NSSF—The Firearm Industry Trade Association’s Post

The Sportfishing Capital of the World attracts more than 4.3 million anglers, who help make fishing in Florida an economic engine that contributes nearly $14 billion in economic output and supports more than 120,000 jobs. Last week, ASA joined a consortium of 20 sportsmen and conservation groups recognizing Florida legislators for their sponsorship of 2023 legislation to establish a constitutional Right to Fish and Hunt. #KeepFloridaFishing #ASAFishing #KeepAmericaFishing https://lnkd.in/e-BtETHy

“So, the priority may not be constructing as many ranges as possible in a state. Maybe we construct fewer ranges but spend a little more money to locate them where demand is highest.” - Rob Southwick, President of Southwick Associates The need for public access to shooting ranges remains a growing priority. The benefits are numerous. Safe shooting ranges and more accessible locations for all those new recreational marksmen and women create safer and more highly-trained gun owners. That benefits everyone living in communities that include recreational practice shooting ranges. Building state-run public shooting ranges is easier now than ever thanks to changes in the law for how states can apply wildlife conservation funds generated by firearm and ammunition manufacturers through excise taxes. https://lnkd.in/g8_5ff5m #PittmanRobertsonExciseTax #rangebill #publicrange #publicspaces

What constitutes trespassing? When it comes to crossing private ground to access public lands, the answer isn't always clear cut. SOUTH DAKOTA SECTION SOCIETY FOR RANGE MANAGEMENT SOUTH DAKOTA CATTLEMENS ASSOCIATION South Dakota Stockgrowers Assn https://lnkd.in/eVw9qafE #rangeland #grassland #privateproperty #publiclands

After extensive lobbying from BASC, we were pleased to see several amendments passed during Stage 3 of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill this week, ensuring the following: • NatureScot will have to provide reasons for refusing, modifying, suspending or revoking licences for wildlife traps. • NatureScot will have to provide reasons for refusing, modifying, suspending or revoking a licence to shoot grouse. • A Sheriff hearing an appeal can make interim orders in respect of grouse shoot licenses, strengthening the statutory right to appeal. • Prospective appellants have a full 21 days to decide whether to appeal a licensing decision, extending the statutory right to appeal. • A new licensable purpose will allow muirburn to reduce wildfire risk on non-peatland habitats. • The ability to use muirburn out of season under licence if it is necessary, providing land managers with greater flexibility. #BASC

‘Park ranger’ may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you hear that it’s World Ranger Day on July 31. You may be more likely to have visions of army rangers, Texas rangers, or New York rangers. But World Ranger Day is not about military- or sports heroes. Today, we pay tribute to park rangers, also known as forest rangers — the unsung heroes who protect, preserve, and defend America’s dwindling wilderness land resources. And we commemorate rangers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Most of us can easily picture that park ranger verifying passes and collecting entrance fees at an entrance booth of a national park, or the forest ranger interpreting wildlife and discussing conservation as they lead visitors on tours. But few among us are familiar with how often a park ranger’s duties bring him or her face-to-face with life-threatening dangers inherent to their profession. https://lnkd.in/gCk4APM

All wildlife crime suffers from absurdly low detection and prosecution rates in the UK. In many rural areas where shooting and hunting are habitual (pigeon racing too sometimes) there is widespread and widely accepted collusion and a culture of silence. The police get little or no support in the investigations quite often. Ask them. The culture of silence in some rural communities (sometimes family led - heard that before with an Italian accent) is no different to nor any less corrupt than the cultures of silence, cover up and intimidation which exist on so-called sink estates. Yet while we all happily condemn those codes of silence, we go out of our way to make soppy excuses for the more corrupt, far more entitled bully boy culture found in some green leafy lanes. Other residents are cowed into silence. Resentment builds up. Then those folk don't turn out to pro-landowner protest marches. They buy direct from trustworthy small producers. This is part of the culture wars - and they are in part criminality stoked. Important to recognise your real opponents.

There must be something in the water in the Hudson River. First it was the Bronx and Queens when U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) asserted with zero scientific evidence that traditional lead hunting ammunition “poisons everything in sight.” Now, anti-hunting Democratic lawmakers in the state’s capital are pushing an egregiously anti-hunting bill under the guise of being “neighborly.” Don’t fall for any of it. It’s a bunch of baloney to punish good, law-abiding Americans who are actually responsible for the stewardship of America’s wildlife and habitat – hunters. You know, the people at whom anti-hunter, anti-gun politicians like Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and others deride, sneer and label as “poor souls.” The anti-science push to punish hunters is making its way up the Hudson River to Albany. Proposed legislation there has New Yorkers who live Upstate and anywhere outside the New York City area concerned and for good reason. Elected officials like Rep. Ocasio-Cortez in Washington, D.C., and state Sen. Harchkham in Albany lack the very basic understanding of how important hunters and recreational shooters are to protecting and preserving America’s woods, wildlife and wetlands. They don’t get and can’t understand why their anti-hunting, anti-science positions are problematic. What’s worse is they continue to pursue and push these proposals even though the science tells them they’re dead wrong. Read the full article by NSSF’s Jake McGuigan on the NSSF Blog. 👇 https://lnkd.in/gvhFNYUq #newyork #gunpolicy

Act now to protect the Greater Western Everglades! The Rural Lands West (RLW) development has tried to gain approvals since 2008 – a testament to its flawed location and destructive threat to our natural resources. It must not succeed now. Locally known as Rivergrass and Longwater Village, this project was permitted by Collier County and is close to breaking ground. However, its last major hurdle is a federal wetland dredge & fill permit under the Clean Water Act Section 404, which will be decided by the Army Corps of Engineers. The applicant is proposing over 4,400 acres for this new town in eastern Collier County within the greater Western Everglades, a critical wildlife corridor for the endangered Florida panther. The proposed site is upstream of the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and would destroy over 270 acres of wetlands within the Camp Keais Strand wetland flowway. Help protect our wetlands and this critical linkage for the endangered Florida panther that would be fragmented if this project is approved! Tell decision-makers that you do not support this development at https://lnkd.in/eXewgNA9.

Terrific and WA State is showing the right way forward with wolves We learn more about our language by listening to the wolves – https://lnkd.in/giS8Kdmd Wolves’ facial expressions reveal their moods https://lnkd.in/gkZE7ZKF Gut microbes found in wild wolves may be the key to alleviating a debilitating gastrointestinal condition common to domestic dogs, according to a study led by researchers at Oregon State University https://lnkd.in/gtpcdiUD Dogs are descended from two populations of ancient wolves in Asia and Europe, according to a study analysing DNA from 72 ancient wolves going back 100,000 years ! #RelistWolves https://lnkd.in/gba8akgZ

My latest, on the war on wolves: Switzerland fired the official starting gun on a five-month-long wolf cull on 1 September. Several cantons have applied to kill young wolves and their elders, as well as to wipe out numerous whole packs. If approved by the federal authorities, the cantons will be able to commence with the slaughter, thanks to controversial legislative changes that allow for a dramatic reduction of the country’s fragile wolf population. Switzerland’s actions are illustrative of a wider trend. Previously hunted to near extinction in Europe, wolf populations have rebounded in recent decades. But as wolf numbers have crept up, the same demonisation and persecution that has plagued the species for eternity has crept back in. However, there are now obstacles to killing the maligned canine, not least the legal protections that have helped to pull wolves back from the brink. So the current war on wolves is being fought on many fronts, with science, democracy, and the iconic canines, all getting hammered in the process. https://lnkd.in/ezEiwrSt