Sportsmans News

The Sportsman’s News Team of Kent Danjanovich, Dave Heath and George Dansie just returned from Pybus Point Lodge in Southeast Alaska for a little early season fishing. Although the steelhead were elusive, we did manage to land some nice kings up to 40+ pounds in the calm water of the inner passage. The halibut were starting to congregate also and we were able to put a few in the freezer!

Congratulations to Kevin Stuemke, who goes by the forum username of 300WSM for winning the Sportsman's News Smith & Wesson Monthly Gun Giveaway for May. He will receive a Smith & Wesson SD40 Home Defense Kit. The winner is randomly chosen by computer from those who register for our online forum. Additional entries are given for every 25 posts. Kevin had 244 posts giving him 10 possible chances to win. All post counts are carried forward into future drawings, so those who have been posting still have a better chance to win than those who only register and do not participate in the forums. The June drawing, to be held at noon on June 30, will be for a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380.  To register for the forums, go to http://www.sportsmansnews.com/forum and click on register. Kevin, call the Sportsman's News Office at (435) 865-1680 to arrange to collect your gun.

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According to the Department of Defense, there are approximately 145,000 American forces currently deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Across the globe, 1.4 million American troops are on the Defense Department payroll and another 47,000 in the Department of Homeland Security for the U.S. Coast Guard. During our nation’s history, we have lost 1,529,230 soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Marines, more than the total of all those currently serving.

As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. commented in 1959, “freedom is not free.” That concept has been a bedrock principal of those who have worn the uniform of our nation for more than 250 years. The fact that our armed forces make up less than one percent of our nation’s population means that a large number of Americans go about their daily lives woefully ignorant of the costs of the freedom they enjoy.

As the poet and playwright, William Faulkner wrote, “we must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.” As we participate in this long weekend’s activities of sales, picnics, and time with family in the long overdue warm weather, let us a take a moment to reflect upon the sacrifices that have been made for our freedom.  As we enjoy the benefits of those who have given their lives so that we may practice our freedom, those who have given that highest measure of liberty to we who remain, let us give thanks to our God on their behalf that we are so blessed to live in this great nation, this bequest of bravery from those who died that we may live free.

Around the nation veterans groups will be holding memorial services, parades, and moments of remembrance. It constantly amazes me how sparsely attended these Memorial Day tributes are. I encourage you to take a few moments, find out where your local veterans group is meeting to remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice to their nation. Attend and let your children see that some duties are an honor and privilege to render. That it is right and noble to give thanks for all that we receive as Americans and for the price that was paid that we might have such abundant freedom. God watch over and protect our troops and bring them home soon and safely. As you were.

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The big scary “Black Rifle.” Sometimes ignorantly called an assault rifle. Often maligned, sometimes banned, these AR style rifles are  superbly reliable and accurate and that’s what makes them a great sporting rifle.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) did a survey of Modern Sporting Rifle owners and found out some interesting things, like the average MSR owner is over 35, married, and has a college education. Yup, the Brady Bunch demographic for yuppie serial killers, but then again, anyone with a gun is a serial killer in the Brady handbook.  You can read the entire report by clicking here, but let’s all help out the National Shooting Sports Foundation by sending a gift to them. They do a lot of great work in educating the public as well as Members of Congress. And let’s faee it, we need all of the help we can get to oppose the outright lies of the gun ban crowd.  Good job NSSF.

Read the entire NSSF MSR report here.

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As were many others, I was elated and pleased to hear the great news last night that after nearly 10 years, Osama bin Laden had been found and made to answer for his crimes against humanity.

Usually, I would cringe somewhat at the thought of rejoicing at the death of another human being, but this death dealer was no human being. He was a disgrace to his species, and the best justice that could have been meted out was delivered by a team of Navy SEALS in the dark of night.

What is most pleaseing to me and many others is that after all of this time, and the deaths of more than 3,000 of our countrymen and women, we as a nation can close the book on this chapter of our history and begin the next chapter, one of healing and moving forward.

Will Osama’s death bring back one single soul from September 11, 2011? Not at all. Will it change the war on terrorism? It is hard to say, but odds are even if does alter the war, it will not eliminate it. But what it will do — has done, is send a message to anyone who attacks our people that we will hunt you until the end of time and you will be made to pay for your crimes.

In addition to sending a clear message to our enemies, Osama’s death declares a new age in America, an age of hope, born of knowing that our most dangerous enemy is no longer plotting new and evil ways to destroy us. I feel safer today because of the brave work of our service men and women, our intelligence agencies, and the sound judgment of both the Bush and Obama administrations in putting in place the tools to deal with this threat.  Even though there were SEALS on the triggers, we know that it was a concerted effort of many others in our military and intelligence agencies that made this possible and we thank them all for helping to make the world a safer place for decent people.

The gun giveaway for May is the Smith and Wesson SD40 Home Defense Kit. In order to enter the contest to win the gun you have to register for the Sportsman’s News Forums. You receive one entry for registering and an additional entry for every 25 posts in the forums. Posts are cumulative so they add up from month to month and don’t go away at the end of the month.  A review on the gun can be found by clicking here. The forums can be found by clicking here.  Good luck and keep up the posting. Make sure you congratulate last month’s winner Ken Judd of Colorado Springs.

Cover Photo: Larry Lovell of Peter A. Mayer Advertising and Public Relations holds a baby alligator at Greenwood Gator Farm.

By Dan Kidder
Managing Editor

Louisiana. The name conjures images of Spanish moss covered cypress, meandering bayous, great Cajun cuisine, warm lazy days of drifting the brackish waters in a canoe, and angling for deep sea fish. On a recent trip to the Cajun Coast of Louisiana, the Sportsman’s News crew experienced all of that and much more.
The Cajun Coast encompasses the southern region of the state and includes Terrebonne, St. Mary’s, and Lafourche parishes along the Atchafalaya basin. This rural haven sits atop the thousands of acres of silt deposited by the Mississippi River and contains tens of thousands of square miles of bayous and swamps.
Hunting and fishing is so much a way of life for the people of Louisiana that their state motto is “Sportsman’s Paradise.” Anyone who has seen an episode of Swamp People knows that gators are a major species for hunters, but they are far from the only game to be found. Those who have done it will tell you that until you have chased a whitetail through a swamp, you haven’t really been deer hunting. Continue Reading

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By Dan Kidder
Managing Editor

For years I have loved packing my bag and hitting the trail to enjoy the deep wilds of back country camping. Now that I am in my 40th year, I have come to appreciate the comforts afforded the car camper. Those with small children also are going to be more likely to enjoy the camping experience when they can carry some more comfortable gear with them. Here is a run-down of some great items that will keep you comfortable while taking the family into the wilderness. Continue Reading

By Mike Deming

You have invited one of your best buddies out to hunt black bear with you in British Columbia.  You are scheduled to hunt with one of the best outfitters in the business who successfully harvests some great animals.  Your excitement level is as high as it can possibly get.  The very last minute, your buddy informs you that he is going to have to fly in and out instead of driving the 28 hour trip with you due to an upcoming work conflict.  No big deal, you can see some great country and you are still getting to hunt together.   The hunt turns out just as you would have scripted it with both you tagging out on great bears.  It truly has turned into a trip of a lifetime.   He asks if you can transport his bear back to the United States and drop it off at your taxidermists shop when you get back home since Canada Air has a bad habit of losing gear.  The last thing he wants is for his hide and skull to end up in Thailand somewhere.  Being a great friend, you agree that it isn’t a problem to make that happen since you will be going there anyway.   The outfitter provides you with transporter paperwork to go along with your licenses and contracts to get the hides and heads back into the United States.  You do your customs check and fill out the appropriate paperwork at the border and its’ back to work with a great story, photos, and video.

Six months later, you get a visit from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Agent. You get questioned about the hunt and the bears you transported into the country only to find out you have not filed all the appropriate paperwork and that you have made a major game violation.  The dreaded “L” word, Lacey Act Violation.  Wow, you could have just committed a felony and your hunting days are numbered.  Although the black bear is not required to have what is called a C.I.T.I.E.S permit when importing your own harvested animal back into the country, it is required when you are transporting someone else’s bear when they will not be traveling with the hide and skull.  This information is in the British Columbia Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis for the corresponding year of this trip.

What was initially a good deed has now turned into a major problem.  Should the outfitter have known this information?  Most would answer a loud and roaring, “YES”!  Most of us who travel abroad or even out of their own state to hunt or fish with an outfitter assume that you will be given all the correct information to make you and your harvest legal, but being right is ultimately the hunter or fisherman’s responsibility in every situation.

This is actually a true story that happened to someone I consider to be extremely honest, ethical, and with a strong moral compass.  It was all because he didn’t read the proclamation for the area that he would be hunting.  He put all of his trust and confidence into an outfitter which according to the law has done nothing wrong.  Even after the incident, the outfitter was still unaware of this policy.  Nobody involved intentionally broke the law and they all went out of their way to do everything right, but in the end, it is still a violation.

The question is; are you willing to put your future of hunting and fishing in the hands of someone else?  Every state, province, and country has their rules and regulations available on line and if you are not able to find that information, you should contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement (www.fws.gov/le) and run any questions you may have by them.  They will either have the correct information for you or can get you pointed in the right direction to make sure that you are legal while in the field and when transporting your game.

In doing research for this article, I spoke with numerous officials to find out what type of violations and problems that they see.  A great amount of these violations come down to one major thing, “I didn’t know that was the law”.  I would like to think that outdoorsmen and women are generally a group of really good people with only a few bad apples in the crowd. However, we need to do a much better job of policing ourselves and educating our fellow outdoorsmen and women as well as our youth.  Whenever you are going to take to the field for any reason, you should take the time to read the proclamation for that state or province.  You will be much more confident knowing all of the rules and regulations that apply to you on any specific trip.  A few hours of reading are much less costly than a ticket and possible loss of your privileges.  The other part of policing ourselves is that once we know the laws, we have to uphold them.  Occasionally an accident will happen such as a bullet pass through and killing two animals or just shooting the wrong animal in a spike only unit.  Accidents do happen, but make sure you do the right thing, by taking care of the animal and reporting it to the proper authorities.  You will more than likely still pay a small fine, but it is much better than getting caught or turned in by someone who saw you in the field.  If that happens, you will still pay the fine, but you will have many more violations on top of the accident. You never know when someone is out there watching or possibly even filming your activity.  I have personally filmed two poaching incidents in the last 2 years while out in the field.

Best of luck to everyone and “Know your regulations”.

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By Dan Kidder
Managing Editor

My first thought on this gun was, “this trigger and I are going to have some issues.” The trigger on the SD40 is not a true double action, and it isn’t typical for a striker fired pistol either, but something else altogether. Smith and Wesson calls it the SDT for Self Defense Trigger. It incorporates a distinct two-stage trigger into a pull that seems to go on for a week. Continue Reading

By Emily  Nielsen

Now mind you, I am just a farm girl from a small town in Nebraska.  As a youth, I tagged along with  my Dad to go after deer, so the idea was not completely foreign to me, but I just never had thought to put myself behind the gun.  That is why  it was still somewhat of a mystery to me that I had agreed to drive all the way to Quebec to hunt black bear. However, I found myself twenty-two hours from home in Otter Lake, Quebec. Continue Reading

By Kendra Petska

As I started to lay out my gear for the first bow hunt of my life, I watched big, wet snowflakes fall from the dreary Nebraska sky.  “How in the world am I going to stick a gobbler in this stuff?” I thought to myself.  It had been snowing off and on for three days now and I was supposed to head out tomorrow to start my turkey hunt.  The Nebraska turkey opener was March 25th and I had exactly four days to immerse this first-time archery turkey hunter in gobbling madness.  My task: to successfully harvest a Nebraska longbeard and get a story on the desk of Michael Deming of Sportsman’s News.  I had three tags in my pocket and anticipation ran high, although the sky overhead wasn’t exactly putting my mind at ease.  Then I reminded myself that IT IS the end of March and I DO LIVE in Nebraska.  One day you are running your heater and the next you are cranking up your air conditioning.  The forecast said it was going to warm up some, so I kept my fingers crossed and tried to keep a positive attitude. Continue Reading

By Dave Wardell

I grew up in Denver and my first memories of hunting were with my dad when he took me pheasant hunting in Eastern Colorado when I was eight years old.  During my growing up years, and into high school I began archery hunting for mule deer, elk, antelope, and mountain lion with a friend whose dad was a lion-bear outfitter.  In fact, that leads me to the title of this article “shed hunting”.  During many of my trips into the mountains hunting big game, I would find elk and deer antler sheds.  Also along the waterways when waterfowl hunting, I would pick up whitetail deer antlers.  But this story is really about turkey hunting from the “shed”. Wild turkey is my favorite game bird to hunt.  I’ve been blessed to harvest a significant number of turkeys, and completed my Grand Slam when I killed an Osceola in Central Florida in 1996.   Continue Reading

By Steve Smith, River’s Wild Flies

One of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of fly fishing is fishing dry flies. In particular, really small dry flies. So what are these mysterious little flies? The tiny gnat looking things that some people mistake for mosquitoes are actually midges. They are one of the hardiest aquatic insects found in any water, hatching virtually year round. They are especially important to trout during the winter and early spring months when they might be the only active insects at the time. Midges are most vulnerable to trout when they are emerging. They will “hang” in the surface film, break away from their pupal skin, then emerge as a fully winged adult. They will rest on the surface to dry out their wings before they take flight. This is where trout come along and snatch them up before they can take off. During a midge hatch there may be a whole pod of trout softly sipping midges. So now the question is – how do I fool one of these guys? Continue Reading