Each year the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) partners with Wildlife Forever to conduct the State Fish Art Contest in which students depict a state fish and write a one-page essay to compete for scholarships and other prizes. Entries must be postmarked by March 31, 2013, and mailed to Wildlife Forever, 2700 Freeway Blvd., No. 1000, Brooklyn Center, MN, 55430.

Artists can choose to depict either of Alabama’s state fish: the largemouth bass or the fighting tarpon. Participants can also choose to draw state-fish from other states. In addition to the artwork, all of the artists, except those in grades 1-3, are required to write a one-page essay with facts about the fish, its natural habitat, and the importance of that habitat.

All artwork is judged by Wildlife Forever, which also handles contest details and awards prizes, such as scholarships, art supplies and fishing gear. Art techniques may include oils, scratch-board, pointillism, chalk, pastels, charcoal, colored pencil, acrylics, dry brush, watercolor, crosshatch, lead, collage, linoleum printing, or crayon. Complete contest rules and the entry form can be found on Wildlife Forever’s website at www.wildlifeforever.org/contest/enter.

Previous Alabama winners and their artwork are archived at www.outdooralabama.com, keyword “state fish art.” The winners are announced May 1 of each year. In 2005, the national “Best of Show” was won by an Alabama entry, Connery Carson’s pencil drawing of a bass pursuing a crayfish.

The 2012 winners include:

Grades K-3
1st – Vicki Wang
2nd – Andrew Holmes
3rd – Aron Stainbrook

Grades 4-6
1st- Hannah Fox
2nd – Eric Wang
3rd – Riley Foster

Grades 7-9
1st – Samantha Bell
2nd – Maya Bian
3rd – Rei Zhang

Grades 10-12
1st – Cathy Shen
2nd – Rocio Santacruz
3rd – Stephanie Bissett

Although Wildlife Forever received several entries statewide, each of the 2012 first place winners were from the Barbara Keel Art School in Auburn, Ala.

Wildlife Forever is a non-profit organization working to preserve America’s wildlife heritage through conservation education, preservation of habitat and scientific management of fish and wildlife species. Wildlife Forever has funded conservation projects in all 50 states. To learn more, visit www.wildlifeforever.org.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Parks, State Lands, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR, visit www.outdooralabama.com.

Contact:
Doug Darr
334-242-3471

Hunter Safety System, the leader in treestand safety gear, has partnered with Mathews Bows and Lost Camo to create the new HSS-Ultralite Lost safety harness that will be available exclusively within the Mathews extensive independent dealer base.

An extremely lightweight harness, the Ultralite Lost vest is based on the patented and proven Hunter Safety System design that eliminates dangerous dangling straps as well as complicated weave-through buckles. The Ultralite Lost vest incorporates a new tether design that is thinner and lighter, yet it provides even more shock absorption than previous Hunter Safety System models.

The UltraLite Lost goes a step further by utilizing an array of new smart fabrics that are deadly quiet, durable and comfortable, even in the most extreme conditions. The Ultralite Lost is trimmed with the company’s proprietary Comfort-Touch edging, which prevents abrasion around the neck area, while remaining extremely comfortable, even after a long day of hunting.

Minimalistic by design for a nearly weightless experience, the Ultralite Lost vest also includes a pair of pockets to house all of your essential gear, and the pockets are totally repositionable. Featuring zippered closures, the pockets can be removed completely, should you so desire. The pockets come in two sizes to accommodate most gear used in the stand.

Developed in partnership with Mathews Bows, the Ultralite Lost is a premium treestand safety vest that will be available exclusively in Lost Camo, and it carries a suggested retail price of $99.99 at Mathews independent dealers.

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Danville, Ala., Hunter Safety System is a leading designer and manufacturer of innovative deer hunting gear and hunting equipment for the serious hunter. For additional information, write to: The Hunter Safety System, 8237 Danville Road, Danville, AL 35619; call toll-free 877-296-3528; or visit www.huntersafetysystem.com.

Contact:
Karen Lutto – 830.755.4308 | karen@hunteroc.com
Mike Nischalke – 703.380.3595 | mike@hunteroc.com
Website: www.HunterOC.com

When there is turkey sign everywhere you look, but you can’t get a glimpse of that old tom, it’s time to get serious. Before you pull out the shotgun or bow, bring out the big guns in camera technology, the PlotWatcher Pro. This time-lapse video camera will reveal to you the best places to set up for that big gobbler throughout the day. A wise hunter knows that sign is fine, but seeing is believing.

Consider these tips for using your PlotWatcher Pro to scout for turkeys.

Position your PlotWatcher Pro high enough so you can see where the turkeys enter and leave the field. You should be able to pick up a huntable pattern over a week or two if the turkeys are not too pressured.

If you’re getting footage of turkeys in the evenings and never in the morning, the turkeys are most likely using the immediate area for roosting and not for feeding. Keep in mind that turkeys prefer mature trees with a good supply of horizontal limbs for roosting.

Consider placing a PlotWatcher Pro in an area containing red and white oaks. In addition to insects, grasses and seeds, turkeys love acorns and will forage in areas where acorns are plentiful.

You can also place a PlotWatcher Pro on the edge of a field that contains clover. Clover fields are not only another prime foraging area, but they also draw in strutting gobblers.

Using your knowledge of the terrain and with a little help from the PlotWatcher Pro, you’ll have that old gobbler pegged in no time.

With 40 times the battery life of other trail cameras, the PlotWatcher Pro will last up to four months on a single set of 8 AA batteries. The PlotWacher Pro can record up to 1 million images, saving them directly to video format with Tru-Video™,making it hassle-free to review your files. Temperature and moon phase info are shown on each image, and the SD card storage can save all video files. While using the GameFinder software with MotionSearch included, you can review hours of video fast and easily find frames in which movement is detected.

This season, mount a few PlotWatcher Pros in your favorite locations, and get ready to sign your turkey tag.

For more information, visit http://day6outdoors.com/products/plotwatcher-pro

Mont. Elk Camp 2013 marks the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s national convention. Highlighting the 29th annual gathering is an announcement regarding RMEF’s ability to carry out its mission in bigger and better ways than ever before.

There are a number of different reasons why 2012 was the best year yet in RMEF history, and I can’t wait to spill the beans about the details of the biggest one, said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.

There are many RMEF highlights of the last year including a fourth consecutive year of record membership with a Dec. 31 tally of 196,079 members, reaching a lifetime mark of 6,287,980 acres of enhanced or protected habitat, and restoring a wild elk herd in Virginia.

Elk Camp provides a great opportunity to gather together as RMEF members and volunteers to celebrate significant accomplishments of the past year, added Allen. And I promise to deliver an announcement that will be a real game changer for our ability to carry out more meaningful and wide-ranging conservation and hunting heritage projects than ever before.

Elk Camp 2013 and the International Sportsmen’s Exposition will take place Feb. 28-March 3 at the Mirage and the Las Vegas Convention Center. Featured events include the 25th Annual World Elk Calling Championships, more than 600 exhibit hall booths marketing or spotlighting hunting, fishing, wildlife, outdoor apparel, firearms and accessories, exciting auctions and raffles to raise funds for conservation, musical performances by the Charlie Daniels Band, Ronnie Dunn, Daryle Singletary and Josh Thompson, and special recognition of volunteers and contributors for their efforts to enhance the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.
Elk Camp is an opportunity for RMEF and outdoorsmen and women to celebrate elk, elk country and conservation. More than 2,000 people attended the national convention in 2011 while approximately 12,000 walked the floor of the exposition in the convention center.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
RMEF is leading a conservation initiative that protected or enhanced habitat on more than 6.2 million acres an area larger than Yellowstone, Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Yosemite and Rocky Mountain national parks combined. RMEF also is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. RMEF members, partners and volunteers, working together as Team Elk, are making a difference all across elk country. Join us at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Here is a scope that allows the shooter to fully harness the trajectory of an accurate center-fire rifle – at all ranges within the ballistics capability of the cartridge being shot.

The Leatherwood Uni-Dial is a scope of conventional design, built with a very unique feature. This exceptional rifle scope can be programmed for the zero to be “on” at ten different points down range. The elevation turret features a series of (10) moveable flags, or indicators, and each can be sighted for the rifle to be “on” at different ranges. Once a flag has been set…it can be locked in place. To take a shot at that distance, all the shooter has to do is turn the turret until the flag for that range aligns with an index mark at the base of the turret. It’s that easy.

This scope is ideal for the long range varmint shooter, who may suddenly find himself faced with a 500 yard shot at a coyote, then another just as suddenly pops up at 300 yards. Many shooters of the past would have simply tried to figure a different hold, or would add or subtract a number of clicks on the elevation turret. With the Uni-Dial, it becomes simply a matter of turning the elevation turret in the right direction to the pre-determined, or programmed, range indicator.

The Uni-Dial models also feature a “No Math Mil-Dot” ranging reticle. All a shooter has to do is zoom the magnification range up or down until an object of known size (18 inches or 1 meter) fits between the proper brackets incorporated into the reticle…then look at the range indicated on the magnification ring. The elevation turret is then turned to the proper flag, and the shooter takes the shot. One full turn of the elevation or windage turret gives 40 MOA adjustment. Once set, the windage adjustment can also be locked in place, leaving the shooter 7 MOA of adjustment in either direction for tweaking point of impact for those long range shots on a breezy day.

The Leatherwood Uni-Dial models are built with all of the quality, craftsmanship and features that distinguish every Hi-Lux Optics rifle scope. All lenses are polished to photographic quality, then every air surface is fully multi -coated to insure a bright, clear and sharp sight picture. Other features include our Tri-Center coil spring tension on the erector tube for positive click adjustment and a Fast-Focus eye-piece for easy multi shooter use. Offered in three magnification ranges. The 2.5-10x44mm model comes with 1-inch diameter tube and retails for $299. The 4-16x50mm and 7-30x50mm Uni-Dial models are built with a 30mm tube and feature handy Top-Angle Focus parallax adjustment, retailing for $385 and $475 respectively. Each comes with a 4 1/2″ extended sunshade and flip up lens covers. Like all Hi-Lux Optics rifle scopes, the Uni-Dial models come with a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

For more information on this model, go to www.hi-luxoptics.com, call 888 445-8912 toll free, or drop Hi-Lux Optics an e-mail at info@hi-luxoptics.com.