OutdoorHub
New Jersey Hatcheries Adjust Stocking Plans to Fight Die-offs
The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife will be stocking some 570,000 rainbow trout across state waters for the spring fishing season, yet anglers will notice something different about them this year. Due to a large die-off last year from bacterial infection, there will be no brown or brook trout stocked. Officials said they intend to abstain from stocking these species for at least several years, until a bacteria-resistant strains of brook and brown trout can be introduced.
“The trout going out from the Pequest Hatchery this spring will be completely healthy---and big,” said...
10 Virginia Gun Control Bills Fail in Senate Committee
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe made gun control a top priority for his administration late last year, introducing a number of what he called "common-sense" bills. Yet on Monday, most of those gun control bills died in a Republican-controlled State Senate committee.
Instead, the committee chose to pass several pro-gun bills, including legislation that would allow Virginia residents to purchase lifetime concealed-carry permits and another that would allow gun owners to possess firearms on certain school campuses.
“I am disappointed to see these common-sense measures to keep Virginians...
Top New Guns from SHOT Show 2015
SHOT Show 2015 has come and gone, and it's difficult to even begin to imagine how long it would take to fully catalog the sheer amount of guns, gear, and stuff that's been introduced to the outdoor world in the past seven days. While there's a host of interesting optics, accessories, and other pieces of kit unveiled at every SHOT, the firearms are always the main draw. As such, I've compiled a list of my top nine picks from the show and provided them below, in no particular order.
1. Savage A17
Many manufacturers have tried to build a reliable and safe semiautomatic firearm in...
6 Unusual Finds from SHOT Show 2015
My top priority for day one of the annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show is to beeline for the "basement" at the first ding of the opening bell. You’d think I was a greyhound chasing one of those electric rabbits around the track, except I don’t bark (quite) as much during the mad dash.
I do this because that’s where the new and interesting stuff is. Before the show starts, we pretty much know what the mainstream companies are going to be showing. Don’t get me wrong, actually seeing and handling these new products is exciting. I...
10 Innovative Products Introduced at the 2015 ATA Show
Many companies introduce new products at the Archery Trade Association (ATA) Show each year. Here are my top 10 new and nifty things I discovered while visiting this huge industry show earlier this month, in no particular order.
1. Hunter Safety System LIFELINE
Hunter Safety System's new LIFELINE offers some appealing safety features for those of us who spend a lot of time ascending and descending trees every year. The LIFELINE keeps you safe during the most dangerous time in treestand hunting: when you're transferring from the steps to...
President Obama Proposes Wilderness Protections for Oil-rich Alaskan Coast
This week, President Barack Obama's administration announced that the Department of the Interior has released a new conservation plan for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) that will designate more than 12 million acres as wilderness, including the oil-rich coastal plain. The announcement has set off a firestorm of debate, especially from some Alaskan lawmakers, who staunchly opposed the expansion of wilderness protections.
President Obama, speaking during a state...
World’s Largest Charity Ice Fishing Contest Draws 11,000 Anglers
It is that time of year again and while the East Coast is bracing for snow and bitter cold, anglers on Minnesota's Gull Lake were enjoying unseasonably warm temperatures. Yet the ice on Gull Lake was still thick and solid, bringing in droves of visitors over the weekend. More than 11,000 anglers showed up for the 25th Annual Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza, which is considered the largest annual charity ice fishing contest in the world.
According to the event's organizers, the warm weather was not only welcome after chilly previous seasons, but also served to bring in new...
Famed Polish Firearm Manufacturer FB Radom to Open US Facility
The next few years are looking to be exciting ones for fans of the AK rifle. At this year's SHOT Show, FB Radom, a Polish manufacturer of high-quality Kalashnikov variants and other arms, announced that they'd be setting up a production facility in Texas by the end of this year.
Radom received the proper licensing from the ATF to get the ball rolling on its US operation, FB Radom USA, just last month, according to Ted Marshall. Marshall is a well-known name in the AK community---he has built some of the most impressive Kalashnikov-pattern guns available in America. Radom has tapped...
Video: Homeowner Rescues Deer Trapped in Fence
For good or ill, it seems that deer want to jump over just about everything. Adult deer can leap up to eight feet in the air---which means that somebody should probably teach them how to play basketball. However, when you combine a deer's poor depth perception with a properly constructed barrier, you often end up with a situation like the one seen in the video below.
Thankfully for this doe, rescue came at just the right time. In more isolated areas, being trapped in a fence can mean a slow and excruciating death. Even if the deer is able to free itself, there is always a chance of...
Video: This Might Be the Best Possible Way to Find Out Your Baby’s a Boy
The men and women of the outdoors always find creative ways to work their passions into their daily lives. In the video below, a couple finds out the sex of their soon-to-be third child in a very unique way. It involves an exploding target, some blue-colored chalk, and an AR-15. It's one of the most heartwarming videos we've seen all week.
According to the video's description, the couple already had two daughters and were expecting a third. The fact that they'd be having a son simply piled excitement upon excitement.
http://youtu.be/jIp4Spq5RWc...
Video: 7 Wild Game Appetizers to Heat Up Super Bowl XLIX
Whether you are a Patriots fan, a Seahawks fan, or none of the above, just about everybody agrees that the food is one of the best parts of game day. It is also a very necessary part, unless you want to be shunned by your guests and former friends by not providing adequate grub. So you could make a last minute run to the supermarket and scrounge up some chips and some of that disgusting prepackaged five-layered dip, or you could do your shopping in the great outdoors.
Here are seven easy-to-make wild game recipes that will be sure to make you the host of the year for Super Bowl XLIX. Some...
Federal Premium Listened to Turkey Hunters and the Result is 3rd Degree
Just last week, this column covered the need for sights on a turkey hunting shotgun. The premise for that need is the fact that today’s chokes and loads deliver patterns so tight at close range (20 yards and in) that there is little to no margin for error. Inside 10 yards you’re working with a golf ball-sized pattern.
I’ve been pitching sights for a number of years, especially since a hunt in Kentucky during which the guys from Down ‘n Dirty Calls pulled a big tom within eight yards of where I was sitting. Shot with a three-inch 12 gauge Federal Mag-Shok Heavyweight turkey load,...
Lancer Turns It Up to 11 with the 25-round L7AWM and One-piece Adaptive Magwell
Lancer Systems has made a name for itself in the AR world for its ultra-premium rifles and advanced polymer accessories, including the L5AWM and L7AWM magazines for 5.56 and .308 cartridges. This year at SHOT Show they introduced a host of new products, including a 25-round L7 and a one-piece version of their Adaptive Magwell.
The 25-round L7AWM is built using the same hybrid polymer and steel construction present in its lower-capacity predecessors. The upper body...
M+M, Inc. Rethinks the Kalashnikov with the M10X
SHOT 2015 was a big event for fans of the AK. From Magpul's accessories to the announcement of at least three new US-based Kalashnikov manufacturers, we've had a lot to be excited about. In addition to the news from those "big names," though, a sleeper almost crept by unnoticed. I'm talking about M+M, Inc.'s new M10X rifle.
Colorado-based Read more »
Florida Wildlife Officers Kill Heaviest Bear in State History
On Sunday, officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) euthanized the largest-documented black bear in the state's history. According to The News-Press, the massive 740-pound male bear was captured days before while roaming through populated neighborhoods in Seminole County. He was even sighted lingering around a local elementary school. Given that it weighed nearly 500 pounds more than the average male black bear in Florida, experts...
Video: Raccoon and Bobcat Face Off over Watering Hole
Confrontations with bobcats rarely end well for raccoons, who more often than not just end up being an overly feisty meal. This raccoon, however, has different ideas. A firm believer in the "first-come, first-served" philosophy, the masked critter locks into a brief standoff with the passing cat---who decided that this water hole was not one worth fighting over.
http://youtu.be/Rbk_VqkgFcY...
Pennsylvania Shelves Controversial Plan to Restrict Hiking in State Game Lands
The Pennsylvania Game Commission announced last week that it has shelved a proposal that would restrict non-hunters from using state game lands during hunting seasons in fall and spring. According to the Game Commission, the proposal would have have restricted hiking to only Sundays while hunters were in the field, as well as required non-hunters to acquire a free permit before using state lands. In a Read more »
Faxon Firearms Brings the ARAK Platform into the .30 Cal World
Faxon Firearms is the gun manufacturing wing of Faxon Machining. Their "ARAK" rifle project began in 2011 when owner Bob Faxon decided to build his own AR upper that included some of the features he'd been looking for in a rifle. The first big jump was to make the upper utilize a long-stroke, Kalashnikov-style gas piston---leading to the ARAK name.
The ARAK-21 in 5.56x45mm has been their flagship rifle, available as a complete upper and lower, or simply a replacement AR upper. But at SHOT Show 2015, Faxon Firearms demoed their ARAK-31, a purpose...
CZ-USA to Being Offering Scorpion EVO 3 and Bren 805 in 2015
Semiautomatic, commercial versions of latest firearms used by the Czech military, the CZ 805 Bren and Scorpion EVO 3, will finally make an appearance on the US market in 2015. They will initially be offered as pistols, "officially" dubbed the 805 Bren PS1 and Scorpion EVO 3 S1.
The EVO 3 is immediately recognizable thanks to its futuristic polymer furniture. The select-fire submachine gun variant has seen use with Czech military and police forces for the...
Kel-Tec Introduces the SUB-2000 Gen 2, Plans Summer Release for RDB
If you read enough about Kel-Tec guns online, inevitably someone will complain that Kel-Tec "can't keep up with demand" and that they'd rather design new guns than make any in volume.
Well, after visiting their booth at SHOT Show this year, It's evident that they're aiming to do both. They've introduced a "Gen 2" SUB-2000 with some improved designs that will be easier to manufacture.
If you're not familiar with the SUB-2000, it's a pistol caliber carbine that accepts handgun magazines and can fold in half for storage. The caliber and magazine pattern are up to you! Kel-Tec says they...