"When some of my friends have asked me anxiously about their boys, whether they should let them hunt, I have answered, yes - remembering that it was one of the best parts of my education - make them hunters."

Henry David Thoreau, 1854


“A citizen who shirks his duty to contribute to the security of his community is little better than the criminal who threatens it.” - Robert Boatman


Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Hunting Heritage Trust/NSSF® Study: Youth Who Hunt and Shoot Can Positively Influence Peers

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- The more familiar youth are with individuals their own age who hunt and target shoot, the more likely they will be to support and participate in these activities.
This key finding and others come from a major new research project commissioned by the Hunting Heritage Trust and National Shooting Sports Foundation® to determine the impact of peer influence on youth participation in hunting and the shooting sports.
Results from the project were presented at the 77th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference this week in Atlanta.
"This study shows us that today's youth that hunt and target shoot are important role models to other youth that have yet to participate in these activities. What they say about hunting and shooting and how they conduct themselves reflect on those activities and can have an effect on whether their peers will participate in them," said Jim Curcuruto, NSSF's director of industry research and analysis.
"The findings of this report are helping us better understand the impact of youth peer influence at a time when youth no longer participate in hunting and target shooting as much as they once did," said Bob Delfay, president of the Hunting Heritage Trust. "The study is timely because we see that many opportunities exist to positively affect youth attitudes toward the shooting sports."
Responsive Management, the well-known public opinion researchers in the fields of conservation, hunting and target shooting, conducted the research in January using focus groups and a nationwide scientific telephone survey of youth ages 8 to 17 years old.
"At these ages, youth are developing potentially life-long perceptions of other people. Youth hunters and target shooters are role models for these activities, and it is extremely important that they know this and present themselves in a manner that will positively affect their peers," said Mark Damian Duda, Executive Director of Responsive Management.
The study also revealed that youth have a curiosity about the shooting sports and an eagerness to learn more about them. Non-participants said they would accept an invitation to try target shooting and hunting. When the percentages from the study were applied to U.S. population estimates, the report found that mor e than 23 million youth ages 8 to 17 would be likely to hunt if invited in the next 12 months, and more than 27 million youth would be likely to target shoot if invited during that period.
"The most important obligation for youth hunting and shooting ambassadors is to invite their friends to go hunting and shooting," the report said.
Not surprisingly, the study noted that communication among peers via social media had potential to have a positive effect on attitudes. The study noted, "Youth are uniquely positioned to take advantage of the most prominent and effective means of social media" and that sponsoring organizations should encourage the use of these and other communications tools.
Participation in the shooting sports should not be all about the activities themselves but also about socializing, meeting new friends and having a fun time, according to the report. In this way, the shooting sports are not unlike any other sport or group activity.
The report noted that youth react favorably to opportunities to try something new, which is good news for the traditional activities of target shooting and hunting.
Read the Executive Summary.
Read the Full Report.
-30-
About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 7,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Wanted!!
Remington 700 Rifle or action, with Magnum caliber bolt face that will accept a 300 Winchester Magnum or 375 Caliber.

Call:
Lynn Briggs
Home: 970-243-7822
Cell:    970-210-3086

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Bull Moose ~-Action Alert-~

Fellow Hunters, Anglers and Coloradans,

We need your help.  As many of you know, Rep. Sal Pace (D-Pueblo) and Sen. Jean White (R-Hayden) recently introduced a bipartisan bill to support Colorado's sportsmen.  But, we need your help to make the bill a reality.  House Bill 1275 creates a new Colorado sportsmen’s license plate, with the money generated by the sales of the license plates going directly towards expanding opportunities for public shooting ranges and improving fishing opportunities in Colorado.

As part of getting the license plate bill through the legislative and administrative process, we must collect 3,000 signatures.

Please support this license plate by signing our petition here. 

Please also feel free to share this with your hunting and fishing buddies.

The revenue from an overwhelming number of other special license plates go to non-profit organizations. However, unlike other license plates, none of the proceeds from the sales of this license plate will go to any single non-profit organization, but will go to Colorado Parks and Wildlife to expand shooting ranges and fishing opportunities.

The Need:

Two of the basic gateways to hunting and angling sports occur through basic initiation and instruction through opportunities that allow a parent to take a young person plinking at a range, or to a nearby park to catch their first pan fish. The bill will allow Colorado’s sportsmen and women to proudly display their identity as a community, and boost basic opportunities into our sports by providing more access to shooting ranges and fishing.

Colorado is currently experiencing a lack of public shooting ranges, and ongoing threats to close this activity on federally managed lands.

Hunting and Fishing recreation annually contributes $2 billion to Colorado’s economy through direct and secondary expenditures and supports 20,000 jobs statewide.  Hunting and angling are the primary tools utilized for wildlife management, and provide the overwhelming bulk of revenue for wildlife management activities.    For the sake of wildlife, it is vital to continue to provide opportunities to retain and recruit hunters and anglers.   We think this bill is a fun way to show our support for hunting and angling in Colorado, our solidarity as sportsmen and women despite our individual pursuits or interests, and finally, a way to contribute additional funds to programs well run by CPW, and much needed by the general sporting community.

I can’t wait to hang this plate from my truck, and hope you will consider signing the petition here. 

Sincerely,

Tim Mauck
Bull Moose Sportsmen’s Alliance
720-425-7840

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

'Glock': The story of a weapon



In 1982, an obscure Austrian engineer named Gaston Glock, who worked in a radiator plant and had a side business with his wife making curtain rods, knives and belt buckles, invented a type of pistol that changed the world of firearms and powerfully influenced politics and popular culture. Glock is now 82, and his surname has become synonymous in some circles with "handgun."

[snip]

Thirty years ago, Glock knew that the Austrian Army wanted 20,000 new service pistols made in Austria, and no suitable gun existed. So he set out to design one. The all-black Glock pistol had unconventional lines, sleek simplicity and extreme reliability -- and its adoption shocked the firearms industry.

Read the entire article by clicking HERE

Buy the book here:  AMAZON 

Monday, February 6, 2012

Toy Guns: Do They Lead to Real-Life Violence?



Surprisingly, studies show no link between playing with toy weapons in childhood and aggression in adulthood.

Play has been linked to social and cognitive development. Through imaginary games, children learn how to control impulses, delay gratification, think symbolically, and view things from another's perspective. Play also allows children to act out their fears and aspirations. "As a little boy, you're not very powerful," Thompson says. "With a gun, you feel powerful and heroic."

That doesn't mean this type of play is about violence, however. According to Thompson, it's really about dominance and heroism, winning and losing, and who gets to be the good guy in the end.

Read the entire interesting article at webMD  by clicking HERE

Friday, February 3, 2012

Memorial: Harold Eugene Blanck (1919-2012)

My dad did much to interest me in the shooting sports.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

NOVEMBER I-70 CHECK STATION


NOVEMBER I-70 CHECK STATION NETS 22 CHARGES

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - Colorado Parks and Wildlife law enforcement officers checked nearly 180 vehicles and issued 22 citations during a wildlife check station on Interstate 70 in November. It was the first wildlife check station conducted on a major Colorado interstate in nearly 20 years.

The two-day operation, held Nov. 7 and 8, diverted all west-bound I-70 traffic into the Colorado Department of Transportation's Port of Entry weigh station in Loma, 18 miles west of Grand Junction. There, wildlife officers conducted hunting and fishing satisfaction surveys, collected DNA samples from harvested big game and conducted compliance checks regarding applicable game laws.

About 1,755 vehicles entered the check station. Only vehicles whose passengers had been hunting or fishing were asked to enter the search bays. Other motorists were quickly sent on their way.

"We were pleased but not surprised that a vast majority of the hunters and anglers we contacted were in compliance with the law," said Check Station Supervisor and Area Wildlife Manger JT Romatzke. "We remind everyone that responsible hunters and anglers are the first line of defense for Colorado's wildlife resources."

Most of the 300 people contacted were in full compliance with state laws and hunting regulations, but 13 hunters were cited for a total of 22 charges for various infractions including illegal possession of wildlife and failing to provide evidence of the sex of their harvest. One driver is being investigated for being in possession of 78 white bass and two walleye. The source of the fish is still under investigation. Officers seized all illegally harvested wildlife.

Colorado State Patrol arrested one motorist for driving with a revoked license.

All incidents are still under investigation and a total amount of fines has not been determined pending the final disposition of the cases.

Personal contact with sportsmen - a primary goal of the check station - provided wildlife managers first-hand opinions about the current hunting season and provided valuable wildlife management information. The vast majority of sportsmen contacted not only reported their overall satisfaction with their Colorado hunting or fishing experiences, but also expressed their support for the check station.

"We understand that not everyone will be 100 percent satisfied," said Romatzke. "But we were pleased to hear that the vast majority of our contacts had good, and in some cases, great hunting or fishing experiences in Colorado, and they understood the need for a check station."

Approximately 120 officers participated in the 24-hour check station, including 97 from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, eight Colorado State Patrol and two Colorado State Patrol dispatchers, three Mesa County Sheriff's deputies, nine officers from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and two Utah Department of Wildlife Resources officers. In addition, CDOT Port of Entry weigh station authorities temporarily closed their facilities to commercial traffic, providing the space required for the large-scale operation. First responders from the Lower Valley Fire Protection District in Fruita were available for any medical emergencies.

Small-scale wildlife check stations are conducted throughout the state on smaller roads every year. However, an Interstate check station had not been held in Colorado since 1993 because of the enormous amount of resources and ma npower necessary to staff these large-scale operations.

"It was a well-executed operation by all those involved," said Area Wildlife Manager and Check Station Supervisor JT Romatzke. "We planned it for nearly five months, and it paid off, making it likely that we will conduct more of these in the future."

To learn more about enforcement of game laws in Colorado, please see:
http://wildlife.state.co.us/RulesRegs/LawEnforcement/Pages/LawEnforcement.aspx

To report a suspected wildlife violation, call Operation Game Thief at 1-877-265-6648. Callers can remain anonymous.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Hunting is one of the safest outdoor activities!

While hunting incidents often generate news, they only do so because they are so uncommon. Think about all of the really bad looking car wrecks you see – but they rarely make the news. Why? Because they happen all the time.

Hunters in Colorado enjoy millions of hunter recreation days every year, and do so very safely. With only a handful of hunting incidents annually, hunting is about as safe as outdoor recreation gets. The latest from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) shows just how safe hunting really is. Some great information to keep handy when talking about hunting!

Thanks goes to all hunter education instructors – past and present – for the incredible difference they have made through their efforts teaching hunter education. Without you, this would not have been possible!

From the National Shooting Sports Foundation:

Hunting Is Safer Than Golf and Most Other Activities

(Not to Mention Football, Basketball and Soccer)

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- Don't let anyone tell you otherwise: Hunting with firearms is safe; in fact, hunting with firearms is one of the safest recreational activities in America.

With hunting season in full swing across the country, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms industry, has compiled data that shows hunting ranks third in safety when compared to 28 other recreational pursuits, ranging from baseball to wrestling. Hunting with firearms has an injury rate of 0.05 percent, which equates to about 1 injury per 2,000 participants, a safety level bettered only by camping (.01 percent) and billiards (.02 percent). For comparison, golf has an injury rate of 0.16 percent (1 injury per 622 participants), while tackle football topped the list of activities with an injury rate of 5.27 percent (1 injury per 19 participants).

"Many people have the misconception that hunting is unsafe, but the data tells a different story," said Jim Curcuruto, NSSF's director of industry research and analysis. "Comprehensive hunter education classes that emphasize the basic rules of firearm safety and a culture of hunters helping fellow hunters practice safe firearms handling in the field are responsible for this good record."

To put hunting's safety standing into perspective, compared to hunting a person is . . .
• 11 times more likely to be injured playing volleyball
• 19 times more likely to be injured snowboarding
• 25 times more likely to be injured cheerleading or bicycle riding
• 34 times more likely to be injured playing soccer or skateboarding
• 105 more times likely to be injured playing tackle football.

The number of hunters who went afield last year is estimated at 16.3 million. Of tha t total, approximately 8,122 sustained injuries, or 50 per 100,000 participants. The vast majority of hunting accidents--more than 6,600--were tree stand-related. Though recent accurate figures on fatalities related to hunting are not available, statistics from 2002 show 99 fatal hunting accidents.

It's not just in the hunting fields that firearms are being used safely either. The most recent data (2008) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that firearms constitute just 1/2 of 1 percent of all unintentional fatalities in the United States, including those in the home.

The injury data NSSF used to compile this hunter-safety report comes from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the Consumer Products Safety Commission 2010 and the International Hunter Education Association's Hunter Incident Clearinghouse. Activity participation figures are from the National Sporting Goods Association Sports Participation in 2010 report.

See NSSF's full Hunting Injury Fact Sheet.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

House pass gun permits reciprocity bill

The National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011 passed 272-154 with 229 Republicans and 43 Democrats backing it, the Los Angeles Times said.

Proponents want the measure to make it easier for gun owners to travel between states without having to worry whether their permit is valid, but opponents view it as a federal infringement on states' rights, the newspaper said.

"The simple right to defend yourself and loved ones from criminals is fundamental, and it doesn't extinguish when you cross a state border," said Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., who sponsored the bill.

The bill goes to the Senate where similar legislation died in 2009.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Firearm Negligence

I found this YOUTube video entertaining and sad.

Some of the clips are old old old but some are relatively recent.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

House Weighs Bill to Make Gun Permits Valid Across State Lines


From Fox news---Link at bottom of post

Lawmakers are considering a House bill that would give Americans who hold permits to carry firearms in their home states the right to carry their weapons across state lines.

Supporters say the measure would not create a federal licensing system, but would require that all states recognize lawfully issued permits -- regardless of where they were issued. Gun rights advocacy groups say it's the only way to make sure that lawful gun owners' Second Amendment rights are guaranteed when they travel away from their home states. (snip)

But opponents say the bill tramples on each state's autonomy to set the standards legislators believe are necessary to confront local problems. Foes also said that the law could allow violent offenders to hold on to their weapons.

Kind of like a drivers license.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

NERF GUNS

From the "They can't really be this stupid - can they?" category, an urban anti-violence group in Buffalo, NY conducted a gun "buyback" - targeting Nerf guns. Yes, Nerf guns - the spring-loaded children's toys that fire harmless, spongy little projectiles.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011 09/urban_gun_buyback_targets_nerf_guns.html


Friday, July 15, 2011


NRA Delivers Remarks at U.N.
Concerning Proposed Arms Trade Treaty

National Rifle Association's Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre addressed the United Nations this afternoon. He told the U.N. to not interfere with the Second Amendment freedoms of Americans and pledged to continue the fight to preserve civilian ownership of firearms in the U.S. He said the NRA will oppose any U.N. provision that seeks to prohibit or regulate U.S. civilian firearm ownership. LaPierre said in his remarks, "The cornerstone of our freedom is the Second Amendment. Neither the United Nations, nor any other foreign influence, has the authority to meddle with the freedoms guaranteed by our Bill of Rights, endowed by our Creator, and due to all humankind."

United Nations Arms Trade Treaty

Preparatory Committee - 3d Session

New York, July 11-15, 2011

Statement of the National Rifle Association of America

Mr. Chairman, thank you for this brief opportunity to address the committee. I am Wayne LaPierre and for 20 years now, I have served as Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association of America.

The NRA was founded in 1871, and ever since has staunchly defended the rights of its 4 million members, America's 80 million law-abiding gun owners, and freedom-loving Americans throughout our country. In 1996, the NRA was recognized as an NGO of the United Nations and, ever since then, has defended the constitutional freedom of Americans in this arena. The NRA is the largest and most active firearms rights organization in the world and, although some members of this committee may not like what I have to say, I am proud to defend the tens of millions of lawful people NRA represents.

This present effort for an Arms Trade Treaty, or ATT, is now in its fifth year. We have closely monitored this process with increasing concern. We've reviewed the statements of the countries participating in these meetings. We've listened to other NGOs and read their numerous proposals and reports, as well as carefully examined the papers you have produced. We've watched, and read ... listened and monitored. Now, we must speak out.

The Right to Keep and Bear Arms in defense of self, family and country is ultimately self-evident and is part of the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution. Reduced to its core, it is about fundamental individual freedom, human worth, and self-destiny.

We reject the notion that American gun owners must accept any lesser amount of freedom in order to be accepted among the international community. Our Founding Fathers long ago rejected that notion and forged our great nation on the principle of freedom for the individual citizen - not for the government.

Mr. Chairman, those working on this treaty have asked us to trust them ... but they've proven to be unworthy of that trust.

We are told "Trust us; an ATT will not ban possession of any civilian firearms." Yet, the

proposals and statements presented to date have argued exactly the opposite, and - perhaps most importantly - proposals to ban civilian firearms ownership have not been rejected.

We are told "Trust us; an ATT will not interfere with state domestic regulation of firearms." Yet, there are constant calls for exactly such measures.

We are told "Trust us; an ATT will only affect the illegal trade in firearms." But then we're told that in order to control the illegal trade, all states must control the legal firearms trade.

We are told, "Trust us; an ATT will not require registration of civilian firearms." Yet, there are numerous calls for record-keeping, and firearms tracking from production to eventual destruction. That's nothing more than gun registration by a different name.

We are told, "Trust us; an ATT will not create a new international bureaucracy." Well, that's exactly what is now being proposed -- with a tongue-in-cheek assurance that it will just be a SMALL bureaucracy.

We are told, "Trust us; an ATT will not interfere with the lawful international commerce in civilian firearms." But a manufacturer of civilian shotguns would have to comply with the same regulatory process as a manufacturer of military attack helicopters.

We are told, "Trust us; an ATT will not interfere with a hunter or sport shooter travelling internationally with firearms." However, he would have to get a so-called "transit permit" merely to change airports for a connecting flight.

Mr. Chairman, our list of objections extends far beyond the proposals I just mentioned.

Unfortunately, my limited time today prevents me from providing greater detail on each of our objections. I can assure you, however, that each is based on American law, as well as the fundamental rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution.

It is regrettable that proposals affecting civilian firearms ownership are woven throughout the proposed ATT. That being the case, however, there is only one solution to this problem: the complete removal of civilian firearms from the scope of any ATT. I will repeat that point as it is critical and not subject to negotiation - civilian firearms must not be part of any ATT. On this there can be no compromise, as American gun owners will never surrender their Second Amendment freedom.

It is also regrettable to find such intense focus on record-keeping, oversight, inspections, supervision, tracking, tracing, surveillance, marking, documentation, verification, paper trails and data banks, new global agencies and data centers. Nowhere do we find a thought about respecting anyone's right of self-defense, privacy, property, due process, or observing personal freedoms of any kind.

Mr. Chairman, I'd be remiss if I didn't also discuss the politics of an ATT. For the United States to be a party to an ATT, it must be ratified by a two-thirds vote of the U.S. Senate. Some do not realize that under the U.S. Constitution, the ultimate treaty power is not the President's power to negotiate and sign treaties; it is the Senate's power to approve them.

To that end, it's important for the Preparatory Committee to understand that the proposed ATT is already strongly opposed in the Senate - the very body that must approve it by a two-thirds majority. There is a letter addressed to President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton that is currently being circulated for the signatures of Senators who oppose the ATT. Once complete, this letter will demonstrate that the proposed ATT will not pass the U.S. Senate.

So there is extremely strong resistance to the ATT in the United States, even before the treaty is tabled. We are not aware of any precedent for this - rejecting a proposed treaty before it's even submitted for consideration - but it speaks to the level of opposition. The proposed ATT has become more than just controversial, as the Internet is awash with articles and messages calling for its rejection. And those messages are all based on the same objection - infringement on the constitutional freedom of American gun owners.

The cornerstone of our freedom is the Second Amendment. Neither the United Nations, nor any other foreign influence, has the authority to meddle with the freedoms guaranteed by our Bill of Rights, endowed by our Creator, and due to all humankind.

Therefore, the NRA will fight with all of its strength to oppose any ATT that includes civilian firearms within its scope.

Thank you.

Monday, May 16, 2011

GET BEYOND THE BASICS OF HUNTER ED JUNE 25-26

DENVER -- Youth hunter education students in Denver can take their skills to the next level at Beyond the Basics of Hunter Education June 25-26 in Littleton. The two-day event will provide an opportunity for young hunters to learn how to hunt a variety of wildlife species, as well as practice firearm and archery safety.

"Hunter Education provides a great basic foundation of hunting ethics, species identification and firearm safety," said Vicki Vargas Madrid, district wildlife manager. "This weekend will provide an in-depth look at subjects covered in hunter education and expand on the skills and species to really help young hunters feel confident and be successful in the field."

Topics presented at the two-day class include:
--Hunting turkey, deer, and elk in Colorado
--Preparing for the hunt
--How to shoot muzzleloaders and rifles
--Outdoor survival
--How to shoot a bow and arrow
--Practicing safe firearm handling

This free workshop is limited to the first 100 preregistered attendees. With the help of event sponsors, lunch will be provided to the participants in this event.

WHO: New youth hunter education graduates and their guardians who preregister for the event

WHAT: Beyond the Basics of Hunter Education

WHEN: June 25-26, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. both days

WHERE: Kassler Education Center, Littleton

HOW: Register with Officer Vicki Vargas Madrid at 303-291-7135

Event sponsored by Mule Deer Foundation, Kassler Education Center, Denver Water, Audubon Center at Chatfield State Park, Skyline Hunting & Fishing Club, Arvada Army Navy Surplus, Midway USA, National Youth Shooting Sports Foundation, Steve's Meat's, Bass Pro Shops, Wal-Mart.

To learn more about getting outdoors with your family and friends, visit:

http://wildlife.state.co.us/Education/GetOutdoors/


For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.