of bullet performance has increased exponentially. Hunters have demanded more, and competitive manufacturers have given them more. The bullet wars continue, with the bullet shooters as the beneficiaries. The most recent wave has been to combine a bonded-core bullet with a polymer tip. In the linked article, find out about the author's experiences with this new type of ammunition.More

Pronghorns As a Low-Cost Option
Petersen's Hunting
Hunting pronghorns is generally considered to be considered good fun, and enjoys high success rates. But tags for public units had since become much harder to get, and outfitting leases had essentially much locked up private ranches once accessible to anyone willing to knock on a door. However, there is still plenty of good pronghorn hunting to be had. Read on to explore how the article's author rediscovered the pronghorn hunt.More

A Bright Idea
Rifle Shooter Magazine
If a little suits you, more is generally better. More money. More vacation time. More game. More dessert. Trouble is, more is seldom free. In optics, hunters seem to have embraced the notion that if a little power is good, more is better, so the bottom-end magnification of rifle scopes and binoculars has climbed over the years. But extra magnification comes at little cost; that's not so for brightness. Read on to learn about recent advancements in optical coatings that enhance brightness, and the pros and cons of using these lenses.More

Hearing Protection Shopper's Guide
Sporting Clays Magazine
The data has long been in, and the argument is over: sustained or repeated exposure to loud noise damages our hearing. Myths like gun noise in open fields or the distinctive cracks from a .22 rimfire rifle aren't harmful to our hearing have long been debunked. Fortunately, hearing loss can be prevented through the use of effective ear protection. Shotgun-specific choices for hearing protection devices are detailed in the linked article. More