It is that time of year again to chase the devil dogs as they try to find a mate in the northern woods of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.  We have a trip planned for this coming weekend and I haven’t had the varmint rifles to the range since last summer, so since we had some nice weather for a change I decided today it was time to tear some paper.

     It didn’t take long for me to convince my youngest boy to help me get the rifles into the car and load our ammo bag to hit the range.  He was more than happy to help dad with this task, with anything else it would have been a fight to get him out from in front of his video game.

      I knew that the last time I had the AR-15 at the range it was fairly close but that it still needed some work to make sure it was dead on!  I also wanted to make sure that the scopes on the Ruger M/77 HMR .17 and the Ruger M/77 .22 Hornet were just as I left them.  I received a neat little tool to take care of that problem last summer but I have yet to use it to tune the Leupold scope that sits atop of my Bushmaster varmint dispatcher.  The item I’m talking about is the Leupold Zero Point bore-sight tool.  This neat little gadget is a great addition to any shooter’s ammo bag; I don’t think I will ever head out on a hunting trip again or to the shooting range without mine!

     This tool makes sighting in your rifle easy and quick!  If you’ve put a new scope on a gun, just turn on the Zero Point by pushing the slide switch on the side and stick the unit onto the muzzle.  Next look through the scope and you’ll see an orange grid pattern with numbers along the sides.  Move the Zero Point up or down to get the grid located in the center of your scope’s image.  Next, turn the power ring of your scope back and forth (if it’s a variable) to get the best amount of magnification on the grid.  Now orient the Zero Point so the grid and the scope’s crosshairs are aligned both vertically and horizontally.  Then use the scope’s adjustment knobs to move the crosshairs till they’re perfectly aligned with the center of the Zero Point’s grid.

      Once you have everything lined up, take the Zero Point off and fire a shot on target at 100 yards. Chances are the shot will not be dead center but still on the paper somewhere.  Now put the Zero Point back on, and square its grid to the scope’s crosshairs again.  Now look through the scope and get the crosshairs on the center of the target. The Zero Point is so small; you’ll be able to see its grid and the 100 yard target at the same time.  Now use the adjusting knobs and move the scope’s crosshairs over the bullet hole (It’s very important that the gun not move during this process).  The scope is now perfectly zeroed.   Now, replace the Zero Point and see where your crosshairs are in relation to the Zero Point grid, mark this on your range card for future reference, for example at a hunting camp or at the range.  You can recheck your sight for an accurate zero position by comparing your range card to the Zero Point’s grid when placing it on your muzzle without having to test shoot the rifle.

     The cost of this little tool can be equivalent to a pricey box of cartridges.  Think of the time and money it can save you at the range!  I used it today to put three of my scopes dead on at 100 yards to make sure they were ready for this coming weekend’s hunt. 

     Now that we have that out of the way, I turned my youngest boy loose to do some shooting.  He punched holes with precision today and a smile on his face!  What was even better was that we had the range all to ourselves the whole afternoon, we couldn’t have asked for more.  Well maybe a little warmer weather!

     We’ve all been there and done it, a post hunting ride gone terribly wrong!  These mishaps are avoidable if we just take a little time to play it safe.  A friend of mine from England – Matt Goodlife, shows us an example of what can go wrong from something so innocent as a ride back from the field.

Matt Goodlife – England

     I don’t really remember if any deer came out on this particular evening, in fact I don’t think I saw anything which was a shame as it may have changed the outcome of the ride back home.  If I can get the landrover to where the deer has been shot that’s how I retrieve them if not I use the farm quad bike to get them back to the larder.

     On this night I have nothing to load up as I walk back to the bike.  I fire it up and head for home which is a 3 minute ride.  The ride home can be a cold one after sitting in a highseat for two hours not moving then add the cold wind from being on the bike and you really look forward to a hot shower.

     I’ve gone through one field and into the second with just a road to cross then up the farm track, park the quad and that shower.  It’s a ride I’ve taken a hundred times so maybe the brain slipped into auto pilot this night as I find myself heading into the corner of the field to fast and running out of room!  I hit the brakes.  Now most of the time there would have been some rain about so the soil would be wet and the bike would just slid but not this night. The wind has dried the ground so the bike grips and that’s where the fun starts!

     I’m now airborne and the ground is ready to hurt me as I hurtle towards it but that’s not my main problem!  The bike is also in mid air doing a back flip and heading my way fast!  I knew I had to hit the ground and start rolling.  As I hit the ground I roll as fast as I can as the rear of the bike meets the deck just where a second ago my head was!

     The bike upside down is still running, I pick myself up and drag it back onto its wheels.  That’s when I think about my rifle that was sat in the front basket.  The stock is now a worthless piece of fire wood, snapped at the pistol grip.  Later a friend makes me realise that I can get a new stock but not a new head!

     Through a shooting friend I get the name of a gunsmith and he builds me a new walnut stock for $400.  He did a fantastic job, the grain in the walnut is just beautiful.  I now take my time on the bike and I’m not so heavy on the throttle!

For immediate release

Contact: Tom Huggler, Publicist (989) 714-1407

Henri Boucher, show producer

Adam Starr, show manager

(800) 328-6550 / (616) 447-2860

Here once a year, OUTDOORAMA is Michigan’s No. 1 show for family fun and conservation education

February 24 to 27 event features Big Buck Night, Wildlife Encounters

NOVI — Outdoor enthusiasts look forward to the shortest month of the year because that’s when Outdoorama, sponsored by RAM Trucks, comes to town. The 38th annual edition of Michigan’s most popular show is February 24 to 27 at Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Avenue in Novi.

Many of the state’s more than one million anglers and hunters will pack what used to be called Rock Financial Showplace for great deals on boats and sporting gear, for conservation education and dozens of free seminars, and for family entertainment and features.

Returning to crowd fanfare are favorite attractions like “Big Buck Night,” “Wildlife Encounters” and “Ultimate Air Dogs” with Milt Wilcox hosting daily demonstrations and weekend competition.

Although hunting and fishing are at the show’s core, Outdoorama has long appealed to Michigan’s huge core of conservationists, those lovers of nature who also hike and camp, boat and canoe, and who pursue bird watching, wildlife photography and other outdoor pursuits.

“Outdoorama is all about celebrating our state’s outdoors heritage while keeping in mind our responsibilities toward the environment,” said Adam Starr, show manager. “That’s why the Michigan United Conservation Clubs, which started the show nearly 40 years ago, still plays a major role.”

Adding to the show’s broad appeal is the 4th Annual Cottage & Lakefront Living Show, which runs concurrently at Suburban Collection Showplace. Patrons to either event receive free crossover admission. “We’ve kept the admission fee low again this year,” Starr said. “It’s $10 for adults and $4 for children 6 to 14. Kids 5 and under get in free.”

A large number of lodges, outfitters, guides and charter boat captains from Alaska to Africa have reserved space in the show. Great values on fishing boats, duck hunting boats, pontoons and pleasure boats will be at the show along with docks and other accessories.

Besides Ultimate Air Dogs, family fun activities include a Trout Pond with live rainbows, pellet shooting range, free Casting Kids Contest hosted by the Michigan B.A.S.S. Federation NATION, a video fishing simulator, and the Sportsman’s Grill with fried fish all four days of the show.

Many specialty vendors with hunting equipment, fishing gear, and camping supplies had already reserved space before the show sold out for space in late December.

Dozens of sport clubs and organizations, many of which are MUCC affiliates, will staff booths with volunteers to hand out literature and explain club programs.

Ray Eye, considered by many to be America’s top turkey-hunting expert, heads a stellar seminar lineup of top hunting and fishing experts. Eye, a radio-show host and former national champion caller from Missouri, tantalizes crowds with “Chasing Spring,” his popular multi-media presentation. Other speakers include Greg Abbas on turkeys, white-tailed deer expert Fred Abbas, and food-plot teacher Ed Spinazzola.

Tim Fox from Shooting the Breeze Hunt Club, will demonstrate basic bird dog training tips. Fishing seminars are headed by Mark Martin and Mark Romanack on walleyes, David Rose on panfish, and Don Miller on muskies.

Traditional skills expert Jim Miller offers demonstrations on building birch bark canoes, making fire with a wooden stick, and tanning hides the Native American way.

The Huron Valley Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will host a calling contest on Saturday. Experts from Country Smoke House in Almont will demonstrate how to field dress and butcher a deer. Among the nearly 100 seminars, all free with admission, are several on outdoor photography at the Cottage & Lakefront Living Show.

Terry McBurney from Ada will head up a major display of collectible gear for outdoor sport. Patrons can bring their artifacts to the show for a free appraisal. There are even vintage boats and collectible outboard motors, thanks to expert Dick VanRaalte from Grand Haven’s Starboard Marine Restorations.

The first 500 attendees on Thursday and Friday receive a free, collectible Dardevle spoon from Eppinger Manufacturing Co. in Dearborn.

The show that celebrates Michigan’s great outdoors is February 24 to 27. Bring the kids and grandchildren.

Show hours are Thursday and Friday, 2 to 9:30; Saturday, 10 to 9; and Sunday, 10 to 5. For more information, call 800-328-6550 or go to www.Outdoorama.com and www.CottageandLakefrontLivingShow.com. Follow us on FaceBook and Twitter.

     This past weekend a new initiative was launched in Michigan to increase the number of pheasants along with hunter numbers in the state.  Looking back at my beginnings of hunting, I can remember chasing a few pheasants in the brush as a youngster.  Those days here in Michigan are long gone due to the building boom in the 60′s, 70′s, and early 80′s.  Loss of habitat and predation lead to the reduction and almost complete loss of pheasants here in Michigan.  It is good to see outdoor groups and our government officials step up to the plate and try to fix a long standing problem, which will hopefully restore the wild pheasants back to what they once were!  Take a look below at the initiative to repopulate pheasants here in Michigan!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Saturday, January 15

Contact:

Miguel Ayala, Sen. Stabenow – (202) 360-0929

Mary Detloff, Michigan DNRE – (517) 335-3014

Mike Parker, Pheasants Forever – (517) 896-4178

Erin McDonough – (517) 775-9500

“Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative” launched

Stabenow, Stokes, Creagh join conservation groups and state agencies to kick-off wild pheasant initiative that promises to improve habitat, increase hunter opportunities

BATH, MICH – U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Department of Natural Resources director designate Rodney Stokes, and Michigan Department of Agriculture director designate Keith Creagh today joined together with a partnership of Michigan conservation organizations and representatives of federal and state agencies to kick-off the “Michigan Pheasant Restoration Initiative,” a partnership geared toward restoring wild pheasant habitat in Michigan. The growing partnership currently includes Michigan State Council of Pheasants Forever, Michigan United Conservation Clubs, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Michigan Department of Agriculture, Michigan Association of Conservation Districts, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency and Natural Resource Conservation Service.

“I strongly support this program, which we included in the most recent Farm Bill,” said U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. “Hunting and outdoor recreation is part of our way of life in Michigan. This program lets our farmers and landowners get added value from their property while opening up access for hunting. This will allow sportsmen from across our state to enjoy all that Michigan’s outdoors have to offer.”

By providing quality habitat to support the long-term recovery of wild pheasants in Michigan, the Initiative will also benefit other grassland species and create significant opportunities for small game hunters in Michigan. “There are more than 50,000 hunters who pursue pheasants annually in Michigan, and we can do better at meeting their demand for opportunity,” says Mike Parker, Pheasants Forever’s Regional Wildlife Biologist in the state. “It’s a given that when you have quality and quantity habitat, you have pheasants. Revitalizing habitat – nesting cover, escape cover and food and winter cover – is the key to revitalizing pheasant hunting in Michigan.”

Newly appointed Director for the Department of Natural Resources Rodney Stokes applauded the Initiative as a fresh example of good governing for Michigan’s new state agency structure. “This initiative is a great showing of partnership between state and federal agencies and conservation groups, and a good example of how the new Quality of Life executive group will work together,” said Rodney Stokes, director designate for the Department of Natural Resources. “It will increase and diversify hunting opportunities in our state, help with hunter recruitment and retention, and the habitat work will benefit many other species. We are very excited to be a part of the effort to rebuild and strengthen pheasant hunting in Michigan.”

Two primary goals of the plan are to double Michigan’s current pheasant harvest and to increase access to quality hunting lands. The plan will also have a tremendous impact on hunter retention and recruitment in the state. According to Parker, the key difference between past efforts and the new Pheasant Recovery Initiative is the broad landscape scale. “Previous efforts have been successful on smaller scales, improving 40 acres for a landowner here, and 40 acres for a landowner there,” Parker said. “But to maximize pheasant hunting, we need to broaden the focus.”

Michigan United Conservation Clubs Executive Director Erin McDonough heralded the Initiative as a gateway to recruiting and retaining new hunters. “Many first time hunters’ experience comes from hunting small game,” said McDonough. “You’ll hear from many hunters in Michigan that they got started hunting and appreciating its place in conservation from hunting pheasants when Michigan actually had a good pheasant population. With Michigan ranking last in the nation in hunter recruitment and retention, MUCC is proud to be a part of this Initiative that will help improve hunter opportunities, hunter recruitment and retention and preserve the future of conservation in Michigan.”

Along with the Initiative, Michigan DNRE will also be expanding opportunities for public hunting on private lands through the Hunting Access Program. Outreach and education to youth about pheasant hunting is also a priority within the Initiative. The conservation partners will host youth events to explain pheasant needs and habitat as well as an opportunity to share their pheasant hunting heritage with others.

 Recently I’ve been talking with Matt Goodlife from England and found out that he is quite the hunter.  I didn’t know a lot about hunting in England so I began to ask some questions and began to gain some insight into what it is like to pursue game there.  I told Matt that he should do some writing to let everyone here in the states know what it is like there in England as well.  So Matt has agreed to occasionally pass along a story about his adventures in England, so without further ado here is Matt’s first entry into the blogging world.

 Seeing Red:  By Matt Goodlife

    The fox is a fantastically interesting animal fact. He is a beautiful animal with his red coat, black stockings and white tipped tail. He see’s everything, pin point hearing and a nose 10x’s better than ours. He can live on fruit and berries from the hedgerow, small mammals such as mice, voles and rats, bigger fayre like rabbits, new born deer fawns and sometimes to the farmers loss his spring lambs. To sit on a summer evening as the sun sets and watch a group of fox cubs play and fight on a stack of hay bales is wonderful but then on the other hand to come down to your chicken coup in the morning to find most of your hens dead with no heads makes your blood boil and makes you swear you’ll kill every last one!

     So over here the easiest way to control the ever growing population is to use a centre fire rifle, a good spotlight and a Landrover. You can walk but you don’t cover the same amount of ground on a night, you can also have a rifle mounted lamp and go on your own but I have a partner who runs the lamp while I drive and shoot. Now most people go out with a hunting buddy who they also go deer stalking or bird shooting with and so do I, Roberta my girlfriend. She likes the outdoors, understands how things work in the wild and now has chickens!

    So the idea is to drive round your hunting area shining the lamp over the field’s looking to see eyes shining back at you, it could be a deer, a badger, someone’s cat or a fox. Make sure you know what it is before a rifle is pointed at it! If it’s far away you can slowly drive on to it but if not start calling and bring it to you. Once the fox is in range and it’s a safe shot then take your shot.

    That’s all well and good but some people rush the shot or are just not a good marksman, to miss a fox when out lamping creates a lamp shy fox that remembers the bright light and a loud bang, you will not be catching up with that fox at night again, as soon as he see a bright light he’ll turn tail and look for somewhere healthier to be!

    So a few weeks ago Roberta and I were out lamping, we drove into a field on the farm turned the lamp on and slowly searched the field for eyes. 100 yards out a fox is looking back at us then he turns and bolts to cover, guess what’s happened to him before! Someone’s missed him and he’s not having any of it again! 2 more nights same time, same field and the same result. So what do you do!?

    A trip to my local gun shop and I come home with a red filter to fit onto the lamp which is a lightforce striker 170. The foxes don’t seem to see the red light as much as a white light. That night out we go, we arrive in that field around the same time and turn the lamp on and at 70 yards out in the field eyes shine back but this time it stays where it is, I lip squeak, the fox sits down and that’s the last thing it does as my .243 stamps cancelled on him.

    Foxes are a creature of habit so there’s a good chance it’s the same animal, as we’ve been out since then and not had any foxes running away, if not its one less. They are a lovely animal but must be kept in check. 

     OK so it is single digits outside on a weekend when you should be out doing something outdoors, ice fishing, predator hunting, rabbit hunting, etc…. What to do you ask?  Stay inside where it is warm and do a little ammunition reloading I say!  That is exactly what I did this weekend!

     I was going to do a little ice fishing and decided against it since the weather was terrible.  Below zero wind chill isn’t exactly my idea of fun!  I thought to myself I could do something productive to get ready for next deer season, so I broke out my reloading equipment and began to plow through some cartridges that I had started to prepare sometime ago.  I had two boxes of 30-06 cases with new primers already in them along with a box of 30-30 cases in the same condition. 

     I started with my 30-06 rounds first.  I broke out the trusty load charts and dug through my powder selection to see what I had and then made my selection according to what my load charts recommended.  I used a bottle of H4350 powder for my 180 grain bullets that I had purchased.  After looking at the load specs I knew which Lee dipper to choose to make my powder measurements correct. 

     After setting up my dies and doing some measuring with my calipers I began to run round after round into the press.  It didn’t take to terribly long to run 40 rounds through which made two complete boxes of new hand loaded cartridges for my deer rifle!  I can’t wait to get to the shooting range to give them a try and see what they can do.  I will be taking my chronograph to check my speeds to see where they line up to the factory Remington loads of the same grain.

     Next up was the box of 30-30 cases that needed loading.  After looking at my load charts I had to switch to the IMR 4227 powder to produce my rounds.  To me it looked like the amount of powder was a little on the small side.  So I did some checking to see what they would be in the 30-06 load chart.  I found out if I used this same powder in my 30-06 rounds that they would measure almost half of what the H 4350 powder that I used measured to.  This IMR 4227 powder was a much finer grained powder than what the H 4350 was.  I also compared the speeds on the 30-06 load chart between the two powders.  The finer IMR powder speeds were much slower than that of the H 4350 for the same caliber and grain.    This is why you MUST check your load charts when figuring out what powders to use along with how much! 

     After double checking to make sure I had the right measurements, I began to load the 30-30 rounds and within a few minutes I had a box of hand loaded rounds to take to the shooting range to test the next time out.    Hand loading ammunition can be a fun and rewarding way to spend a cold day inside when your not able to get out and play!  Not to mention it can also save you quite a bit of coin along the way!

     I finally got around to purchasing a scope and rings for my Ruger M/77 .17 HMR coyote rifle recently.  I finished mounting the scope and rings, then I headed to the range today to tear some paper!  I was pretty anxious to get out and try this rifle since I hadn’t fired a shot through it since I purchased it back in the spring.  (more…)

     I spent the opening day of Michigan’s waterfowl season with both of my sons and a few friends out on the water in a local state game area Saturday.  It was my youngest son’s first of what he calls “Big Boy Hunts”.  He finally gets to go out with the entire crew of men to become one of the men and partake in taking game from the field.

     All went extremely well and he even got his first bird of which everyone give him a congratulatory birage of “ataboys”!  We all took a duck or two and made our way back to the launch.  Upon arrival I was greated with a terrible surprise of a shot out window on the back of my pick up! 

     Someone, whom I will not call a hunter, found it necessary to shoot towards the parking area at what I hope was a duck and not just plain malicious destruction!  I say not a hunter because a hunter would know where his or her safe zone of fire is.  A hunter would know where the parking area is.  A hunter would know that it is dangerous to shoot towards any area where people might be congregating.  That is why I will not call this person a hunter.  I know accidents happen, but this is exactly why you don’t shoot towards an area that you don’t know what is in front of your shooting lane!

     Just think what could have happened if this had been a group of hunters standing there instead of my truck?  I might be writing a story of how a group of hunters were shot or worse yet killed because of someone’s stupidity!

     Am I mad?  Hell yes, I’m mad, but I won’t let this ruin what was one of my greatest days in the field watching my youngest boy become a man that day hanging out in the marsh with fellow hunters!  And by the way, he knows his safe zone of fire, we went over it thoroughly that morning!  Have a great hunting season and be safe out there!

To read about our entire hunt and view the photos check out my Up North Journal Hunting Blog.

 Winchester has come up with a new ammo lineup for the 2009 whitetail season.  They have come up with new bonded cartridges that teases the 3000 fps mark and in some instances reach beoyond that mark.  Check the press release below for the specs and the links for additional information as well as a video clip explaining the new offering.

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PRODUCT SAFETY WARNING
AND RECALL NOTICE

17 HMR AMMUNITION AND MODEL 597® 17 HMR SEMI-AUTOMATIC

DO NOT USE REMINGTON 17 HMR AMMUNITION IN SEMI-AUTOMATIC FIREARMS.

DO NOT USE THE REMINGTON MODEL 597 17 HMR SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLE.

Remington has been notified by its supplier of 17 HMR ammunition that 17 HMR ammunition is not suitable for use in semi-automatic firearms. The use of this ammunition in a semi-automatic firearm could result in property damage or serious personal injury.

If you have a semi-automatic firearm chambered for 17 HMR ammunition, immediately discontinue use of Remington 17 HMR ammunition. If you have any Remington 17 HMR ammunition that you wish to return to Remington contact the Remington Consumer Service number below. Do not return the ammunition to the dealer. Remington will provide you with a $10.00 coupon for each complete box of 50 rounds of Remington branded 17 HMR ammunition you return to Remington. This coupon will be good for the purchase of any Remington ammunition at your local dealer.

In light of the ammunition manufacturer’s notice, it is very important that you immediately stop using your Remington Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle. If you own a Remington Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle and wish to return it to Remington please contact the below Remington Consumer Service Number. In return for your Remington Model 597 17 HMR synthetic stock semi-automatic rifle, Remington will provide you a coupon valued at $200.00 good for the purchase of a replacement Remington firearm. If you have a laminate stock Remington Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle, Remington will provide you a coupon valued at $250.00 good for the purchase of a replacement Remington firearm. Remington will also reimburse you for the actual postage to return your Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle to Remington.

Please allow up to 6 weeks after Remington receives your Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle or your Remington branded 17 HMR ammunition for the appropriate coupons to arrive. Instructions for redemption of the coupons will be contained on the coupon.

For any consumer questions or instructions on how to return of your Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle or your Remington branded 17 HMR ammunition, please contact the Remington Consumer Service Department at 1-800-243-9700, Prompt #3.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Safety First
Always observe the ten commandments of safe gun handling and wear approved eye and ear protection anytime you are shooting