14 July 2011
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dealers and retail customers.
Armalite Opens Its 2011 Camp Perry Store
There will also be special pricing for members of the military and junior shooters. See the ArmaLite representatives at the store for specific details on pricing.
JUL 13, 2011 05:21P.M. ArmaLite’s Camp Perry store will be open from July 11th through July 15th. It will re-open July 27th through August 14th. Daily hours are 10am to 6pm. The store is located on Commercial Row, Building 910B.
Armalite Opens Its 2011 Camp Perry Store
Armalite Opens Its 2011 Camp Perry Store Armalite 2011 Camp Perry Store About: ArmaLite has one of the broadest product lines in the firearms industry. We manufacture and sell semiautomatic rifles in a variety of calibers including 5.56mm and 7.62mm, long range super-accurate bolt action rifles in calibers including .308 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum, .338 Lapua, and 50 BMG, and classic 9mm pistols.Visit: www.armalite.com Tags: Armalite, Camp Perry ArmaLite Inc Geneseo, IL – -(Ammoland.com)- ArmaLite, Inc is pleased to announce that it has opened its Camp Perry Store for the 2011 National Matches. Inside the store, shooters can find the high quality ArmaLite rifles, pistols and parts they’ve grown to expect from one of the finest manufacturers in the world. This year ArmaLite will offer a wide range of special deals for both its
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pushing to chip away at this country’s great heritage of trapping and wildlife management.”
Anti’s Working to Ban Trapping on New Mexico’s Public Lands
Take Action! New Mexico sportsmen need to contact the state’s Game Commissioners and ask they oppose the Alternate Plan banning trapping on public lands. Sportsmen should also ask that they oppose any changes to the state’s trapping regulations that are not based sound science.
JUL 13, 2011 05:15P.M. Anti’s Working to Ban Trapping on New Mexico’s Public Lands Sportsmen Comments Needed to Protect Trapping, Call, eMail, Write
Contact information for the New Mexico State Game Commissioners can be found here. About: The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. Visit www.ussportsmen.org. Tags: Anti-Hunting, Trapping, U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, USSA
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U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance
LI Second Amendment Preservation Association Announces the Launch of New Website
Columbus, OH --(Ammoland.com)- On Thursday, July 21st, the New Mexico State Game Commission will consider changes to trapping regulations which could ban trapping on all public lands in the state. The Commission meeting is scheduled for July 21, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. and will take place at the Clayton Civic Center, 124 North Front Street in Clayton, New Mexico.
JUL 13, 2011 04:49P.M. Two proposed rule changes are being considered by the Commission and will be debated on that day. The first, the “Recommended Rule,” would allow public lands trapping to continue with a few new restrictions on trapping. The second proposal, the “Alternate Rule,” would ban trapping on all federal, state, and other public lands within New Mexico.
LI Second Amendment Preservation Association Announces the Launch of New Website
“Sportsmen in New Mexico must make their voices heard today,” said Jeremy Rine, USSA associate director of state services. “Animal rights and anti-trappers are trying to bypass wildlife management professionals and shut down trapping. The state’s trapping regulations need to be based on sound science and not on unfounded claims by antitrappers.” The Alternate Rule was included for the Commission’s consideration when anti-trapping and animal rights activists started pressuring the Game Commission and government officials to ban trapping on all public lands. “Trapping has been shown time and again to be one of the most effective wildlife management tools for states,” said Chick Andres, President of the Fur Takers of America.
LI Second Amendment Preservation Assocication Announces the Launch of New Website
“Despite this fact, anti-trapping organizations are constantly
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Tags: LI Second Amendment Preservation Association, LISAPA, Pro Gun Groups
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Michigan Moose Hunting Advisory Council to Meet July 20 in Marquette LI Second Amendment Preservation Association
JUL 13, 2011 04:38P.M.
Ronkonkoma, NY --(Ammoland.com)- LI Second Amendment Preservation Assocication, announced today the launch of the official website of the LI Second Amendment Preservation Association (LISAPA).
Michigan Moose Hunting Advisory Council to Meet July 20 in Marquette
On it, interested readers can find up to date and relevant information on all things important to the firearms community on Long Island. “LISAPA is a natural progression of the grass roots activism that was started in the Long Island Firearms forum”, said Steven Blair, LISAPA’s president. He added, “LIF attracted not only firearms enthusiasts, but a number of veterans in the struggle for Second Amendment Rights in New York State, and in addition to them, we have several industry professionals among our ranks.” He continued, “LISAPA will give leadership and direction to that diverse expertise; the inevitable result is a more cohesive, organized and directed entity that will spearhead local efforts to regain, and then retain, our Second Amendment Rights.”
Michigan Moose Hunting Advisory Council to Meet
Blair went on to describe the site’s content as being “locally focused, but universally relevant” with concentrations on Community Service, New Products, Training, Competition and Political Action, with particular attention paid to how those aspects pertain to Women and Youth. “There will be something for everyone, and it will mesh very well with the perennial focus of LIF: to enhance the image of law abiding gun owners and shooting sports enthusiasts through the responsible exercise of our rights and community service.”
Michigan Department of Natural Resources Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- The Moose Hunting Advisory Council will meet Wednesday, July 20 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Department of Natural Resources Marquette Operations Service Center, located at 1990 U.S. 41 South in Marquette.
About LISAPA Our Mission: The mission of the Association is to preserve the rights afforded to all US citizens under the precepts incorporated within the second amendment of the United States Constitution through community awareness, social involvement, and educational pursuits. The Association further intends to integrate the need to preserve the integrity of the second amendment through the understanding of fundamental firearms maintenance, safety and responsible firearms ownership. Visit: www.lisapa.org
The meeting agenda includes discussion by the council members regarding their task of producing a formal report examining the potential impacts moose hunting would have on the moose population and the various economic benefits associated with a moose hunt, and what core elements that report should ultimately include.
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The seven-member council was created under a law passed by the Legislature in 2010, directing the Natural Resources Commission and the council to examine the possibility of a moose hunting season in Michigan. The council tentatively plans to submit its report at the NRC’s September 15 meeting in Sault Ste. Marie. Whether or not a moose hunting season is established and what a season would entail is at the discretion of the NRC. The legislation that created the Moose Hunting Advisory Council specified that the seven-member council would include representatives from the following stakeholder groups: the DNR Director or his designee, an organization promoting conservation in Michigan, organizations promoting hunting or fishing in Michigan, representatives nominated by the speaker of the house and senate majority leader, and a representative chosen by the Michigan Intertribal Council. Members appointed to the council include Jim Ekdahl of L’Anse, Jim Hammill of Crystal Falls, Mick Jarvi of Houghton County, George Lindquist of Marquette County, Jason Dinsmore of Ann Arbor and DNR Wildlife Division Chief Russ Mason.
It’s Time For Some “Gun Control”
Those who wish to offer public comment to the council members regarding a potential moose hunting season are encouraged to submit their comments electronically to moosecomments@michigan.gov or by mail to DNR Wildlife Division, Attn: Dan Eichinger, 530 W. Allegan, Lansing, MI 48909. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr. Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership Tags: Michigan, Michigan Department of Natural Resources Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- Since its modern mutation in 1968 (via the “Gun Control Act of 1968), and with an infusion of power to it in 1972 by Treasury Department Order No. 120-1, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) has amassed a truly sordid record of “gun control.”
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Gun Control – And Now For Something Completely Different
Although it’s website somewhat outlandishly claims a history going back to 1789, BATFE’s modern roots go to its failed attempts at the enforcement of Prohibition (another stupid idea from the federal government).
JUL 13, 2011 03:38P.M. Gun Control – And Now For Something Completely Different By Charles Heller
There’s hardly anything as pathetic as a bloated government agency, in search of a mission. So the “BAT” got their hands on guns and became “BATF”. The “E” came later. Follow their criminal and bloody escapades from the Ken Ballew raid debacle in 1971, to the deceit that triggered the Randy Weaver travesty in Idaho, to the incitement of violence in the horror at Waco,Texas, to the despicable acts in the John Lawmaster Raid. The ATF, and later the BATFE, has now distinguished itself as the least
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disciplined, least accomplished, least effective, and most unethical “law enforcement” agency in U.S. law enforcement history.
policy. On December 10, 2010, Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was gunned down at the U.S. Border, in a shootout. Two of the guns found at that murder scene were found to be from Operation Fast and Furious.
Along its way towards the immense and international dung pile they are attempting to dig themselves out of now (“Operation Fast and Furious” aka “Project Gun Runner“), BATFE has also managed to ensnare a number of truly remarkable, creative, and innovative firearms manufacturers, in needless red tape, inconvenience, and useless, unwarranted prosecution. Len Savage came to know their wrath. This is well documented by our organization, JPFO.
Yes, it’s time to disarm the BATFE. Let their agents and labs investigate arson, bootleg liquor, and black market smokes, and do some of the fine tool mark examining (in crime gun forensics) those labs are known for. Some of their outside contractors do a great job of instructing in that field. Let them be forensic scientists and liquor stamp distributors. Just don’t let them near any guns!
Rarely has a year gone by without some perfidy from “The Gang”. These “lesser sins” are seldom covered in the blatantly anti-gun mainstream media. However, it seems chickens are now coming home to roost. BATFE’s criminal activity in the “Operation Fast And Furious” debacle brings with it implications that involve the administration up to the U.S. Attorney General, and possibly include the sitting President. And we are just learning that it appears that ten million dollars of “stimulus” money was directed towards “Project Gun Runner”!
Take away their badges. Badges are symbols of honor from a country as great as ours. BATFE Agents can carry business cards, like any other overpaid, tax consuming, foot dragging bureaucrat. Let’s convert these morally challenged individuals from jackboots to fur boots, or at least gumshoes without guns. Charles Heller is the Executive Director of Jews For The Preservation of Firearms Ownership.
Generally, we at JPFO view gun control as poison, but not necessarily in this case. We actually think that it is now time for some good, old fashioned DISARMAMENT.
About: Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership Mission is to destroy “gun control” and to encourage Americans to understand and defend all of the Bill of Rights for everyone. Those are the twin goals of Wisconsinbased Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO). Founded by Jews and initially aimed at educating the Jewish community about the historical evils that Jews have suffered when they have been disarmed, JPFO has always welcomed persons of all religious beliefs who share a common goal of opposing and reversing victim disarmament policies while advancing liberty for all.
Disarm the BATFE. It’s time to disarm its agents, and decertify BATFE as a law enforcement agency. Let’s transform them back into the stamp clerks (suitable for affixing labels on wine and whiskey bottles) that they once were. Then the only harm they can inflict on the body politic would be paper cuts. To be sure, there are some decent and moral people who work there. Or did, like ATF Senior Special Agent Mr. John Dodson, who was recently fired for telling the truth to Congress about the misdeeds of BATFE in recent testimony.
JPFO is a non-profit tax-exempt educational civil rights organization, not a lobby. JPFO’s products and programs reach out to as many segments of the American people as possible, using bold tactics without compromise on fundamental principles. Visit www.JPFO.org – Copyright JPFO 2011
An ATF response memo to Dodson, about his complaint to superiors before he went public, stated, ”If you don’t think this is fun, you’re in the wrong line of work. Maybe the Maricopa County Jail is hiring detention officers, and you can get paid $30,000 to serve lunch to inmates.”
Tags: ATF, Charles Heller, Gun Control, Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership, JPFO
Meanwhile, this same superior in BATFE was approving the funneling of guns to known cold blooded murderers south of the border. Ironically, when everything shakes down, this particular superior might, himself, be getting served just such a lunch! Do the folks running BATFE think it’s an just a glitch in an academic exercise when Mexican citizens get murdered by guns BATFE willfully allowed to reach crazed killers? Apparently, these same BATFE drones took it a little more seriously when American law enforcement agents began to fall as a result of the ludicrous and immoral “Gun Runner”
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process was not developed for leasing in the sensitive areas that now are being sought for development, nor did it adequately address other values like fish and wildlife before commitments to develop were made.” The TRCP is a member of the SFRED coalition.
Sportsmen Support CommonSense Energy Planning to Conserve Fish & Wildlife Habitat
Members of Wyoming’s and Utah’s congressional delegations, however, have denigrated the new master leasing process in a letter to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, requesting that the Department abandon implementation of the process.
JUL 13, 2011 03:03P.M. Sportsmen Support Common-Sense Energy Planning to Conserve Fish & Wildlife Habitat
“It’s unfortunate that any Western politician would oppose reforms specifically designed to protect the West’s public lands and allow for more public involvement on public lands that help define us as region,” said Steve Torbit, regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation, an SFRED member. “MLPs provide ample opportunity for energy companies to exploit oil and gas deposits but allow for a more careful process to evaluate how best to avoid or minimize impacts to our wildlife and other natural resources,” Torbit continued. “As a native of this region and a lifelong hunter and angler, it saddens me to see elected representatives show their disdain for the wildlife resources that are part of our Western heritage and culture.” Brad Powell, energy director for Trout Unlimited, an SFRED member, and former regional forester for the Forest Service, questioned why the members of Congress would attack a process that enables a rational approach to leasing and will better balance multiple uses of public lands.
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership WASHINGTON --(Ammoland.com)- In response to criticism by some Western lawmakers of a new federal energy-planning protocol, a coalition of prominent sportsman-conservation groups today reasserted the need for balanced public-lands energy leasing that enables responsible development while sustaining the West’s fish and wildlife heritage and hunting and fishing traditions.
“This new approach to leasing incorporates sensible reforms that allow the public, including hunters and anglers, to be more involved in the management of their lands and allow for earlier conflict resolution rather than having to resort to protests when poorly planned lease sales are announced,” Powell said.
Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development underscored its support of the policy issued last year that included the use of “master lease plans,” or MLPs, for future leasing of public lands in areas not experiencing significant energy activity. The approach would address deficiencies in the old process that have led to high conflict with fish and wildlife values and significant public objections, or “protests,” to lease sales. The MLPs also would require an analysis of impacts from development of leases, a key evaluation that was not done in the past, before leases are sold, providing an opportunity for the public and other affected stakeholders to be involved earlier to resolve any conflicts.
“We understand that energy development will occur, and we support it,” Powell continued, “but as sportsmen we believe that fixing problems early in the leasing process enables industry to receive leases that they can use rather than backlogged leases held up by protests. The previous process led to thousands of protests and a system that was broken for both industry and sportsmen.” “We have documented dramatic declines in our mule deer herds because of poorly planned and hastily approved energy leasing in parts of the West,” Belinda concluded. “Threatening the West’s fish and wildlife populations using the old, broken model for public-lands leasing makes no sense. The MLPs and other lease reforms allow responsible energy development without jeopardizing our fish and wildlife habitat, our streams and rivers, and our public
“Upfront planning and conflict resolution will lead to greater certainty for management of fish and wildlife habitats and for industry,” said Steve Belinda, director of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Center for Responsible Energy Development and former BLM biologist. “The old
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lands.” Learn more about the Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development coalition. No tags for this post.
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Team Realtree Scent-Control Hunting Wipes for Body and Gear JUL 13, 2011 02:56P.M. Team Realtree Scent-Control Hunting Wipes Contec Inc. Team Realtree Scent-Control Hunting Wipes for Body and Gear
For use on body and gear, soft and durable Team Realtree Scent-Control Hunting Wipes are available in long-lasting Pine, Cedar and Earth scents, and Odor Control formulas. The compact canister conveniently stores in your hunting pack or vehicle. Features and Benefits: • Soft: Allows optimum application to skin and equipment. • Durable: Use one wipe for multiple surfaces. • Easy Dispensing Canister: Keeps wipes moist when not being used.
RealTree
• Long Lasting Formula: Minimizes need to re-apply
COLUMBUS, Georgia --(Ammoland.com)- To maximize your chance for success and get as close to your target as possible, you must control your scent.
• Dual Technologies: Neutralizes and counteracts human scent at the molecular level. Masks human scent
Now available at Academy Sports and Outdoors, Team Realtree Hunting Wipes combine the effectiveness of odor neutralization and odor counteraction at the molecular level.
www.contecinc.com Tags: Hunting Gear, Realtree, Scent Control
The dual technologies polarize malodor molecules rendering the malodor signal as unrecognizable to an animal’s brain. Additional ingredients mask human scent. These technologies create optimum scent control, ensuring the best possible chance for a successful bow or gun hunt.
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is similar to a 2009 law repealing the gun ban on National Park Service land.
Army Corp Gun Ban Repeal Vote Coming This Week in the House
Army Corps of Engineers land was not part of that bill, something the Corps was quick to point out after that law took affect. The Corps said, in a statement: “Public Law 111-024 does not apply to Corps projects or facilities . . . [and the Army Corps] will continue to prohibit loaded concealed weapons on Corps properties regardless of the new law and notwithstanding any contrary provisions of state law.”
JUL 13, 2011 02:48P.M. Army Corp Gun Ban Repeal Vote Coming This Week in the House Legislation Will Protect Gun Rights on Army Corps of Engineers Land
The amendment will reverse the Corps’ decision and remedy the “oversight” of the lands bill. “The Recreational Lands Self-Defense Act is a bipartisan effort that seeks to correct this oversight and restore Second Amendment rights to law-abiding citizens while they are legally camping, hunting, and fishing on the 11.7 million acres of Army Corps recreational property,” Rep. Gibbs said. Rep. Gosar notes that “this amendment will restore continuity to federal lands and ensure that constitutional rights are consistently protected.” Nationally, the Army Corps of Engineers controls 400 lake and river projects, 90,000 campsites and 4,000 miles of trails. A vote on the Gosar amendment could come as early as Thursday. Army Corps of Engineers Land Gun Free Zones
ACTION: Please contact your Representative and urge him or her to vote YES on the Gosar amendment. Click here to send a prewritten message to your Representative. Gun Owners of America 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102 Springfield, VA 22151 Phone: 703-321-8585 FAX: 703-321-8408 www.gunowners.org
Gun Owners of America Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- Vote on Pro-gun Amendment Could Come in the House This Week
About: Gun Owners of America (GOA) is a non-profit lobbying organization formed in 1975 to preserve and defend the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. GOA sees firearms ownership as a freedom issue. `The only no comprise gun lobby in Washington’ – Ron Paul
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) plans to offer an amendment this week protecting gun rights on land controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Tags: GOA, Gun Bans, Gun Free Zones, Gun Owners of America Currently, guns are prohibited on Corps land, even when gun possession is otherwise allowed by state law. Rep. Gosar’s legislation would simply remove federal restrictions and allow for the law of the states (in which such land is located) to govern firearms possession. The Gosar amendment, modeled after the Recreational Lands SelfDefense Act (H.R. 1865) introduced by pro-gun Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH),
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restrictions on the access and use of this data in order to safeguard law enforcement and ensure compliance with provisions of the federal Gun Control Act. The measures ensure that the data remain only in the hands of law enforcement for criminal investigations and prosecutions.
Gun Trace Data Under Attack in Congress – Call Chairman Rogers Today
The best argument for restricting access to this data is a well-known elected official from New York City. Several years ago, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg had the NYPD inappropriately obtain trace data not for a criminal investigation but for use in preparing a civil lawsuit. He turned the data over to private eyes who conducted so-called sting operations of out-of-state federally licensed firearms retailers. He did so without the knowledge of ATF or even his own police commissioner. As a result, Mayor Bloomberg interfered with as many as 18 ongoing criminal investigations, jeopardizing the lives of law enforcement officers, informants, witnesses and others. In fact, ATF was forced to pull agents out of field for their own protection.
JUL 13, 2011 12:17P.M. Gun Trace Data Under Attack in Congress – Call Chairman Rogers Today
The Honda amendment would impose significant cost to manufacturers by requiring them to manually and physically match each and ever single serial number of the firearms in inventory to the individual record entry in the manufacturer’s acquisition and distribution record causing the manufacturers to shut down their factory for lengthy time periods. The hearing is taking place NOW — ACT IMMEDIATELY by calling (202) 225-2771. National Shooting Sports Foundation 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 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.
NEWTOWN, Conn --(Ammoland.com)- In the wake of the Fast and Furious scandal and a decision by the Department of Justice to approve multiple sales reporting of long guns along the Southwest border, last night Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA-29) announced his intention to offer an amendment that would strip from an appropriations bill an important law enforcement protection, known as the Tiahrt Amendment, that safeguards law enforcement-only firearms tracing data.
Tags: Arms Trafficking, ATF, BATFE, Fast & Furious, Gun Trafficking, NSSF, Project Gunrunner, Straw Purchases, Washington DC
The Schiff amendment would allow access to law enforcement trace data by those outside of law enforcement. Rep. Michael Honda (D-CA-15) will offer an amendment supported by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg that will continue the recently launched regulatory assault on the firearms industry. ACTION: The National Shooting Sports Foundation – the trade association for America’s firearms industry – is urging all members of industry, sportsmen, gun-owners and firearms enthusiasts to call Rep. Harold Rogers (R-VA-10), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee at (202) 225-2771 and urge the committee to VOTE NO on the Schiff and Honda amendments,and any other amendments that undermine the law enforcement protections provided for in the Tiahrt Amendment and any anti-gun amendments that would place additional and costly regulatory burdens on members of the firearms industry. Public disclosure of gun trace data, including to elected officials, is dangerous. That is why several years ago Congress approved further
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The President of the United States has told a Mexican journalist that he did not authorize the program and that Erik Holder didn’t either.
Its Your Government Hold Them Accountable – Demand Gunwalker Accountability
ATF and DOJ have claimed that the objective was to track guns up to Mexican “drug lords” and possibly topple a Mexican drug cartel, but the whole program was kept a secret from Mexican authorities and agents were ordered to make no effort to track the guns beyond the original purchaser. Agents watched as suspected firearms traffickers purchased dozens of AK-style firearms. They trailed the suspects, and guns, to a rendezvous where the guns were transferred to another vehicle, and then, in accordance with strict orders, they allowed the other vehicle, and the guns, to drive away without even an effort to identify the person or track or interdict the guns.
JUL 13, 2011 12:16P.M. Its Your Government Hold Them Accountable – Demand Gunwalker Accountability By Jeff Knox
Meanwhile the ATF and DOJ have continued to promulgate inaccurate and deceptive statistics regarding firearms trafficking and the involvement of illegally trafficked firearms in crime in Mexico – statistics that are falsely inflated by the Gunwalker project itself. They have also continued with attempts to change congressionally mandated regulations to include the reporting and tracking of purchasers of more than one rifle in a given week. While such reporting and tracking might seem reasonable on the surface, even including some firearm owners, the actual utility of the reporting program is questionable, and is a major usurpation of power by ATF. The Bureau is specifically forbidden in the same statute which authorizes such reporting for multiple handguns. What’s more, ATF is notorious for failing to delete information gathered in this manner as required by law, thus building a de facto registration system.
FirearmsCoalition.org Manassas, VA --(Ammoland.com)- Most of the larger national media outlets are doing their best to ignore the Gunwalker scandal, but the word is dribbling out despite the best efforts of the Obama Administration and their lackeys in the mainstream press.
The evidence does not support the existence of any large-scale gun trafficking rings. The largest and most successful gun trafficking rings uncovered so far were those endorsed and supported by the ATF in Project Gunwalker, aka “Operation Fast and Furious.” Without ATF assistance forcing gun dealers to cooperate, these dealers would never have taken the chance of repeatedly selling large quantities of guns to suspicious-looking cash customers. And even then, ATF ignored the structure of these organizations. They were only interested in the straw buyers, not any of their immediate associates, and, as I mentioned above, ATF specifically forbade any disclosure of the Gunwalker program to anyone within the government of Mexico.
Those who know about the outrageous project should be demanding answers and accountability. The recent hearings in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, chaired by Rep. Darrel Issa (R-CA), showed clearly that agents of the ATF and other agencies, working with the approval from the highest levels of the Department of Justice – no more than one desk below Attorney General Erik Holder, if not Holder himself – actively conspired and facilitated the sale of some 2000 or more rifles to suspected illegal firearms traffickers and then intentionally allowed those guns to continue in illicit channels with no attempt to track, interdict, or disable them.
All that ATF seemed interested in was who bought the guns, how many they bought, and where the guns turned up in crimes. The fact that the guns did turn up at crime scenes – murders, maimings, and massacres, including of Mexican police officers or government officials – seems to have been of little concern to ATF and DOJ officials.
ATF field agents who objected to the program were threatened and even fired. On one occasion an agent pointed out that people were being killed with guns supplied by the ATF and his manager responded with the callous cliché that if you want to make an omelet, you have to break a few eggs.
This limited interest suggests only two possible motivations: to build stronger, more incriminating cases against straw purchasers – the guys ATF has consistently insisted are the bottom of the food chain – or to generate statistical and emotional support for their requested increases in authority. Perhaps one was just a “happy side effect” of the other. In either case, the strategy was seriously flawed and hundreds of people lost their lives.
Mexican authorities report that some 300 Mexican nationals have been killed with these guns along with at least one and possibly two US law enforcement officers. Those are some pretty costly eggs.
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This administration intentionally allowed arms to flow into the hands of criminals and the policy factored in the deaths of hundreds of Mexican citizens and at least one US Border Patrol Agent. They have also intentionally blocked congressional and media inquiries into the matter and retaliated against ATF whistleblowers.
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Delisting of Wolves in Wyoming & Great Lakes Moves Forward in U.S. House
Compare the scope and reach of Gunwalker to Watergate. Watergate began with a handful of overzealous political supporters incompetently trying to bug their opponent’s offices and the administration working to protect those loyal supporters. Gunwalker, from its inception, was a criminal enterprise directed from the cabinet level.
JUL 13, 2011 12:01P.M. Delisting of Wolves in Wyoming & Great Lakes Moves Forward in U.S. House
Where is the outrage and indignation – at the administration, at DOJ and ATF, at politicians for defending the guilty and intentionally obfuscating the issues, and at the media for virtually ignoring the story? Don’t allow this story to fizzle out on the back pages, and don’t allow the ATF and this administration to be rewarded for this very bad behavior. Tell them that you want to see the administration held accountable. Write your local paper and television outlets. Tell them that you want to see better coverage of this scandal. Your senators and congressmen will be home for the summer recess. Tell them that you want funding and authority to ATF curtailed until more safeguards against usurpation of rights can be established. This is your government. It’s up to you to hold them accountable.
Congressional Sportsmen
About: The Firearms Coalition is a loose-knit coalition of individual Second Amendment activists, clubs and civil rights organizations. Founded by Neal Knox in 1984, the organization provides support to grassroots activists in the form of education, analysis of current issues, and with a historical perspective of the gun rights movement. The Firearms Coalition is a project of Neal Knox Associates, Manassas, VA. Visit: www.FirearmsCoalition.org
Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- A coalition of sportsmen’s groups working toward delisting of recovered gray wolf populations from the Endangered Species Act (ESA), sent a letter to Rep. Mike Simpson, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Interior and Environment, and committee member Rep. Cynthia Lummis last week, supporting their efforts in advancing Sec. 119 of the 2012 Interior-Environment Appropriations bill, approved yesterday by the House Appropriations Committee, to address the issue of recovered wolf populations in Wyoming and the Great Lakes region.
Tags: Arms Trafficking, ATF, BATFE, Fast & Furious, Firearms Coalition, Gun Trafficking, Jeff Knox, Project Gunrunner, Straw Purchases, Washington DC
In the letter (HERE), the coalition, which includes the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), National Rifle Association (NRA), Safari Club International (SCI), Boone and Crockett Club, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), Wild Sheep Foundation, American Sheep Industry Association, Public Lands Council, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and Pope and Young Club, states, “We will continue to support any legislative efforts which take us closer to complete delisting of recovered populations, including delisting entire states that include or border core populations in order to allow the state(s) to more easily carry out their professional wildlife management responsibilities.” “Like the provision dealing with delisted wolves in Montana and Idaho that our coalition supported and was passed into law this spring, this is another step in returning management of this species back to state wildlife managers where it
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belongs,” said CSF President Jeff Crane.
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Big Bull Shootoff Hosted by RMEF & NRA Whittington Center
“Removing recovered wolf populations from Wyoming and the Great Lakes Region will reduce risks to both people and wildlife in these areas and return balance to these ecosystems, further advancing our goal to delist all recovered gray wolf populations ,” said Chris W. Cox, NRA’s chief lobbyist.
JUL 13, 2011 11:54A.M.
Sec. 119 of the 2012 Interior-Environment Appropriations bill would remove gray wolves delisted under ESA in Wyoming or in any of the states within the range of the Western Great Lakes Distinct Population Segment from judicial review if the state has entered into an agreement with the Secretary of the Interior to authorize state management.
Big Bull Shootoff Hosted by RMEF & NRA Whittington Center
“This is a states’ rights issue now and it is time for the states to manage wolves as other wildlife,” said David Allen, President and CEO of RMEF. “Science clearly shows that gray wolves have recovered”. “We are appreciative of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus members who have worked tirelessly to ensure that management of wolves is returned to the states,” said SCI President Kevin Anderson. “We’ve already seen that the delisted area is too small to contain the large and growing wolf population, so we welcome this further progress.” About: The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009. Throughout this time, CSF has maintained a singleness of purpose that has guided the organization to become the most respected and trusted hunting and fishing organization in the political arena. Visit: www.sportsmenslink.org
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Tags: Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, CSF, ESA, Wolf Hunting, Wolves
The “Big Bull Shootoff” simulates field situations and shot opportunities encountered during archery and firearms hunts for big game. The course is designed to challenge and hone shooting skills.
MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s Northeast New Mexico Chapter is teaming up with the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, N.M., for a one-of-a-kind shooting sports event especially for hunters, August 26-28.
The event is open to anyone interested in hunting, shooting and conservation. Competition is being divided into classes for men, women and youths–plus special divisions for RMEF chapters from around the country vying for organizational bragging rights and unique traveling trophies for the best rifle and archery teams. “The event begins on a Friday with open shooting to allow registered shooters to warm up, followed by several fun-shoot events and a special RMEF reception. On Saturday, the shooting events begin in earnest. Saturday night features a big game banquet, auction, raffles and games. We’ll wrap up on Sunday with a breakfast awards ceremony to honor our shooting champions,” said Doug Doherty, RMEF regional director for New Mexico.
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The main rifle competition offers 10 stations with 20 targets out to 400 yards, with scores based on shot placement and time. United Bowhunters of New Mexico is working with the RMEF chapter to set up a 3-D archery course using the same concept as the rifle competition. Both are limited to 150 competitors each.
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The Elkhorn Brand Rides Again JUL 13, 2011 10:47A.M. The Elkhorn Brand Rides Again By Lucinda D. Schroeder
In addition to these featured competitions, other attractions will include sporting clays, five-stand and other shotgun, pistol and rifle shooting, product vendors exhibiting their latest and greatest, and RMEF’s new Project SAFE program to help young and novice shooters discover America’s hunting heritage and conservation. For event details, pricing and registration, contact RMEF volunteers Ira or Lynette Simpson at (575) 445-3988. Reservations are limited. Registration closes Aug. 12. The entire event is a fundraiser to support RMEF’s mission to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. Since 1985, RMEF and its partners have completed 256 different conservation and education projects in New Mexico with a combined value of more than $19.3 million. The NRA Whittington Center is one of the nation’s premier shooting sports facilities. Founded in 1973, the center offers many competitive, educational and recreational activities in all shooting disciplines–and hosted more than 115,000 visitors in 2010. On site camping and lodging facilities are available (there also are many hotels in Raton). Learn more about the center at www.nrawc.org.
Two Ocean Pass Teton Wilderness
About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation: Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.9 million acres–a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK. Tags: Competitive Shooting News, NRA Whittington Center, RMEF, Shooting News
Boone and Crockett Club MISSOULA, Mont.--(Ammoland.com)- The day had been long and the ride difficult. As the two riders slipped through the Teton Wilderness, they came upon the Continental Divide and stopped at Two Ocean Pass. For a few moments they reminisced about a hunt that took place in this area during September 1891. The hunter was Theodore Roosevelt. Two Ocean Pass got its name from a single creek that divides here, with one fork flowing east and one west. The forks of the creek were appropriately named Atlantic Creek and Pacific Creek. When Jim
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Bridger first wrote about this anomaly, few people believed him. But Roosevelt was so impressed by the area that he wrote, “There is no more beautiful game-country in the United States.”
overwrought fear of shedding blood.”
The abundance of game was precisely why in 2006, the two riders came to this area. Not to hunt, but to hunt for poachers who ruthlessly steal game from ethical hunters. The riders were Special Agents Tim Eicher and Dominic Domenici of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. They were in this remote wilderness because areas like this are exactly where serious wildlife criminals go to poach game. Eicher and Domenici, both stationed in Wyoming, are modernday cowboys who reflect Roosevelt’s ideals of accepting duty, and living the “strenuous life.” Beginning their wildlife enforcement careers nearly 30 years ago, these agents were drawn to their work by what Roosevelt described as “living the hardy life of the wilderness and of the hunter in the wilderness.” Aside from being a hunter, Roosevelt was also a rancher. In Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail, he wrote about his beloved Elkhorn Ranch in North Dakota. It was there that he designed a brand for his cattle and horses. The brand was registered in the Dakota Territory as the “Elkhorn Brand.”
Elkhorn Brand for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service In 2005, Special Agent Tim Eicher applied to the Wyoming Livestock Board to register the famous Elkhorn Brand for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The application was approved in June 2006, and shortly thereafter Eicher and Domenici branded their mountain horses and pack mules with Roosevelt’s brand.
The idea of branding livestock originated with the ancient Egyptians and was later introduced to the American West by the Spanish who traveled north from Mexico. As opposed to the more elaborate Mexican designs, most American brands were simple. The Elkhorn brand fittingly resembles an elk horn with three points. Hired cowboys rode for the brand from 1884 to 1899 when Roosevelt reluctantly sold his ranch.
Today, in the Roosevelt tradition of cowboy, hunter, and conservationist, the Elkhorn Brand rides again in Wyoming. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents now ride the brand as backcountry lawmen in the very areas that Roosevelt hunted and finally set aside for future generations. Their job is to catch wildlife violators and bring them to justice. The Elkhorn brand has become the symbolic connection between their work and the rich conservation legacy left by Roosevelt.
In Out on the Range, Roosevelt explained the practice of branding for the benefit of his Eastern reading audience: “All cattle are branded, usually on the hip, shoulder, and side, or on any one of them, with letters, numbers, or figures in every combination, the outfit being known by its brand. Near me, for instance, are the Three Sevens, the Thistle, the Bellows, the OX, the VI, the Seventy-six Bar, and the Quarter Circle Diamond outfits. All brands are registered, and are thus protected against imitators, any man tampering with them being punished as severely as possible….”
From his Cody office, Eicher said, “We support ranching, the cowboy way, and conservation. By getting the Elkhorn Brand registered for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we’re making a statement about our principles.” While president, Theodore Roosevelt created the Forest Service and designated 150 National Forests, which included the Two Ocean Pass country. He also established several National Parks, Bird and Game Preserves, and Pelican Island, the first National Wildlife Refuge. His actions established the philosophy that wildlife and wilderness should be protected for its own sake.
But as time and history has shown, none of the brands of the Old West ever carried as much significance as the Elkhorn Brand. The cowboys who rode for it were fiercely loyal to the Elkhorn Ranch and the cowboy principles made famous by Theodore Roosevelt. Accepting a life of isolation and hard work, these cowboys understood the value of a strong character, and strived for it.
As usual, Roosevelt said it best, “Wild beasts and birds are by right not the property merely of the people alive today, but the property of the unborn generations, whose belonging we have no right to squander.”
In The Roundup, Roosevelt wrote about the characteristics of the American cowboy: “Meanness, cowardice, and dishonesty are not tolerated. There is a high regard for truthfulness and keeping one’s word, intense contempt for any kind of hypocrisy, and a hearty dislike for a man who shirks his work… a cowboy will not submit tamely to an insult, and is ever ready to avenge his own wrongs; nor has he an
About: It is the policy of the Boone and Crockett Club to promote the guardianship and provident management of big game and associated wildlife in North America and maintain the highest standards of fair
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chase and sportsmanship in all aspects of big game hunting, in order that this resource of all the people may survive and prosper in its natural habitats. Consistent with this objective, the Club supports the use and enjoyment of our wildlife heritage to the fullest extent by this and future generations. Visit: www.boone-crockett.org Tags: Boone & Crocket, Conservation News, usfw
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Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Briefs Congress on Government Litigation Savings Act
Congressional Sportsmen
JUL 13, 2011 10:17A.M.
Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), in conjunction with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) and Boone & Crockett Club, today briefed members of the CSC on legislation that would prevent abuse of the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) by large environmental groups and others who have exploited a loop hole in EAJA, and through round-robin litigation financially supported their organizations and built large internal legal departments to sustain and perpetuate continuing litigation.
Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Briefs Congress on Government Litigation Savings Act
The Government Litigation Savings Act, or H.R. 1996, introduced by CSC Rep. Cynthia Lummis and S.1061, introduced by CSC Sen. John Barasso, would reduce taxpayer’s burden to pay for attorney’s fees, and returns EAJA to its original intent by instituting targeted reforms on who is eligible to receive EAJA reimbursements, limiting repeated lawsuits, and reinstating tracking and reporting requirements to make EAJA more transparent. EAJA was passed in 1980 and gave a blank check to federal agencies and the Department of Justice to reimburse people for their attorney’s fees when they have sued the government, or defended against a wrongful government action. EAJA served its purpose reasonably well throughout the 1980’s, but began a downward spiral in 1995 when all tracking and reporting of these payments stopped.
Lowell Baier of Boone & Crockett
“Today our goal was to educate CSC members on how EAJA has been hijacked and how this negatively affects the hunting and angling community,” said CSF President Jeff Crane. “We are also looking to generate more support in Congress for these bills that would return EAJA to its original intent and keep frivolous environmental lawsuits from tying up fish and wildlife management in court.” CSC House Co-Chair Rep. Jeff Miller and Vice-Chair Rep. Heath Shuler welcomed attendees while Sen. Barasso, Rep. Lummis along with Lowell Baier, President Emeritus of Boone & Crockett Club spoke on the need to revise the EAJA through H.R. 1996 and S.1061, respectively.
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“When the government stopped tracking EAJA payments in 1995, it was a dream come true for radical environmental groups. Lack of oversight has fueled the fire for these groups to grind the work of land management and other federal agencies to a halt — and it does so on the taxpayer’s dime. Americans have unwittingly funded these obstructionist political agendas for far too long at the expense of individuals, small businesses, energy producers, farmers and ranchers who must pay out of their own pocket to defend the federal government against relentless litigation,” Lummis said. “This common sense legislation would help restore integrity to EAJA and return the program to the original intent of Congress.”
Requirement **Oleg Volk
“For far too long, special interest groups have funded their anti-multiple use agenda with Americans’ hard earned taxpayer dollars,” said Barrasso. “It’s absolutely absurd that Washington pays outside groups to repeatedly sue our government. It’s time to halt the endless cycle of reckless lawsuits and fix this broken system. Our bill will protect taxpayer dollars and restore accountability and transparency.”
National Rifle Association FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- On Monday, the Justice Department announced that it will proceed with a controversial reporting procedure that will require federally licensed firearms retailers in states bordering Mexico to report multiple sales of semi-automatic rifles.
Tags: Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, CSF, Washington DC
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Last fall, the reporting procedure was proposed as an “emergency” measure by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Obama Administration Approves Illegal Multiple Gun Sales Reporting Requirement
The procedure specifically calls for all of the firearm retailers in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to report multiple sales, or other dispositions, of two or more .22 caliber or larger semi-automatic rifles that are capable of accepting a detachable magazine and that are purchased by the same individual within five consecutive business days. For example, a dealer would have to tell the government every time a deer hunter in Sacramento or Amarillo finds a good deal on a pair of semi-auto .30-06s like the popular Remington 7400.
JUL 13, 2011 09:42A.M. Obama Administration Approves Illegal Multiple Gun Sales Reporting Requirement
The BATFE has no legal authority to demand these reports, and the flood of new paperwork (BATFE estimates 18,000 reports per year) will waste scarce law enforcement resources that should be spent on legitimate investigations. Deputy Attorney General James Cole said in the DOJ statement that this new reporting measure “will improve the ability of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to detect and disrupt the illegal weapons trafficking networks responsible for diverting firearms from lawful commerce to criminals and criminal organizations.” As anyone who watches the news is aware, the BATFE has recently come under intense scrutiny due to its involvement in, and handling of, the illconceived and ill-fated “Fast and Furious” operation. “Fast and Furious” was a part of the five-year-old “Project Gunrunner” program and encouraged Arizona gun stores to sell thousands of guns to suspicious
Obama Administration Approves Illegal Multiple Sales Reporting
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buyers, despite objections from dealers and BATFE field agents alike. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) called the new policy “the height of hypocrisy,” and said the Obama administration is restricting the gun rights of border state citizens “when the administration knowingly and intentionally allowed guns to be trafficked into Mexico.” Smith went on to say, “Limiting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens is not going to solve the problem.” Earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on and passed, by a vote of 277 to 149, an amendment to H.R. 1 offered by Reps. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) and Dan Boren (D-Okla.) that prohibits the use of federal funds for the reporting scheme. Unfortunately, the amendment was not included in the final version of the bill as a result of Senate inaction. In March, U.S. Sens. Jon Tester (DMont.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) introduced legislation (S. 570) “to prohibit the Department of Justice from tracking and cataloging the purchases of multiple rifles and shotguns.” The bill would prohibit the use of federal funds for a multiple sales reporting scheme proposed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Please contact your Senator and encourage him or her to cosponsor S. 570 to stop this blatant abuse of power. You can reach your Senators at (202) 224-3121 or send them an e-mail by clicking here. Commenting on the DOJ announcement, NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox said, “$40 billion transnational criminal enterprises don’t fill out paperwork and are not deterred by paperwork violations. This is a blatant effort by the Obama administration and ATF to divert the focus of Congress and the general public from their gross incompetence in the ‘Fast and Furious’ scandal. This scheme will unjustly burden law abiding retailers in border states. It will not affect drug cartels and it won’t prevent violence along our borders. The BATFE and the Administration lack the statutory authority to do this and the NRA will file suit as soon as BATFE sends the first demand letters.” About: Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org **Image: by Olegvolk.net Tags: Arizona, ATF, California, Firearms Registration, Long Gun Registry, New Mexico, NRA, Registered Guns, Texas
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